The Walt Disney Company has announced that it will be closing its Star Wars-themed luxury hotel in Orlando in September. The hotel, known as Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, made its debut at Walt Disney World in March 2022.
Despite being a two-day immersive hotel experience, it is shutting down less than two years after its opening. This decision comes as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to cut costs across its entertainment and parks divisions. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger had previously stated in February that the company aimed to reduce costs by $5.5 billion, focusing on making the streaming TV business profitable.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was not just a regular hotel; it offered a unique and immersive experience, combining resorts, cruise lines, and theme parks into a 48-hour space adventure. It was first teased at Disney’s D23 Expo in 2019 and officially opened near Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, in March 2022. The price for the two-day adventure averaged around $1,200 per person per day, with family packages exceeding $6,000.
According to a Reuters report, some Star Wars fans had voiced their concerns about the high cost of staying at the Starcruiser. In addition to the hotel closure, Disney also announced that it was canceling plans to construct a $1 billion corporate campus in Florida due to “changing business conditions” amid a legal dispute with Governor Ron DeSantis.
Despite the closure, a Disney spokesperson emphasized that the Starcruiser experience had received positive feedback from guests and had been recognized for its innovative and immersive entertainment. They expressed their intention to apply the lessons learned from this project to create future experiences that could reach a broader audience of guests and fans. In a statement, the company highlighted the Starcruiser as one of their most creative ventures and reaffirmed their commitment to providing innovative and immersive entertainment in the future.
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