A Star Wars Hotel Told-You-So?

 by Ray Keating

Commentary/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 5, 2023

 

It’s been more than a year since the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – or the Halcyon or, simply, the Star Wars Hotel – opened at Walt Disney World. And it hasn’t exactly been a smooth flight. Indeed, the engines seem to be sputtering.

As SFGate reported last month: “In the year since its opening, Disney World may have discovered the limits of charging top dollar for a niche experience. Earlier this year, it began offering its first sizable discounts to the general public. Now, the Starcruiser booking calendar shows only two voyages per week will be available for most of October, November and December. Only Thanksgiving week and Christmas week are offering three voyages.”

 

Disney also has turned to offering discounts for this pricey experience for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and annual passholders. The offer for annual passholders offers 30 percent off during various dates from April 15 to June 28 of this year.

 

As the Starcruiser was getting ready to set sail, I raised doubts and questions in a February 2022 DisneyBizJournal piece, including the following points:

 

• The Price Tag. “First, consider that the Starcruiser hotel has 100 rooms or suites. Compare that to approximately 36,000 hotel rooms on the Walt Disney World property, and the Halcyon barely registers. But then there is the price tag for a two-night stay, roughly coming in at a whopping $1,200 per person per day. So, the required two-day stay will hit a couple up for about $4,800.”

 

• Big Dollar LARPing? Really? “Second, the key selling point for this two-day experience is its immersion. That is, for 48 hours you’re effectively LARPing. Some might ask: LARP? Live Action Role Playing. Now, as long as I’ve been around nerd stuff, from comic books to Star Trek to Star Wars, LARPing even at sci-fi/comics conventions was a pretty limited activity. But the videos from the Halcyon, in fact, point to an intensive, ongoing role playing experience. I’m far from an introvert (my family notes that I seemingly will talk to anyone), but this didn’t look like an enjoyable experience to me (perhaps I’m just getting old). I can’t imagine introverts – of which there are more than a few among intense sci-fi fans – would fork over substantial funds for this kind of experience.”

 

• Rooms or Bunkers? “Third, the reviews have been all over the place on the experience and hotel itself, with assessments of the rooms ranging from ‘spacious’ to ‘small and cramped,’ and one noteworthy reviewer (the Disney Food Blog) saying that the hotel put ‘the wealthiest guests inside a windowless bunker for two full days.’ Yikes.”

 

Told you so? Hmmm. Disney is and will be making changes, so we’ll see how this plays outs in the coming year. But, quite frankly, I’m not seeing how this Star Wars hotel makes it over the long run.

 

And by the way, I stick by the alternative I laid out previously:

 

“Consider that Disney World’s moderate resorts range from 1,000 to 2,400 rooms. Picture the demand for a large, expansive Star Wars resort with 2,400 rooms, with in-depth theming from the rooms to the pools to the restaurants to the grounds and beyond. All kinds of events and activities could allow people to engage to the degree that they truly choose for their own comfort and vacation time. And the rooms could be priced, again, at the moderate level, or even a bit higher. OMG, there would be a long, long line of individuals and families vying to stay at such a resort – and they could just enjoy a Star Wars vacation at Walt Disney World, even if they were introverts or extroverts who wish to have nothing to do with LARPing. Oh yes, and the family members who care little about Star Wars would likely have a great time as well, given that this would be a full resort with all of the amenities that are missing on the Halcyon.”

 

Just sayin’.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? 

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon. 

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. You can pre-order the latest book in the series – Under the Golden Dome: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Struggling with the Business Side of Disney’s Star Wars Immersive Hotel

 by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 28, 2022

 

Okay, I’m struggling with the Halcyon, particularly from a business perspective.

 

It’s been nearly ten years since Disney paid $4 billion to acquire LucasFilm and Star Wars. And to be honest, Disney’s track record with the legendary Star Wars franchise has been uneven. And now there’s the addition of the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel, or the Halcyon, at Walt Disney World, which has been greeted with mixed reviews from media and bloggers who were given an early look at the completely immersive experience.

