Rumor: Disney To Retheme Failed Star Wars Galactic Star Cruiser To Marvel
John F. Trent
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A new rumor claims that The Walt Disney Company’s failed Galactic Star Cruiser will get a retheme from Star Wars to Marvel.
Concept art for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser from its Official Website
The Galactic Starcruiser was a hotel described by Disney as a “revolutionary 2-night experience where you are the hero. You and your group will embark on a first-of-its-kind Star Wars adventure that’s your own. It’s the most immersive Star Wars story ever created—one where you live a bespoke experience and journey further into a Star Wars adventure than you ever dreamed possible.”
The hotel was initially priced to charge $1,209 per guest per night or $4,809 voyage total for standard cabin rooms for two guests.
For families of three the price increased to $889 USD per guest per night or $5,299 USD voyage total. Families of four cost $749 USD per guest or $5,999 voyage total.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Official Website
As reported by Disney-owned ABC News, the hotel’s last 2-night stay was between September 28th and 30th.
A Disney spokesman attempted to spin the the hotel’s shuttering after just a little over a year saying, “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.”
The spokesman added, “This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final voyage, we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”
Highlights from An Evening with Gaya on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, The DIS, YouTube
Scott Gustin also relayed that in a statement Disney wrote, “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.”
Scott Gustin Twitter
Gustin also detailed that individuals who had booked the hotel for dates after September 30th Disney would be contacting them. The statement noted, “For Guests who previously booked a voyage on or after Sept. 30, we will be contacting you soon to discuss your options and modify your plans. As we prioritize these Guests, at this time, new bookings are temporarily paused and will reopen on May 26.”
Scott Gustin Twitter
Gustin also detailed that “Disney is making it clear that this was strictly a business decision, citing the fact that it receives the highest guest satisfaction ratings in the history of Walt Disney World.”
He added, “Going forward, Disney says it will focus resources on opportunities that will be more accessible to a larger group of its fans.”
Scott Gustin Twitter
RELATED: New Videos Provide Embarrassing First Look At Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
The hotel most definitely was losing the company money as the company’s Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed the company was going to take a tax-write off of $300 million for it.
World of Walt’s Beryl Frey reported in May, “Speaking during the recent JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference, D’Amaro reported the closure of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser this fall will enable Disney to claim a tax write-off of approximately $300 million.”
D’Amaro said, “I don’t think we’ve talked about this before, but in both Q3 and Q4 as we accelerate depreciation on that Starcruiser, we should expect about $100-150 million acceleration in depreciation.”
Concept art for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser from its Official Website
Now, a new rumor from YouTuber Drunk3PO claims that The Walt Disney Company will attempt to salvage the failed Star Wars-themed hotel by retheming it for Marvel.
He detailed in a recent YouTube upload, “You have to remember they took a tax credit and claimed failure on this hotel so they cannot reopen it in the exact same way it was running before. They have to change it. They have to wait about a year or so and give us something completely different.”
To that end he then shared what he believes will happen to the hotel, “I think they’re going to break this down into a four hour experience. You buy a ticket to the theme park at Disney Hollywood Studios, you want to do an add-on like maybe a dinner theater show or something like that, you buy a separate ticket. They then pick you up at Galaxy’s Edge in that box truck, send you out to the Starcruiser where you’ll have a meal, maybe meet Rey and Kylo Ren, they’ll do their little sword fight dance and then you can listen to Gaya sing while you enjoy a meal. “And then you get back in the bus and they send you back.”
As for the rooms, he said, “They’re going to open that up as a regular hotel. It’ll be a lot less expensive and you won’t be locked in for two days. You could basically leave whenever you want. They’ll have meals provided and you get a shuttle to the theme parks.”
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Official Website
As for the Marvel reskin rumor, Drunk3PO stated, “They would change the Galactic Starcruiser into the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” The reason it’s likely to be Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is due to Universal having the rights to the Avengers and other Marvel characters in the theme parks.
He elaborated, “First, switching the Starcruiser over to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would not cost that much it would be actually rather simple. They could come in and say this is one of the aircrafts, maybe pick one from The Avengers film and say, ‘Hey, you are honorary agents. You can stay here. Let’s get to work where you have different challenges and things like that. It’s basically switching over some of the symbolism and stuff and it would be cost effective and easy to do.”
“Having that as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. you now have opened yourself up to Marvel. All the characters that you have rights to use can now be featured or walk in or do what you need from time to time,” Drunk3PO explained.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 Cover Art by Mike Norton (2016), Marvel Comics
He further emphasized this during an appearance on YouTuber Culture Casino’s channel telling the panel, “If they change the Starcruiser to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. all they got to do is change some of the symbolism. … In the Starcruiser there’s a place you can go and Force move rocks. All you got to do is say we’re looking for someone with [telekinesis] power to see if they can move rocks over. So it’s an easy switch over.”
He continued, “They could just make up a couple agents while they’re in there. They could also bring in every Marvel character that they have the rights to bring in to the whatever they call it Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that could come and meet the people that are staying there. So it could be a pretty easy switch over if they do Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
As for which characters they might be able to feature he detailed, “Basically like Falcon, Winter Soldier, I think is what I was told. Captain Marvel. Echo. … They can use Guardians of the Galaxy. They got lucky with them.”
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.
What do you make of this latest rumor that the Disney might retheme the Galactic Starcruiser to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
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