If You Stay At Disney's 'Star Wars' Hotel, You Won't Be Able To Leave
Part of what endears any good story to us as an audience is the escapism. Losing oneself for the length of a novel or for a couple hours in a movie theater and immersing onself in a completely different world than our own. What Star Wars fan hasn't wielded a stick or carboard tube as a lightsaber? Or longed to jump into hyperspace to a far off planet while stuck in traffic? It's long been said that, with its signature whimsy, Star Wars is for the child in all of us, full of imagination, joy, and wonder. However, Disney may have taken the idea of visiting a galaxy far, far away a little too far with their new resort experience. Several shocking new details have emerged regarding their Star Wars themed resort hotel, and we're not simply talking about the price tag.
While the resort is still under construction, and estimates put completion at over a year away, rumors and speculation swirl around the hotel, as they do with anything Star Wars. Certain details of the experience revolving around this Star Wars resort are anything but fun and exciting, however. It seems, once you and your party check into this hotel, you aren't allowed to leave until your reservation (and your experience) is complete. It seems that Disney can even make a hotel into a ride-like experience. With the success of Galaxy's Edge and immersive attractions like Rise of the Resistance, it is only natural for Disney Parks to attempt to capitalize on the revitalized Star Wars fervor of recent years. With the opening of their Star Wars themed resort hotel, Disney has taken another huge step forward in the entertainment game.
Or has it? Shockingly, it seems that once you have begun your stay at the hotel, you are required to stay and see it through to the end, as exiting the building is not allowed. This type of experience would certainly be unique, but is it what vacationing families and Star Wars fans want? With the resort being described as a 60-hour "escape room," it sounds anything but relaxing. It's one thing to visit an amusement park for an 8-hour day trip. That's exhausting enough. But the thought of non-stop themed interaction and in-character staff is positively draining. According to an article on Yahoo Life:
"the Disney Star Wars Hotel is an immersive three-day, two night experience that involves operating a spaceship, going to a battle, and much more. The hotel is anything but a vacation... you're given a space communicator... for 'resistance meetings.' Similar to an escape room, you have to stay until the experience is complete."
Personally, this does not seem like something I would be willing to drop $1400 on (the rumored price for booking a stay). Spend a month's worth of rent on a 3-day self-imprisonment? Hard pass. I participated in an escape room once, and by the end of one hour, I was already sick of certain members of the party. The idea of lengthening that experience out makes me want to jump head first into the sarlacc pit. However, to each their own, and I can easily see how this would appeal to the convention going, cosplaying, immersion crowd. An easy explanation for this policy is the idea of crowd control. By offering a highly involved experience, Disney can tie up a large amount of their guests in one space for three days, allowing others to roam the parks and experience everything Disney has to offer. As over-crowding is already a common complaint for Disney attractions, and with more people than ever likely flocking to the park in the wake of pandemic, it only makes sense to try to reign in the large guest numbers. After all, who wants to pay several hundred dollars on a ticket to stand in line for six hours?
While voluntary house arrest, even Star Wars themed, is not this writer's cup of tea, fans will undoubtedly be lining up to make reservations at Disney's newest resort. If you're planning to take a trip to the resort in the near future, just remember to keep your arms and legs inside the hotel at all times and no flash photography, thank you.