Why Disney Closed the Star Wars Hotel

[@SailorDisco]

The fact that they didn’t try a price drop beyond very limited discounts makes me wonder how tight the profit margin was.

[@dustyfedora]

They spent so much money making it and maintaining it is also expensive from the basic hotel maintenance as well as paying the actors Pair that with only 100 rooms and they were practically forced to make it expensive if they wanted to break even on it

[@D4L_457]

No it was Ron

[@liamcollinson5695]

Other than the actors which I have heard was ace and did the best they could do the food and rooms and overall experience didn't seem worth it. It looked more like startrek than starwars

[@D4L_457]

@@liamcollinson5695 please stop making excuses for your communist governor. He can fools Cubans and Porta Ricans but not us.

[@Battleneter]

Most people thought it looked like garbage, it's not just about the price.

[@skyeplus]

It was very generous of Disney to drop $400 million on a hotel for Jenny Nicholson to record another SW video.

[@TheLeraLush]

If it was priced at the same price point as an actual cruise, then I think it would have made more sense and been profitable but it definitely was overpriced. For $1200 per guest per night I could stay at a 5-star hotel in a major city and eat a 6-course meal for every meal. Or even if you want to compare it to an actual cruise ship, you can go on high end cruises for $1200 per night per ROOM for a balcony suite and that includes all your food, entertainment, amenities, etc. It was just overpriced for what you were getting.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

lol holly u gotta be rich but also agree

[@slowazzd2165]

Huh? People who aren't rich go on vacations and cruises still lmao

[@internetzone1178]

Boycott Disney

[@rohimamiah9395]

I have been on other cruises including budget ones like Carnival and high end like Viking. Cost a lot to do Disney VIP tour for max of 10 hours one day up to 10 folks. Food extra. Park tickets extra. No immersion in story. Again Disney has value, moderate and deluxe options depending on what is affordable for you. This was high end and unique. That is reality in our stratified society. I wish everyone could experience first class everything but we would have to build a different world for that.

[@Tajarim88]

Except you're in a dungeon basically. It's a scam.

[@Sentinelelmejor928]

Can't wait to see the defunctland video on this

[@philliptivis3082]

Two words: Price Tag.

[@PaulHtmnn]

Also: Too Expensive

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Lol

[@jeffrey-3390]

Nobody was gping to pay 5k for 2 days

[@wdwexploreandchill]

Yep.

[@MicaMakes]

Even as a huge star wars fan i wouldnt pay 5 dollars to see that trash. Retheme it to the orginal trilogy

[@mojojojo7923]

Disney never understood Star Wars. The price tag shows they don’t understand their customer.

[@Berret25]

I imagine that the executives in their first meeting about this disaster had a conversation that went along the lines of Gennaro the lawyer from Jurassic Park: “And we can charge anything we want, $2,000 a day, $10,000 a day, and people will pay it. And then there’s the merchandise…” When the lone voice of reason said that this is not meant to cater to only the super rich and regular families should be able to enjoy it, they said, “Sure they will. We’ll have a coupon day or something.” And everyone laughed.

[@kencarp57]

More like CRYING now…

[@largol33t1]

Hilarious example considering Jurassic Park is at the theme park of their worst enemy Universal! I really wish they would open a Jurassic Park/World themed hotel.

[@methos1999]

Well at least nobody got eaten 😅

[@Berret25]

@@methos1999 “Yeah, but John, if the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists!” Such a great line!

[@methos1999]

@@Berret25 Among many 😁

[@JeramyWare]

I think people underestimate the roadblock Disney put in place by not allowing direct reservations from their website. We are huge Star Wars and Disney fans. We've stayed at almost every Disney World hotel, and went least 5 or 6 times in the last year, but the place was running for at least 6 months before I even realized it was open. I could find cost on the site, but even that was a pain and there was no way to book. No where that said you couldn't just book online like every other vacation destination in the last 10 or 15 years. We kept waiting for it to be open to the public, would look every couple of months, but it never did. Sure, this would probably have been easy if we were willing to use a travel agent, but we shouldn't have to. If Disney doesn't care enough to open it up for easy booking to regular visitors, why should we care enough to go?

[@englishatheart]

Tell me you're rich without telling me you're rich. 😛

[@JeramyWare]

@@englishatheart Sadly, no. Just a nurse. I just happen to work 3 day of 12 to 16 hours a week, showing me 4 days a week to travel or work extra so I can travel in the future 😁

[@DConstructiveCritic]

Disney should have targeted legacy Star Wars fans, and it would have been a success. If Darth Vader or the Mandalorian were part of the experience, it would have been amazing. As a die-hard Star Wars fan since ESB hit theathers back in the 80's, absolutely NO WAY I would waste thousands to see Rey, Kylo or that terrible lounge singer Gaia. Total wasted opportunity

[@DamplyDoo]

Tell me you're rich without saying you're rich ​@@JeramyWare

[@RashaadGenie]

The true fans would’ve made it happen no matter what.

[@4comix]

As a Disney vacation or for the past 40 years and someone who’s ridden this cruise, I wish Disney would just reach out to people like me and ask us what they’re doing wrong and I would explain to them damn near everything since 2010! Whoever is running their PR is extremely disconnected with the actual group of people who spend money here

[@sarov7658]

As a former disney fan i hate em so much right now they leaned away too far from what they represent and too corrupted it's just sad

[@DConstructiveCritic]

In their hubris, they thought they were cultivating a new generation of Star Wars fans while completely ignoring us legacy fans who have supported the franchise since the 1980's. If Darth Vader or Mando were on that starcruiser it would have had double the demand. They failed to listen to fans, so their investment failed miserably.

[@largol33t12]

You should know by now that Disney is TOOOOOO arrooooogant to even think about getting feedback. They ruined the entire SW franchise with their arrogance and keeping that dumpster fire known as Kathleen Kennedy. They wrecked their own franchise. That's impressive. I knew this hotel/cruise was going to be a failure because it didn't even resemble anything from SW. Disney needs to stop being arrogant and face reality. AND IGER NEEDS TO GO!!!!!!

