Disney’s ambitious Star Wars project, the Galactic Starcruiser, is an immersive themed hotel that opened in March of 2022. The initial launch of the hotel was a great success, with months of fully booked rooms. However, after the initial interest died down, some Disney fans became skeptical about the Starcruiser’s future. Why would such an immersive experience based on a beloved franchise such as Star Wars already be facing a future full of uncertainty? Let’s take a look.
One of the Starcruiser’s biggest drawbacks is the hefty price tag it comes with. For a basic two-person package, a two-night stay at the hotel will set you back $4,800. For four people, you’re looking at closer to $6,000 for a standard cabin, and even more if you’re interested in a Galaxy Class or Grand Captain suite. The Starcruiser package also grants visitors admission to Hollywood Studios, food and drinks on the Starcruiser, and an exclusive Starcruiser MagicBand.
Despite all these extra perks, the high price tag for two days at the hotel discourages low and middle class families from visiting the Starcruiser when their budget is better spent elsewhere on their Disney vacation. For example, vacationing families can access a five-night stay at a cheaper resort for between $1,500 to $4,500. With occasional special offers and the like, an added discount can reduce the cost of staying at an on-site resort.
In addition to the price, the Starcruiser has added a number of new characters to the experience and promotes them heavily through social media ads. Surely these new characters are beloved characters from the films that fans will recognize, right?
No.
Instead, the Starcruiser brings in new or relatively unheard of characters to interact with guests during their excursion. While this may enhance an already paid for stay at the Starcruiser, it is unlikely that anyone will be booking specifically so they can meet the Rodian walkaround character Ouannii.
Additionally, the Starcruiser features few familiar locations for long-time Star Wars fans. This has been somewhat of an issue since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge–Disney naturally prioritizes locations and characters that were introduced in the sequel trilogy and accompanying Disney+ shows while largely ignoring the beloved locations from the older films. This is likely due to Disney’s reluctance to disrupt the magic and immersion by having characters and locations from separate time periods in the same area. While this is understandable, it greatly limits the potential opportunities for meaningful growth of Galaxy’s Edge and the Galactic Starcruiser.
The introduction of the Galactic Starcruiser to Disney is by no means a “failure”–the hotel continues to maintain a steady supply of bookings and general interest–but after the initial rush of popularity during the first few months of operation, it is unlikely the experience will recapture those numbers unless there is a truly large or meaningful upgrade to pull back in some long-time Star Wars fans.
In summary, this very expensive luxury experience is surely a once in a lifetime one and it is becoming clearer with the recent canceling of low-occupancy voyages in July, August and September that those fans that want to and can afford it have already done it which leads us to ask questions on the sustainability of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser for the future? Is the answer a major upgrade? Is the answer discounts? All we do know is that Disney will have to do something to keep the guests booking into their most immersive experience yet.
For those of you who have tried the Starcruiser for yourselves, was the experience worth the price? Did it disappoint? And would you consider booking again in its current state? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
