Star Wars Hotel Price - Disney has officially lost their minds

[RamblingMad]

With all due respect to your friends, if they have a Club 33 membership, they are in the top .01% of Disney lovers. You say I'm underestimating the amount of money that is around in Disney, I think you're overestimating it. Perhaps we can meet somewhere in the middle. DVC isn't really comparable to a 3 day stay at a novelty hotel. And as I said earlier, Club 33 places people in the .01% of Disney guests so that's not really a barometer of what the future holds for this hotel.

Club 33 costs less than a lot of country clubs. It's not the .01%. A lot of people I know bonus more than enough to belong to a country club. We're talking the top 5-10%.

Really, if I can't be a member of the Sith, I'm really not interested in going.

 

[DLgal]

Apparently Disneyland is very much a locals park and Disney were very aggressive in excluding season pass holders. So with no locals going, no one went.

WDW on the other hand is a destination park for tourists.

Or so some articles I have read claimed.

Except last week the largest group of AP holders who had been blocked out of DL all summer were finally allowed back. And they didn't come. The park was dead all week, even Friday, EVEN with D23 in town. The remainder of the APs will be let back in on Monday. We will see if the "hoardes" finally, actually show up.

It is currently 6:40pm on a Saturday and...the parks are pretty tame, crowd wise. DCA is actually more busy than DL. And again, it's D23 weekend. The parks should be slammed. It's very odd. Millenium Falcon ride has a 40 minute wait.

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

So far in this thread of back and forth, I've only seen one person say they would stay at this hotel. And the demographics of this site tend to be upper middle class and above. So that's not really awesome although it's a limited sample size. Perhaps I'll start a poll in the future once this news has sunk in a bit.

I don't mean this in an offensive way but saying "we're only talking about $7,000" makes you sound out of touch with the reality of most American households. While $7,000 isn't an obscene amount of money, I suspect most people could find a better use for it than a 3 day stay at a Star Wars hotel.

Again, I'm not saying the hotel will be completely empty. And I think it will be booked solid for the first few months for the novelty factor. I think it will take a nosedive after. And, yes, Disney can adjust prices if they need to but if they do, then that would prove that they missed the mark on the price point.

Well, as I said earlier, I’m not American, so I’m sure I am out of touch with most Americans. The point I’m trying to make is that $7000 is an amount that many people, including on this board, already spend on their Disney vacation. You keep referring to what you get in exchange for the $7000, and certain to you it doesn’t measure up. That’s fine, and I don’t disagree. But for some people, that $7000 for 2 nights at this hotel is worth more to then than spending the same amount on a week in the Poly or the Contemporary.

Let me put it another way. If you gave 10 people $7000 and told them to plan a trip to Disney, they would plan it in different ways. Some would spend 6 months camping at Ft Wilderness, some would spend 3 weeks at ASSp, some 5 days at the Grand Floridian and, yes, some would spend 2 nights at the SW hotel.

Once you accept that going to WDW is going to cost a lot of money, and especially if you prefer to stay in the Deluxe hotels, then $7000 is not a huge amount of money. It is for a lot of people, but in terms of a Disney vacation, isn’t just not. After that, whether you want to spend that amount on a cheaper hotel and a longer duration, or a nicer hotel and a shorter duration, or a novelty hotel that offers a unique experience, is then all down to personal preference.

I’m really not as invested in this as it appears, so I’m going to bow out of this conversation now. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens.

Edit: On the discussion about other places one could go, do remember that a reasonable percentage of Disney guests are not from the US. A trip to Orlando can be as exciting, important and “once in a lifetime” to plenty of Europeans, Australians, Brits etc, as a trip to Europe is to some US travellers. Just a different perspective.

 

[Sandeep1]

Well, as I said earlier, I’m not American, so I’m sure I am out of touch with most Americans. The point I’m trying to make is that $7000 is an amount that many people, including on this board, already spend on their Disney vacation. You keep referring to what you get in exchange for the $7000, and certain to you it doesn’t measure up. That’s fine, and I don’t disagree. But for some people, that $7000 for 2 nights at this hotel is worth more to then than spending the same amount on a week in the Poly or the Contemporary.

Let me put it another way. If you gave 10 people $7000 and told them to plan a trip to Disney, they would plan it in different ways. Some would spend 6 months camping at Ft Wilderness, some would spend 3 weeks at ASSp, some 5 days at the Grand Floridian and, yes, some would spend 2 nights at the SW hotel.

Once you accept that going to WDW is going to cost a lot of money, and especially if you prefer to stay in the Deluxe hotels, then $7000 is not a huge amount of money. It is for a lot of people, but in terms of a Disney vacation, isn’t just not. After that, whether you want to spend that amount on a cheaper hotel and a longer duration, or a nicer hotel and a shorter duration, or a novelty hotel that offers a unique experience, is then all down to personal preference.

I’m really not as invested in this as it appears, so I’m going to bow out of this conversation now. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens.

