Hotel innovation and novelty: a case study of Disney’s Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser

This study examines the impact of novelty and hedonic value on perceived value and intentions to revisit, using Disney's Galactic Starcruiser as a case study. Surveying past customers, participants provided responses measuring novelty, hedonism, perceived value, and revisit intentions. Obtaining permission from three Starcruiser-specific Facebook groups, 290 responses were collected in March 2023 before its closure. Using SPSS 27, incomplete surveys (n = 34) were excluded, and outliers and normality were addressed. Due to non-normality, hedonism data was excluded from regression analysis. Novelty-seeking significantly correlated with perceived value (p < .001, F = 18.002, R square = .067). Participants exhibited high education levels, above-average income, and strong Star Wars and Disney affinity. Despite discontinuation, the findings reveal a dedicated consumer base with potential for future innovations. Additionally, this study focuses on narrative storytelling tourism, prioritising immersive storytelling techniques and role playing to engage visitors in compelling narratives, transporting them into different worlds through vivid storytelling and thematic environments.