Disney's Greatest Disaster: Star Wars Hotel
You hear a soft squeaking sound as metal bolts slide back. The door in front of you opens and disappears almost silently into the wall. It opens slowly and smoothly. As it reveals the long corridor in front of you, you notice an unfamiliar scent wafting your way. Unfamiliar, but there's something about it that's familiar too. Sterile, like cleaning agents, yet as light as the last remnants of a burnt sparkler. And another scent mixes in with it: the smell of adventure.
You can feel the excitement making your skin tingle. You get goosebumps on your arms and start to shiver. Carefully, almost hesitantly, you step onto the dark floor that leads you along the corridor. On both sides, you see narrow windows made of thick glass. What's behind them? You see the faint shimmering stars of infinite space. You've made it. At last! And you've been looking forward to this for months.
You let out a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding. The nervousness eases with each step. Just three days to go. For three days, you get to be part of a world you've been dreaming of for decades. You're part of one of the biggest franchises ever. You're part of Star Wars. You can already hear the metallic whirring of robots, the sound of turbines taking off, and the whirring of lightsabers. May the Force be with you—you'll need it.
You'll be walking through this corridor again in just a few hours. You'll find a tear forming at the corner of your eye and falling onto the floor shortly afterwards. Just like all your hopes and dreams that you have put into this visit. It's a big letdown. A disappointment that costs up to $4,000.
For almost two years, others will have the same experience as you. Anger, frustration, and endless disappointment: Disney made a lot of promises with its Star Wars Hotel, but didn't deliver on any of them. The plan to turn a three-day action RPG into a reality fell through because of bad calculations and a lack of enthusiasm for a franchise that was supposed to be one of the most lucrative in the world.
Star Wars Universe and its Fans
It doesn't matter if you're into sci-fi or not — everyone knows Star Wars. George Lucas built a franchise that's second to none. It's an ongoing battle between the light and dark sides of the Force. The Jedi Order versus the Sith. The most important characters such as Luke Skywalker, !Spoiler warning! Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Yoda have long since attained cult status worldwide.
Iconic spaceships, thrilling lightsaber battles, and huge spectacular battles—Star Wars captured the spirit of the '80s and '90s like no other. Star Wars has millions of fans around the world, which is pretty impressive. It's almost like a subculture in itself, with people keeping an eye out for comics, movies, and games at conventions. The Star Wars Lore, that is, the background story and connections between movies, series, games, and comics, has always been a big draw for science fiction fans.
Most Star Wars fans are attached to the origin story, the first movies, from Episodes IV to VI: Luke Skywalker and his motley crew against the evil Emperor Darth Vader. Subsequent movies were already getting flak from fans. They give us a look at the villain's backstory (Episodes I to III) and show us things from the first movies in a different light.
However, unlike with other major franchises, the fans have remained just as enthusiastic over the decades—if not more so. The movie series brought in around $10.3 billion. Lucasfilm kept finding new ways to reach different target groups and new markets with series, collaborations with a well-known brick manufacturer, and comics. Classic items include school backpacks, collectible figures, and mugs. We've also found some rather quirky merchandise items for you:
- Tauntaun sleeping bag: In "The Empire Strikes Back", Han Solo's Tauntaun, his mount, dies in the cold. He uses the body to keep Luke warm in its belly. Yes, in the belly of a dead animal. Lucasfilms developed a sleeping bag from this idea, even with a zipper in the shape of intestines. Yuck…
- Star Wars urn: Star Wars fans often remain loyal to the universe for the rest of their lives. Thanks to personalized urns, for example in the design of the lively robot R2-D2, they can do so even after death.
- Darth Vader toaster: What does the dark side of the Force taste like? With this appliance, you can burn Darth Vader's face onto your piece of toast. Can you feel the dark force? Morning grouches can certainly use it to make even more sinister plans on how to abolish getting up early. Or having to travel for work.
So we see: Anything can sell if Star Wars is on it. From Star Wars pens to the Galactic Starcruiser, a Star Wars hotel in Orlando, which we will come to later. Over the decades, the franchise has developed into one of the most lucrative in the world. The movie series alone is considered the most successful in the world after the Marvel Universe. A real goldmine. This led to another franchise giant casting an eye on the Star Wars universe. Unfortunately, not without consequences.
