Josh D’Amaro Says Galactic Starcruiser “Didn’t Perform How We Wanted It To”
Disney Chairman of Parks, Resorts and Experiences Josh D’Amaro gave his first public comments on the closure of Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser today at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Communications Conference today.
When discussing the demise of the Star Wars boutique hotel, D’Amaro was frank in his assessment that although guests gave the hotel excellent ratings, the Galactic Starcruiser simply was not as popular as expected.
Photo: Disney
“It didn’t perform exactly how we wanted it to perform, so we decided to sunset it this September,” Josh D’Amaro said on Monday.
While D’Amaro was quick to praise Galactic Starcruiser cast members for the amazing experience they provided, it sounds like, in the end, demand just wasn’t there.
Photo: Disney
A Learning Experience
While the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will soon enter the Disney history books, Josh D’Amaro noted that the company will learn from their experience creating and running the hotel.
D’Amaro insists that in the future, the company will be able to learn from its successes and mistakes with the Starcruiser to create an even better experience next time. This comment follows the company line that the hotel will be a learning experience.
Photo: Disney
“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,” Disney previously stated.
From a financial standpoint, D’Amaro also noted, “In both Q3 and Q4 we should expect about $100-150 million in accelerated depreciation.”
Photo: The Walt Disney Company — Josh D’Amaro (Chairman; Disney Parks, Experiences and Products)
This will allow Disney to deduct a larger portion of the sunset hotel.
An 18-Month Ride
Disney announced last week that it will be permanently closing Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, just 18 months after opening.
Photo: Disney
“For more than 100 years, Disney has taken risks to be on the forefront of entertainment experiences,” said a Walt Disney World spokesperson. “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, and evolve our experiences based on key leanings.”
Following the announcement that the hotel would be closing, the Galactic Starcruiser’s final voyage on September 28-30, 2023 quickly sold old.
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