Disney cuts prices for $5,000 a night Star Wars hotel criticized by guests

The Force is definitely not with them.

Disney has slashed prices at its much-maligned Star Wars-themed 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 at least two nights at around $5,000 for a couple and around $6,000 for a family of four. The cost of a “fancy” suite jumps to $20,000.

But from the start, guests complained about room rates, food prices, and Star Wars-style extras like a private portrait session with a photographer.

Anger erupted ahead of the hotel’s opening last March over a promotional video that was eventually removed from Twitter and YouTube. Fans called the accommodation substandard and overpriced, with some calling the hotel a “windowless bunker” and “a suburban high school built in the mid-1970s”.

“Lightsaber training looks as much fun as a sobriety test on the road,” one Disney viewer commented on YouTube.

“It’s too expensive,” said another.

The rate also excludes alcohol, which costs about $13 for beer, $11 and up for wine, and $23 for branded drinks, plus any Star Wars-themed fun extras. For example, hiring a portrait photographer costs a minimum of $99. If you wish to sit at the head of the captain’s table in the dining room of Starcruiser’s Crown of Corellia, you will have to shell out an additional $30.

CNBC is thrilled with the interactive experience, saying “immersion takes on new meaning.”

As of Friday, only President’s Day and Fourth of July weekends are fully booked. The rest of the calendar is wide open until August, when this year’s busiest days.

According to the company’s website, in order to attract guests, Mouse House is now offering up to $700 for 2-night stays. Last November, Disney announced that they were offering discounts of up to 30% for Disney Vacation Club members. But now the discount is available for non-holiday club members – a rarity in the House of Mouse.

The largest discount, $350 per night, is for Starcruiser stays with extra nights at Disney World’s Beach Club, Grand Floridian, or Yacht Club resorts. Offer valid for stays between February 5th and September 30th, although there are some blackout dates.