[@earlitobandito5752]

Disney priced themselves out. We were just in Orlando last month and spent $1600 for a 1 week vacation at Universal Studios. That’s including park tickets for all 3 parks with park hopping and staying at the Cabana Bay hotel. The one day that we went to MK was the worst experience we’ve ever had. Pirates and Haunted mansion were down more than half the day, the park was easily the most crowded we’ve ever seen, even before Covid and the wait times for everything was over an hour. Disney is way too expensive for what it is now for the most part and they are now seeing the ramifications of that.

[@multifantv1245]

@@batshtcrazy5293 for realllll! Disney has GOT to learn that they NEED the middle class for profit and hopefully they learn to make the prices more affordable

[@bman6502]

@@multifantv1245 all about demand..even with the high prices, the parks are packed and until they start losing crowds it will continue to cost massive money…

[@englishatheart]

​@@multifantv1245The "middle class" doesn't exist any more. Even if it did, stuff like this shouldn't only be available to the mid and upper class. One's worth and what they're allowed to experience should not be based on how much money they have. The hardest workers are nearly always the ones paid the least, and they deserve a break and to be able to enjoy life, too.

[@hw7003]

I don't think they are worried with pricing considering they are drawing crowds from the entire WORLD not just the Southeast or even the whole US. Disney World is one of the most famous theme parks on the planet. It's not the 90s anymore, if you go you are competing for space with rich tourists from everywhere from Germany to China to Australia, etc. I went a few times as a kid, and honestly I've just accepted I'll never go again, it's not worth it. Go to any of the other Disney parks in the world if you want the Disney brand specifically, I've read that it's actually cheaper if you plan ahead to go to places like Disney Tokyo or Disney Paris from the US than it is to spend a week at Disney World, it'd definitely be cheaper than going to this Star wars immersion.

[@john9666]

@@bman6502

[@forfrackssake]

I feel really bad for the cast members. They put their heart and soul into their performances helping immerse guests in the experience. I hope Disney has plans for them because they deserve better.

[@brookefencl4344]

This is my main takeaway as well. Honestly, given that they were expected to be "on" at all times while maintaining the plot and improvising with each guest's unique storyline, I feel they should have been paid guild wages. But you know that's not at all where any of that $6k per stateroom was going.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Disney will come up with something perfect they always do

[@spaceflight1019]

7,000 layoffs are coming, these folks will be included.

[@Shine0222]

They will most likely be relocated to galaxies edge, but knowing the current disney with all of their layoffs on the creative side, I wouldnt be surprised if they terminated them (but this could also lead to massive backlash as their are a lot of cast members working for starcruiser)

[@Shine0222]

@@spaceflight1019 Parks arent being touched by that, that is only on a creative and office type job level, park ops cast will (or at least at this point should) be fine, as firing cast members is shooting themselves in the foot with park opperations of disney world is one of the only profitable things disney has (that isnt speculation btw).

[@anthonycunningham8116]

Major problems. 1-price. 6k for 2 nights was obscene. 2-Niche. The market of people who want to spend 2 days trapped with a load of oddities with light sabres is not that big. 3-Access. The other resorts make a lot of their money from non guests passing through, spending in various bars, shops and restaurants. You couldn't even get into Galactic Starcruiser for a look around unless you were staying there.

[@meganquiah2547]

It’s a bummer but we we’re definitely priced out. We hope they turn it into a normal resort so that fans can still see it and stay. Thanks for breaking it down.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

That’s a great idea to 😊

[@MrJonnydanger]

Won't happen. There aren't even windows in the building.

[@Danileptic]

I wonder what will happen

[@erizzle67]

One of my relatives works at the Cruiser. I was down there just a month ago and at that time he mentioned another angle not covered in this video. His complaint was about the marketing. See, we’re a Disney family, MK opened a month after I was born, several relatives of mine it’s the only employer they’ve ever had. One uncle just retired - started working there at age 18 in the 70s. I’ve visited the parks dozens of times and I’ve never even lived in Florida. So when I asked my cousin “what’s that?” when he told me where he was working, he was annoyed. He said one issue is wealthy people booking stays and not realizing it’s an immersive geek-fest. They just see the price and assume it’s some great resort. They show up and want nothing to do with the immersive stuff. You can treat it like a hotel but if you’re looking for a great resort with typical resort features, this isn’t it! It’s crazy to me that they built all this, I love Disney AND Star Wars, and had no idea this existed. The failure was probably able to be corrected. But the current Disney management has no fear of making huge changes…..

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

It really should never have been advertised as a hotel. It really wasn't.

[@Saviorsrdenver]

Yep. I was honestly amazed that Disney never arranged to comp families who were unhappy with night one Club rooms at one of the big places for the duration. It's like, you've *got* the money, if they're not happy with what they paid for, give them something that will make them happy that *costs less.*

[@mushieslushie]

I think the advertising was lacking too but that was probably part of the issue. They couldn't just advertise for this like they can for WDW or Disneyland as a whole. This was a small limited capacity experience and it wouldn't really make sense to have a large nation wide/global advertising campaign specifically just for it.

[@forcewielder2000]

Yeah, I think that it ties into what the video was talking about - not only was the price outrageous, but a lot of people just didn't know what it was all about, and that threw a lot of folks (it seems to me that a basic description of it was that it was supposed to be both the hotel AND the attraction rolled into one, rather than the two being separate entities).

[@andrewjenkins9965]

@@rosesweetcharlotte yeah, it continues to annoy me when people are just calling it the "Star Wars Hotel."

[@thebikewatcher9819]

Instead of the high interactivity promised for Galaxy's Edge, we got a $6000 paywall, and a lot of budget cuts. Disney has honestly been fumbling the Star Wars brand since they bought it. Though I feel for the cast members who brought this "experience" to life, I'm not surprised about this news, nor am I losing any sleep for not being able to go on the voyage.

[@ericbus3457]

Maybe they can be retrained as castmembers for one of the two water parks.

[@georgeh4171]

I have seen some videos of the experience, the guy who plays the lightsaber trainer and the guy playing the First Order general were superb. I feel sorry for them.

