SUMMARY

• Walt Disney Co. announces the closing of its lavish Star Wars-themed hotel in Orlando, less than two years after its grand opening, as part of a wider cost-cutting strategy.
• Despite the popularity and the innovative immersive entertainment experience provided by the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel, the high cost had been a point of concern for some fans.
• Disney cancels plans for a $1 billion corporate campus in Florida due to changing business conditions, hinting at continued strategy adjustments in the near future.

The illustrious Star Wars-themed luxury hotel, an initiative of Walt Disney Co in Orlando, is set to close its doors this coming September, less than two years after its grand opening. This decision comes as part of a company-wide effort to reduce expenditures across Disney's diversified portfolio, encompassing both the entertainment and parks divisions.

The company broke the news about the forthcoming closure of the "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser" hotel, a two-night immersive experience, this Thursday. However, the motivations behind this abrupt decision were left unspecified. The hotel, which was met with considerable excitement and anticipation from Star Wars aficionados, made its debut at Walt Disney World in March 2022.

Back in February, Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, declared the company's plan to trim its budget by $5.5 billion to bolster the profitability of its growing streaming TV sector. Subsequent to this announcement, some Star Wars enthusiasts had voiced their concerns over the extravagant prices of staying at the Starcruiser, with rates beginning at $4,800 for a two-night stay for a pair of guests.

The said price covered a two-day, two-night stay in one of the 100 uniquely designed Starcruiser cabins, complete with space-inspired gastronomy, and an exclusive visit to Batuu, the in-park "Star Wars" planet. These 100 cabins constituted a minor fraction, less than half a percent, of Disney's total room inventory within the locality.

In a recent turn of events this Thursday, Disney also announced its decision to cancel a proposed corporate campus in Florida, costing nearly $1 billion, attributing the decision to "evolving business conditions" amidst conflicts with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Despite this, a Disney spokesperson asserted that the Starcruiser experience was well-received by guests, and was considered a groundbreaking innovation in immersive entertainment. The company plans to leverage the lessons learned from this venture to craft more captivating experiences that will appeal to a broader range of its guests and fans.

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