In not entirely unexpected news, as public demand has continued to dwindle over the past year, Disney has announced that it is unplugging and parking its Orlando, Florida-based company. Star Wars: Galactic Star Cruiser hotel after only 15 months of operation.
As the House of Mouse pursues a series of abrupt employee layoffs and cost-cutting measures that also include a simplified exit schedule, the cancellation of a massive Florida relocation plan and the elimination of Disney+ shows like “Willow”, this extravagant Walt Disney World Resort The attraction was ripe for the chopping block and is welcoming its last guests September 28-30.
Being such a risky billion-dollar investment that never really wowed fans due to its sky-high prices, claustrophobic rooms, uninspired interior design, and generic live entertainment offerings, the decision to mothball the Galactic Starcruiser seems like the prudent thing to do in light of Disney’s declining stock price and the need to save cash.
“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects to date and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” said a carrier. Official disney word. says Variety. “This premium experience has given us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and we will use what we learn to create future experiences that can reach more of our customers and fans.”
The space-y 100-room hotel opened to passengers on March 1, 2022 as a two-night stay, “star wars“- themed role-playing adventure experience aboard the Halcyon, a simulated spaceship cruise liner set in the legendary “Star Wars” galaxy. It was an all-inclusive experimental interactive attraction where two guests had to pay a minimum price of $4,809 for the two-night sleepover during off-peak dates.
While whispers of the resort hotel’s plummeting occupancy numbers have circulated this year, and despite Disney offering deep discounts to try to revitalize interest, this ambitious sci-fi venture has simply overpriced and eventually ran out of fuel, stuck in a stagnant economy beleaguered by high inflation and interest rates. In another era it might have worked, but not in these troubled times.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will permanently close its airlocks after September 30 and the attraction is not currently accepting new reservations. Disney intends to contact all future guests who have booked a stay after this date to discuss refund, modified plans or compensation options.