Galaxy's Edge popularity vs Potter's popularity

[UpAllNight]

They have a lot of attractions planned. It often seems they’re all vying to be built first. I know of ten myself off the top of my head for the existing parks that should happen, then you’ve got the new park too.

Plus you have several new resorts, that new park, and a lot of infrastructure too.

I’m going to assume 3 of the rides are Nintendo, one is the T2 replacement, one the Potter coaster and one the much rumoured 4th Potter expansion. Potentially SLoP which I feel has been spoken about for far too long now for it to actually happen, and the age long new Avengers E-Ticket...then 2 mystery projects.

 

[ChrisFL]

Pandora is amazing! Its theming is unparalleled even by HP.

I think the problem here is that they're two completely different kinds of experiences. HP is a very immersive theme and it does that by way of lots of shops, interactive displays, and tons and tons of proper HP themes, either to the books or movies. Pandora is a very sparse land when it comes to those things and is mostly beautiful decoration.

 

[marni1971]

Pandora is amazing! Its theming is unparalleled even by HP.

You seen DisneySea?

 

[King Panda 77]

You seen DisneySea?

No but i have been to HP and Pandora and one looks nothing like @fractal s promotional pictures ...

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I’m going to assume 3 of the rides are Nintendo, one is the T2 replacement, one the Potter coaster and one the much rumoured 4th Potter expansion. Potentially SLoP which I feel has been spoken about for far too long now for it to actually happen, and the age long new Avengers E-Ticket...then 2 mystery projects.

Probably Hello Kitty at USF and a Lost Continent replacement.

 

[biggy H]

The real question is, where will these 2 franchises be in 50 years.

Kids will still be reading Potter long after Disney kills the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Are sure kids will be? The original books will seem very dated in 50 years time.
Do you see many kids reading the same books now that kids read 40/50 years ago. I certainly don't. I grew up with Biggles, The Famous Five and the Secret Seven (UK kids books) and they where extremely popular but they are now hardly read by the larger portion of today's kids.
I see the same happening to the Harry Potter books and they end up being more "classical" rather than mainstream whereas with Star Wars there isn't nothing to really date it.

 

[King Panda 77]

Are sure kids will be? The original books will seem very dated in 50 years time.
Do you see many kids reading the same books now that kids read 40/50 years ago. I certainly don't. I grew up with Biggles, The Famous Five and the Secret Seven (UK kids books) and they where extremely popular but they are now hardly read by the larger portion of today's kids.
I see the same happening to the Harry Potter books and they end up being more "classical" rather than mainstream whereas with Star Wars there isn't nothing to really date it.

But that doesn't take into account the influence of the films

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Are sure kids will be? The original books will seem very dated in 50 years time.
Do you see many kids reading the same books now that kids read 40/50 years ago. I certainly don't. I grew up with Biggles, The Famous Five and the Secret Seven (UK kids books) and they where extremely popular but they are now hardly read by the larger portion of today's kids.
I see the same happening to the Harry Potter books and they end up being more "classical" rather than mainstream whereas with Star Wars there isn't nothing to really date it.

Really? Are UK kids not still reading Tolkien and Dahl? The Potter story isn't a children's story. Most children can't tackle a 4,224 page story.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

You seen DisneySea?

I've been! The only part that comes close is Mysterious Island. Which has far better attractions, but I like Pandora better because it's not so gray. I do love the details like the mining machine above mining away and such. It's just I think Pandora is more lush and natural.

 

[GoofGoof]

Really? Are UK kids not still reading Tolkien and Dahl? The Potter story isn't a children's story. Most children can't tackle a 4,224 page story.

Agreed. Sorcerers Stone was pretty much a children’s book but the series evolved after that book. Even the movies took a much darker, more adult tone after the first one. Potter is going to be a classic for generations to come.

 

[marni1971]

I've been! The only part that comes close is Mysterious Island. Which has far better attractions, but I like Pandora better because it's not so gray. I do love the details like the mining machine above mining away and such. It's just I think Pandora is more lash and natural.

