I have recently been told a new rumor involving the now-closed Galactic Starcruise hotel at Walt Disney World. According to a source, Disney plans to turn the expensive building into a more basic space-themed hotel. The restaurant areas will also likely be reused, but the show elements probably will not return.
Disney spent an estimated $400 million on the structure that only remained open from March 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. The hotel was themed to “Star Wars” and offered restaurants, interactive experiences, and an atrium where you could use the “Force” to jiggle the rocks.
When the hotel rolled out, it also had a hefty price tag, starting at $4,800 and going up to $6,000. For the price, guests would get about 44 hours of “Star Wars” immersion, food, and experiences, including games on an iPad.
After the initial excitement, the demand decreased, and the hotel was canceling dates, cutting down on dining services to match the diminished demand. It was eventually closed.
Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks Experiences and Products Chairman, indicated that something would become of the building, saying, “No hints yet, but something will happen with it.”
If the new rumor is correct, Disney would reuse the building as a hotel, which is what most expect. Since the hotel is made to emulate a ship traveling in space, it would make the most sense to stick to that theme, especially since Universal Orlando is going all in on the space-theming with Epic Universe.
Universal Orlando’s new Prime Value hotels will sit side by side and will be called the Terra Luna, inspired by the massive and diverse planetary elements of the universe, and Stell Nova, inspired by distant galaxies, new stars, and black holes.”
At this point, it’s still just a rumor about the retheme, or untheming, of the Galactic Starcruiser. But it does make the most sense as Disney could keep a lot of the room elements, screens, and space-theming in place, and it would cost less than redoing the entire building.
What do you think? Do you think this rumor is true?
Comment and let us know!
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