Disney can’t figure out why its $3K a night ‘Star Wars’ hotel flopped

[godisawesome]

There also an irony to the idea that "Female" characters are diminishing the brand when TFA made 2 billion, TLJ 1 billion, TROS 1 billion, Rogue One 1 billion, and Solo (The Male Led Film) didn't even make 400 million.

Yup; again, I’d argue that TLJ and TROS are at least mildly sexist in how they treat Rey, and that doing do *did* drive off half the audience by the time things were done… but Daisy Ridley was still the main occupier of screen time.

And since, again, more white dudes stuck it out with the ST to the end in viewings than women or non-white dudes, that also means that white dudes were the demographic most likely to still enjoy and support the ST even as Daisy Ridley was still the main occupier of screentime, so that demographic wasn’t being neglected.

In fact, I’d still argue they were being catered to at the expense of the larger fanbase and non-white-dude actors through the manner Rey was used; a lot of Boomers and Gen X white dudes were either happy to have Rey become only an audience stand-in around Sad!Luke, or enjoyed having her become Kylo’s arm candy and enabler.

Yes, LFL and some of the pop-culture Biosphere tried to argue that women wanted Reylo, or that Rey not being a Skywalker was “necessary” to make sure she wasn’t “defined by a man”… but the actual data on the reception of the films and their audience’s demographics showed that more women left after Reylo became a thing, and that while Rey remained overall popular, her popularity dropped in comparisons to Kylo’s… because she was semi-reduced to his co-lead because he was a Skywalker.

TLJ is basically a Dude’s Movie in Action Girl clothing; which to the credit of even TLJ fans who I often find myself opposed to, at least shows that they’re not repulsed by female actors being at center stage (…even if that center stage if more as an MC than as a Star.)

[Zauriel]

Last I heard, they are still not lowering the booking prices even in September, the last month of Starcruiser hotel's life.

Adios, Galactic Starcruiser. Adieu. Farewell. Sayonara. Addio,

[Conn Seanery]

Why would they? It isn't a store looking to make a quick buck with a going-out-of-business sale, I imagine they want to make as much as they can before they close the doors. If they're booked until the last day there's no reason to drop the prices.

[achilles]

Last I heard, they are still not lowering the booking prices even in September, the last month of Starcruiser hotel's life.

Adios, Galactic Starcruiser. Adieu. Farewell. Sayonara. Addio,

Have they figured out the impossible question of why their hotel with small windowless rooms that book for $3000 a night with cosplayers annoying you with cosplays from the least popular SW movies didn't hit big with the public? Cause it's really hard to figure out.

[Zauriel]

Have they figured out the impossible question of why their hotel with small windowless rooms that book for $3000 a night with cosplayers annoying you with cosplays from the least popular SW movies didn't hit big with the public? Cause it's really hard to figure out.

If Disney figured it out, they would have fired whoever made the idea of constructing a $2 billion dollar giant windowless building and slap the name 'Star Wars' on it.

[skyvolt2000]

Have they figured out the impossible question of why their hotel with small windowless rooms that book for $3000 a night with cosplayers annoying you with cosplays from the least popular SW movies didn't hit big with the public? Cause it's really hard to figure out.

Building it was not the issue.

The turnoff is that price. Even if you used the Luke era to make that ship-that PRICE would still be an issue.

For something like that-an overnight cosplay might have been better.

[DrNewGod]

Article with an interesting point about the creators betting every SW fan is ultra into one SW continuity moment.

[Frontier]

Article with an interesting point about the creators betting every SW fan is ultra into one SW continuity moment.

I'll probably never get to check it out myself, but while I can definitely see the issues that went into it, I can't help but think it genuinely would've been quite the experience (impractical as a hotel that it was).

[Zauriel]

Now the hotel closed a few days ago, what is Disney gonna do with a giant windowless building? Are they gonna leave it abandoned? Or repurpose it into a warehouse or a casino?

[Zauriel]

https://wdwnt.com/2023/10/galactic-s...ney-occupancy/

This source explains partly if not entirely why the hhotel booking is so expensive.

According to The Wrap, there were two sets of characters on duty at all times aboard the Starcruiser to account for if a performer became sick or injured, thus doubling performer costs. In addition, the highly-detailed theatrical experience “cost a ton of money to develop and deploy,” and Disney didn’t help matters by being unable to convey to the general public what the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser exactly was.


In the end, approximately 71,000 guests were passengers on 274 voyages aboard the experience, according to The Wrap, not counting repeating guests.

The average occupancy rate of the Galactic Starcruiser was 70 percent, meaning that some “cruises” had an occupancy as low as 20 percent.

[Derek Metaltron]

It really should have been done as a special two to three hour immersive experience like so many of these things are, within the complex that would run several times a day. The need for it to be a hotel with all the costs that involves and the limitations for regular visitors was what hurt it most. I did such experiences last year in the UK for Doctor Who and Guardians of the Galaxy for about £80 each (and I was a deluxe visitor each time) and they were incredible. Disney could honestly take the idea of Galactic Starcruiser and apply it to the ways these other immersive groups do (maybe even hire them) and create venues around the world that can swap out experiences for numerous projects.