Thought we might as well mull this one over on the discussion page ....
WDWNT released this today
https://wdwnt.com/2019/08/pricing-revealed-for-immersive-multi-day-star-wars-galactic-journeys-hotel-experience-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/
Definitely not in my budget !!!
Traditionally unreliable source there.
They have their moments though .... Take it with the proverbial pinch of salt, but they've been pretty good with DHS/SWGE stuff of late.
Great analysis, Russell! I would hope those items would be included, but I could see pieces like the costumes/cosplay being an up-charge. I fully expect key clientele to likely already have their own cosplay. Of course, that brings up the limits of what would be allowed onto the property. Example: light sabers. Could folks who have machined their own hilts bring their own, or would that be prohibited based on the current rules regarding light sabers from Savi's? Would that rule change or simply not apply at the hotel itself? How might masks play into this? I mean, I can't imagine someone paying whatever-amount for a room being told they can't wear their Kylo Ren helmet.
Of course, I'm sure they already have all this figured out. Perhaps that's the big secret announcement scheduled for D23? Hmmm...
@Clayton - I think helmets and masks would have to be prohibited not only for security reasons, but because if you have some guest walking around as Kylo Ren, what is Disney supposed to do with the CM walking around as Kylo Ren.
Honestly, I've always thought the rules of "Disneybounding" were very silly, and that if you can wear a t-shirt that looks like a Jedi robe, why can't you wear an actual Jedi robe, including the ones sold within Galaxy's Edge (for the record I saw a non-CM walking around Galaxy's Edge one day we were there decked out in a full Clone Wars-era Jedi costume - my guess is that he came through the gate dressed in street clothes to get past security, and then put on the costume once in Galaxy's Edge and simply blended in).
Again, I'm just speculating on what might be included here with the hotel to justify the cost, and what I would want from an experience at this price level. Honestly, the guests with this kind of money to spare probably don't have their own cosplay gear (I get the same impression from those that cosplay at the Ren Faire - richer people tend to rent costumes to be part of the show, while poorer people either come as they are or own their own costumes because they cosplay a lot). In my experience, a lot of the people who cosplay tend to be lower on the economic ladder, and probably wouldn't be able to afford to spend $7k+ for 3 days of family entertainment. I could be wrong, but my guess is that those that have the money to afford this kind of thing probably don't have the time to cosplay.
I do think that if Disney were to encourage cosplay at the Star Wars Hotel (whether as part of the rate or an upcharge), they would have to relax the costume rules at least for Galaxy's Edge, if not for all the parks.
Most of what I'd been hearing was that it would be around $1000 per guest for the entire stay, which I'd consider fair for an all-inclusive experience like this. If it's $1000 per day, I can't see that price lasting more than a year or two as even with limited capacity they'll run out of guests willing to pay it. I'm not particularly trusting of this source so perhaps their numbers are off, but if true I guess Disney hasn't learned anything from the soft attendance this summer.
Regarding what the stay cost includes, from what I've heard it is essentially like a cruise ship. All food, drinks, entertainment, and amenities at the hotel are included in the price, as is one theme-appropriate outfit of the guest's choice (whether guests get to keep it or just rent it I can't say). For park access, guests have one day at DHS included (no park hopping) with extra park time in Galaxy's Edge, during which it is open exclusively to hotel guests. Any other park tickets are separate from this experience. Granted, all of this is subject to change, but that's what I've been hearing is the plan for the past year to year and a half.
@Russell definitely a good point. Though now I think I'll hatch a cosplay-based plan to get backstage... :-) They'll have to be extremely prescriptive with their rules to prevent what they don't want at the hotel. You bring up a good point though - do the folks who can afford that kind of experience and and hardcore Star Wars fans/cosplayers fall into the same financial demographic? I wonder if it's a moot point. Hmmm...
Unreliable source is an understatement. Don't feed the trolls.
My guess on the price is that Disney can be aggressive because it won't be in the parks. Fans seem pretty adamant that everyone should have access to the parks (even with the consistent price increases). I don't see the same sentiment with cruises, or vacation clubs.
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Pricing is meaningless without knowing what a stay here includes. Does the rate include park tickets, dining, exclusive entertainment, insider tour, lightsaber, costumes, etc...?
The $1,000/person/day certainly creates some sticker shock, but if it actually includes a lot of the things I think it should include, then it doesn't really seem that out of line. Of course Disney could make guests pay extra for all of the things they expect guests to do while in the Star Wars Hotel, but I kind of think this is going to be a cross between a cruise and a renaissance festival.
Let's say you're a family of 5 as indicated in the WDWNT article, and Disney will charge you $7,200 for the 3-day experience.
1. If a stay at the hotel includes 3-day park tickets, that would represent @$2,300 in value for the highest priced ticket (nearly $2.8k if they're park hoppers).
2. If the experience is being sold like a "cruise", then I think it's also natural to assume that food and beverages would be included. If we assume that food and beverage are provided to guests in the form of the standard DDP, then that would represent another $750.
3. I would have to assume that Disney would want to maintain the theming within the hotel, which would include what guests wear while visiting. I'm not sure if Disney would give guests costumes to wear or rent them (renaissance festivals do this), but I would assume that the costuming would be part of the price of the room. My hope would be that guests would visit wardrobe when they arrive and can take their costumes home with them - after all Disney's cost to give these to guests might not be that much more than renting them and having to clean them (and replace them after a certain number of wears). Based on the prices for robes and other clothing sold within Galaxy's Edge, I would put the value of costuming at $200/per person with at least 2 outfits, for a total of $2,000.
4. From the sounds of it, the guests staying at this hotel will have some pretty exclusive access, which I would equate to something on the lines of a Keys to the Kingdom tour (but not on "plaid vest" level), which currently costs $99/person/day, putting the value of the access/exclusivity at $1,000 for a 5-person cabin assuming guests get exclusive access for 2 of their 3 park days.
So, with $1,000 of access/exclusivity, $2,000 of costumes/souvenirs, $750 of food/beverage, and $2,300-2,800 of admission, guests could theoretically be getting as much as $6,550 in value beyond a room with some beds. That makes the "true" cost of the room a far more reasonable $650 or $325/night, which is on par with many of the Deluxe resorts around WDW.
There's no way to know yet what's actually going to be included in a stay at the Star Wars Hotel (admission tickets are probably the most ambitious ask here), but I'm guessing that guests will be getting far more for their money than a ultra-themed hotel room and a unique way to get to the parks. Maybe my value-based mind is hoping that Disney is actually going to give guests something more than a hotel room so I can justify staying here one day, but I do think that this hotel will have at least some perks that will go beyond the theming.