A four-hour YouTube video has stirred up some drama. Video essayist Jenny Nicholson took to X to explain that Disney had filed a copyright claim against her long-form review of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
Galactic Starcruiser, which opened in 2022, combined the perks of a holiday resort with the fun of an immersive, interactive roleplay. Disney invited Nicholson, who is one of YouTube’s foremost authorities on nerd culture, to stay at the hotel and experience the gameplay therein.
If Disney watched Nicholson’s other Star Wars-related videos, they should have expected her to deliver critical feedback within her Galactic Battlecruiser review. Her 245-minute video contained plenty of negative notes: In an epic, calculated rant, Nicholson poked fun at the hotel’s central paradox: How can one location offer both a luxurious, carefree time and a gamified experience that tackles subjects like war and fascism?
In Nicholson’s mind, that combination was poorly executed. She took Disney to task for its poor execution of the Galactic Starcruiser concept and the uninspired gameplay offered to guests. Her thorough review has been seen more than 8.6 million times, with Esther Zuckerman of The New York Times calling it “one of the most captivating pieces of entertainment I’ve seen so far this year.”
The story doesn’t end with Nicholson’s review. Weeks after its initial upload date, Nicholson explained that Disney had filed a claim against the video because of “the music playing in the background of the marketing clips.” She lamented that the process of claims and counterclaims would obfuscate the video’s true value.
“YouTubing is such an impossible job for people who rely on the Adsense every single month,” Nicholson wrote. “Because Disney tried and failed to copyright claim the Star Wars hotel video I just have no idea how much money it’s made or when I’ll get it.” Nicholson said that she expects Disney to let the claim expire after 30 days rather than releasing it in response to the creator’s appeal — a move she called “rotten.”
Disney won’t even get a chance to update Galactic Starcruiser in response to Nicholson’s critiques, because the hotel closed down in 2023 after just 18 months of operation. “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” reads a statement from Disney. “We will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”
The Mouse House could show Nicholson some goodwill by removing its claim before the 30-day expiration date. Or it could take fans’ advice and tap Nicholson as the replacement for outgoing CEO Bob Iger. I for one would love nothing more than to see how long Nicholson could rant about her own work.
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