Why Disney Is Struggling To Attract Bookings For Its 'Star Wars' Hotel

Will You Be Buying A Boarding Pass?

By Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago • 4 min read

Disney's Galactic Starcruiser, also known as the Halcyon, is quite the unique and expansive undertaking, even for the Disney Parks team. Billed as a deeply immersive experience set in the sequel trilogy, the Galactic Starcruiser offers guests a chance to live out their Star Wars fantasies. Shooting down TIE fighters, training with a lightsaber, and evading the dark forces of the First Order are all options for those onboard the Halcyon. Given the number of cosplayers in the Star Wars community, this seems right up the fanbases alley. However, as of yet, Disney is struggling to book boarding passes for the Halcyon. Here we will examine the obstacles the Galactic Starcruiser is currently dealing with and the biggest knocks against the experience, possibly leading to the lack of reservations.

As of its opening on March 1st, the Halcyon is fully equipped to host a large compliment of guests. The 100 room, multi suite living quarters are likely to be scarcely used beside sleeping, as the rest of the ship is jampacked with activities, story elements, included meals, and even a musical performance. It's a lot to cram into a two-night stay, especially with the inclusion of a visit to Disney Hollywood Studios with your boarding pass. With a staff dedicated to maintaining an authentic in-universe experience for the guests, it's hard to imagine why the Halcyon has so many open reservations slots for the backend of the year.

According to GameSpot.com, the summer months are the few times in 2022 that the Galactic Starcruiser can expect a "normal" number of guests. However, even during these times, reservations are spotty, with numerous days (including weekends) open and available for reservation. With kids out from school, and families eager to get away and enjoy summer vacation, it is surprising that an experience that is marketed directly to families, as well as diehard Star Wars fans, is seeing such a pedestrian number of bookings for the summer. Unfortunately for Disney Parks, the numbers taper off even more after August. The final quarter of the year would see the Halcyon as virtually a ghost ship at this point in time.

So why are audiences not snapping up Halycon boarding passes like hot cakes? There are several obstacles currently facing the Starcruiser's success, with more than one of them being of Disney's own making. Obviously the ongoing issues surrounding the COVID pandemic are effecting crowd numbers at a wide variety of entertainment venues. Concern about the virus, or dissent with COVID protocols could both be influencing a lack of bookings on the Galactic Starcruiser. On the one hand, many people are still attempting to avoid contact with large crowds or going out in an enclosed, crowded area (something a Starcruiser certainly qualifies as). On the other hand, you have those who refuse to be masked and/or vaxxed, making travel and participation in events difficult, if not impossible, for those making that choice.

The clearest and perhaps most relevant obstacle however, is the price of admission. Many Star Wars fans would love to reserve a cabin and live in the galaxy far, far way for a couple nights, but can't stomach the $5K price tag for such an experience. This is certainly the category that I fall into, as well as many other Star Wars fans in the community. Many American families blanch at paying between $4800 for a party of 2, and $6000 for a 4-person excursion. While the spirit is willing and ready for adventure, the pocketbook will be keeping many people planet-side

This experience, while carefully crafted and staffed, is clearly not for everyone. Whether it be due to real world issues or lack of interest in such a level of immersion, not everyone has a desire to board the Halcyon. Perhaps Disney misjudged exactly what the demand for this type of experience would be. Perhaps fans are waiting for more reviews, photos, and videos of the Halcyon to become available before they decide to reserve their cabin. Only time will tell if the Galactic Starcruiser will become a staple of the Disney Parks network and a must-see attraction for Star Wars fans, or if cabins will continue to be empty on summer weekends.

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