Disney World’s immersive Star Wars hotel will shut down in September

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the large-scale immersive Disney World hotel experience with surprising ties to Star Wars canon, is setting sail for its final voyage this September. The two-day Star Wars-themed resort hotel experience first opened on March 1, 2022, with a starting price point of $4,809 for a two-person weeknight experience, ranging up to a $6,000 premium two-night experience.

As for what motivated the decision to close the resort experience, Disney Parks global public relations manager Charles Stovall told Polygon that it was just a business decision. “Disney’s always taking risks,” he said. “We’ve always been on the forefront of entertainment experiences, we’re constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, and this was just one of the risks that we took.”

Polygon was invited to experience the Galactic Starcruiser, also known as the Halcyon, firsthand before it opened. While we found the experience compelling, and parts of it to be revolutionary, the price point certainly gave us pause. Bookings reportedly lagged behind expectations, with some two-day expeditions failing to sell out.

Stovall said that Galactic Starcruiser actors and staff would be relocated to other areas of the park in the lead-up to the experience’s closure later this year. “A lot of them were on the Disney College Program, which is a very specific time limit, and they will be able to complete that program,” Stovall told Polygon.

When asked whether the price for Galactic Starcruiser was at all a factor in the business decision to shut it down, Stovall said that the price was commensurate with the value offered through the experience. “The price was really reflective of all of the costs to operate that experience: The entertainment, the food and beverages, activities like light saber training [and] expedited park admission — all to deliver a VIP experience as immersive and unique as this one was.”

As for what Disney intends to do with the site of Galactic Starcruiser or if the possibility of it returning at some point in the future, Stovall stated that Disney had no further announcements to share at this time, but nonetheless insisted that Star Wars would still play a vital role across Disney parks, including Galaxy’s Edge. “We just announced that Star Tours will be getting more scenes and characters within the next coming year,” Stovall said. “So we have plans for Star Wars, but nothing beyond what we’ve already announced today.”

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’s last cruise will be on Sept. 28-30.