Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser closing — what travelers need to know

Disney wasn’t immediately available for comment, but an update on the attraction’s website says that the experience will wrap by Sept. 30, with the Sept. 28-30 session being its last call.

The cruise-like hotel experience — also commonly called the “Star Wars hotel” — launched with much fanfare in March 2022. Guests pay about $4,800 to $6,000 a person (depending on the size of their party) to spend a couple of days living out a live-action “Star Wars” fantasy in a makeshift spaceship called the Halcyon. The Galactic Starcruiser’s website bills the experience as an “immersive adventure” where guests interact with Star Wars characters, plot a mission together, and stay in rooms with views of “outer space.” A booking also grants special access to Disney World’s other Star Wars attraction, the Galaxy’s Edge area of the Hollywood Studios theme park. 

Read more: At Disneyland’s new ‘Star Wars’ attraction, brace yourself for $200 lightsabers, $42 cocktails and 4 a.m. lines

But it drew mixed reactions from some visitors, especially over the astronomical price tag — which could climb to around $20,000 for a “tricked-out” suite, according to the New York Times. And Gizmodo writer Joel Cunningham, who attended a free press preview, wrote that, “I never, ever (ever) would have paid what it costs to take my family to this thing.” But he also said that “it really is incredibly cool.”

Read more: Disney’s new $6,000 ‘Star Wars’ immersive experience draws mixed reactions

But that’s all wrapping up this fall. 

“We are so proud of all of the Cast Members and Imagineers who brought Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to life and look forward to delivering an excellent experience for Guests during the remaining voyages over the coming months,” Disney said in a statement online. “Thank you to our Guests and fans for making this experience so special.” 

So what does this mean for people who have already booked “voyages” for on or after Sept. 30? The attraction’s website notes that these guests will be contacted “soon” to discuss their options and to modify their plans. 

And in the meantime, new bookings will be paused to prioritize helping guests affected by the closure. 

The news led Google searches asking about whether the “Star Wars hotel” is closing to spike on Thursday and Friday, as well as queries over why the attraction is closing. A spokesperson would only tell CNN that it was “a business decision.” The future of the building that houses the experience also remains unclear. 

And this announcement came the same day that Disney, still mired in a political feud with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, scrapped its plans for a roughly $1 billion investment in a new corporate campus in Florida that would have relocated more than 2,000 employees. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks, experiences and products division, told employees Thursday in a memo viewed by MarketWatch that this was due in part to “changing business conditions.”