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Credit: gardener41, FlickrA Star Wars location at Walt Disney World Resort closed overnight, seemingly permanently, and reports are surfacing about what will replace it.
The Star Wars Trading Post at the Marketplace in Disney Springs was one of two Star Wars-themed gift shops at the Walt Disney World retail area, the other being the Star Wars Galactic Outpost on the West Side. Both allowed guests to purchase treasures from the galaxy far, far away, including merchandise found in the resort’s premium Star Wars land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
On October 24, Disney officially closed the Star Wars Trading Post—the bigger of the two Star Wars gift shops at Disney Springs. Reports claim that the Santa Claus meet and greet will take place inside the building instead of Once Upon a Toy like last year.
While potentially not appearing in the same location, the Santa Claus meet and greet is likely to commence in mid-November and require virtual queue access. Virtual queues are still in operation for some key Disney World attractions, such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom Park, and for hotspot locations like Gideon’s Bakehouse at Disney Springs.
Guests wanting to purchase Star Wars merchandise from the Trading Post are now being redirected to the Once Upon a Toy store, which is also at Disney Springs. Of course, Disney park guests can still find all the Star Wars they need inside Hollywood Studios. Numerous locations can be found at the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, AKA Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
This new Star Wars closure comes months after Disney boldly decided to shut its two-day, two-night adventure, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, after declining bookings. The announcement of the Galactic Starcruiser’s closure came as a surprise, considering it had only been welcoming guests for a year.
It’s clear to anyone, Disney park fan or complete outsider, that the Walt Disney World Resort is undergoing an intense period of evolution. There are the splashy new refurbishments coming to the individual parks (the Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom and the Frontierland upheaval in Magic Kingdom, for example), but perhaps the most frustrating changes have come in the form of significant–and plentiful–price increases across the board.
Recently, Disney World has raised the cost of the Annual Pass for all options. With increases ranging from $30 to $100, all the Annual Passes will now cost guests more; for example, the Incredi-Pass, which was priced at $1,449, has leaped $100 and will now cost $1549.
And it’s not just Annual Passes that have been increased. Disney quietly issued new prices for a plethora of its most well-known and beloved dining locations. Cinderella’s Royal Table, Tusker House, ‘Ohana, and Chef Mickey’s are all among the eateries that have lifted prices.
Guests are getting increasingly frustrated with Disney’s soaring prices, leaving some families priced out of the magic. The Annual Pass and dining changes come after Disney announced the new Lightning Lane Premier Pass, an extension of the recent Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass offering, which replaced Disney Genie+ earlier this year.
Disney World guests can purchase the Lightning Lane Premier Pass to enter the Lightning Lane for each attraction in the park for up to $400 per person per day.
“Beginning October 30, 2024, we will begin piloting the rollout of Lightning Lane Premier Pass with very limited quantities for Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, and other select hotels,” the official Walt Disney World Resort website reads.
In a time when inflation seems to be outpacing a guest’s disposable income, Disney is taking big risks with its blanket price increases.
At least guests can ask Santa Claus for an Annual Pass at Disney Springs this Holiday season.
How do you feel about this Star Wars location closing down at Walt Disney World Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!