I think you mean lush

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I think you mean lush

Typing on an IPhone is hard.

 

[Frizzball]

That is the most daffy statement I have seen anyone thus make about Star Wars in this thread.

You do realize that Star Wars Weekends, where they threw up some Meet and Greets and a Parade, were attended by throngs of people just to stand in line and buy merchandise, right?

Go to Toys R Us and see how much Potter merchandise you find - if you really hunt, you might find some themed socks on clearance, or some branded party favors in the paper-goods aisle. Then you can go over to the Star Wars aisle, the same place they have been selling Star Wars merchandise for the past 23-odd years since they started producing it again (with no films in the theaters).

The two are not even in the same stratosphere when it comes to merchandising.

This may be a difference in country then because Harry Potter merchandise is huge in the UK where I live. Go to any local shopping centre and you'll find Harry Potter sections in multiple shops. My local shopping centre for example stocks Harry Potter merchandise in Argos, Sainsbury's, Primark (here it has it's own department), Men Kind and Waterstones (again with it's own area). These span wall decorations, clothing, jewellery, toys, gift books, vinyl figures, prop replicas, bags, light fittings and to scale cardboard standees. Star Wars merchandise is stocked by one and it's only lego. A flagship Primark in London has in fact been branded to stock entirely Harry Potter merchandise.

If we want to compare like to like, my local Toys R US has an entire section dedicated to only Harry Potter toys and board games just as it has for Star Wars.

I stand by my statement that when it comes to in universe merchandising Harry Potter is the much easier sell to the general public. When both lands are operating on a day to day basis and the merchandise ceases to be limited to specific events I can't see it being as much of a success in terms of sales as you seem to be projecting.

 

[biggy H]

I've been to Harry Potter several times at Universal and although the area is nicely done (apart from the areas that were falling apart/vandilsed a few months after it opened) I have no plans to go back in the short term and didn't buy anything Potter related. Star Wars on the other hand, a completely different ball game...

 

[UpAllNight]

Probably Hello Kitty at USF and a Lost Continent replacement.

I want a Grinch themed coaster in the style of Thunder Mountain (ie in intensity, theming level)...it’s a timeless IP that is vastly underused...and would make Seuss Landing less of a walk through for anyone without kids.

I’ve always adored IOA but my issue with it is, and always has been, that when you’re not in the water ride mood the park is kind of ‘walk through SL, to HP, then nothing all the way round to Marvel’ (Kong sorts that out a little)

 

[AEfx]

This may be a difference in country then because Harry Potter merchandise is huge in the UK where I live. Go to any local shopping centre and you'll find Harry Potter sections in multiple shops. My local shopping centre for example stocks Harry Potter merchandise in Argos, Sainsbury's, Primark (here it has it's own department), Men Kind and Waterstones (again with it's own area). These span wall decorations, clothing, jewellery, toys, gift books, vinyl figures, prop replicas, bags, light fittings and to scale cardboard standees. Star Wars merchandise is stocked by one and it's only lego. A flagship Primark in London has in fact been branded to stock entirely Harry Potter merchandise.

If we want to compare like to like, my local Toys R US has an entire section dedicated to only Harry Potter toys and board games just as it has for Star Wars.

Yes, this must be unique to the much smaller UK market, because there is barely any Potter merchandise to speak of here any more in stores. In truth, we haven't had much of it anyway. Sure, you can get a calendar or a school folder or stuff like that, but there were barely ever any toys to begin with.

I stand by my statement that when it comes to in universe merchandising Harry Potter is the much easier sell to the general public. When both lands are operating on a day to day basis and the merchandise ceases to be limited to specific events I can't see it being as much of a success in terms of sales as you seem to be projecting.

Again...that's just the most daffy thing I have ever heard. And you are moving the goal post, but regardless - the most unique "in-universe" stuff is $50+ wands and $80 robes and....what else?