The Beginning of the End: When Disney Bought Star Wars
In 2012, a shocked murmur went through the masses of Star Wars fans. Disney paid over $4 billion for the franchise. The deal was half in Disney shares and half in cash. It's clear that Disney, as a family-friendly, profit-oriented company, had a very different idea of the "perfect" Star Wars.
The complex and dark storylines from the past were simplified to make them more appealing to new target groups. Three new movies were released from 2015 onward, which were particularly unpopular with the most dedicated fans. This wasn't the Star Wars they'd grown to love over the decades.
There was a flood of books, comics, and games on the market, telling stories that didn't align with the official Star Wars history. Many fans agree that this was about making money, not about building on the success of the Star Wars universe. People were quick to doubt the new direction that Disney was taking with Star Wars.
However, Disney still saw success with it. Books, comics, movies, games, series, and more: the company quickly made back what they spent on acquiring it—several times over. The new area in the Disneyland theme parks in California and Florida alone was enough to recoup the costs. Star Wars fans have been getting their money's worth here on an area the size of eight soccer fields since 2019.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge was such a popular attraction at the two parks that they had to quickly implement a virtual queue to regulate visitor numbers. There's no doubt that these theme park areas are one of Disney's biggest successes with the Star Wars franchise. This success led to ideas for another major project. The team quickly came up with some initial ideas and started sketching out a completely new concept: the Galactic Starcruiser or Star Wars Hotel in Orlando.
Concept: Dream of Star Wars Hotel
How do you know if an idea is not just feasible, but also worthwhile in the end? That's right, you conduct an opinion poll. So Disney did just that in its community. Imagine if we built a Star Wars hotel where you could immerse yourself in the war between light and darkness for three days.
The idea spread like wildfire throughout the Star Wars fan community in just a few hours. There was a bit of skepticism at first, but the excitement and hype about the announced Star Wars Hotel quickly outstripped it. The first rumors started, then died down, and new ones popped up.
Disney really stepped up their marketing efforts in the lead-up to the event. The project was unveiled in all its glory at Disney Expo 2017 in Florida. And the hype just kept on growing. Instead of an ordinary hotel lobby, guests would find themselves in an epic, cinematic setting. The usual hotel activities gave way to immersive galactic missions alongside well-known characters from the Star Wars universe.
The plan was to build a luxury hotel right in the resort area of Walt Disney World in Orlando. It would be located opposite the Galaxy's Edge. Two years after the Expo, we got our first, more precise update. At the expo, Disney showed off a model of the Halcyon, the spaceship where guests would spend their nights.
However, fans still had to be patient, as the hotel was still a long way from being built. And it ended up costing far more than the planned budget. The Galactic Starcruiser Hotel cost around $400 million.
High Expectations for Galactic Starcruise Hotel
The further we went into the final construction phases, the higher the fans' expectations became. Disney wanted to give them a boost! So the company put out a trailer for the Star Wars Hotel. The first look at the setting and what future guests could expect there. We highly recommend you check out this trailer. At least we can still find the uploaded reactions online.
As you might imagine, opinions on it were pretty divided. The hotel interior seemed almost sterile and a little like the interior designers had lost their way in the early Star Trek universe. And for all you culture nerds out there: No, it's nothing like that!
It's not really Star Wars, more like a science fiction set from the early '80s. It's a Star Wars hotel made of plastic. On top of that, the epic movie world was apparently transformed into a kind of musical. Was it what the fans were expecting? It's likely that this wasn't the case. Due to the negative feedback, Disney took down the promo video pretty quickly.
However, other trailers didn't get a great response either. But the fans kept hoping for the best. After all, the Galaxy's Edge theme park area right next door had also become a great success.
Star Wars Hotel: Soaring and Crash Landing
It's clear that Disney can create immersive worlds and theme parks. As proof, about 60% of the company's total revenue comes from theme parks and merchandise. Disney parks are the most highly visited theme parks in the world. On average, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, welcomes around 47,000 visitors a day.