[@thebikewatcher9819]

@Adam Efimoff to each their own. I don't like Harry Potter in the least, I've never read the books, nor have I watched the movies. If you want to see a theme park land that understands its audience, that would be what Universal did, and those areas are fantastic. Disney really dropped the ball. I think Galaxy's Edge isn't awful, but it is nothing like what was pitched.

[@Holly2017Rascal]

Agree that Disney “fumbled” the brand. I completely lost interest in it.

[@Skye_Writer]

Totally agree. All this immersive interactivity was SUPPOSED to be in Galaxy's Edge, but then the locked it up in an underground bunker behind that paywall you mentioned. The average Star Wars fan and the die-hard SW fans were pissed that the SW "land" we were promised turned out to be a shopping mall. We thought we were going to get the SW version of the Wizarding World, you know, something that had more than 2 rides (one of which doesn't work half the time), an icee stand, a sausage cart, and a casual dining space. Where were the characters we knew and loved, the ones we used to get during Star Wars weekends? Where were the wandering aliens and droids? Where was the ride-on alien mount we were promised? Honestly, they put more into Pandora than they did to Galaxy's Edge. And then they said, Hey remember that experience we promised you? Here it is...but you gotta pay more than a cruise for it. Come on in! But the average SW fan doesn't have that kind of money. Even most of the diehards like me don't have that kind of money. And Disney always, always, always was wrong to set GE in the sequel era. (Poseidon Entertainment's channel has a great vid on how and why GE should be re-themed away from the sequels). This was just never something I was going to spend the price of a used car on, even if I could have come up with that kind of money.

[@JBBrickman]

I loved the idea of this type of experience. But as a huge Star Wars fan, I was not at all interested in the setting, characters, the time period it was set In the franchise, and the events they decided to put onboard.

[@nylaandrew]

Reboot it as a deluxe resort. Normal booking policy. Open restaurants and bars to the public. Cut the new characters but bring back the beloved ones - Yoda, Vader, Rey, Han, Luke. Add a pool and outdoor patio/restaurant.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

That’s a great idea to 😊

[@caitlynskiff2001]

All good ideas except the patio and pool. They have a patio technically with the climate simulator. But it doesn't need a pool. It's a hotel in space, there aren't pools in space!

[@jeffhreid]

@@caitlynskiff2001 it’s not a hotel in space though, and the larping aspect only goes so far. People like fresh air and sunshine

[@Parkpulsend]

@@caitlynskiff2001, why couldn't there be a pool in space? After all if you could simulate gravity and since this is all make-believe anyway, why not?

[@trader025]

Not likely it would be to expensive to transform the building and area into a full scale hotel - its a very atypical building for a hotel no windows, no exterior entrances etc. Its designed more like a ware house. Prob. be cheaper to level it and start over and build a hotel complex.

[@PrincessOfAlderaan]

The price tag was just never going to be accessible to many of us who are mega Star Wars fans. Additionally, if they had focused on the OT or even the prequels, they might have had a better chance at a demographic who is more likely to have the cash to drop on this. The pricing and the era of the story they chose sunk this from the beginning.

[@makeupbyjessw]

I think making it a normal hotel and dinner show would be amazing. Even if you're not staying at the hotel, you could book it like you would Ohana or something. They could even use the transportation to their benefit if they're trying to still make it imersive. I know the price tag is crazy, but I really wanted to go 😭 So I hope it is used in a similar way...just more attainable.

[@NeutralTea]

I completely agree. That's what I thought when I heard its closing. It's overall worth as a regular hotel with fantastic theme. People would pay for a really nice star wars moderate or even deluxe hotel. I don't want to see this completely shut down.

[@Mattriarc]

Would love themed hotels based off Disney IP to have interactions like this during dining, just needs to not get too crazy but definitely more interesting than your standard character dining options.

[@GuatemalanJedi]

Absolutely. I always felt the massive immersive multiday story should be a special premium option that is only for a few die-hard fans every week. The rest of the location should always have been a Star Wars Hotel with a few Star wars themed attractions like an interactive dinner show.

[@Esmerelda-rm6qj]

They should add windows to the rooms through because otherwise they're a quick ticket to claustrophobia lol!!

[@caitlynskiff2001]

@@Esmerelda-rm6qj But that would break the immersion that you're in space! The design of the Starcruiser was created with immersive storytelling as the #1 importance. That's why there isn't a pool or windows. It makes no sense for a Starcruiser to have those things.

[@chrisd6736]

Literally all they had to do was make a really cool Star Wars themed hotel, restaurant, and cantina, all themed to the original trilogy, with maybe life size replicas of some of the original ships, maybe a museum with real Star Wars props, and people would have paid good money for that experience. Their #1 mistake by far was basing all this stuff on the new trilogy.

[@Robstu17]

THIS! They flubbed a dead cert really. And now if this kind of hotel happened it will be tainted by this

[@JustSomeDude42]

One thing I noticed from another review, the one by Jenny Nicholson, was that it was designed around adaptability. So future installments could have been adjusted to take place in any one of the three trilogies. With that said, I do agree that they focus too hard on what Disney is trying to do for Star Wars forgetting the majority of the fan base has been centered around the OG and Prequel trilogies.

[@nicolek1974]

I am a very casual Star Wars fan and would have put staying in the hotel on my list of places I wanted to stay, but had no interest in the whole role play, live action thing. Plus…THE PRICE TAG…and this is from a family who always stays at the Poly, Club Level, Theme Park View. I would NEVER pay the amount they were asking. Not even HALF of what they were asking. Open up the rooms as a regular hotel, treat it like a regular themed hotel and do some meet and greets in there a few times a day and charge deluxe level prices and I’m sure it will stay filled year round.

[@jimb4251]

Agreed. Make the immersive experience an add on for those that are interested.

[@herrdog]

Problem with that is, it’s not a big enough property on its own to sustain itself as a pure Disney hotel. It holds only about 100 rooms, none of which have windows to the outside. They’d have to dramatically change the structure and in doing so I don’t see them wanting to keep it in the Star Wars mold. Especially after the blunder this has turned out to be.

