While Walt Disney World is just about to enjoy the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, that's only the beginning when it comes to the Star Wars experiences that guests will be able to enjoy before too long. A Star Wars themed hotel is currently under construction at Disney's Hollywood Studios that's connected to the new land, which has been teasing an experience so immersive that it may outdo the theme park itself.
Almost nothing official has been revealed about the hotel or experience, but rumors have indicated the hotel will be a set length, two nights and three days, and will involve all the guests in their very own Star Wars story, complete with wardrobe. Such a thing clearly is not going to be cheap, but a new rumor has indicated that the price may be a bit more than your highest expectations, as the complete experience could run you $3,300 for a single person or $7,200 for a cabin of five.
This price is reportedly for the standard cabins. There will be "First Class" cabins available as well, but the rumor from WDWNT doesn't have those numbers. The markup between standard rooms and larger suites at other Walt Disney World hotels can be significant, so those better cabins could end up costing twice as much, maybe more.
Of course, it has to be said that this hotel won't even exist for a couple more years, so there's no way these numbers are final. They will almost certainly fluctuate based on a number of factors. Even if these numbers are legitimately what Walt Disney World is considering right now, they can't possibly be more than placeholders.
Honestly, when you break it down, it's not necessarily that insane a number. The 5-person room cost breaks down to $1,440 per person or $480 per day, and since this hotel will be operating more like a cruise ship tha a standard hotel, most food and drink, as well as some entertainment, will be included in that price. It's not cheap, to be sure, but for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience, it's maybe not as crazy as it appears.
The cruise ship analogy fits quite nicely because that's really what this. The theming for the hotel is that guests will be on board a starship traveling through space. When you're inside the hotel windows will only look out onto star fields. One would assume that a "shore excursion" to Batuu, allowing you to visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also be part of the experience.
$480 per person is actually quite reasonable for room and food and entertainment for a day at Walt Disney World. If you have four friends you can split a room with that you enjoy vacationing with, it could actually be quite fun.
Honestly, even the single person number isn't all that insane when you consider what is included. If you were to book a room at one of Disney's more expensive existing hotels, buy your theme park tickets, and eat a couple of nice table service meals in a day, you could easily approach spending four figures per day on your vacation. Hell, a suite at the Animal Kingdom Lodge costs more than $1,000 a night by itself.
There was never any question that this hotel was going to be expensive. Of course, if these prices are anywhere close to correct, then honestly the new Star Wars hotel is going to be a vacation all its own. Spending $500-$1000 per day on your vacation to do the Star Wars hotel may be worth it for the experience, but if you're tacking that onto a longer Walt Disney World vacation, you could end up spending more than a week at the theme park in total, and, even if the per day cost isn't insane, it's just a lot of money at the end of the trip.
Of course, getting you to spend as much time at Walt Disney World as possible is the point. A Star Wars hotel that is a completely inclusive experience means you have no reason to leave. Any additional money that you do spend, you spend at Disney.
If these numbers are still too high, odds are they are the standard rate. Walt Disney World hotel rates fluctuate with the season so there may be a time of year when the rooms are slightly cheaper. Although, one guesses that, assuming the hotel is in high demand, even getting a room at first will be tough.
There will apparently only be 34 rooms per floor, 32 standard and two First Class cabins, which is much smaller than your average hotel. This means that the hotel as a whole will have fewer rooms. This probably a necessity for managing the crowd, considering that everybody in the building will apparently be involved in some sort of Star Wars themed adventure. If there are too many people, it just becomes impossible to manage, but it's another reason the per room cost may be so high.
As somebody who recently spent a week at Walt Disney World with a dozen friends, I could easily see myself grabbing a couple of them to go with my family and share a room on the Star Wars hotel, even going with just my family isn't out of the question if I save up. For fans of Walt Disney World or Star Wars, there is going to be nothing quite like this and those who are able will almost certainly find the money to visit once.
With Disney's D23 Expo happening this weekend, and an entire panel dedicated to Disney Parks on the schedule, we'll probably get some news on the forthcoming hotel. We could get a confirmed name or a window for opening. It's probably too far out for much more than that. It's unlikely anything like pricing will be confirmed. Not only is it too far out for these numbers to be final, but Disney doesn't usually drop "bad news" at D23, and prices like this will certainly qualify for a lot of people.
Are these prices too expensive or will you be booking your room at the first opportunity? Let us know in the poll below.
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