Walt Disney World’s costly Star Wars-themed Galactic Starcruiser Hotel will be permanently closing its doors in September, approximately 18 months after opening.
Advertised as a two-day immersive experience, the Galactic Starcruiser provides guests with a simulated voyage to a galaxy far, far away. While “aboard” the Halcyon starcruiser, voyagers mingle with other guests and crew members while aligning themselves with either the light or dark side of the Force.
BREAKING: Disney is shutting down The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a Star Wars themed hotel, in Florida pic.twitter.com/COtEHNCVJj
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 18, 2023
Costs for the voyage came in at a staggering $1,200 per person, per night. Family packages began at a whopping $6,000. The price tag included food and drink, admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a planetary excursion to Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars-themed land, an exclusive magic band, and a two-night stay in either a cabin or suite.
Though the hotel experience received generally positive reviews, the cost of the experience apparently proved too much for even the most die-hard of Star Wars fans, forcing Disney to limit the amount of voyages available as the company struggled to fill rooms, Walt Disney News Today reported.
Disney further attempted to entice guests by offering deep discounts for the hotel experience to Disney Vacation Club members, eventually extending them to non-vacation club members, the New York Post reported. (RELATED: Disney Scraps $1 Billion Florida Project Amid DeSantis Feud)
Disney further announced it would be cancelling a proposed $1 billion installation amid “changing business conditions” for the company. The project, known as Lake Nona Town Center, was expected to create up to 2,000 jobs for the Orlando-based resort and was expected to give the company a half a billion dollars in tax breaks.
The Walt Disney Company suffered a direct-to-consumer operating loss of over $1 billion, the company announced earlier this year. Its streaming service also lost a staggering 2.4 million subscribers. These setbacks for the company forced reinstated CEO Bob Iger to announce 7,000 employee layoffs in February.
“We are so proud of all of the Cast Members and Imagineers who brought Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to life and look forward to delivering an excellent experience for Guests during the remaining voyages over the coming months. Thank you to our Guests and fans for making this experience so special,” Walt Disney World announced on the hotel’s homepage.
The final voyage for the Galactic Starcruiser will take place September 28-30, 2023. Any guests booked on or after that date will be contacted by the hotel to discuss options and modify plans. New bookings are paused until after May 26 in order to give priority to those who need their reservations altered, the hotel continued.