 

As for Disney’s spotty track record, consider that on the film front, Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018) were generally solid vehicles, though far from spectacular and each had issues. Meanwhile, Episode VIII – The Last Jedi was a hot mess directed by Rian Johnson, followed by Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker trying to repair the damage done by Johnson but ultimately failing to do so.

 

It took Jon Favreau, along with Dave Filoni, creating The Mandalorian (Season 1 in 2019 and Season 2 in 2020, with a third coming) on Disney+ for Disney to have its first major success with Star Wars. And while The Book of Boba Fett (debuted at the end of 2021 on Disney+), also created by Favreau, wasn’t at the level of The Mandalorian, it was solid, especially when the show featured the main characters from The Mandalorian. And more Disney+ series are on the way, with justified anticipation.

 

As for the parks, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened in 2019 at both Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland, faced a bit of grumbling due to the company initially over-promising on the overall experience, but these have settled in nicely as must-see parts of the parks – for all Star Wars fans, no matter how deep that fandom runs.

 

That brings us to the Starcruiser hotel, which opens for two-night stays for guests starting on March 1.

Now, I was not part of the media who got a sneak peek, nor will I be staying at this hotel. But there is enough information around at this point for me to highlight questions I have been pondering for some time now about this from a business perspective.

 

First, consider that the Starcruiser hotel has 100 rooms or suites. Compare that to approximately 36,000 hotel rooms on the Walt Disney World property, and the Halcyon barely registers. But then there is the price tag for a two-night stay, roughly coming in at a whopping $1,200 per person per day. So, the required two-day stay will hit a couple up for about $4,800. That price includes the hotel room, food and drink excluding alcoholic and specialty beverages, a day trip to the Hollywood Studios park, and a Magic Band.

 

Second, the key selling point for this two-day experience is its immersion. That is, for 48 hours you’re effectively LARPing. Some might ask: LARP? Live Action Role Playing. Now, as long as I’ve been around nerd stuff, from comic books to Star Trek to Star Wars, LARPing even at sci-fi/comics conventions was a pretty limited activity. But the videos from the Halcyon, in fact, point to an intensive, ongoing role playing experience. I’m far from an introvert (my family notes that I seemingly will talk to anyone), but this didn’t look like an enjoyable experience to me (perhaps I’m just getting old). I can’t imagine introverts – of which there are more than a few among intense sci-fi fans – would fork over substantial funds for this kind of experience.

 

Third, the reviews have been all over the place on the experience and hotel itself, with assessments of the rooms ranging from “spacious” to “small and cramped,” and one noteworthy reviewer (the Disney Food Blog) saying that the hotel put “the wealthiest guests inside a windowless bunker for two full days.” Yikes. However, guests spend little time in their rooms anyway, as they reportedly are off on an assortment of adventures that all somehow tie together in the end.

 

CNBC’s reviewer wrote:

 

     From the moment passengers board the shuttles to the Chandrila Star Lines’ starcruiser known as the Halcyon, the adventure begins. And it doesn’t slow its pace until they disembark after the “voyage” two days later…

     So, let’s address the bantha in the room right away: Is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser worth the price of admission? 

     Yes, but with one condition — you have to be willing to play.

     Passengers get back what they put into their time aboard the Halcyon. If you suspend your disbelief, embrace the story and participate without self-consciousness, this will be a trip you and your family will never forget.

 

Meanwhile, a reporter from TheVerge.com wrote:

 

     The Halcyon is also smaller than you might expect. The main dining cabin is about the size of a medium-sized restaurant, while the atrium’s neon-soaked bar offers seating for a couple dozen people at most. (And only a single sabacc table!) There are “restricted” spaces that open up for story elements, like the cargo hold, brig, and engineering bay, but there are really only two or three main “public” spaces to spend time in outside of those plot moments…

     Galactic Starcruiser asks a lot of its guests. You’re basically diving into a giant improv exercise with dozens of strangers. And what you’ll get out of the experience is largely what you put in. In my short time there, it was hard to shake the feeling that I was just going through the motions for the particular story track my group was assigned. Maybe the smaller groups, added time, additional context, and more gradual pace of storytelling that the full experience has help make the process feel more organic.