Despite the rather underwhelming trailers, fans are still optimistic and are busy booking their two nights on the Halcyon spaceship. The cost: $4,800 for two people. In March 2022, the long-awaited Galactic Starcruiser Hotel finally opened its doors, welcoming its first guests with high expectations. What they found there was a lot more intense than what we're used to from Disney.
First Impressions of Star Wars Hotel
The doors opened to what is probably the most immersive Star Wars adventure of all time. The huge lobby welcomed its first guests and lots of employees too. They were all dressed in authentic Star Wars costumes. It's safe to say they didn't hold back on the actors' salaries or costume designers.
Rooms in Star Wars Hotel
The Galactic Starcruiser has 100 rooms, but it can only accommodate a small number of guests. It's a bit unusual for a luxury hotel of this size, and we'll have to talk about that later. The cabins could be opened with a specially calibrated wristband, which was pretty small.
There were rooms for two adults, two adults and one child, and three adults and one child. As with a classic hostel, the price per person decreased as the number of guests in a room increased. A room for three adults and one child included a double bed, a capsule-like bunk bed, and a hidden closet.
There was a TV right next to the bed, and another screen on the wall that gave you a direct view of space. The first visitors said the beds were pretty uncomfortable. It's worth noting that you could also watch movies on the TV. For instance, to get a better handle on the Star Wars series before embarking on the adventure. Just to note, the price didn't include access to Disney+.
The rooms: a galactic luxury? Not quite; more like Yoda's cave. An immersive adventure is really about the whole experience, not just one thing. So let's take a look at what else the Star Wars Hotel has to offer.
Activities at Galactic Starcruiser Hotel
In addition to the actors wandering around in their costumes all day and night, there were lots of other things to see and do. As promised, Disney provided guests at the Star Wars Hotel with a wide range of activities. We'll give you a quick overview of three of them here.
We won't mention the mediocre aerobics class that made you feel a bit self-conscious. And don't dwell on the fact that such a thing ever really existed. If you're still interested, there are lots of videos online of what is probably the most expensive and at the same time most mediocre dance class in the world.
But the action-packed fight scenes, combined with exciting live events, are said to have gone down very well with visitors. Even for an experienced organizer like Disney, the effects sometimes looked rather cheap.
- Star Wars Missions
One of the highlights since the Star Wars Hotel announcement has been the immersive missions. For instance, you could assist Chewbacca in evading the Stormtroopers and saving his life in a heroic manner. That is, if you've heard anything about the start of the mission. Because there wasn't a set schedule.
There was actually a program and a tablet that announced the missions to every visitor. But the app was not fully developed. It often got stuck, there were annoying glitches, and the AI voice providing information about the storyline didn't help with the immersive experience.
Or you could try to survive the attack by enemy spaceships and rout the attackers in a second-rate arcade game on touch screens. It's a nice change of pace for a theme park attraction, but if you consider the price, it does seem a bit cheap.
- Laser Sword Training
Try holding a real lightsaber in your hand for a change. The sound of the lightsaber in your hand as you move at lightning speed, fighting off intergalactic enemies: a dream of every Star Wars fan! At the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel, this dream will finally become a reality. You'll get to learn how a real Jedi fights!
At least in theory. In reality, the lightsaber training at the Star Wars Hotel is a bit more low-tech. You get a plastic lightsaber and a device on the wall that shoots out laser beams, which you have to hit. Unfortunately, that's all there is to it. Even VR games like Beat Saber do this better and, above all, more entertainingly. Unfortunately, this was also more of a letdown than an adventure.
- Galactic Dinner
After a long day of training and missions, you'll probably be hungry, and the hotel restaurant's dining room will look pretty good to you. Every evening, there's a small live show with live music and food that, shall we say, is a bit out there.
Blue prawns, strange green goo, and blue milk aren't for everyone. While the food wasn't bad according to most visitors, there was definitely room for improvement. It wasn't the kind of food you'd expect to find in a luxury hotel.