In any case, when it comes to scope, general merchandising of Potter is so limited comparatively - Star Wars has exponentially more characters, time periods, critters, and "factions" - I just can't see where you are coming from on this. Even just in terms of things like T-shirts, mugs, and more traditional souvenirs - you can only put Harry, the few other main characters that the general public can name, and Gryffindor on so many things LOL. Just take a look at Amazon. Type in "harry potter t-shirt" - you get about 3500 results and after a couple of pages they are all pretty much the same and much of it is just various of the school groups logos over and over. Type in Star Wars, you will get over 17,000 results.

The two just are not comparable, and at this point it is hard to say "well Potter is newer" since we are going on two decades of it being a thing.

 

[mergatroid]

I stand by my statement that when it comes to in universe merchandising Harry Potter is the much easier sell to the general public. When both lands are operating on a day to day basis and the merchandise ceases to be limited to specific events I can't see it being as much of a success in terms of sales as you seem to be projecting.

I'm not sure why a non Star Wars fan is less likely to buy say a Star Wars mug, than a non Harry Potter fan is to buy a Harry Potter mug?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Yes, this must be unique to the much smaller UK market, because there is barely any Potter merchandise to speak of here any more in stores. In truth, we haven't had much of it anyway. Sure, you can get a calendar or a school folder or stuff like that, but there were barely ever any toys to begin with.



Again...that's just the most daffy thing I have ever heard. And you are moving the goal post, but regardless - the most unique "in-universe" stuff is $50+ wands and $80 robes and....what else?

In any case, when it comes to scope, general merchandising of Potter is so limited comparatively - Star Wars has exponentially more characters, time periods, critters, and "factions" - I just can't see where you are coming from on this. Even just in terms of things like T-shirts, mugs, and more traditional souvenirs - you can only put Harry, the few other main characters that the general public can name, and Gryffindor on so many things LOL. Just take a look at Amazon. Type in "harry potter t-shirt" - you get about 3500 results and after a couple of pages they are all pretty much the same and much of it is just various of the school groups logos over and over. Type in Star Wars, you will get over 17,000 results.

The two just are not comparable, and at this point it is hard to say "well Potter is newer" since we are going on two decades of it being a thing.

I was at a major retailer in downtown Orlando just last week and they had a much larger section of Potter merchendise than Star Wars.

And I'm sure some of it is how strict JK is with licensing. Unlike Lucas...

 

[AEfx]

I was at a major retailer in downtown Orlando just last week and they had a much larger section of Potter merchendise than Star Wars.

Well of course, just like you can go into Wal-mart in Orlando and find tons of off-brand Mickey stuff. They know there are tourists there to see Potter so they stock it heavily. Wait until SWL opens - I am absolutely positive you will see the same store have even more Star Wars stuff. Heck, there is enough Star Wars merchandise out there I have no doubt someone(s) are planning actual non-Disney owned retail locations that just will exist in Orlando that will be only selling Star Wars merchandise.

 

[Frizzball]

In any case, when it comes to scope, general merchandising of Potter is so limited comparatively - Star Wars has exponentially more characters, time periods, critters, and "factions" - I just can't see where you are coming from on this. Even just in terms of things like T-shirts, mugs, and more traditional souvenirs - you can only put Harry, the few other main characters that the general public can name, and Gryffindor on so many things LOL. Just take a look at Amazon. Type in "harry potter t-shirt" - you get about 3500 results and after a couple of pages they are all pretty much the same and much of it is just various of the school groups logos over and over. Type in Star Wars, you will get over 17,000 results.

The two just are not comparable, and at this point it is hard to say "well Potter is newer" since we are going on two decades of it being a thing.

But again most of those items would not be saleable in a merchandising environment which is supposedly supposed to be in world. I agree that there is much more merchandise to be made from Star Wars but how much of that is it possible to market as an item that someone on Batuu in whatever year they're setting this in would be able to buy?