[@SamSitar]

later they will learn how to do it cheaper.

[@nathanielalgernon975]

They should have made it just a normal hotel with a star wars theme, would have been much better. People don't like to be part of a interacting live play, I avoid those types of tours.

[@Mattriarc]

Honestly, I think the biggest failure is multiple things, but I think mostly is the price tag, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. Then you find out that you're kinda shoehorned into having limited access to Hollywood Studios when they feel like letting you in, shouldn't be forcing every guest to not have access to the park it's attached to when it comes with a ridiculous premium price. Lastly, it's a one-time experience for the most part, for the few people it not only appealed to but could also afford it, there's pretty much no reason to go back unless you wanted to try new food or dining options.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

My group went once. We expected it to be a kind of one-and-done experience. To our collective surprise - we were ready to go again. As for the park access... this is not a hotel. Its a game. If you really, really wanted to go to another park then nothing kept you in the bounds of Hollywood Studios much less Galaxy's Edge. But then you weren't playing the game. And there was already too much to do for the 2.5 days you were playing. It's a pity so many folks were priced out of this experience.

[@ThemeParkPassion]

@@arandomnamegoeshere I went in March of this year and I want to go back so badly.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

@Adam Efimoff you're not wrong. It's very hard to separate price from this issue as that has been the main reason that stopped people from giving the experience a try. I have family and friends who I'm sure would have loved this but couldn't afford to go. Side note: everything has some kind of cost to it. So yeah - we're always making choices on what we're going to do with what we have available to us. Though I'm not sure people fully understood what this particular option was. It wasn't the same thing as laying about in some hotel - no matter where it is located.

[@HappyTailsAnimals]

We went in 2022 and have another trip booked this year as well. I'm very disappointed that it's closing. This was an amazing experience and worth the price tag. I'm so glad we already booked again. It's so much fun, I'm going to miss this.

[@isajimenez9652]

I agree is far too expensive. Personally, I also much rather pay just for the room as in any other Disney hotel, but then have the option to book paid separate experience, like a role-play dinner, meetings with characters, jedi training etc Also, I might not want to be 48h trapped in the hotel interacting with guest/characters, so the whole thing feels too rigid and too expensive

[@MagicLanternProds]

No repeat visitors was pretty much a given for this attraction. For those who really wanted to go, and did, it was a once in a lifetime experience for most people.

[@Jeremy-zw8ur]

Which I can't imagine is good for business. No repeat customers

[@d_dave7200]

I'm so sad :( We were planning on going eventually, but the price was just so high. I was frantically trying to book it the second I heard, but given that it's closing they're dropping all the discounts and now idk. I guess I'm not going to get to do this, despite it being perfectly tuned to my personality and interests -- I'm a SW fan and a RP'er. This is super depressing.

[@Lonsoleil]

If Disney had better business practices, they wouldn't have priced you out. Especially during times of inflation. Those Disney execs are out of touch idiots who think everyone has six grand folded up in their pocket wallets.

[@JimmyGAR1]

As a child of the 70s, we played Star Wars all the time. With our light sabers, laser guns, and action figures. I can imagine very easily all of my friends enjoying his experience in theory, although we would’ve demanded the original characters ha ha! But in our middle class blue-collar neighborhood, none of the parents could ever afford to take us on this kind of trip. I do believe the immersive bunker like experience was a good idea again in theory. If you’re really into playing and imagination, being interrupted by some regular folks just strolling through your game is a little jarring. If you truly want to stretch your imagination then putting yourself in experience like this would just be incredible. Again, it’s just way too expensive for even the most caring parents to try and do unless you’re flush with cash.

[@TheRealOreoJedi]

I remember when this was announced as a previous CM and being so happy to have this type of experience. What wasn't told at the time was the price. So imagine my disappointment when the price finally is revealed. It was definitely hard to look at as a fan and even as a CM. Hopefully they keep the hotel and change what it can be instead of tearing it down. All of what everyone is saying should be seen a feedback and a chance to revamp it rather than scrap everything

[@TheMightyCookieShow]

I would say 50% of the failure of this was the price and the other 50% was the fact that they based it in the sequel trilogy. Between those two fifties you've got a hundred percent there is no surprise whatsoever here

[@tgirl678]

For us it was the price. Also maybe it was too immersive. I like the idea that the crew of the ship is part of the Star Wars universe but I'm an introvert too. Maybe instead if a complex story they could have done a simple mission similar to the bounty hunter game they already have. They could have worked the rest of Disney World into the story as well. Like saying only their captain knows how to get to this magical land of happiness that's ruled by a kind creature known for his big round ears I hope they turn it into a star wars hotel

[@robdavlin]

Now that is clever. MM is a creature from a galaxy far far away. Haha.

[@geezygee]

I think this concept would be amazing on an actual cruise ship, so people can get on and off, and are actually being transported to other areas. They could even turn their island properties into extensions into that world, using augmented reality to keep the 4th wall alive This hotel was just a test, imho

[@andrewjenkins9965]

Why would you want an actual cruise ship for an immersive Star Wars experience? I want to be in SPACE.

[@geezygee]

@@andrewjenkins9965 i mean, the hotel is just a concrete building... you could achieve the same thing on a boat that takes you different places, verses a stationary building

[@triciagrant2315]

They just need it to be a regular hotel, no characters/story. Allow people to come and go from. Build a star wars themed pool, character meal, and they are back in business.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

That’s not too bad of an idea

[@RRthee1]

My thoughts, too.

[@Katred11]

I hope this will happen.

[@aubreybrackett7653]

They could add more Star Wars themed activities, maybe perfect that holo-chess game for guest to play. Maybe add more in-park interactions exclusive to hotel guests...think like how you can use an interactive wand at Universal Studios. Maybe have some animatronics that only reacted to Starcruiser guests, or special Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run mission.

[@hughjassol2072]

It would be cheaper to actually go to space. Kinda like going to Epcot, cost more than actually going to Europe.

[@jakerocinante1133]

The key issue without a doubt is the high price tag, 4 to 6 thousand for 4 people and 2 nights is way too much. The other problem was they based it entirely on the sequel trilogy which to this day has fans sharply divided.

