Did Disney put too much stock into Star Wars?

[TongaToast21]

The problem with Galaxy's Edge (I refuse to shorten it to SWGE because that acronym looks too much like "Stitch's Great Escape") is that it's essentially just a marketing piece for the Disney movies, which at best have been dull and uninspired, and at worst have been just utter crap. After how terrible Last Jedi was, I was pretty much done with Star Wars, which is a shame given my username on this very site.

Won't surprise me one bit once steam runs out for the Disney movies that they'll quickly re-theme the land and rides to the original movies.
Because let's face it..... "Black Spire Outpost" is EXTREMELY visually similar to Yavin IV. Just replace the Black Spires with the Massassi Temples, and you're mostly there.
Instead of "Rise of the Resistance", you'll see it changed to "Escape the Empire", set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back as Vader leads an all-out assault against the rebel base. "Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run 2.0" will feature new planets mentioned in the movies, such as Dantooine, Ord Mantell, Anoat, and Sullust. And Han Solo instead of this Hondo chap. (Solo will be voiced by Anthony Ingruber, because the guy in "Solo" has all the charisma of burned toast)



Anyway....the "Build Your Own Lightsaber" bit is a total bust. $200 for the thing and I'm hearing reports that it either stopped working or the cheap plastic pieces had broken by the time the guests left the park. Bad move, especially when you can go online to ParkSabers or Ultra Sabers and get a quality metal piece for less money.

i know this has been like beating a dead horse but I whole-heartedly agree about retheming the land. I have no interest in going to a place that has no special meaning or connection to the original trilogy.. That doesn't mean I won't go at some point, but I won't be clamoring to get there.

 

[Nottamus]

I've been there (as many have been) for Star Wars Weekends, and...OMG...it was crowded.

I'm guessing that those who go every few years or so, are definitely going to wait until its ALL opened, both rides, and then a few months after that! Why would a true fan who goes rarely go when there is only one attraction open?

just my opinion. BUT I think its going to be a big swing and a big hit. We are there in December this year, and April next year, so between those trips, hoping to see all if it!

 

[Kingoglow]

They open the land with only one ride and no hotel. No Luke, Leia or Vader. A planet/spaceport that doesn't appear anywhere in the films. They want to charge me $200 for the lightsaber. All of this after raising park ticket prices several times in the past 12 months? Nah dog, I'm good.

 

[righttrack]

Star Wars weekends were amazing. Some of my best times in the parks. They saw that, how there was this built-in market for that and acted upon it. The problem really isn't the park expansion, the problem is turning their backs on the Star Wars superfans at this point in time. They put the whole thing on hold, gave us essentially a "Star Wars trailer park" to bask in for the past few years, largely as a tie-in for the new movies. The superfans were so aligned with WDW back in those days of Star Wars Weekends and special appearances. Now they kind of feel pushed to the wayside as WDW ups the mass appeal of Star Wars. The problem is the new movies are good but not great. The new land and attractions are only so much. They moved at glacial speeds to get this going and it really is syncing up with a low point in the franchise. They really needed to work things out after they delivered The Force Awakens. That movie was great and they should have been more critical where they were taking the franchise and how they were aligning that within the parks. The time to build SWGE and have it up and running was between that and Rogue One. They now have had one meh film (The Last Jedi) and one dog (Solo). They kind of took the air out of the sails. Slowing down the film production was a good move. Hoping that this is the thing we have all waited for. I am really hoping....

 

[Kenshin_elite]

I think it was just a perfect storm of bad ideas by Disney.
1. AP blackouts on a park that is majority AP holders
2. There is not many Disney owned hotels at DLR, even worse the ones that do exist are very expensive
3. They hyped up the crowds before they even existed, think DisneyLand being overcrowded its opening day. Well people expected it to be crazy so they avoided it. They created their own slow time.
4. Cost- Guess what traveling to Cali and going to Disney is way more expensive than WDW for the most part. There's less choices and less ability to have a cheaper visit. it doesnt help they keep raising prices on everything.

 

[danlb_2000]

I think it was just a perfect storm of bad ideas by Disney.
1. AP blackouts on a park that is majority AP holders
2. There is not many Disney owned hotels at DLR, even worse the ones that do exist are very expensive
3. They hyped up the crowds before they even existed, think DisneyLand being overcrowded its opening day. Well people expected it to be crazy so they avoided it. They created their own slow time.
4. Cost- Guess what traveling to Cali and going to Disney is way more expensive than WDW for the most part. There's less choices and less ability to have a cheaper visit. it doesnt help they keep raising prices on everything including WDW.

