Here's how to get into Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge when it opens

So technically you are paying more to get that reservation just by the hotel stay.

So Grand Floridian prices for the Paradise Pier? That mind trick only works on the weak minded.

Do you get a discount when you don't have a reservation because you an't enjoy all that is on offering.

"No, these are not the cheapest rates"

The understatement of the century. I know the Disneyland hotels don't offer the most reasonable room rates (even in an expensive region like LA), but those are some pretty ridiculous room rates even if you consider the advantage of getting access to Galaxy's Edge. I've seen rates for suites on the Upper East Side that are cheaper than that. You can stay at the Willard Hotel across from the White House for half the rate Disney is charging for Paradise Pier, which has rooms that are essentially on par with a Holiday Inn.

Sorry, anyone paying those kind of rates for a single night in a hotel needs to have their head examined.

Switching parks and states ..... it's interesting to see that every on-property hotel at WDW has rooms available for Wednesday night August 28th, with some as low as $150.

Even the Swan/Dolphin have rooms, (for $350) and that's surprising considering it's only a 10 minute walk to Hollywood Studios.

I guess this is the Galaxy's Edge version of the preview party, instead of paying $300 per person for a Pixar Pier party, you're paying at least $503 (plus admission) for a family to see Star Wars and get a room. So for a family of 4, it could be $125 ($503 divided by 4) + $149 (peak ticket pricing) = $274 per person (plus taxes and hotel fees). If you want to look at it that way, it might be worth it to some people.

I would have predicted that Disney charge at least $500+ for a preview party. At least the general reservations are free, but maybe as good a chance as winning the Lotto. I remember the good ol' days when an attraction had an unannounced soft opening, and you might get lucky when you walked by...But those days, like uncrowded Disneyland, are gone forever.

One word: RIDICULOUS. No two words, add "SCANDALOUS".

We are paying the exorbitant prices for Paradise Pier. We don't have time to rapidly refresh the morning of the ticket release nor the flexibility of schedule to pick whatever dates we could miraculously get-- so for us it's the best choice. We routinely pay only slightly less crazy rates just for the perk of magic morning, so while it would be a stretch to call these rates a bargain, to us they represent a value for a special experience. I wish we would get an actual luxury Disney property in CA... the GC is nice in the common areas but the rooms aren't really that much better than PP... aside from the views.

FWIW, some of those rooms at the base rate (at least when I checked a while ago) had up to quadruple occupancy, so you could split the cost between you.

3+ day tickets, which are pretty much a MUST for anyone visiting DL for the first time or wanting to fully experience Galaxy's Edge along with the highlights of both parks, come with a Magic Morning, so I don't quite understand why it's that much of a perk for Disney hotel guests (aside from being able to have Magic Mornings every day of your stay). With Galaxy's Edge controlled by a hard ticket reservation, Magic Mornings are not even relevant to those visiting explicitly for the new land.

I can sort of see the peace of mind if you absolutely MUST see Galaxy's Edge on opening day, and have just that one day to see it. However, even if you split a quad-occupancy room between 4 adults with each paying their own way, you're talking close to $150/person/night when you add the tax. Even members of the 501st would need a Jedi Master to convince them there was any value in a room so absurdly priced.

I just have this mental image of Disney Executive Management sitting around some boardroom somewhere. They are popping bottles of champagne, lighting cigars and patting one another on their backs toasting to the obscene amount of money they are raking in on this.
Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge them being profitable, but there comes a time when you just have to roll your eyes and wonder how they can face themselves.
I remember a similar scene early on in the movie Jurassic Park, the Lawyer has at last seen the park in action. He is the one who had the most doubts and he's suddenly imagining all the profits to be made. He quips about offering a "Coupon day" so regular folk can visit now and again.
Sure hope they have things ready on day one with prices like this. If they have issues with opening after charging the most rabid fans prices like this the back lash on social media will be caustic.