[@melissaharris3389]

I'm kind of surprised Disney hasn't opened an Avengers themed resort with an Avenger Action zone for kids with indoor 'obstacle course' play area, trampolines, bookable actives like wall climbing, indor skydiving, etc. Character/film themed rooms. A bar/lounge that looks like the top of Avengers Tower overlooking New York. A campus cafeteria for general dinning and character meet and greets.

[@Stealther]

I would prefer to stay in a hotel with a high level of immersion in the Star Wars world but to still operate like a hotel with perhaps some minor differences to help with the immersion.

[@jackgodfrey.]

The problem was not the price, it was that it was only for 2 DAYS!!!!??? Most people will spend at least one week at Disney.

[@okeesmokee6658]

Our neighbors went and took their 11 year old son. They loved it and were glad they went. As stated, I don't think this appeals to the masses as planned, but it is really neat that Disney did this. Disney is always on the leading (bleeding) edge of investment and technology. All companies have things that don't work, but strong companies keep to their core and dip their toes into new adventures. I applaud them for trying this very unique and complicated venture.

[@People_of_the_Mouse]

had they gone on DCL or ABD ?

[@People_of_the_Mouse]

DVC 😂

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Yesss they made it so beautiful 😍

[@jonsturgill8868]

Six grand a night per person for what is basically a themed dinner theater and a room. That's a big nope for most folks.

[@Anvilarm07]

Too bad. My family wanted to do it, but it was just too expensive. At approximately $1,000 per person per day or $4,000 per room ( with 4 people) per day x 100 rooms = $400,000 per day if full. It must have been insanely expensive to operate if that was the price point needed. Retheme it to the original three movies, cut the price to $1,000 per day for a family of four, replace half the live action with on-screen performances embedded in the walls rather than live actors, and see if that works.

[@High.Sobriety]

give me a run down looking hotel in a city in Tatooine. Have shops, bars, quests, and actors who treat you like a new comer in the town. Make it take place during or shortly before/after the battle of Tatooine. Somehow create a forced perspective second sun in the sky. I pay 6k

[@JenandJoeontheGo]

The bottom line is that is was corporate greed at its best. Disney has priced sooooooo many people out as of late. The travel bubble has burst. People couldn’t or were limited in their travels for so long. Then, the market went crazy when boarders reopened. Now, we have a failing economy and are seeing Disney’s park numbers start to drop. Disney really needs to take a step back and reevaluate the guest experience and price tag. It’s sad really. Jen

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Not all of their things are over priced

[@irenemazur3556]

@@Isaiahslifeexperience Most are.

[@SaraNightfire1]

I told my mom about this tonight. Apparently, though she used to keep up with Disney, had no idea and didn’t believe me. She was floored when she found out, and said herself that families don’t usually spend that much on a hotel and she wasn’t shocked that they closed.

[@pricefamily8935]

Make it like art of animation but Star Wars themed. You could stay in the hut rooms of Tatooine, stay in the tree houses of Endor, or even the more deluxe suites Of cloud city. It’s all there

[@thejoshman3843]

mighta worked with original cast instead of mystery cast & a compelling virtual journey that left customers star struck. but they didnt focus on the customer they focused on what the suits whimsical desires were.

[@Lovefromwcu1]

I don't think anyone suggesting turning it into a regular hotel realize how tiny it is. It would not have nearly enough capacity to make the overhead worth it.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

I think it would be better as a Star Wars themed restaurant

[@beautylovess13]

Right… it has like 100 rooms.

[@kln58cub]

Disney keeps raising and raising prices. A family of four have to take out a loan just to visit Disney! Prices are down right ridiculous. Food prices border on greedy.

[@brookefencl4344]

I am in the camp of someone who's been desperate for an experience like this since I was a kid (not necessarily Star Wars themed). I think the only large-scale production that's come even close to it is Evermore, and that has its own host of problems - mostly budget and management-related. Even though I had access to the discounted sailings with a DVC membership, the cost was just far too prohibitive when you factor in transportation to FL from the Midwest and then from MCO to WDW. I am devastated to learn that they are closing it instead of reevaluating the base price. I only hope that they don't wash their hands of multi-day, immersive experience attractions in the future while pointing to their sole misstep as the reason why. If anyone can do it right, it's Disney, but as we've seen they're also most likely to muck it up through self-sabotage.

[@himynameiscorey]

Brooke i’m curious what you mean about “can’t factor in cost from MCO to WDW” isn’t that a free shuttle to most hotels, or about a $30 uber ride?

[@Steph.Mama0321]

The free shuttle went away. Now you have to pay to shuttle from the airport to a resort.

[@vectorwolf]

I heard Evermore was in the process of bankruptcy. Have they not gone under yet?

[@RoamingRogersFamilyTravel]

I love that you mentioned Evermore! Evermore was the most immersive place with the coolest story I’d been to before going in the Starcruiser. I mentioned in a video I made last week that Evermore realizes they need to just have immersive role playing on the weekends…not every single night like Disney did for a while.

[@texasguysanantonio8295]

The COS Play fad was already on the downswing when this experience opened. Disney World is abiut the them parks, not emersive COS Play or even a learning experience, the failed Disney Institute (now the Saratoga Springs DVC Resort) should have told them that.

[@sarahrice7896]

I agree with what another commentor said. There is something to be said about the friction on booking. I would have been much more likely to book myself online rather than having to work through a travel agent or try to call to book. Price tag was still a barrier, but not being able to easily do it myself was a big deterrent as well.

[@zulubravo9434]

I can’t wait for this episode on Defunctland.

[@mushieslushie]

I feel like they could condense this into just a dinner experience if they wanted. Allow people that have park tickets to take the shuttle, or if people don't they can just drive there and park. You don't need all the check-in people or the baggage handlers etc. Have like a 30 min period in the atrium, have the lieutenant show up etc. Then go to dinner, have the gaya concert. Dinner gets interrupted, have the Kylo/Rey battle. Then give people another hour or so to shop, play around on the bridge or go in the small bar and that's it. They can cut most of the staff that way, a few of the characters etc. They might only be able to do 2 shows a day this way but I think it could be a way to save it to some extent and if the dinner is somewhat reasonable priced it could be way more popular.