Add to this, CM blackouts, and the fact that only one of the two rides is open. I also think reaction to the recent movies may be playing a small part. I don't think any one thing is causing the low attendance at DL.

 

[Kingoglow]

I will pile on that the newer audience that they went after with the recent films has an incredibly short attention span. Would have been more profitable to pander to the older fans.

 

[justintheharris]

I still don’t think the fact that Rise of the Resistance isn’t open yet is much of a factor. Most of my friends in California who casually like Disney (ie. not on forums) some of which who’ve already been to Galaxy’s Edge didn’t even know about the existence of Rise of the Resistance.

 

[ChrisFL]

it's waaaay too early to tell. Let's see how the crowd sizes are through the end of the year on both coasts before jumping to conclusions too quickly.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I'm not going to pass judgement until it's been open a while and I've experienced it in person; however, I was on hold with Disney this morning and I was really annoyed that the regular hold music was constantly being cut to promote SGE. I was in the middle of walking right down the middle of Main Street USA when a plug for SGE interrupted everything. I must have heard 10 plugs for it in five minutes. I don't remember it being like that when I called before the opening of Pandora or FLE. I mean, I know there was some...but not like this. It just felt like they were pushing really hard and it made me wonder why.

 

[Raineman]

This thread seems to be full of alot of people who were just waiting to jump on the "See! I told you a Star Wars land was a bad idea!" line of thinking, when we are not even into 2 months of operation at one park. I have been a Star Wars fan for almost 40 years, and I am not a big fan of the new trilogy movies, but I am sure I will enjoy the crap out of SW:GE when I visit WDW in November.

 

[yedliW]

(I refuse to shorten it to SWGE because that acronym looks too much like "Stitch's Great Escape")

You could call it BO - Blackspire Outpost.. or just BS for Black Spire!

 

[erasure fan1]

I think Disney might have put to much stock in DISNEY star wars when the emphasis should have been on OT star wars. If I remember right, celebration sold out in hours for next year. All you could get was a couple individual days last I checked. So the demand for star wars is there. Disneys mistake was not honoring the original and just ripping off the bandaid to get to their star wars. I think galaxys edge will soar to new heights or be just a good land based on rise of the resistance. I've always said, fantastic ride equals fantastic land.

 

[Stripes]

The land in Anaheim is missing its biggest draw among a host of other things: roaming droids, entertainment, etc. All of which is on the way. Nobody but the biggest diehards are going to plan a vacation around a 1/2 open land when it will be finished and they'll get far more of their money's worth a few months from now. We would have held off as well but due to conflicting schedules we literally had to go on June 24th or not go at all.

Disney surely underestimated the self-restraint of their guests to hold off until the product is ready.

 

[Jedijax719]

Disney may have put too much stock into the NEW Star Wars. After TROS, there is going to be a major uphill battle for new material.

 

[Beacon Joe]

So.... uh.... I've gotta ask this pressing question, and I hope the answer is, "yes."

Will Star Wars land get Christmas overlays? Including Wookiees celebrating Life Day?

 

[Stripes]

If it’s not ready. Don’t open it. Pretty simple concept.

I agree. They made a mistake.

 

[FettFan]

So.... uh.... I've gotta ask this pressing question, and I hope the answer is, "yes."

Will Star Wars land get Christmas overlays? Including Wookiees celebrating Life Day?

Don't forget Chewbacca's perverted grandfather watching G-rated "Star Wars Universe"-brand ography.

"Oh, OH, we are EXCITED, aren't we? Just relax, just relax... yes. Now...we can have a good time, can't we?"

 

[FettFan]

I agree. They made a mistake.

Funny thing....I said this very thing a month ago and was swatted down by a couple of Pixie Dusters because "The REST of it is opening EARLY!"

jokes on them.

 

[larryz]

I'm not going to pass judgement until it's been open a while and I've experienced it in person; however, I was on hold with Disney this morning and I was really annoyed that the regular hold music was constantly being cut to promote SGE. I was in the middle of walking right down the middle of Main Street USA when a plug for SGE interrupted everything. I must have heard 10 plugs for it in five minutes. I don't remember it being like that when I called before the opening of Pandora or FLE. I mean, I know there was some...but not like this. It just felt like they were pushing really hard and it made me wonder why.

SGE is closed. Why would they be promoting it?