I'm actually not surprised at those hotel prices. I wouldn't be surprised if people start selling/auctioning off their reservations for an even more ridiculous price. Robert were the hotel prices for the remainder of the year increased significantly on average because those prices seem to be the standard range or close to it, even if booking next week? One could argue they are getting a deal with the ticket, albeit not I.

Bad taste in the mouth. Instead of simply charging an upcharge, they've done it a sneaky way.

Russell, some of us working jobs that allow us to pay the ridiculous Disney hotel pricing can't justify spending 2-3 vacation days at the parks (which will probably be generally packed as GE opens... though perhaps not during the reservation system period)... so the 3 day pass for Magic Morning isn't any better financial option than just staying at the hotel, paying one night, buying a single day ticket and being able to get 5 things done in the magic hour plus first hour plus FPs.

Staying at the hotel allows us to wake up around 6:30, eat breakfast on our way to the park, probably do Space Mountain once or twice, Star Tours and then head toward GE to be at the front of the queue when the reservation time rolls around at 8am.

It really is bad. One attraction is not even ready. One of Disney's descendants is calling the CEO terrible names in public. The parks are not as enjoyable as they were ten years ago due to FP+. They need to get back to the mindset that customer service is paramount. That is what the parks used to be about. Just when I thought the ride reservation system was going to be reasonable, they pull this. Basically, it means you get to ride one attraction, and pay thousands to do it.

Hear, hear JCVH! Totally agree.

Unfortunately the shareholders are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the list of priorities in the modern world. The Disney Board are just well-manicured figureheads pandering to them.

Dollars superseded people during the Eisner era and continues with even greater fervour today.

As the saying goes "....what would Walt have done?"

Please understand something, they can do both. Their movie revenue was crumbling. Remember John Carter? Great movie, but poor marketing. Now they are on the verge of a $300 OPENING weekend. Their movie division is entertaining people. They canned a director and reversed the decision despite political pressure (arguably from both sides). They allow a level of creative control in the movie area and out of the box thinking in that area, but they just seem to be matching (and outspending) what the other shop down the road is doing. They need to get creative in the theme park arena to focus solely on how to make the guest experience fun. Period. Their money would pour in. Had they made a fifth gate that was a Star Wars park, more people would come, they would get more money, and the other parks will not be strained. Maybe not that many people go to Universal and other theme parks and realize how much less stressful those parks can be, but WDW is out of hand. It is so much different from ten years ago. Pre-planning a vacation 60 days out is not fun. Once you get there having a pre-planned itenerary is not fun. Years ago I recall being late for a dinner reservation and a cast member saw an expression on one of our faces. They stopped and asked if everything was OK. We said it was, we were just late. They apologized. We said it was not their fault but thank you. They gave us 12 fast passes. Just because someone had a grimace on their face. Would that happen today?

As if paying $500 for a hotel room wasn't enough, Disney has confirmed that the Lightsaber Building shop within Galaxy's Edge will be an "upcharge experience". The detailed description from Scott Trowbridge makes it sound almost identical to the wand experience at WWoHP. It's unclear whether guests are simply being required to pay for those light sabers upfront or whether you have to pay just to watch the show, but it definitely sounds like any guest wanting to simply consider the thought of customizing a light saber will have to open their wallet just to get in the door.

I'd also say that just because you have the money to pay these absurd prices doesn't mean that you should. I could pay $500 a night for a hotel because my family's income could easily support it, but that doesn't mean I do. What is a $500/night room today, is liable to become a $700 room next year because people with money to burn keep booking them at any price just so they can have a slight advantage over the riff-raff that are saving every penny just to afford the admission cost. That's how we ended up with the $300 Pixar Pier Party and $75 fireworks dessert parties behind velvet ropes. Disney is going to keep pushing the envelope until we say "no mas". A $500 hotel room (with quality comparable to the @$200/night Holiday Inn down the street) is where we need to say "no mas" unless we're fine with Disneyland becoming the exclusive domain of the uber rich.