Scam Wars Bunker: Star Wars Hotel from Outside
Another fascinating aspect to consider is the exterior of the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel. After all, guests will remember the original Halcyon model. Given the impressive exterior design of Galaxy's Edge directly opposite the hotel, expectations are high.
Unfortunately, it looks like Disney hasn't invested much here. The entrance looks pretty stylish with its exposed concrete, but that's about it. There are high walls and trees on both sides, so you can't see anything behind them.
When you look at it from above, it's a totally different story. It's an unadorned concrete bunker in the middle of a bleak commercial environment. And this is not just during construction, but also long after it's opened. It's a pretty sad sight. Fortunately, the fans arriving at the entrance aren't subjected to this view of their $5,000 residence.
Declining Revenue at Galactic Starcruiser Hotel
When the booking portal first launched, the Star Wars Hotel was fully booked just a few weeks later. With 100 rooms and around 500 people in total, the complex reached its capacity pretty quickly. After all, hundreds of thousands of fans wanted to spend three days in a real LARP (live-action role-play) of their favorite universe.
Fan Empire Strikes Back
However, after the initial reactions from guests on social media, enthusiasm quickly waned. Word got back to us that there were a few hiccups. Just a few months after opening, the booking inquiries fell significantly. Disney responded by reducing the number of booking periods. At the same time, prices went up.
Revenue kept dropping, and more and more disappointed Star Wars fans let their frustration be known. It was all over the blogs, stories, and podcasts—Disney couldn't keep its promises with the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel. Ultimately, the company decided to cancel the project.
Disney Closes Star Wars Hotel
The Galactic Starcruiser Hotel was a short-lived concept. It just wasn't profitable enough, and guests didn't have good things to say about it. Just 19 months after opening, Disney decided to close the Star Wars Hotel.
The news was all over the media, but it didn't come as a surprise to many. Given how quickly the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel closed, it's likely that the losses were significant. But what was the real reason behind the closure?
Why the Star Wars Hotel failed?
The Galactic Starcruiser Hotel didn't make it very long. What was left was not just a bunch of disappointed fans but also a company that had completely messed up a promising project. But how did this happen?
Let's dive a little deeper into why the Star Wars Hotel didn't work out. From a construction and project planning standpoint, it's clear that things weren't done right from the start.
Star Wars Hotel as Planning Mistake
Insufficient Capacity and too Expensive
As we said at the beginning of this article, there are only a small number of rooms. With just 100 rooms, the Star Wars Hotel could accommodate up to 502 guests at a time. In comparison with other Disney resorts, this was insignificant. Other resorts in the park that are aimed at families each have over 2,000 rooms.
This is also related to the concept of LARP. Smaller groups are better for making sure everyone gets fully involved. The Galactic Starcruiser Hotel is like an attraction at Disney Park, but it lasts three days instead of just a few minutes.
The price for a stay was also a bit steep, especially for the space provided. A live adventure in your favorite universe is great, but two nights for $6,000 for two people is a bit much. Particularly when we consider what the guests received in return. Unfortunately, it didn't offer good value for money.
Excessively High Operating Costs
Disney was looking to give Star Wars fans the most authentic experience possible. There's nothing wrong with that. It seems that those responsible didn't anticipate the ongoing costs. In a theme park attraction, actors and effects are used for a certain period of time. Typically, everything runs in a similar fashion.
With the Star Wars Hotel, the idea was that guests would feel like they were actually on a spaceship with an intergalactic crew, and this illusion had to be maintained 24/7. The actors are a significant expense. After all, not only do they play a fixed role during the live events, they also have to be able to improvise.
Wrong Concept
Any amusement park needs two key things to succeed: first, people have to know about it, then they have to decide to come back regularly.
It's not just about creating one-time hype. It's also important to come up with ways to get people to want to come back and visit again and again. In theme parks, this is usually done by introducing new attractions. People won't go to a park several times a year or even just every year if it doesn't have new things to offer.
Another option would be special events, like Halloween, where they extend the hours and change most of the activities to fit a horror theme. Frankly, scary and Disney are a match made in heaven. It has to stay exciting.
