Disney World’s “Star Wars Hotel” Closing Permanently
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Hey Disney Park Fans, we have some not so shocking news for you all, Disney World’s “Star Wars Hotel” will be closing permanently. Disney has announced that the final voyage for the Star Wars Hotel will be September 28th-30th, 2023.
Disney World's Star Wars hotel is called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. It is an immersive and highly themed hotel experience located near Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida. The Galactic Starcruiser is designed to transport guests into the Star Wars universe, allowing them to live out their own Star Wars adventure. The experience begins as soon as guests arrive at the hotel, where they are greeted and checked in as if they were boarding a starship.
One unique aspect of the Galactic Starcruiser experience is that it is designed as a two-night, all-inclusive package. This means that guests are fully immersed in the Star Wars story for the duration of their stay, and the experience seamlessly continues from the moment they check in until they check out.
The hotel itself is designed to resemble a massive spaceship called the Halcyon. Guests stay in cabins that feature futuristic amenities and views of space through "windows" that show dynamic scenes instead of actual outside views. The cabins are designed to accommodate up to five passengers and offer a comfortable and immersive environment. These cabins come at an out of this world price starting at an out of this world price of $6000 pre voyage. Making this experience financially unobtainable for many park goers.
During their stay, guests can participate in a variety of interactive experiences and activities. They can learn how to operate the ship's navigation systems, engage in lightsaber training, and even go on a secret mission to help the Resistance or the First Order, depending on their chosen storyline.
Copyright Disney Parks & Resorts
Meals are included as part of the experience and are served in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, where guests can enjoy a variety of Star Wars-themed dishes. The hotel also features a lounge called the Sublight Lounge, where guests can relax and socialize while enjoying galactic-themed beverages.
A Disney spokesperson has released a statement on the closure “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final voyage, we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”
As mentioned, the closure of this hotel does not come as a shock to us. There are several reasons why we thought that this would happen very soon.
Cost: The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience is a premium and all-inclusive package, which may make it prohibitively expensive for some potential guests. The high cost could limit the hotel's appeal and accessibility, potentially leading to lower demand.
Limited Appeal: While Star Wars has a massive fan base, the appeal of an immersive Star Wars hotel experience may be limited to hardcore fans. Casual visitors or those less familiar with the franchise may not be as interested in the experience, potentially impacting the hotel's overall success. especially for the very high cost of this experience.
Length of Stay: The Star Wars hotel offers a two-night package, which might be seen as a short amount of time to full experience the hotel, especially considering the high cost.
Competition: The Orlando area is already home to numerous theme parks, hotels, and attractions, including other Disney properties. All of which could provide a longer stay with deluxe amenities for the same cost.
Execution and Expectations: The success of the Star Wars hotel relies heavily on the execution of the immersive experience. For many guest the execution fell short of guests' expectations, such as the level of interactivity, story integration, and overall immersion lead to disappointment of the guest.
For the time being, new bookings will be temporarily paused. Disney will be contacting those who had bookings from September 30th through the end of the year. Bookings will then reopen on May 26th for voyages on the Starcruiser until its final “trip.” As for what will replace this hotel, no information has been released as of yet, well of course be sure to keep you posted.
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