[@ContempoCoding]

It seems cool, but for me it wasn't worth it at that price point. I could use the same amount of money for a long Disney Cruise to Alaska or spend a week (or longer with AP discount) at GF. A two-day excursion doesn't quite compare.

[@katherinenapoli8951]

We went last summer with adult kids and had a blast. Yes, it was expensive but we were all glad we went. I’m hoping they can figure out a way to reinvent the project and keep some semblance of it going for a lower price. It’s such a great concept!

[@hemaccabe4292]

Imagine for a moment, Disney SW had released a tour de Force (pun intended) of awesome great SW movies and TV series resulting, particularly in the current environment of many entertainment franchises committing suicide, SW being white hot. Then they opened a SW themed hotel that would create an experience that made one feel closer to SW without being hokey or too crazy expensive. They could have kept that thing filled forever. Would have driven business to the parks, sold merch, etc. etc. etc. Instead, here we are and only the dumbest (Disney management) doesn't know why.

[@Motherofdragons4780]

I love Star Wars with a passion and I have always wanted to be a part of my own Star Wars story, but that price tag is just way too hard to swallow! I am sad I will never get to go now. Also I think if they would stop focusing so heavily on the sequels and try to include every Star Wars trilogy, I think more fans would be more open to it! I know I would!

[@FDXHOMEDEL]

Sequel Trilogy was the biggest blunder. KK gets off on pushing her failed IPs.

[@lars7282]

It closed bc it was just a massive failure. No need to sugar coat it. Bad concept, worse execution, cheap interiors, massive price tag, not for the regular Star Wars fans, plus the already underwhelming Galaxy’s Edge - Disneys big miscalculation.

[@casienwhey]

The mistake was combining a hotel stay with a dinner theater. They are very different in nature. Most people paying that kind of bread for a hotel want a lot of amenities, things like tennis, golf, pools, spa, high-end restaurants. For a dinner theater, people want a decent meal but a really fun experience for a few hours (not a few days). Disney would have been better off going with the dinner theater experience, with all the cast members from the various movies, lots of action and excitement, guest interaction, and merch sales. That may have worked for a reasonable price.

[@maxblaze75]

The price was the problem for sure. As others have said, if it was priced like a cruise it would have eventually made back the ROI. Cruises are all inclusive so they can't claim thats why they priced it so high. A cruise ship costs so much more to build than the star cruiser did. Spirit Halloween will love having a great location to set up shop for Halloween this year though.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Yeah it’s mainly the price and the space

[@MrWookie1981]

cruises can spread the cost over 1000 plus cabins per trip. The hotel only had 100. It is reasonable for any small venue ticket to cost more than a large venue ticket.

[@maxblaze75]

@@MrWookie1981 well sure, but again still the star cruiser hotel still cost a fraction of what a cruise ship like the Disney Wish did. Those ships are staggeringly expensive.

[@theinsaneone_]

My friends are all big Star Wars nerds, and when they found out about the galactic star cruiser they really wanted to stay there. The price tag was the biggest thing keeping us from going there because we were tossing up between a family suite at fort wilderness and the star cruise, the price tag for a two night stay could buy us about a week maybe a week and a half stay in fort wilderness. They sad we had to pass, but I think being able to give them better memories in the parks will be better than being surrounded by screens

[@Smithlandia]

I think the key point you made was that this served as a "bucket list" item for hard-core Star Wars fans. Meaning that IF people were to pay for this experience they would only do it once. Meanwhile, Disney World, EPCOT, etc even Disney cruises are experiences that people pay to see over and over again.

[@chasetug2129]

Actually, I found that most people who did this experience did it multiple times. On our second voyage this past June, most people we talked to were also on their second or even third trips. Once you do it once, you realize how amazing and special it is, and you have to do it a second time to see the other storylines. I think the biggest problem is marketing and actually getting people on board that first time.

[@tinselbmerryweather]

It was the price. I REALLY REALLY wanted to do this, I love immersive experiences, being a theater kid. Without it, its so sad

[@dancinstevechicago]

Disney already created a wonderful and very popular interactive evening experience with broader appeal and a dedicated fan base - The Adventurer's Club. That closed down to the dismay and sorrow of many. It featured a highly detailed environment and a talented cast of denizens, and a bucket load of special effects. It seems to me that the embryonic S.E.A. concept and storyline could well be adapted to a live interactive experience. An extended hotel experience, or a one off that invites return visits. I'd certainly want to experience that.

[@lachmack8967]

you mentioned 'all inclusive' ..if drinks ain't free it ain't 'all inclusive'

[@lindsaymoser4200]

I really wish I could have experienced this. It looked incredible even if I don't like when the story takes place as a Star Wars fan. The price was just so prohibitive!!

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Oof yeah I never seen it myself

[@TheJonesy425]

Bingo, people dont want to drop thousands to be taken to the "First Order time period" 😬

[@erinmalone2669]

I’m glad you gave a point of view that didn’t just bash the whole idea. Trying new things whether they work out or not is important.

[@tpg5974]

Like many Disney fans, I have watched many videos regarding the collapse of the Starcruiser, and each video proclaimed "I called it". This video didn't. Thank you. WE ALL CALLED IT.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Lol

[@Corn_Pops_Rusty_Razor]

She is on Disney's payroll. Only those that aren't paid by Disney or get "free marketing vacations" spoke the truth.

[@tpg5974]

@@Corn_Pops_Rusty_Razor Wait a minute... DFB is LITERALLY on Disney's payroll, getting paychecks from them? Or FIGURATIVELY on the payroll, getting free vacations and perks to write positive reviews and promote the company and parks?

[@Corn_Pops_Rusty_Razor]

@@tpg5974 Figuratively. Free perks and early access to special events for good reviews.

[@tpg5974]

@@Corn_Pops_Rusty_Razor That's what I figured. I appreciate the content these influencers put out, but can't stand them gushing over the latest overpriced merch / meal / clothing / snack...

