Disney World’s immersive Star Wars hotel will shut down in September
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the large-scale immersive Disney World hotel experience with surprising ties to the Star Wars canon, sets sail in September for its final voyage. The two-day, Star Wars-themed resort hotel experience first opened on March 1, 2022, with a starting price of $4,809 for a two-person weekday experience, rising to a $6,000 two-night premium experience.
As for the reason for the decision to close the resort experience, Disney Parks global public relations manager Charles Stovall told Polygon it was just a business decision. “Disney always takes risks,” he said. “We have always been at the forefront of entertainment experiences, constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, and this was just one of the risks we took.”
Polygon was invited to experience the Galactic Starcruiser, also known as the Halcyon, first hand before it opened. While we found the experience engaging, and parts of it revolutionary, the price certainly made us pause. Bookings reportedly fell short of expectations, with some two-day expeditions failing to sell out.
Stovall said Galactic Starcruiser’s actors and staff would be relocated to other areas of the park ahead of the experience’s closure later this year. “A lot of them were on the Disney College program, which is a very specific time limit, and they will be able to complete that program,” Stovall told Polygon.
When asked if the price for Galactic Starcruiser was at all a factor in the business decision to close it, Stovall said the price was commensurate with the value the experience offered. “The price was really reflective of all the costs of exploiting that experience: the entertainment, the food and drinks, activities like lightsaber training [and] accelerated entry to the park — all to deliver a VIP experience as immersive and unique as this one.”
As for what Disney plans to do with the Galactic Starcruiser site or if there’s a possibility it will return at some point in the future, Stovall stated that Disney had no further announcements to share at this time, but he urged nevertheless, indicated that Star Wars would still be playing. a vital role in Disney parks including Galaxy’s Edge. “We just announced that Star Tours will be getting more scenes and characters in the coming year,” said Stovall. “So we have plans for Star Wars, but nothing more than what we’ve already announced today.”
The last Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser cruise is September 28-30.