 

I think you get the point – different takes and different experiences depending on one’s point of view. Some will dive in and adore this, and many – my guess is a lot more than the former group – will never board the Halcyon, and not just because of the price tag, but actually due to the experience, that is, the very selling point of this part hotel, part theme park ride and part LARP.

 

That leads to my key conundrum with this 48-hour experience from a business investment perspective: Why?

 

A 100-room hotel perhaps speaks to the limited potential market, and the price tag means that guests have to show a high degree of commitment. But these are only two-day stays, which will require not-insignificant turnover for as long as this hotel stays in operation. Does it really make business sense to create this kind of experience, especially at the cost? And what if it flops, and Disney takes another hit on its Star Wars brand? Well, I guess Favreau and Filoni can come up with another Disney+ series.

 

But here’s the real kicker. As I have explored assorted Disney World hotels of late, my mind has wandered back to an alternative investment that Disney could have made for a Star Wars hotel. And trust me, this is not some kind of genius moment on my part, but rather, it just seems like common sense. 

 

Consider that Disney World’s moderate resorts range from 1,000 to 2,400 rooms. Picture the demand for a large, expansive Star Wars resort with 2,400 rooms, with in-depth theming from the rooms to the pools to the restaurants to the grounds and beyond. All kinds of events and activities could allow people to engage to the degree that they truly choose for their own comfort and vacation time. And the rooms could be priced, again, at the moderate level, or even a bit higher. OMG, there would be a long, long line of individuals and families vying to stay at such a resort – and they could just enjoy a Star Wars vacation at Walt Disney World, even if they were introverts or extroverts who wish to have nothing to do with LARPing. Oh yes, and the family members who care little about Star Wars would likely have a great time as well, given that this would be a full resort with all of the amenities that are missing on the Halcyon.

 

Am I crazy, or does this make a heck of a lot more sense for both fans and shareholders?

 

Of course, Disney could still make such an investment, and they just might do so, depending on what lessons ultimately are learned from consumers regarding the Halcyon.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Get more out of 2022 with The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13^th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Sticker Shock or Envy on Pricing for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

 by Ray Keating

News/Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 6, 2021

 

News Flash: High-end hotels that most of us cannot afford have been around for a very long time. 

 

Nonetheless, when Disney announced this week how much it would cost to stay at its immersive Star Wars hotel – that is, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – at Walt Disney World, the online complaints ranged from claims of unfairness to assertions of greed to the crudest of observations.

All images from the Walt Disney World website.

No one should be surprised – either by how Disney is pricing a stay on the Halcyon (the name of this starcruiser), by the reactions, or by the fact that Disney (barring another pandemic-like hit to the economy) likely will have little problem filling the 100 cabins in this immersive Star Wars experience/hotel.

 

Let’s first review some key details on the experience and then the pricing.

 

Disney refers to this as “part live immersive theater, part themed environment, part culinary extravaganza, part real-life role-playing game—and yet so much more.” Two-night vacation packages will feature a cabin or suite; food and beverages (except alcoholic and specialty drinks) on the ship, plus a quick service meal at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo (or other select locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios); and an assortment of “exclusive experiences, missions and activities.” Among the highlights:

 

•    New and familiar Star Wars Characters need your help and will invite you to delve deeper into the story—interact with them like never before, embark on secret missions and create alliances.

•       Wield a lightsaber as you face off against a remote training device.

•    Explore the Bridge and operate the ship's systems and controls.

•   Take an exclusive transport to the planet Batuu, where you’ll have the opportunity to engage in unique missions and experiences that extend the story of your adventure.

•    Your story may even lead you to discover the inner workings of the ship in the Engineering Room.

 

Also included is a visit to Batuu (that is, to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the rest of Disney’s Hollywood Studios), and valet parking.

 

The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will open in Spring 2022, and there will be three options among the 100 cabins. 

 

• The Standard Cabin sleeps 4 to 5 passengers, and among the offerings is a window with a view out into space. 

• The Galaxy Class Suite sleeps four passengers, and includes “an integrated seating area and … all the comforts of Standard Cabins plus a double vanity bathroom, bar area, 2 windows with views out into space and a few extra Star Wars surprises.”

