Disney World Closing Its Star Wars Hotel
The company thought that people would spend over $5,000 for a two-night immersive experience, and while some did, there were not enough of them.
Walt Disney has learned that at some point, price matters. That's not what the company thought when it launched "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser," an immersive hotel experience that cost over $5,000 for a two-night trip.
The cruise-like experience was fully immersive and mostly all-inclusive. Guests played a role in the story and got to make a stop on Batuu, the fictional setting of "Star Wars Galaxy's Edge" at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
It was a dream-come-true experience for Star Wars fans, but one that came at a price tag so steep that only select fans of the property could afford it. And for the ones who could pay the price, even if they enjoyed the experience, were not likely to pay to do it again.
Now, Walt Disney (DIS) - Get Free Report has made the decision to close "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser," which the company confirmed in a statement sent to TheStreet.
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. 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.
We will be contacting Guests booked for voyages departing on or after Sept. 30 to discuss their options and modify their plans. To prioritize these Guests, we are pausing new bookings until May 26.
All remaining scheduled "voyages" are expected to run as planned. Image source: Walt Disney
Disney's Big Star Wars Bet Has Been Troubled Since the Start
When it announced the project, Disney had high hopes for its very high-end Star Wars experience. In many ways, the company created a hotel experience for Star Wars fans that was modeled after its cruise line. (Disney's cruise line costs significantly more than other family-friendly cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Carnival).
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"Guests become the heroes of their own Star Wars stories during a two-night adventure aboard the Halcyon starcruiser, a vessel known for its impeccable service and exotic destinations," the company shared in a press release. "Throughout the voyage, guests' choices determine their personal stories as they interact with characters, crew, and other passengers, becoming part of the action and the broader Star Wars saga. Decisions guests make affect how their tales unfold as momentum builds on an action-packed adventure that may determine the fate of the galaxy."
That all sounded enticing, but Disney may have misjudged both the potential audience for such a project and how many people could pay a price that surpasses what many families spend on a weeklong Disney World trip. There have been signs in recent months that problems in filling the "voyages" were taking place.
Disney cut the frequency of the "trips" and offered substantial discounts to Disney Vacation Club members.
Now, the company has decided to pull the plug on a failure that can be laid at the feet of former CEO Bob Chapek. The company has not made any comment on what might be next for the property, which could be repackaged into a different Star Wars experience or rethemed.
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