Damage Control PR Spin for Star Wars Begins

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Since this is not true, there’s no reason to avoid it now.

Trips to Disney aren't usually something that are made on a whim... echoing @mikejs78 I know people that had planned to go in the next month as a group, but pushed a year due to budgets! There is always reason to avoid a Disney trip and that reason is the $$$ you will save by not going .
Crowds or not, trips still need to be planned around a smart time for people financially. I wish that I was financially able to go to GE in the next week due to the ridiculously low crowds, but that is not something I can reasonably do.

 

[mikenatcity1]

I love SW. I was counting down the days until it opened. When they announced only the one attraction would open, I didn't care to get to the parks quickly- I am not a fan of simulators and the thought of flying the Falcon has never crossed my mind. After listening to a lot of my friends with it, i'm not in as big of a hurry. However, with the recent reports of crowds all over the park, i've added a Disney day (thanks to the passholder buddy deal thing) and will test my luck at the land. And, depending how things go, I may try WDW's version in September. I'm curious to see if theirs has a much bigger opening than DL. I wouldn't call GE a flop just yet

It's strange to see DLR so empty with WDW is booming.

 

[DanielBB8]

Trips to Disney aren't usually something that are made on a whim... echoing @mikejs78 I know people that had planned to go in the next month as a group, but pushed a year due to budgets! There is always reason to avoid a Disney trip and that is reason is the $$$ you will save by not going .
Crowds or not, trips still need to be planned around a smart time for people financially. I wish that I was financially able to go to GE in the next week due to the ridiculously low crowds, but that is not something I can reasonably do.

If it is so unaffordable, then this adds to the flop argument. Star Wars fans are known to buy the latest trinkets. They invest in their Star Wars collections. Galaxy’s Edge is another addition to their fun activities like Star Wars conventions and events. Refusing to pay means they don’t care or the demand dried up.

 

[mikejs78]

If it is so unaffordable, then this adds to the flop argument. Star Wars fans are known to buy the latest trinkets. They invest in their Star Wars collections. Galaxy’s Edge is another addition to their fun activities like Star Wars conventions and events. Refusing to pay means they don’t care or the demand dried up.

We will see. If crowds are soft for the WDW opening and after AP blocks are lifted/prices go down, and after Rise opens, then I'll agree with your assessment. Until then there are just too many variables.

One other data point: several travel agents I've talked to have said that bookings are soft right now, but bookings for 2020 are like nothing they've ever seen. Which lends credence to the idea that people are trying to wait out the crowds.

 

[Touchdown]

I think Disney shot themselves in the foot by having ROTR SBNO for a large part of the summer. That is the ride, and without it the land is only a shadow of what it was meant to be. ROTR needed to open yesterday, expect a huge marketing blitz when that ride does open.

 

[WDW Pro]

You betray yourself here. Most of the criticism of TLJ focuses around the treatment of Luke's character. What is the extremist political ideology here? Having a woman Jedi? Give me a break, you are lending credence to the claim that the people who don't like the film are a bunch of sexist bigots.

I betray myself? Good grief, this is an internet forum, not some sort of 1950's melodrama set in the US Senate. When you start guessing why someone made a statement, instead of asking them, and then maligning them based on your bad guesses, you've got some social skills to work on. I would explain to you what I was referencing, but based on your bad behavior you don't deserve a response at this moment. Maybe if you decide to speak like a respectful adult to a respectful adult, then we'll chat... in the present, you've lumped an articulate stranger -- who has corresponded with you kindly -- in with sexist bigots. If and when you decide to apologize, maybe you'll deserve the chance to chat again.

 

[mikejs78]

I betray myself? Good grief, this is an internet forum, not some sort of 1950's melodrama set in the US Senate. When you start guessing why someone made a statement, instead of asking them, and then maligning them based on your bad guesses, you've got some social skills to work on. I would explain to you what I was referencing, but based on your bad behavior you don't deserve a response at this moment. Maybe if you decide to speak like a respectful adult to a respectful adult, then we'll chat... in the present, you've lumped an articulate stranger -- who has corresponded with you kindly -- in with sexist bigots. If and when you decide to apologize, maybe you'll deserve the chance to chat again.

First of all I wasn't lumping you with that group. I didn't say you were a sexist bigot. What I did say is that your statement around political ideology lended credence to that argument that people make that the only people who don't like TLJ are sexist bigots (which I don't think is the case, although there is certainly that contingent).

What you stated is also often what I've heard from those who do think that having a female Jedi is somehow an affront to masculinity, so I am sorry if I assumed something that wasn't there - I was.just basing it on past experience with these types of discussions.

I do look forward to hearing your argument.

