It has been quite some time since we said goodbye to the Galactic Starcruiser.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
The Galactic Starcruiser was the immersive Star Wars Hotel that could be found at Disney World. This was a great experience for those who wanted to be in the world of Star Wars. It was a very ambitious project for Disney, and it helped create a lot of memories for those who got to have this experience while it was open. Well, a Disney executive just opened up about some thoughts and feelings he has about the project — and it’s pretty heartwarming.
The Galactic Starcruiser was one of the most ambitious and unique experiences that you could find anywhere. It opened in March of 2022 as an immersive experience set in the Star Wars universe. This allowed guests to roleplay their own story aboard the Halycon, and that story would even change based on the decisions that they made!
Signs for Galactic Starcruiser
Unfortunately, this experience closed its doors in September 2023 due to not performing as well as Disney hoped. This was a big loss to Star Wars fans, and to Disney. However, guests couldn’t justify spending the money on this two-day experience — which, admittedly, was VERY expensive.
A souvenir coin!
Since then, we’ve seen permits being filed to make some changes to the area where the Starcruiser has sat since its closure, we’ve seen fan meetups to celebrate the Star Wars franchise in the area where you used to be able to enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios from the Halycon, and recently, we heard Josh D’Amaro speak about to Galactic Starcruiser.
Starcruiser cabin
When it comes to this experience, D’Amaro noted that “It was difficult to even explain to the public, and 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.”. This experience was truly one of a kind, and it created concepts and ideas that can be utilized for other things outside of the hotel.
Crown of Corellia Dining Room
D’Amaro even noted that the things that they learned while creating the Galactic Starcruiser will continue to be used throughout new experiences we will be able to find at the Disney Parks — and that they haven’t even made any announcements on what these experiences will be.
Chewbacca in the engineering room
It’s nice to hear how fondly he spoke about this experience, even though it didn’t perform in the ways the company may have hoped it would. It just goes to show that even though something may not succeed, there are still valuable lessons to be learned from it.
Captain Keevan aboard the Halcyon
We’re keeping our eyes out for all things Disney, so keep checking back in with us at DFB to see what we find next!
Why You’ll Pay MORE to Get LESS Now in Disney World
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What did you think about the Galactic Starcruiser concept? Let us know in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Disney could still make plenty of money from the Starcruiser – there are plenty of levers they can pull if they will. Make it a ‘regular’ hotel with a few special experiences (either included with your stay there or at a charge) and special access to Galaxy’s Edge. Offer longer stays for the same price, but spread the experiences out more so that there aren’t as many personnel costs. Or keep the experience and costs just like they are, but open only seasonally, that way the supply is in closer balance with the demand. Or some combination of all of those. I think it would be a real shame to just junk everything that was developed for the Starcruiser, especially the ‘cruiser’ itself. Undoubtedly they could make plenty of money back on the venture if they just operated it as a regular hotel with special access to Galaxy’s Edge.
I also would like to see the Starcruiser reopened as a regular DVC hotel with access to Galaxy’s Edge.No themed programming, just a hotel like Boardwalk.
“It was incredibly brave for us to move into this space”. NO, IT WAS INCREDIBLY STUPID!!! Anyone with half a brain could tell these so called execs it would fail!!
You learn more from failure than from success. The Starcruiser easily would have failed the ‘venn diagram’ test, very little overlap between; Star Wars sequel film fans, people that want to ‘cosplay’, and people with $5000 for a 2-day experience.
I was lucky enough to get on one of the last voyages. It truly was mind blowing. I was in a constant state of awe and felt truly lucky to be able to experience it. It’s just something one will ever forget, really is an indication of what can be done with enough vision.
Unfortunately, all that costs bucks. big bucks. There are certain fixed costs with just leaving the lights on in such an establishment, so I can see why it just wouldn’t work as a hotel with more traditional pricing, far too few rooms. It would make staying at the Grand Floridian look cheap.
I wish Disney would fly in the performers they used on the StarCruiser for the different Epcot festivals. I would definitely make sure I made it to a concert by an alien musician flown in to sing at the America Gardens Theatre as I’m sure a lot of Star Wars fans would.
It wasn’t difficult to explain to the public, we understood it perfectly. It was just entirely too expensive and set during the wrong timeline. If Luke, Leia and Han had been running about, protecting the guests from Darth Vader, it would still be running.
