K.J. Yossman Less than eighteen months after Disney opened its first “Star Wars” themed hotel in Orlando, Fla. to much fanfare, the company has confirmed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is set to cease operations. “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” said a spokesperson for Disney, according to CNBC. “This premium experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.” The hotel, which charged around $5,000 for a minimum two-night stay for two people, opened last March in Disney’s Walt Disney World resort in Orlando.
It was envisioned as a new kind of interactive experience where guests would take part in a real-world adventure aided by actors who would assign them missions.
But reviewers and guests complained about the hotel’s small, windowless rooms (meant to imitate the feel of a spaceship), the reliance on phones and technology (each guest was loaned an iPhone pre-loaded with different missions for the duration of their stay) and the lack of amenities, such as a gym or pool.
At the beginning of this year, rumors abounded on Disney forums and blogs about the hotel’s low occupancy rate – despite only offering one hundred rooms – with some theme park blogs reporting Disney was slashing prices in a bid to drum up customers.
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