Disney’s Star Wars Hotel Is Closing After Just 18 Months
When it was first announced, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel was supposed to be a whole new frontier in Disney vacations, giving hardcore Star Wars fans a chance to live within the universe of their beloved franchise for several days, while enjoying a totally immersive experience with dining, attractions, and a visit to Walt Disney World’s Star Wars theme park, Galaxy’s Edge.
Barely over a year after it first opened, the Starcruiser is now closing. Disney announced today that the final “trips” on the Starcruiser will “sail” in September. (The hotel is designed to act like it’s an enormous cruise ship in space.)
Here was what the company said about the closure in a statement:
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.
READ MORE: Go Inside Disney’s Interactive Star Wars Hotel
Those who visited the Starcruiser generally had positive things to say about it — except about the price. When Disney first began accepting reservations for the hotel, a two-night visit cost $4,809 for a “cabin” with two guests, and up to $5,999 for a cabin with three adults and one child. And that was just for a two-night stay at the hotel; if you wanted to spend any additional time at Walt Disney World before or after, that was all extra. And there were other potential upcharges on top of the thousands of dollars per visit; you could even buy a single cocktail that cost $5,000.
Based on the fact that Disney is already abandoning the concept, it’s clear that the price was just too expensive for most potential customers — and that there was seemingly no way to lower the price without sacrificing the quality of the experience. It’s too bad. I always wanted to go — but I would also never pay $6,000 for a two-day vacation.