Did online rebellion help doom Disney empire’s Star Wars hotel?

[KENNEDY FELTON]

IT WAS ONE OF DISNEY’S MOST AMBITIOUS AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES – PART HOTEL, PART LIVE-ACTION ROLEPLAY, ALL SET IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY.

But less than two years after opening, the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser permanently closed its doors in Orlando, Florida. Now, the multi-million dollar space is getting a second life, but not in the way fans might expect.

THE WRAP REPORTS THE HOTEL WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO A WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING OFFICE… THE BRANCH OF THE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGNING THE CREATIVE ASPECTS OF DISNEY FROM THEME PARKS TO CRUISE SHIPS.

The former luxury spacecruiser hotel was once a two-night all-inclusive experience that came with a hefty price tag – $4,800 for two guests and $6,000 for a family of four.

DISNEY ORIGINALLY MARKETED THE HOTEL AS A FULLY IMMERSIVE STAR WARS ADVENTURE WHERE GUESTS COULD LIVE OUT THEIR OWN STORYLINE… INTERACT WITH CHARACTERS… AND EVEN ATTEND LIGHTSABER TRAINING.

“You’re provided with a trip itinerary which blocks out pretty much everything, almost down to the minute. You’re better off thinking of it as a summer camp. Space camp, if you like.” – JENNY NICHOLSON, YOUTUBER

Jenny Nicholson is an immersive entertainment YouTuber who shared her experience at the hotel in a four-hour video last year titled ‘The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel.’ The video—with nearly 12 million views as of Friday—breaks down why it wasn’t worth it. She shows herself walking through the hotel, attending themed dinner shows, and playing mini-games she described as boring. Her video went viral, amassing three million views within just a few days—a reaction many believe contributed to the hotel’s premature closing.

It sparked widespread discussions across various platforms in response to Nicholson’s video. Some users even shared personal experiences echoing her sentiments.

“Based on our experience I do not think the star cruiser is worth the money at this time. I know that it just opened but I really thought that Disney would have some of these kinks worked out.” – AmberHeartsDisney, Reddit user

And while other die-hard fans of the franchise praised the detailed storytelling, saying – “The service throughout was at a level even beyond Disney’s normally high standards and the actors were incredible.” – silver_moon21, Reddit user

The impact of Nicholson’s video led to Disney filing a copyright claim against it, citing the use of background music from their marketing clips.

Nicholson addressed the situation on X shortly after, saying Disney tried and failed to copyright claim her video.

So for now—instead of a Star Wars escape for guests, the space will serve as an office for the team behind Disney’s biggest—and maybe even their next—attractions.

With SAN, I’m KF. Download our app or visit SAN.com for more.