Disney World Permanently Closing Down Hotel

Disney has announced that in September, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is permanently closing. The hype surrounding the opening of this immersive “Star Wars” experience was HUGE. But only about a year later and after months of low occupancy, Disney is shutting it down. The Starcruiser was a three-day, two-night “Star Wars” adventure, where guest were actually in the story. While staying on cruise ship, guest were in the middle of the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. You stayed included an excursion to Batuu, themed meals (that looked like food in the movies) and live entertainment.

As a Star Wars fan, this looked and sounded awesome!! Unfortunately it may have been a little too pricey for the average fan. Starting price for two guest in a standard cabin was just under $5,000. For a family of four, it was closer to $6,000.

Disney’s released statement about the closing:

“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our Guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our Guests and fans.
We will be contacting Guests booked for voyages departing on or after Sept. 30 to discuss their options and modify their plans. To prioritize these Guests, we are pausing new bookings until May 26.

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 final voyage will be September 28. [Source: WDW News Today]

 

Disney Is Bringing Back Annual Passes

• The Disney Pixie Dust Pass

  This one’s exclusively for Florida residents and you don’t have to wait until April 20 for this one. It’s actually already available. For $399 (plus tax), you’ll get access to the parks on most weekdays. There are some blockout dates during peak and holiday periods. You’ll get some other benefits like 20% off some dining options and Disney merch. You can opt to pay all at once or make a $205 down payment and then you pay $19 per month. One neat perk is that your pass includes standard parking. With this pass, you will still need to use the parks reservation system though.

• The Disney Pirate Pass

  This one’s just for us Floridians too.  For $749 (plus tax), you don’t have to limit your visits to weekdays.  There are some blockout dates though with this one, usually during holiday weeks when out-of-state visitors flock to Florida.  You’ll be allowed to have up to 4 park reservations at a time.  Just like the first pass, this one includes standard parking and discounts on food and merch.

• The Disney Sorcerer Pass

  For this pass you have to be a Florida resident or part of the Disney Vacation Club.  For $969 (yep plus tax), you can have up to 5 park reservations at a time.  The free parking and discounts apply to this one too.  As with the others, you can opt to make monthly payments.  You put $205 down and pay $69 per month for this one.

• The Disney Incredi-Pass

  This pass is available to out-of-state residents.  If you’re a hardcore Disney fan who doesn’t want to worry about blockout dates, this is your best bet.  But it’s the priciest of all the options… $1,399 (plus tax).    You’ll be able to make 5 park reservations at a time.  The free standard parking and discounts on food and merch are there for this pass too.

 

 

 

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