Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (the Star Wars Hotel) was an incredibly unique cruise-like experience that opened in 2022 in Disney World.
But the experience wasn’t cheap, costing couples and families into the thousands, and, ultimately, Disney closed the Star Wars hotel in September 2023. Executives have shared what went wrong in the past, and now, we’re learning a bit more behind-the-scenes details.
It’s been just about six months since Disney World’s Star Wars hotel closed its doors. Since then, we’ve been trying to figure out what exactly went wrong with this immersive experience, and thanks to Disney Parks and Experiences chairperson Josh D’Amaro, we’ve been slowly piecing it together.
In a new interview with CNBC, D’Amaro shared that he thinks part of the issue with Starcruiser was that “It was difficult to explain to the public.” He continued, saying, “…I think it was incredibly brave for us to move into this space…And this, to me, says Imagineering is still at its best today.”
He chalked the Star Wars hotel’s main fault up to the high ticket price per voyage but said that it was still a learning opportunity for the company.
That’s all fine and dandy, but what does that mean for the future of Disney parks and experiences?
Don’t worry, D’Amaro’s got that covered, too — he says, “Those learnings are being employed on the next experiences, which we haven’t even announced yet.” It sounds like even more immersive hotel experiences could be in the works for Disney, but of course, we know the company has a tendency to announce “Blue Sky” ideas that never actually come to fruition.
This isn’t the first time D’Amaro has commented on the Starcruiser, defending it in spite of its apparent failure. During a JP Morga event in May 2023, he called the Starcruiser a “stunning asset” and pointed out that the Imagineers did an “incredible job” with it. He also noted that Cast Members did an exceptional job, it got high ratings, and it was a never-before-seen type of experience.
Ultimately, that wasn’t enough to save it, and D’Amaro shared that the project “didn’t perform exactly like [Disney] wanted it to perform.”That’s why the team at Disney felt like it was time to “sunset” it.
As of now, Disney hasn’t made any sort of announcements or dropped any hints about what might be next for the now-abandoned hotel. It’s possible the space could be rethemed into another sort of boutique experience, though it’s doubtful Disney would put all of its eggs into that basket again.
Disney could choose to keep the Star Wars theming and utilize the space for more interactive, dinner theater, and escape room-type experiences without the need for an overnight stay. Whatever Disney has planned, you can be sure we’ll be on the lookout for the latest news.
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Disney Executive Reveals What Went WRONG With the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel
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Did you ever stay at the Star Wars hotel? Tell us in the comments.
I actually had the pleasure of taking three Galactic Starcruisers voyages. I loved each and every one, and I got more out of it each time. I post a bit of the blame on the public, as I agree I don’t actually believe they understood exactly how exciting this adventure was. It was not at all like going to a hotel, it was exactly like boarding a spaceship, and I think people thought it was going to be a lot cheesier and not as intricate as it actually was, and that’s why they balked at the cost, when they shouldn’t have. I really miss it, and I truly hope Disney will give us fans an opportunity to experience something like it again.
It’s OK Josh. Now that people refused to spend exhorborant amounts of money on this, just raise the theme park ticket prices to cover your mistake
Taking two days out of your already-expensive Disney vacation just to live in cramped quarters and miss time in the major parks, and doing so for a completely exorbitant cost was what shot down the Stars Wars Hotel experience.
The majority of parents and little children were not the demographic that “had to have” this experience; twelve to sixteen-year-olds were the ones who liked it best.
It also may have done better had it debuted in the Episode 4 – 6 Era, when Star Wars was a true craze.