Walt Disney World to Close Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Hotel After 18 Months

Walt Disney World is closing its Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel, with the final guest stay set for September 30. Disney announced the decision on its website late Thursday. The company said anyone who booked a stay after that date should contact Disney to modify their reservation.

Disney is pausing the hotel's reservation portal until May 26 to focus on helping customers who made reservations for after the closing date. The 100-room facility in Bay Lake, Florida, opened in March 2022 with prices starting at $4,800 for a couple, $5,299 for two adults and a child, and $5,999 for three adults and a child.

Guests checked in and were shuttled to their rooms on a "Launch Pod" before participating in a two-day "Star Wars" storyline that included lightsaber training, navigation system lessons, and interactions with characters such as Chewbacca and Kylo Ren.

Disney did not disclose why it is closing the hotel or how much it spent to build the facility. "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," the company said in a statement.

" The hotel closure comes as Disney cuts more than $5 billion in costs and plans to slash 7,000 jobs in three waves, with the final round slated for the beginning of summer.

Disney CEO Bob Iger is seeking a transformation across the company's business. 8 million-square-foot office space that would have housed 2,000 employees in Lake Nona, just outside Orlando. Disney cited changing business conditions for the decision.

The company's decision to pull out of the Florida investment comes amid a year-long feud with Governor Ron DeSantis.