[@tanishahogan9396]

I thought the hotel sounded really cool, but there was no way we could ever do that...the price was insane for what it was (no matter how immersive it was, it still wouldn't be worth it for me or my group).

[@khylerbane4523]

The mere fact the hotel, let alone Galaxy’s Edge, wasn’t modeled of the Jedi Temple or even Mos Esly for Galaxy’s Edge, and contained things from the entire Star Wars universe was a good indicator of just how much logic was used and how aware Disney is of their own fanbase, what they want and what they like.

[@user-hd4lg9uj1z]

I'm sad I never got to see this in person but also Disney is so unaffordable for me these days.

[@FireMageLayn]

Tbh, go to a ren faire. You'll get a similar concept, although not Star Wars themed, for cheaper.

[@Isaiahslifeexperience]

Oof yeah I never seen it as well I just go to the parks since it’s 20min away

[@PollAssociates1]

Now if they took this concept and completely themed out one of the Disney cruise ships to be immersive for week long cruise, just without a long backstory. Guest could wander throughout the cruise ship and do the activities they want or not, eat in different themed restaurants, adults can go to the cantina for cocktails, characters can wander throughout the ship without needing a backstory, little staged interactions can happen when two characters cross paths which guest will enjoy watching. Etc etc. And the pricing would be cruise prices that are on a scale based on your room choice.

[@waxelso]

The idea of a pretend space cruise is unique and might have worked...but the huge price tag, limited characters, and being unable to visit the rest of Disney World were huge obstacles to overcome. It may be possible to do this again in the future, but those obstacles must be addressed first.

[@2Bluzin]

Even if it were 1/2 price, the illusion of being on a star ship evaporates once you look around the room and see that it's mostly filled "influencers" and families from Flyoverstan whipping out their smart phones taking endless selfies just to show off to their friends back home sitting around eating deep fried butter on a stick.

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

Why deep fried butter on a stick?

[@adeadphish7931]

This is not surprising. I anticipated it when I Iger gave Chapek the boot. It is a shame because my retiree parents wanted to go as a family next spring since we are all huge SW fans. That said, knowing Disney parks planning, imagineering and cast, I am optimistic that lessons were learned from this experiment and this may influence new ideas down the line. Failure is the best teacher, after all.

[@mikegrabenstein9004]

Disney execs couldn't understand what 500+ people here have commented. Disney Wish 3-day concierge is about $670 per person per day based on double occupancy. Star-liner 2-day inside stateroom is about $1,250 per person per day based on double occupancy. A parks and resorts mystery. wow.

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

I think, like a lot of things with Disney Star Wars, this really could have worked if they’d stripped back the role play elements and made it more like a regular hotel.

[@jimb4251]

You're absolutely right!

[@cubemissy]

I wonder why they don’t just scale it back to a themed hotel? I’d love to stay there!

[@rbfloat]

Had they focused on the original trilogy instead of the new one, the hotel might have done better. Really, the cost of the experience, mixed with the lack of amenities and a too-rigid schedule is what really killed it

[@craftynara]

I am so sad to hear that the Star cruiser is closing. My family REALLY wanted to go, but we just can’t afford it. We were hoping to make it happen for us in 2024. I am so glad for all the great coverage when it opened so at least I got to see what it was like even if I couldn’t go in person. I really hope Disney creates an actual Star Wars themed hotel. That would actually make us stay on property when we visited the parks.

[@vaulttraveler3478]

that thing was never meant for people like you who need to save the money it was for people who can spend WHILE going on a vacation. You should be glad the pull they rug before you burn your hard earned cash for a overblowing escape room.

[@glynnjohnson2194]

Take out a home improvement loan for $10,000 and go now!

[@RED-ek1zb]

I think it would be a mistake for Disney to think the idea was just too new, groundbreaking and something never done before. They have a couple of decades of numbers from Disney Cruise Line to know how to cost a two night experience with character interactions and live performances. They also know the demand for their concierge level suites on those cruises and what passengers would expect for that price tag - i.e a balcony, large suite, and a complimentary bottle of bubbly on arrival. If this was a product developed under DCL, and directly marketed as a cruise, it may have performed better.

[@lornesguitarcompany6504]

Simple truth - don’t give me the Darth Vadar knockoff known as Kylo Ren, make me work to find Yoda, limited time doing lightsaber training and dog fighting, and 4 hours in one section of the park and expect me to hand you 6K. Disney needs to pull their head out and realize the ones that have the money for this grew up during the original and prequel trilogies. And only including stories and characters from the Disney trilogy massively shrunk a very niche audience.

[@Ev0lutionbillions]

We went. Loved it! It can easily work if they separate everything out cost wise instead of all inclusive. -A dinner theater package. -Star wars camp. -Charge separately for lunch and breakfast just like any hotel. Charge separately for park tickets. Cut some of the entertainment staff or shift them to dinner show.

[@birbluv9595]

I think they would have lasted longer if they had placed the storyline in the original trilogy (now Episodes 4, 5, and 6.) I think more of the people could have afforded this would resonate more with the films of THEIR childhood or early adulthood.

[@OrangeFluffyCat]

The largest generation is currently Millennials and the new Star Wars movies of their childhoods were the prequels. Thankfully Disney didn’t theme the hotel on those.

[@birbluv9595]

@@OrangeFluffyCat I’m not sure the Millennials are collectively as wealthy as the Baby Boomers. I was not thinking about the sizes of the generations but whether or not they would likely have the financial resources to invest in a very expensive two-day experience.

[@StraightOtohGunga]

Absolutely, those who can afford to go, don't care about the sequels

[@StraightOtohGunga]

​@@OrangeFluffyCat I honestly would have preferred that. Many of us in the 25-30 age group who love both the OT and PT actually have the money to spend on this. Then you have the older generations that are even more attached to the OT. Who is the customer base for the sequels? Those with young children who would need to pay the higher $6k price?