 

[mikejs78]

Since this is not true, there’s no reason to avoid it now. Disney overshot their messaging about the crowds. But people are not lemmings. They know Rise of Resistance is not ready and the current land is all highly expensive merchandising and little else. No original trilogy Star Wars with things hardcore fans actually want to see. Bad tasting blue milk that has nothing to do with sequel trilogy. Who wants a Porg mug that you can get at the sequel trilogy Cantina? Not me.

Most SW fans that I've talked to still think the crowds are nuts (they don't pay as much attention as we do), don't know what Rise is, and only know that there's a new SW land where they can pilot the Falcon.

Also, most have already blocked travel for next year or the year after.

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

If it is so unaffordable, then this adds to the flop argument. Star Wars fans are known to buy the latest trinkets. They invest in their Star Wars collections. Galaxy’s Edge is another addition to their fun activities like Star Wars conventions and events. Refusing to pay means they don’t care or the demand dried up.

I am confused by this argument. Why are Star Wars fans known to buy the latest trinkets? The Star Wars fans I know are not those who frequent conventions and events... I think you are talking about a different Star Wars fan. Also, when does refusing to pay mean they don't care or demand has dried up?

TDA has been advertising this land as a must-do; message received! They also advertised it as having to go through multiple hoops and steps to get in; message received!

Because of this, everyone I know is planning on going, but they had pre-planned to wait a year to avoid the advertised crowds, or are waiting until WDW's SW:GE. Crowds are low at DL's SW:GE... this doesn't indicate a disaster land where demand has dried up. It just means that people didn't want to be involved in a Black Friday-esque Star Wars disaster.

I think all in all people need to remember this: Star Wars: Galaxy Edge's target audience are not Disney World fans, they are Star Wars fans. They don't realize how light crowds are, they just know that a new land is open. Common sense tells them to avoid it for awhile, so that's what they are doing.

 

[180º]

I betray myself? Good grief, this is an internet forum, not some sort of 1950's melodrama set in the US Senate.

It’s an idiom. Eg. “Your burger condiment choices betray your true love of spicy foods!”

Secondly, your theory about SWGE being a flop due to the sequels is not impossible, but you are really reaching. To say that the actors are so aware of Disneyland’s crowd patterns that they finally feel free enough to express their negative opinions is where you lost me, tbh. To say nothing of the extremist political ideologies remark, which is kind of unfair to bring up considering I can’t ask you to elaborate on it for fear of this thread getting locked.

 

[mikejs78]

Why are Star Wars fans known to buy the latest trinkets?

This. I'm a huge fan. Love all the movies. Read some of the books. Watch the animated SW shows with my son. Really looking forward to seeing GE.

But I'm not the type who spends tons of $$$ on "trinkets". I don't go to conventions, or spend a ton of money. So personally if I were on the west coast, I would wait until the fall when prices come down. As it is, I'm not going to WDW to see GE for at least a year, as I just had two trips and I'm not made of $$$.

 

[DanielBB8]

I am confused by this argument. Why are Star Wars fans known to buy the latest trinkets? The Star Wars fans I know are not those who frequent conventions and events... I think you are talking about a different Star Wars fan. Also, when does refusing to pay mean they don't care or demand has dried up?

TDA has been advertising this land as a must-do; message received! They also advertised it as having to go through multiple hoops and steps to get in; message received!

Because of this, everyone I know is planning on going, but they had pre-planned to wait a year to avoid the advertised crowds, or are waiting until WDW's SW:GE. Crowds are low at DL's SW:GE... this doesn't indicate a disaster land where demand has dried up. It just means that people didn't want to be involved in a Black Friday-esque Star Wars disaster.

I think all in all people need to remember this: Star Wars: Galaxy Edge's target audience are not Disney World fans, they are Star Wars fans. They don't realize how light crowds are, they just know that a new land is open. Common sense tells them to avoid it for awhile, so that's what they are doing.

Where do I start?



Avoiding the land is like saying they don’t care. They won’t care more later. A movie doesn’t usually get more popular after it bombs at the box office like Solo, currently on Netflix.

 

[DanielBB8]

This. I'm a huge fan. Love all the movies. Read some of the books. Watch the animated SW shows with my son. Really looking forward to seeing GE.

But I'm not the type who spends tons of $$$ on "trinkets". I don't go to conventions, or spend a ton of money. So personally if I were on the west coast, I would wait until the fall when prices come down. As it is, I'm not going to WDW to see GE for at least a year, as I just had two trips and I'm not made of $$$.

This might be true for many people, but for the hardcore Star Wars fan, it is bad news. I’m sure the hardcore Star Wars and Disney theme park fan already went during reservations month. It’s quite hilarious to hear there were 30 - 40% no shows. It seemed quite busy with many items sold out like the light saber crystals and holo box type things. You shouldn’t apply your own experience to the general public. The overall demand is lacking.

