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Credit: Paul Hudson, FlickrThe Walt Disney World Resort has lost an entire Star Wars area, and a newly released photo reveals the current state of the location.
After having stood tall for over 50 years, Disney World in Orlando, Central Florida, has a lot going on. From the original park, Magic Kingdom, with its classic Disney vibe, Disney World has grown to include EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The success of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Southern California, led Walt Disney to the Sunshine State, where he set to work on the Florida Project — the massive Disney theme park project that would eventually become Walt Disney World. Sadly, Walt passed away before his vision for Florida could come to realization, and his brother, Roy Disney, was left to lead the portfolio expansion, eventually going on to open the park himself back in 1971.
Disney World’s growth since then has been huge. Now, with four theme parks, two water parks, and well over 20 Disney resort hotels, Disney World’s offering is rather breathtaking, making it clear why many fans visit and revisit the resort time after time.
In the last 15 years, the House of Mouse has made waves in its acquisitions, especially with big-name franchises. In 2009, the company bought Marvel Studios, and in 2012, George Lucas signed over his Lucasfilm empire, giving Disney the rights to his expansive Star Wars galaxy.
Slowly, over the years, the Disney Parks brand has been creating experiences, attractions, and rides utilizing the many characters and locations that come with such massive franchises. For Star Wars, Disney opened new lands in both Hollywood Studios at Disney World and Disneyland Park at Disneyland. In terms of Marvel, both Disney California Adventure Park and Walt Disney Studios Park in California and Paris, respectively, have the Avengers Campus additions complete with new rides and interactive meet and greets.
While the Marvel additions are relatively new, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been around since 2019. Opening first in Disneyland Park and then later in Disney World, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge brings the world of Batuu to the parks. The Black Spire Outpost includes multiple new attractions, eateries, and the popular Oga’s Cantina bar. From Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, guests can fully immerse themselves into the world of the galaxy far, far away.
Years after the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney Parks opened another completely immersive Star Wars adventure. Announced years previous at D23 Expo 2017, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opened in 2022 and welcomed guests aboard the Halcyon starcruiser to take part in a two-night, two-day adventure.
Guests would board the “vessel” for a flight in space. They could partake in food at the Crown of Corellia dining room, drinks at the Sublight Lounge, and even learn the ways of the bridge. Throughout the two days, guests had the option to entangle themselves in the battle between the Resistance and the First Order and would even go planet-side for a day at the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, AKA Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Related: Farewell! ‘Star Wars’ Leaving Skywalker Saga Behind, New Movies “In Movement All Along”
While the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser seemed like the ultimate dream for any Star Wars fan, the experience drew major criticism for its high pricepoint at close to $5,000 for a standard cabin. Early reviews from the press and influencers also raised eyebrows after it became clear that reception to the Starcruiser was exceedingly mixed.
After a while, the sold-out experience became anything but sold-out, and Disney started offering discounts to various different members of the Disney community. However, it would not be enough to save the struggling enterprise, and on September 30, 2023, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser closed at Disney World forever.
Now, a new aerial shot reveals the current state of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser as it lays dormant on the outskirts of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) shared an image on X (formerly Twitter):
Aerial photo of the recently closed Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.
Aerial photo of the recently closed Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Nov 25, 2023 pic.twitter.com/TKXiyOlawG
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) November 26, 2023
There has been no word on what the Galactic Starcruiser may become, but judging by a lot of the comments on this specific image, fans are clamoring for the isolated location to be turned into a Haunted Mansion-themed resort of some kind. The Haunted Mansion is one of Disney Parks’ most popular attractions, with a mythos that transcends its theme park roots, so this wouldn’t be a peculiar choice.
Related: The Terrifying Ride Haunted Mansion Almost Was Had Chairs That Ate People
That said, if a billion-dollar franchise like Star Wars can’t stick the landing, then what will? Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairperson Josh D’Amaro said back in June that there are “no hints yet… but something is coming.”
We wait with bated breath, Mr. D’Amaro.
What do you hope to see done with the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!