The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (aka the Star Wars Hotel), Disney’s ambitious and expensive attempt at an immersive Star Wars experience, opened its hatch doors in 2022.
However, due to its high price tag and niche experience, it closed its doors less than 2 years after opening. But here’s the strange part: Disney executives keep bringing it up! Even with its closure, comments about the Starcruiser keep popping up online, which begs the question. Why? Let’s dive into why they’re keeping the conversation going!
Let’s just dive right into why Disney executives are still talking about the Starcruiser.
First and foremost, the Star Wars hotel was no ordinary undertaking. It was conceived as an incredibly immersive experience into the fantastical universe of Jedi, Sith, and droids far, far away. The promise was grand: Guests would not merely stay at another Disney hotel, but rather this would be their opportunity to live out their own Star Wars adventure.
But, as is often the case with ambitious endeavors, the reality is quite different from expectation, which brings us to our first reason.
Learning from Mistakes
Talking openly about the Star Wars hotel appears to be a way for Disney to communicate that they’re learning from their mistakes. In a recent interview with CNBC, Disney Parks and Experiences chairperson Josh D’Amaro said as much when 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.
He said, “Those learnings are being employed on the next experiences, which we haven’t even announced yet.” This might materialize as more immersive hotel experiences for Disney, but it will be a while before we learn the answer to that question.
Addressing Public Curiosity
Disney had to know that the closing of the Star Wars hotel sparked a ton of curiosity. People are naturally interested in what went wrong with such a high-profile project.
To that point, D’Amaro shared that he thinks part of the issue with Starcruiser was that “It was difficult to explain to the public.” (That may or may not have been the largest understatement in the galaxy.) 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.”
Let’s face it, Disney isn’t going to share everything, but they do know that if they’re the ones talking about something, they can control the narrative, which helps them in the long run should they want to pursue more immersive experiences in the future.
Keeping the Dream Alive (for Now)
One last possibility is that Disney wants to keep this hotel concept alive in the public consciousness. As we mentioned, it could be Disney gauging interest for a potential relaunch.
Maybe, they’re considering making adjustments that address the issues that led to its closure, like a more accessible price point that appeals to a broader fan base.
Or maybe they’ll make it even more exclusive, with a price tag that only a select few could ever experience. Who knows? I’m sure we’ve seen Disney do stranger things in the past.
No matter what the future holds for Disney, you can be sure we’ll be on the lookout for all the latest news.
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What are your thoughts about the Star Wars hotel? Tell us in the comments.
First and foremost. They need to stop trying to have a storyline. It’s either too confusing for general guests and Star Wars fans want the whole series as an experience. Do folks really care if Obi Wan, Darth Vader, Luke or Han is dead or alive when these movies and shows reboot them in another timeline? Incorporate them into the experience. Make the Galactic Starcruiser. Just a Disney Galactic Hotel. Offer the Larp role play to both Hotel and Hollywood Studios day guests and expand the experience from the hotel into Galaxy Edge. Also fans of the series wanted to see more characters roam throughout Galaxy’s Edge. Where’s Jawas, Stormtroopers, Darth Maul, R2D2, Cantina Band and Yoda to name a few. Bring these characters and more to life at the parks.
I couldn’t disagree more, and I’m not even a Star Wars fan. Storytelling is the heart of the Walt Disney Company. Theming, attention to detail, and consistency are important, and something that many Disney fans love about the Parks. What you are suggesting throws all that out the window, to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It *might* be more popular, but it destroys the story.
In the same way, there should never be five or six Mickeys hanging out on Main Street at a time–each of whom would certainly attract the usual requests for autographs and pictures–because there is only one Mickey. Figment does not pop up in Pirates of the Caribbean, no matter how much we love him. Elsa and Anna do not appear everywhere (although it almost seems like they do), and did not, even at the height of their popularity.