 

[planodisney]

Galaxy’s Edge is one billion dollars flop even while waiting for Rise of Resistance. It’s all sequel trilogy that we hate. I have no idea if one movie will redeem the first two. That’s not how it works. A trilogy doesn’t go from good to bad to great. Sequels always go worse. I just learned Solo was actually supposed to be a trilogy. The Solo character was a good one that latter became the bad one as portrayed by Harrison Ford. The character arc was only one-third developed in Solo.

If Rise of Skywalker proves to be a success, then maybe the fandom will embrace Galaxy’s Edge. Otherwise, they need to make major changes to bring in original trilogy characters and plot arcs. I have some ideas myself. Make the design a cross of Tatooine and Naboo. Add a white wash to suggest a desert landscape. Add green roofs to be like Naboo. View attachment 385727

Force Awakens was, for the most part, very popular with the fan base and extremely popular with the culture at large.
Just to correct some revisionist history in your post.

 

[DanielBB8]

Force Awakens was, for the most part, very popular with the fan base and extremely popular with the culture at large.
Just to correct some revisionist history in your post.

You were revisionist with my post. I quote myself "A trilogy doesn’t go from good to bad to great." I enjoyed A Force Awakens, but I'm soured from the sequel trilogy with The Last Jedi and Solo back to back. Before you jump at me, Solo is not part of the trilogy, but it shares the blame.

 

[planodisney]

Ok, but my point still stands.
You specifically said that it’s hard to see if 1 movie will redeem the “first 2”. My point was just that the Force Awakens doesn’t need redeeming with the fan base. Most of the fan base I have spoken with enjoyed Solo if they could overcome their anger about TLJ enough to go see it. Many couldn’t. The trilogy needs a course correction from the Last Jedi with the fan base. Which, for the most part, I agree. That’s vastly different than redeeming the “first 2.”
If you meant something different than what you said then I apologize for the critique.
I don’t think it was quite the attack you feel and I definitely want trying to”jump” at you.
My bad if it came across that way.

 

[DanielBB8]

Ok, but my point still stands.
You specifically said that it’s hard to see if 1 movie will redeem the “first 2”. My point was just that the Force Awakens doesn’t need redeeming with the fan base. Most of the fan base I have spoken with enjoyed Solo if they could overcome their anger about TLJ enough to go see it. Many couldn’t. The trilogy needs a course correction from the Last Jedi with the fan base. Which, for the most part, I agree. That’s vastly different than redeeming the “first 2.”
If you meant something different than what you said then I apologize for the critique.
I don’t think it was quite the attack you feel and I definitely want trying to”jump” at you.
My bad if it came across that way.

You're wrong, because The Force Awakens had a great beginning, but The Last Jedi completely messed up the story arc. It makes no sense to argue The Force Awakens can't be assessed in new light after how The Last Jedi changed how we should perceive Rey's origins and growth of her character. It is actually worse in my opinion. This is not to say The Force Awakens didn't have problems of it's own like the premature killing of Han Solo and Rey's Mary Sue problem that she can do anything Jedi without much training. She didn't even get trained by Luke in The Last Jedi. The Force Awakens was also a remake of A New Hope with nothing much new.

If they wish to make TLJ disappear or re-edit, or maybe show new scenes in Rise of Skywalker to focus on elements we "missed", then the TLJ debacle can be fixed and brought back on-track. However, if they don't, the first 2 sequels will be forever be tainted as mistakes.

 

[Rich T]

Hang on here folks..... This MAY blow your mind.....



They are MOVIES. Not documentaries.

Go, watch, turn off your brain for two hours and have fun. They were good movies. It is silly to see all the hate these things get but the same people that hate them seem to LOVE the prequels that were vomited on us with Jar Jar and a HORRIBLY bad acted (with an American accent) Anikan. Did I hate the prequels? Yes. Did I go watch them and have fun? Yes. Give it a try. You're not going to get Gone with the Wind or Casablanca here folks.

Yes, they're just movies, but they were not good movies. TFA was a corporate committee attempt to revitalize a franchise by copying everything possible from the iconic original film. We all knew *why* Disney had to play it safe for that film and we all gave it a pass, because it was fun enough, much better than the prequels, and gave us all hope that the next film would be more original. And then the next film was the worst and stupidest SW movie ever. At this point, I have lost 100% of my interest in Disney's current trilogy. I'll always love that original first 1977 film, bursting as it was with fun, joy and not-taking-itself-seriously craziness. When GE begins to convey even one tiny bit of that atmosphere, I'll be interested in visiting.

 

[billem]

Keri Russell? Way to damage control. That's a name I've not heard in a long time. I, of course, still remember her from another, much older Disney movie. I always enjoyed her in this one for some reason.

View attachment 384953

Then I guess you missed The Americans and all the critical acclaim for it. Your loss, you should check it out.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I stick mostly to Star Trek.