Is Galaxy’s Edge the new Euro Disney?

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ParkFan550

Member
Original Poster
Back in the 90s, Disney was betting huge on the success of Euro Disney. It was a multi billion dollar investment and they thought it was going to be an instant success. Then the park opened and was a complete failure. It resulted in DIsney having to cut the budget or cancel many projects such as Tomorrowland 2055, Westcot, and other future attractions at the other parks. Then Space Mountain opened at Disneyland Paris and saved the park. Not too long ago, Disney was betting huge on the success of Star Wars Galaxy Edge. It was a multi billion dollar investment and they thought it was going to be an instant success. Then the first land at Disneyland opened without its E Ticket and was a complete failure. It may also fail at DHS as well. Do you think that Disney could cancel some of its current projects like Galaxy’s Edge in Paris for example in order to cut the budget from the potential losses of the money from Galaxy’s Edge? Do you think that Star Wars ROTR could save these lands like how Space Mountain saved Euro Disney?
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
The big problem with Euro Disney wasn't the park--which was generally praised as awesome--it was in the building of hundreds of un-used hotel rooms that day-guests had no interest in. But I get your point. Now, even though it's too early to call GE a "complete failure", I can imagine a lot of people at Disney are losing sleep waiting to see how it goes over in Florida (My guess: WDW tourists will line up for anything. :D)

Worst case: GE continues to underperform, RotR is too little too late, Iger blames the wrong factors because he has no idea what makes a good theme park work, and budgets are slashed everywhere so overpaid execs can still buy a third vacation home.

Likely Case: Things work out. GE improves and becomes less pretentious and more Disney-ish, pleasing guests. Disney parks continue to become less "Disney" and more "Popular IPs Disney Didn't Create."

Best Case: The public tires of Disney's take on SW and Disney gets leadership that understands the parks. A great SW mini-land is built in Tomorrowland at DL and GE is converted to Discovery Bay. Prices drop, APs are discontinued, Fastpass is banished and Disney starts producing hand-drawn animated features again. Pixar Pier slinks away in shame.
 
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TROR

TROR

Well-Known Member
Touchdown said:
Ok, I can’t handle this anymore, since you insist on stating this over and over again, I’m going to start replying.

The ride you looking for is already at Disneyland, it’s called Hyperspace Mountain.
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I know. It’s the best Star Wars ride in the park. Make a permanent one in Galaxy’s Edge with full sets and proper Star Wars theming. Hyperspace Mountain is a great prototype of and glimpse into what a fully realized X Wing coaster could be.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Rich T said:
The big problem with Euro Disney wasn't the park--which was generally praised as awesome--it was in the building of hundreds of un-used hotel rooms that day-guests had no interest in. But I get your point. Now, even though it's too early to call GE a "complete failure", I can imagine a lot of people at Disney are losing sleep waiting to see how it goes over in Florida (My guess: WDW tourists will line up for anything. :D)

Worst case: GE continues to underperform, RotR is too little too late, Iger blames the wrong factors because he has no idea what makes a good theme park work, and budgets are slashed everywhere so overpaid execs can still buy a third vacation home.

Likely Case: Things work out. GE improves and becomes less pretentious and more Disney-ish, pleasing guests. Disney parks continue to become less "Disney" and more "Popular IPs Disney Didn't Create."

Best Case: The public tires of Disney's take on SW and Disney gets leadership that understands the parks. A great SW mini-land is built in Tomorrowland at DL and GE is converted to Discovery Bay. Prices drop, APs are discontinued, Fastpass is banished and Disney starts producing hand-drawn animated features again. Pixar Pier slinks away in shame.
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It's amazing how after @Rich T post, the resident trolls take over and start the same anti-GE stuff all over again. I think we are getting the Likely Case mentioned above. GE will do very well when it opens in Florida because tourists must ride/see all attractions during their vacation. It doesn't matter if GE or Playhouse Disney. It's a level playing field there.

The odds of best case scenario are approximately 3720 to 1.

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FerretAfros

FerretAfros

Well-Known Member
George Lucas on a Bench said:
Was Euro Disney ever truly saved?
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Arguably, DLP vies with DL for the title of best castle park in the Disney empire. Nearly every of its classic E-tickets is the best version worldwide, and the placemaking is on par with TDS. It's got high-quality seasonal events with a repertoire of rotating entertainment options that would make DL jealous. Although maintenance has been an issue in the past, extensive work in recent years has brought things back to (or beyond) the standards of other Disney parks.

In its first year of operation, the park was the highest-attended tourist attraction in Europe with an entry fee. Unlike most Disney projects where the mythical "Phase II" never materializes, DLP saw several rapid additions to meet up with demand in the years after opening. As @Rich T mentioned, it was debt from overbuilding the resort infrastructure that caused the problems (followed by the contractual requirement to open the second park within 10 years, eliminating the resort's hard-fought balance), not a lack of popularity for the park itself.

In a weird twist, the resort's long-term financial issues have insulated DLP from a lot of the ill-conceived additions that the US parks have had in the last 20+ years. Other than swapping Buzz Lightyear for Le Visionarium (CircleVision) and upgrading to Star Tours 2, the entire park is nearly in the same state as it was in the mid-90's, prior to WDI's hip-and-edgy, budget-shy, and IP-mandate eras. It has some issues with operating hours of certain facilities (and a few that have been shuttered completely), but by and large visiting the park is like stepping back in a timewarp to the mid-90's.

Ironically, now that Disney owns DLP outright and is looking to make changes, it's more in danger than ever. The announced plans for the Studios park largely fall in line with WDI's recent work: well-executed (if atrociously expensive) versions of fundamentally-flawed concepts, laid out with little consideration to overall park flow or future expansion. WDSP is such a dumpster fire that nearly anything will be an improvement there; however, I worry about what they might be cooking up for DLP and how that will impact the park's classic charm that has gone unharmed for so long.

Now is the time that DLP needs to be saved, not after some mythical failure in the past.
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
TROR said:
Disneyland Paris would be a practically perfect park if it had Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise, and Splash Mountain. They have such an incredible Frontierland and the rest of their lands are so impressive as well.
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Their Main Street's time frame isn't as charming as DL's, though. And they should replace the Alice maze with an adaptation of DL's Alice dark ride and maybe one more attraction.
 

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