There is a disturbance in the force that is Disney World in Orlando Florida. No, I'm not talking about the current misunderstandings between the entertainment giant and the state's governor. I am speaking of something far more sinister, namely a Disney idea that is apparently not working out the way Imagineers imagined it.

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Disney World in Orlando has announced that the property's first Star Wars-themed hotel, the Star Wars: Galactic Star Cruiser will be ceasing operations by the end of September. Guests who would like the experience offered by the interactive hotel will need to make arrangements now to see if bookings are available.

Actually, bookings appear to be the problem with this most unique Disney property. The facility is small by Disney standards for hotels. It only offers some 100 guest rooms. But staying at the hotel is part of the experience because guests interact with staff, who are actually actors, to go on missions and complete tasks during their stay.

If it sounds like this would be expensive, then your hearing is perfect. The cost for a two-night stay, which I believe was the minimum a guest could book, is about $5,000. And there have been rumblings on Disney rumor sites online that the property was frequently underbooked.

Now to be clear, at stay at Star Wars: Galactic Star Cruiser wasn't a run-of-the-mill room with a mini-bar. As we mentioned the staff was actually actors and each guest was given an iPhone preloaded with different missions to complete while on property. The rooms have no windows to simulate the concept of living in space. And as you might imagine "in space" there is no gym and no pool. These are amenities a lot of guests look for while on vacation.

A spokesperson for Disney said the company plans to learn from this experience and use what they have learned to create better and more engaging immersive entertainment opportunities for its guests. The hotel was well received in reviews by guests who have stayed there but, apparently, there weren't enough guests to keep things "magical" for Disney on their ledger sheets. 

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The hotel will shutter on September 30th. Disney has asked that guests who have reservations beyond that date contact their travel professionals or contact Disney's Guest Relations for rebooking or refunds.

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