The Force is certainly not with them.
Disney slashed prices at its widely-criticized, ultra-expensive “Stars Wars” Galactic Starcruiser hotel, where some rooms have been derided as a “windowless bunker.”
Billed as an immersive experience where guests can interact with characters from the “Star Wars” franchise, the 100-room hotel requires guests to book a minimum of two nights, priced at about $5,000 per couple and closer to $6,000 for a family of 4. The associated fee of a “tricked out” suite jumps to $20,000.
But early on, guests complained in regards to the out-of-this-galaxy-priced room rates, food costs and “Star Wars” themed-extras like a personal portrait session with photographer.
Anger bubbled up before the hotel opened last March over a promotional video which was eventually scrubbed from Twitter and YouTube. Fans slammed the lodging as subpar and too expensive, with some referring to the hotel as a “windowless bunker” and a “suburban junior highschool in-built the mid-Nineteen Seventies.”
“The ‘light saber training’ looks about as exciting as a roadside sobriety test,” one Disney watcher commented on YouTube.
“It’s way too expensive,” one other said.
The worth of the stay also doesn’t include alcohol — which runs around $13 for beer, $11 and up for wine and $23 for specialty drinks — or any fun “Star Wars”-themed extras. As an example, it costs $99 minimum to rent a photographer for a portrait. If you ought to sit at the pinnacle of the captain’s table within the Starcruiser’s Crown of Corellia dining room, you’ll must cough up an additional $30.
CNBC did rave in regards to the interactive experience, saying the “immersion takes on recent meaning.”
As of Friday, only Presidents’ Day and Fourth of July weekend are fully booked. The remaining of the calendar is wide open through August, which has essentially the most sold-out days to date this yr.
With the intention to entice guests, the Mouse Home is now offering up $700 on a 2-night stay, in keeping with the corporate’s website. Last November, Disney announced that discounts of as much as 30% were being made available to Disney Vacation Club members. But now non-vacation club members can access the discount — a rarity on the House of Mouse.
The most important discount — $350 per night — is for packaging a Starcruiser stick with additional nights at Disney World’s Beach Club, Grand Floridian or Yacht Club resorts. The offer is valid for stays between Feb. 5 and Sept. 30, although there are some blackout dates.
