Disney to Shut Down ‘Star Wars’ Galactic Starcruiser Hotel
variety.comK.J. Yossman Less than eighteen months after Disney opened its first “Star Wars” themed hotel in Orlando, Fla. to much fanfare, the company has confirmed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is set to cease operations. “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,” said a spokesperson for Disney, according to CNBC. “This premium experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.” The hotel, which charged around $5,000 for a minimum two-night stay for two people, opened last March in Disney’s Walt Disney World resort in Orlando.
It was envisioned as a new kind of interactive experience where guests would take part in a real-world adventure aided by actors who would assign them missions.
But reviewers and guests complained about the hotel’s small, windowless rooms (meant to imitate the feel of a spaceship), the reliance on phones and technology (each guest was loaned an iPhone pre-loaded with different missions for the duration of their stay) and the lack of amenities, such as a gym or pool.
At the beginning of this year, rumors abounded on Disney forums and blogs about the hotel’s low occupancy rate – despite only offering one hundred rooms – with some theme park blogs reporting Disney was slashing prices in a bid to drum up customers.
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