I loved the idea just not the price! I wish they would open it up just as a Disney Hotel . I’d stay there in a heart beat!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? We as a family never seriously considered this experience, although I know it would be staggeringly good. It ultimately came down to $$$ and being a good steward. Having said that, here’s a big hat tip to Disney and the Imagineers, for at least giving it a shot. Disney folks are, in spite of recent incidents of them shooting themselves in their collective feet, smart folks. They’ll learn, tweak, and adapt. I’m optimistic, but that’s my nature. It’s all good. But DANG, it gets more and more expensive!
I’ve never considered myself a huge Star Wars fan but am always up for an immersive experience – However all the reviews on GE really seemed to be a big let down, I had the option to go and passed it up, and I don’t think I regret it – That being said, another experience I wanted to try, and the reviews backed it up, was the Star-Trek experience in Las Vegas – the two are very very similar, and if you compare the reviews, and structure, it almost seemed like Disney tried to do the same thing with half the effort – Again I haven’t seen either but the reviews are there for everyone to read. If Disney was going to try something like GE again, I think they should take a page out of the Las Vegas experience – but keeping in mind, even though that was successful – and ultimately shut down do to licensing and partnership conflicts- it still had an expiration date on it. According to participants reviews (of both) the Star Trek experience had a lot more immersive environment, there was always ample staff to complete the feeling of being in the experience -the food was supposedly amazing, and no-one left thinking they over paid or felt let down from the experience. Even DFB questioned the food in GE lol. Just my two cents- no-body does as big and as grand as Disney – I’m not sure why they didn’t put their full effort into this.
Naturaldisastergirl is absolutely right! Open it as a hotel. Keep the dining room open for anyone, even non-hotel guests, reservations only. Special entrance into Glaxaly’s edge. Fur and Faces strolling around the dining room. Disney wouldn’t have to spend a nickel! Obviously lower the nightly room rate.
This concept was way too expensive for the majority of the Disney audience for it to succeed. Disney management should have known this. They were out of touch with their customer base. Heads should roll.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, was a deluxe hotel for many Star War fans to stay. The experiences can be out of this world and exciting, so please make it a priority and be fair with the pricing.
I have to agree with @naturaldisastergirl!!!! Thanks for sharing!
I’m regretful I didn’t get a chance to have the galaxy edge experience. I couldn’t justify the cost. Still I had hoped to do it for a special occasion one day. So sad it’s gone so quickly. I have lots of ideas I’d like to see for it going forward.
Operate like a regular luxury hotel. Lots of ppl would like the immersive experience combined with Batuu in Hollywood studios without the role play.
Have a limited ticket event a few times a year for a more immersive experience along the lines of universals Halloween horror nights.
Use for private events
Open the restaurant/ lounge with entertainment as an experience accessed from the Hollywood studios.
LOL at anyone saying “Just turn it into a normal hotel.” Sure, a windowless, pool-less hotel in the middle of nowhere. That’ll be easy to convert.
The experience was brilliant, breathtaking stuff. The best work Imagineering’s created in my 39 years of living. But there was no way for it to ever make a profit. You up the number of rooms, you cheapen the experience by eliminating the intimacy of it. You cut back on the 24-hour-per-day experience and performance of it all, you cheapen the experience by essentially putting the fourth wall back up. It felt overpriced but it appears to have been not enough to cover even close to the costs of this.
I can only hope the lesson learned by Disney on this is not: “Be less ambitious next time.”
When my wife told me about this she wanted to take me but then I saw the price for the amount of time and said “No. Not for that price for two nights.” It was a good idea but people aren’t going to spend that much for a short experience when they also have four parks to go to as well. This hotel was for those people who wanted to stay in the hotel for two days and NOT go to any other park. We go for the parks, not to stay in a hotel where we roleplay. Go idea, wrong price for the time.
My opinion is that they should keep the Resort and make the rooms more Family Friendly and the resort cast members should dress like Star Wars people and use the Resort for Hollywood Studios Galaxies Edge. People will enjoy it if it was priced right like a moderate or Deluxe Resort
The experience will still be there and they can carry it over to Galaxies Edge
I agree with many of the other comments. The hotel is already there, just make a Star Wars themed hotel without the an immersive experience. I thinkthey’ll have success if they just keep it simple.