• The two-bedroom Grand Captain Suite sleeps 8 passengers, and features all the comforts of Standard Cabins plus a main suite with a double vanity bathroom, a second bathroom with a single vanity, a bar area, 3 windows with views out into space and a few extra Star Wars surprises.”

And the price? Disney offers Standard Cabin rates on its website for most weeknights covering August 20 to September 20, 2022.

 

• At two guests per cabin, $1,209 per guest per night, or $4,809 for the total voyage. 

 

• At three guests (2 adults, 1 child) per cabin, $889 per guest per night, or $5,299 for the total voyage. 

 

• At four guests (3 adults, 1 child) per cabin, $749 per guest per night, or $5,999 for the total voyage. 

 

Is this pricey? Sure. Will everyone interested be able to afford it? Nope. That’s kind of how life works. Will people continue to complain about the price, and hurl accusations (often quite nasty) rooted in envy and entitlement? Yep. That’s how life works as well. 

 

Will Disney fill the cabins? It's highly likely, as there are plenty of Star Wars fans with the money for such a journey – indeed, probably regular journeys on the Halcyon. But if Disney gets the price wrong, then they’ll adjust accordingly. That’s how business and markets work. And to those who say that Disney shouldn’t charge so much, well, perhaps they’re the ones being selfish, as they seem to be saying, “Price this hotel so I can afford to stay there, never mind those who work at Disney and the company’s shareholders.”

 

If you’re planning on taking a voyage on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, enjoy! Until the family budget can swing such a trip to a galaxy far, far away, I say, “Bon voyage!”

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the  Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

Despite COVID Bumps, Disney Moves Ahead on New Attractions

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 17, 2020

 

The fallout from COVID may have caused no end of turmoil in 2020, but Disney still has its eyes on the future as they move toward the new year.  

 

Yesterday, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, was one of the speakers at the annual IAAPA Expo, which this year was held virtually, and he shared a look at some of the Disney projects that are moving forward. IAAPA is the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions,  the attractions industry’s trade association with more than 6,000 member companies.

During his address, D’Amaro reflected on Disney’s journey over the past several months, as well as the path forward. He also shared a variety of construction photos, videos, and artist renderings to show off the progress of various attractions. Among the highlights of D’Amaro’s keynote remarks at IAAPA were: 

 

• Updates on the progress of the Avengers Campuses at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris. D’Amaro’s presentation included a peek at the ride vehicles for Web Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

• News of the ongoing transformation of EPCOT, including the construction progress of the soon-to-debut nighttime spectacular “Harmonious”; videos of the ride path and track for the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind omnicoaster with its 360 degree rotating vehicles and reverse launches; and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, slated to open in 2021 in the France pavilion, with its trackless ride vehicles that allow you to shrink down to the size of a rat as you make your way through Gusteau’s in a family-friendly 3D chase with adorable Chef Remy.

 

• Star Wars fans will probably lose their minds over the renderings of the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser staterooms that D’Amaro shared.  It might be a “hotel,” but the Halcyon will function more like a cruise ship, where guests will board the starship for a 2-day, 2-night immersive experience and “become the heroes of their own Star Wars story.”  The drawings shared by D’Amaro give prospective Jedi a better look at their “home away from home.”

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

D’Amaro also offered updates on Disney’s international ventures, including:

 

• Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel – at Disneyland Paris, “celebrating 80 years of Marvel storytelling in a typical New York setting.” The hotel’s contemporary Art Deco style will be only one interesting feature of the new resort. Marvel fans will discover the largest publicly viewable collection of Marvel artwork in the world. 

 

• Shanghai Disney Resort, where the park’s eighth themed land and the first-ever Zootopia-themed land at any Disney park is also progressing.  Aerial photos of the land shown at IAAPA showed off the construction of the giant show building that will use state-of-the-art technology to bring the metropolis and animal characters of Zootopia to life.

 

• Tokyo Disneyland, currently undergoing the largest expansion of the park’s 37-year history, where four new attractions, three restaurants and a themed hotel located inside Tokyo DisneySea will overlook the new “Fantasy Springs.” Fantasy Springs will tie-in to the films Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan.

 

Additional photos and details from the IAAPA address are available on the Disney Parks Blog.

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Pre-order The Disney Planner 2021: The TO DO List Solution today!

 

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