I'm actually part of the group that does enjoy staying at deluxe resorts. Beach Club/Yacht Club is my jam and I'm perfectly content paying $500 there (or less during special offers). You give me $7,000 and I will just add a few days to my trip or upgrade my dining options. Maybe pound beer until I keel over. SW hotel would probably be last on my list, and I actually like Star Wars.

 

[dclpluto]

Just like all disney hotels there will be discounts for this hotel as needed. Still way too much for my blood.

 

[tinkerhon]

Just like all disney hotels there will be discounts for this hotel as needed. Still way too much for my blood.

Discount will probably be 10% off a DARTH Vader popcorn bucket at the hotel gift shop.

 

[Mermaid02]

Can't wait to see guest pictures of it- because that is the ONLY way I will ever see the inside of that place.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm guessing many of the firsts guests will be popular Disney internet bloggers, to report on the experience.

 

[Floridaman999]

Well, at least we'll get another "I don't like Tim Tracker" thread out of the deal.

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

Disney can adjust prices if they need to but if they do, then that would prove that they missed the mark on the price point.

I think missing the mark on the price point would be if Disney stuck to the high prices and lost profits by doing so. If Disney can charge obscene prices and still find people to pay them, then the price is on point. Even if they only get to charge these crazy prices for a few months until the novelty wears off / the Star Wars superfans are over it, they took advantage of the situation to make as much money as possible. That’s good business. It’s comparable to how Uber has surge pricing during busy times. Right now I think we’re seeing the “surge pricing” for the Star Wars hotel and then demand will eventually decrease and so will the price.

 

[a1tinkfans]

If people are willing to pay, so be it. As a stockholder I say.. go spend ur money, lol

I happen to agree that some people do not think 7000. Is a ton of money for a vacation ( wherever and however long) and I say, more power to you. You earned it, spend it as you wish.
Now having said that..I would be that person that would choose to Not spend my money that way, again my choice.
Time will tell how it works out for Disney I’m thinking it likely will. They ll be promos and discounts and lots of hoopla to go round.
Looks like a mighty interesting concept though.

 

[belle032]

I imagine the first couple months or even years could be booked up due to the novelty of the experience, and there are obviously enough hard core Star Wars fans to entice at least in the beginning. But repeat customers? I don't see it. It's not like this is a hotel marketed towards the majority of guests visiting WDW, this is a very specific experience marketed toward a very specific target audience. I feel like there are people who are Disney fans, people who are Star Wars fans, and a few who are both. But are enough people enough of both to make this lucrative for WDW overall? No idea.

Universal could do the same thing with a Harry Potter hotel and I think it end up the same way. Harry Potter & Star Wars are similar in terms of having a huge fan base, but they are still niche markets. Once the superfans have had their experience, demand will decrease and hopefully, so will prices.

 

[L&Lfan]

I would think once the novelty wears off the hotel will become like just another hotel only Star Wars themed with unlimited length of stays and no extra amenities other than an entrance into galaxies edge and your room and view llooking space like. Kind of like animal Kingdom Lodge but with a Star Wars theme rather than animals.

 

[MillauFr]

As a point of comparison, you can get an overwater bungalow in the Maldives for approximately $1,000 a night. So for 3 days, would I rather go to the Maldives or Star Wars hotel. Gee, such a tough choice.

Isn't Disney the obvious answer?

 

[MillauFr]

If we got an exclusive rate at Labor Day we would consider going. 60% discount would make me book

 

[SaintsManiac]

I imagine the first couple months or even years could be booked up due to the novelty of the experience, and there are obviously enough hard core Star Wars fans to entice at least in the beginning. But repeat customers? I don't see it. It's not like this is a hotel marketed towards the majority of guests visiting WDW, this is a very specific experience marketed toward a very specific target audience. I feel like there are people who are Disney fans, people who are Star Wars fans, and a few who are both. But are enough people enough of both to make this lucrative for WDW overall? No idea.

Universal could do the same thing with a Harry Potter hotel and I think it end up the same way. Harry Potter & Star Wars are similar in terms of having a huge fan base, but they are still niche markets. Once the superfans have had their experience, demand will decrease and hopefully, so will prices.

I would pay it for Harry Potter.

 

[Dan Murphy]

decrease and so will the price.

I've not really experienced that on anything at Disney. Maybe a periodic slowing of increases, or temporary discounts, but not an actual decrease in prices.

 

[belle032]

I would pay it for Harry Potter.

I would seriously consider it and then realize I was probably crazy! But I'd much more likely to pay it for Harry Potter vs. Star Wars. But still, it would absolutely be and one and done!

 

[RamblingMad]

I would pay it for Harry Potter.

A Harry Potter LARP already exists that, I think, is close enough.

https://www.businessinsider.com/harry-potter-annual-larp-event-in-poland-2016-1
It's cheaper.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I wonder if it’s as big a surprise to Disney as it seems to be for some of the Star Wars Superfans that the IP is definitely no longer what it once was.