It's a Trap: How Disney's $350M Star Wars Hotel ended after 18 Months

Disney spent $350 million on a Star Wars hotel where guests live inside the story for two days. It closed in 18 months. In this episode, Brian Crowley and Eve Eden investigate the Galactic Starcruiser with two guests who actually stayed aboard and loved every minute: Katie Swindler, author of Life & Death Design, and Jacob Swindler, environmental and experiential design leader. Together they dig into the mystery at the heart of the case: how does an experience with record guest satisfaction die this fast? From the $6,000 price wall and the app that held the whole story together, to Jenny Nicholson's viral teardown and the business math that never worked, this is a story about what happens when great design meets a doomed model. Katie and Jacob also share how the lessons of the Starcruiser are shaping Badgerton, their own immersive retreat on 107 acres of Wisconsin prairie. Links: Badgerton: https://badgerton.com/ Badgerton blog: https://badgerton.substack.com Life and Death Design by Katie Swindler: https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/life-and-death-design/ Katie Swindler: http://www.katieswindler.com Jenny Nicholson, "The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0CpOYZZZW4 Hosted by Brian J. Crowley & Eve Eden Edited by Kelsey Smith Intro Animation & Logo Design by Brian J. Crowley Music by Nicolas Lee A joint production of EVE | User Experience Design Agency and CrowleyUX | Where Systems Meet Stories ©2026 Brian J. Crowley and Eve Eden questions@UXmurdermystery.com Thank you for watching and or listening! For informational/entertainment purposes only. Views are commentary and speculation, not statements of fact. Discussions of real companies/individuals use publicly available info for critique and education. Not factual assertions about motives or intentions. Creators disclaim liability for damages from reliance on content. Events may be dramatized for illustrative purposes.