[@stephenwasson7154]

@@OrangeFluffyCat I think Gen X would be the main target for disposable income...not Boomers (many of whom would be on a fixed income) and Millenials are still just trying to get on their feet financially....problem is Disney has been pissing on all their customers for years now and folks are just getting tired of it. Universal is going to overtake Disney parks in the next few years because, as a company, they are not trying to push a particular message or agenda through their form of entertainment, like Disney is.

[@SSJ5Cloufiroth]

I just don't want to pay $6,000 to go be saved by a woman in the middle of Disney's Mary Sue Star Wars fanfiction. If the roles were reversed, it were more of a Star Wars ship, and actually we're Star Wars, I'd actually strongly consider saving for it... Except I'm married with seven children now. Just finding a place to stay to visit Disney is already the hardest and most expensive part of the trip, a limit of four per room is unworkable.

[@AquaLantern]

It was just tone-deaf and doomed from the start. Rather than going "Let's make it a fun experience for the whole family that people will want to come back to," they went "Let's make an experience only the 1% will ever experience, only Star Wars and roleplay fans will like, and have it only last 2 days!"

[@ChienaAvtzon]

Bingo!!!! This concept will never work for any franchise, since it is just too niche and ridiculous.

[@Metroidam11]

I would have been happy with just the theming. I didn’t need all the story bits to go with it

[@hollye383]

I went with my family a few months ago. I am 14 and I absolutely loved it. When somebody asks me what my favourite trip was it would without a doubt have been this! My family adores starwars and we all agreed it was executed perfectly. Many of what people in this comment section are saying is “looking at the concrete wall is not as special as visiting a park.” But there was always something to do and I actually felt as though I was somebody else actually in the starwars universe. From the unique dinners, to the look of the ship, it all felt so real to me. The story made sense, and there was nothing better than being invited to secret meetings my parents and sister weren’t. The cast members were amazing at what they did and one of the sajas really sold the trip for me as real, I was in the outdoor simulator and stacking some rocks when she came in and talked to me for 20 mins, before instructing me to hold my hand out and think about some things, the rocks all fell and pulled toward me. I’m sure it’s magnets but it felt so real and special. I forgot what the bad dudes name was on this, but he kept making an effort with my sister (who was playing the bad side) which was special to her. The cast was awesome, the ship was awesome, the park was awesome, I loved the whole thing and I’m so upset it’s closing.

[@davidsarell6080]

My son (16 at the time) and I went last June. Loved the experience. Being on the West Coast, about 20 miles from Disneyland, I am not able to get to Florida easily, or cheaply, in comparison. Was planning to go again in a few years once the new the park at Universal with the 3rd Harry Potter land was open and the initial rush was complete. Wish they would have tried to make it a seasonal offering, confining the trip dates, say to April - September and lowering the price a bit as well, before closing it outright. Hopefully they can re-imagine the space as an attraction or regular themed hotel as it is connected to gel with Galaxy's Edge.

[@cybercassie]

I'm 40 and had the same feelings. It was amazing.

[@rafiihsanalfathin9479]

Of course you will love the experience, but if we consider the price i dont think its worth it unless you really loved star wars

[@heidifedor]

In the 90’s all the Disney hotels had cruise type pricing. All Disney parks, including water parks, were included in the price and you you could purchase a food package for the hotel you stayed at.

[@jacob_e_lynch]

I was really upset when Disney built this hotel. Especially because they canceled the Mary Poppins ride and Spaceship Earth refurbishment.

[@kristymallet1063]

Great video AJ! This was so well explained and fair. I love the work you do for all of us ❤

[@katereagon4299]

I recently went to the Disneyland after dark Star Wars nite and granted, that’s a very different experience, but I had an amazing time and really felt like I got my money’s worth. It’s not immersive in the same way but getting to hear Star Wars music everywhere, meet some of my favorite characters, try some really cool food, see an awesome fireworks show, and the general ambiance of everyone all dressed up with their lightsabers was really cool. Plus you also get to actually be in the park and ride rides and stuff. I think if they brought a Star Wars nite to Orlando it would be much more popular than this hotel/cruise/whatever was

[@smalls9852]

If they had made this more like an escape room where there are several different room themes where you can book different activities and at different levels based on your needs, they could have made sooooooo much money. They could have a room for light saber training and a room for the ships control room, etc. Then multiple families could have enjoyed it at a much more affordable price range and still have been able to go enjoy the parks or something else if they wanted to. They made it so that you were fully surrounded by this world but then they rushed people around and did such cheap stuff for the decorations and activities, it was never going to be worth that price point. We all said it from the beginning. Thinking of all the cast members who had to be there for each cruise, including backup performers and people who were never even out in the public eye makes my head spin. Disney was never going to be able to significantly drop their price because they had to cover all there cast members. If they had set it up with screens where you watch performances, instead of it being live it would have been somewhat less immersive but it could have cut costs quite a bit smh.

[@ginabuckleyotoole]

Went exactly one year ago - we saved up big time to go (Covid lockdowns helped) - and my 21 year old son and I had an absolute blast - mind you, we are very much into Star Wars, and were game to immerse ourselves and cosplay. Very expensive enterprise, and I do hope they’ll open it as a boutique inn for fans.

[@andrewpeppin4769]

Here’s an idea, lower the cost and retheme to Hollywood tower hotel. That I’d stay in.

[@tristanolarti9671]

I appreciate the “big idea” and execution learnings. It’s been a rough 2-3 years so I can understand why it didn’t bring in the expected revenue. I’m excited to see how Disney takes these learnings and make something truly magical at an affordable rate.

[@Sadieslaysss]

1:45 is that Sage from all ears net ?

[@scottrousseau496]

Such an excellent video. I love your fair reporting style about this controversial attraction/resort. It was definitely over-priced. I hope it remains in some form like people have suggested. A normal themed resort would be fantastic and far more obtainable for many folks. Thank you for your wonderful take on this. Bright suns!

[@seankelly260]

Take out the DEI and the New Trilogy Material and Put In Original Trilogy and Prequals material and Characters... and they'd be printing money riht now.

[@stacihayward8512]

Definitely the price tag that had me saying "oh hell no!" At about $1250 a night per person, I just couldn't justify the cost.