Those responsible for the Star Wars Hotel should have considered this. The same program ran for 19 months. The same live shows, the same missions, and the same food. Even if everything had gone perfectly, it would still have been a one-of-a-kind experience. It's likely that not all fans would have been able to afford it, given the high price tag. The target group would have been used up pretty quickly anyway.
On top of that, the whole Star Wars experience at the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel was a letdown from the start. Word got around pretty quickly on social media. Given the negative reviews, you might think twice about whether it's worth spending your vacation money on a 14-day luxury cruise or spending two nights in a mediocre themed hotel.
Not Enough Attention to Detail
Let's move on to the last point. Or, more accurately, the first promo video for the Star Wars Hotel was met with a lot of criticism: This has nothing to do with Star Wars! As it turns out, the interior doesn't have much to do with the franchise. There aren't many typical backdrops as we know them from the movies.
We already know that Disney can do better than this from Galaxy's Edge, the Star Wars area almost next door. It's also worth noting that Disney has invested around $1 billion in this themed area. On the other hand, only about half that amount was spent on the one-of-a-kind Star Wars Hotel. The cost to create a live-action illusion over several days in such a small space should be much higher when you look at it realistically.
Most visitors only spend a few hours at Galaxy's Edge, just to see everything once and take in the attractions. In the Star Wars Hotel, though, they stay for almost three days straight. It's clear that every inappropriate detail has been noticed.
Aside from the interior design, the activities were also disappointing. There weren't any real attractions, nothing that would go beyond the quality of a good queue design. Any new ideas or innovations? Are there any particularly immersive, never-before-seen experiences that could excite die-hard Star Wars fans in particular? Unfortunately, that was missing here at every turn.
What will happen to the Star Wars Hotel?
It's still unclear what will become of the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel. A few rumors are making the rounds online, some of which seem plausible and some less so. From a park-owned conversion for the second Marvel franchise purchased—as a kind of superhero resort—to a possible future filming location for further Star Wars movies.
It would probably be a good idea to turn the hotel into another park attraction. That would make more economic sense. For instance, they could hold live events there several times a day for regular park visitors to enjoy. The events could have different themes each season, so guests will always have something new to experience.
It might also be a good idea to turn the hotel into a normal Star Wars-themed hotel. That could be a great addition to the live event idea, and it would make use of the whole space. If they paid a bit more attention to the details and added more rooms instead of dance halls, it would be great. Disney already has another small resort that would be a great addition.
And most importantly, it would also be a good financial move. This is very different from the kind of LARP experience that's not very helpful or engaging for well-off, dedicated fans, who are happy to pay several thousand dollars for a disappointing stay. But we don't yet know what will really become of the science fiction concrete bunker.
Conclusion: Why the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel Failed
The Star Wars Hotel was an absolute disaster, not only for Disney itself, but above all for Star Wars fans. There were simply too many points that didn't fit right from the start. From an inadequate concept to the implementation: something was missing everywhere.
Apart from the total economic failure, Disney also completely underestimated the amount of detail required for a genuine LARP experience. It takes far more than dazzling food and colorful lightsabers to convince fans, some of whom have been active in the Star Wars scene for decades.
It's a real shame that such a big project had to fail. The project planning for such an attraction simply cannot be underestimated. If a concept that sets out to do so much and is announced with a huge marketing campaign is not convincing from the very first moment, a lot is already lost.
After all, fans were skeptical right from the start. Disney didn't exactly win any friends with the way they handled the newly acquired franchise from the beginning, at least not among the "real" fans. Some people are willing to spend up to $6,000 for two people. Put another way, it was the very group the Star Wars Hotel was designed to attract.
The only thing left of the Star Wars disaster is a huge, unadorned concrete block. There are also lots of online reviews that have spread quickly. If you're interested in more detailed descriptions from people who've stayed at the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel, you can find them here: Check out YouTube or Reddit. You'll be surprised at what else you can find there.
If you're looking to experience Star Wars in an authentic way, we highly recommend Galaxy's Edge. Whether you're a fan of the first hour or just find the franchise and science fiction in general interesting: You'll get your money's worth here. With this in mind:
May the Force be with you.
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