In news not entirely unexpected, as public demand continued to wane over the past yr, Disney has announced that it’s pulling the plug and parking its Orlando, Florida-based Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel after only 15 months in operation.
Because the House of Mouse continues a series of brutal worker layoffs and cost-cutting measures that also include a slimmed-down release schedule, the cancellation of a large Florida relocation plan, and the removal of low-rated Disney Plus shows like “Willow,” this extravagant Walt Disney World Resort attraction was ripe for the chopping block and hosts its final guests Sept. 28-30, .
Being such a dangerous $1 billion investment that never really caught on with fans as a result of its extremely expensive prices, claustrophobic rooms, uninspired interior design and generic live-action entertainment offerings, the choice to mothball the Galactic Starcruiser appears to be the prudent thing to do in light of Disney’s declining stock price and dollar-saving necessities.
“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is certainly one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a brand new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” an official Disney spokesperson told Variety. “This premium experience gave us the chance to try recent things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and we are going to take what we have learned to create future experiences that may reach more of our guests and fans.”
The space-y 100-room hotel first opened to passengers on March 1, 2022 as a two-night, “Star Wars”-themed role-playing adventure experience on board the Halcyon, a simulated spaceship cruise liner set inside the storied “Star Wars” galaxy. It was an experimental all-inclusive interactive attraction where a pair of guests were charged a minimum $4,809 price tag for the two-night sleepover during off-peak dates.
As whispers concerning the resort hotel’s plunging occupancy numbers circulated this yr, and despite Disney offering steep discounts to attempt to revitalize interest, this ambitious sci-fi enterprise simply outpriced itself and eventually ran out of fuel, marooned in a stagnant economy besieged with high inflation and rates of interest. In one other day and age it just might need succeeded, but not in these troubling times.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will shut its airlocks for good after Sept. 30 and the attraction is just not currently accepting any recent reservations. Disney intends on contacting all future guests who’ve booked a stay after that date to debate restitution, altered plans or compensation options.