News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021

[rsm]

I don't understand why this either has to be the most immersive, revolutionary, LARP experience of all time OR a concept to axe all together to eliminate the fiscal risk. Why can't it just be a well-build hotel with SW architecture and theming? Would cost 10% more to build and staff rather than 100% more... and virtually no risk. Even IF Star Wars was losing steam, it would still be around for decades, and wouldn't loose it's appeal any faster than Finding Nemo or Toy Story, and they have themed hotels.

Just like any other themed hotel. Do you wanna stay at the Polynesian and have the neat jungle themed rooms, or stay at the Echo Base hotel and have the neat hoth themed rooms? They're both just cool hotels to make the hotel component of your vacation more special than staying at a Marriott.

 

[mikejs78]

The evil empire is falling.
TFA nearly smashed all records due to Star Wars thirst. 2.06 B
R1 ends up very close 2nd for the year. 1.05 B
TLJ ends up number 1 for the year. 1.32 B

Let me remind everyone the TFA did way beyond expectations and set the bar rediculously high. The phantom menace did the same exact thing. Look at the drop off from PM to tCW. Star Wars is fine. I would agree Merch has been a little weak but they will adjust that and get new people in if they haven’t already! Y’all need to take several seats. Star Wars is the biggest franchise in movie history and it’s not going to go away because TLJ didn’t make 400 million dollars in China. News flash the mighty Force Awakens did like 120 mil there. And also Disney isn’t building SWGE in China either.


All numbers can be found at the-numbers.com

Merch was weak because the merch this year was just bad. My son is a Star Wars fanatic. He wanted "Star Wars" stuff for Christmas, but when we looked at Amazon or Target, he couldn't find anything in particular that interested him. The toys were just lackluster this year. Has little to do with the franchise IMO.

 

[mikejs78]

I honestly can't figure out how disney allowed the movie to be released in its form based on the circumstances...

I'm of the belief that Colin treverow saw the rough cut and said "this is awful...there's no where to go with this"

And he was fired for it...when Kennedy should have fired the girl in the mirror.

From what I understand, each of the 3 movies was supposed to focus on one of the original characters. VII was Han, VIII was Luke, and IX was supposd to be Leia. Colin Treverow had a supposedly good script for IX, but once Carrie Fisher passed, he and the Story Board couldn't agree on a new direction.

And Disney allowed the move to be released because it was GOOD. Sorry, it was. It had flaws, but the overall movie was well done.

 

[smile]

Merch was weak because the merch this year was just bad. My son is a Star Wars fanatic. He wanted "Star Wars" stuff for Christmas, but when we looked at Amazon or Target, he couldn't find anything in particular that interested him. The toys were just lackluster this year. Has little to do with the franchise IMO.

back in the day most of those toys were crap but nobody cared cause they were star wars...
heck, at the beginning, kenner sent everybody an empty cardboard box and kids were still happy!
- that's the power the franchise had

sorry, but 'oh, toys just sucked this year' doesn't quite cut the mustard

And Disney allowed the move to be released because it was GOOD. Sorry, it was. It had flaws, but the overall movie was well done.

based off rave reviews or oscar noms?

 

[mikejs78]

based off rave reviews or oscar noms?

It did have rave critical reviews. Critics loved it. And, pretty much everyone I know IRL loved it - both lifelong Star Wars superfans to casual moviegoers.

As far as Oscar noms, franchise films don't get major Oscar noms these days.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It did have rave critical reviews. Critics loved it. And, pretty much everyone I know IRL loved it - both lifelong Star Wars superfans to casual moviegoers.

As far as Oscar noms, franchise films don't get major Oscar noms these days.

Let's make a pact...

You don't tell me "everyone I know loves it"...because I'm sure you don't know enough people for it to be statistically fool proof...

..:and I won't point out that the movie was out of the theater faster than any Star Wars movie and there is desention in the ranks...because that's kinda indisputable...but I know that many people did like it.

I think that's fair.

 

[smile]

It did have rave critical reviews. Critics loved it. And, pretty much everyone I know IRL loved it - both lifelong Star Wars superfans to casual moviegoers.

As far as Oscar noms, franchise films don't get major Oscar noms these days.

apologies -
i keep meaning not to get back into all this star wars mambo-jahambo and i end up doing it anyway

Let it go, people...the movies quality is to be determined in the long term now...

aw claude ain't dat da troof

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

apologies -
i keep meaning not to get back into all this star wars mambo-jahambo and i end up doing it anyway



aw claude ain't dat da troof

It's just divided...some people are really happy with the movie...some people are really unhappy with it.

But it's not 90/10 or 80/20 either way...it's probably - amongst the fan base that's gonna support the franchise for disney (not every 16 year old that bought a ticket) - somewhere In the 60/40 range. Just my guess. But reasonable.

I was very cautious in labeling it as a knee jerk...but I think the "trilogy" part of this is now a complete miscalculation and has little direction to go - just my opinion but we'll see what they can do in the last one.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

I honestly can't figure out how disney allowed the movie to be released in its form based on the circumstances...

YES. There's no one left to carry Episode IX. They had a chance to recut the film and put the emphasis where it should have been all along; on Luke. ...AND, I'm sorry to speak Ill of the dead, but when I saw Ep. VIII and Carrie Fisher came on screen I thought, "Oh my - she was a wreck!" Couldn't they see that she was in poor health? ...that she's not able to carry something as important as this franchise?

Between that, and the fact that Lucasfilm did not have a story arc in place for the new trilogy, I honestly wonder how serious Disney is about Star Wars. If I was a big shareholder, you'd bet that Iger would get that question from me.

 

[mikejs78]

the movies quality is to be determined in the long term now...

This I'll agree with. And a lot does depend on how Episode IX builds on it.

I'm sure you don't know enough people for it to be statistically fool proof...

True. I'm saying there are a lot of people who really liked it. I'd peg it more at 75/25 or 70/30.. And CinemaScore (which is statistically significant) bears that out as well.

but I think the "trilogy" part of this is now a complete miscalculation and has little direction to go - just my opinion but we'll see what they can do in the last one.

We'll see. The death of Carrie Fisher certainly complicates that. I'm more optimistic than you. As long as they don't make it about yet another death star.

 

[mikejs78]

won't point out that the movie was out of the theater faster than any Star Wars movie

How do you define 'out of theaters?' A quick Google search found that Last Jedi is still currently playing in 15 separate theaters within a 30 mile radius of my house, and 11 of those have at least 4 showings a day. Not bad for 'out of the theater'. (And these aren't second run theaters either).

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

How do you define 'out of theaters?' A quick Google search found that Last Jedi is still currently playing in 15 separate theaters within a 30 mile radius of my house, and 11 of those have at least 4 showings a day. Not bad for 'out of the theater'. (And these aren't second run theaters either).

And it's been completely gone from my area (upper end suburbs for 5th largest metropolitan area in the country) for over 2 weeks...

And I'm sure I can find some theaters with a screen here or there...but a showing or two a day doesn't exactly change anything when we're talking flash in the pan.

I don't think 75% of actual Star Wars fans
That saw this movie loved it. It's just simply not that good of a movie in the first place. The story is empty. But the truth will be shown over time depending on its residual appeal.

 

[21stamps]

If it's more along the lines of the Cruise lines, it'd be a lot more inclusive price-wise. It's not like Carnival where they nickle and dime you for everything. You'd probably get all food (except exclusive premium restaurants) and most experiences included with admission. Merch, alcohol, and premium experiences would probably be a la carté. Or at least, that's what they do on the cruise line (Those premium experiences I'd compare to excursions).

Excluding the luxury lines, do any cruise lines exist where they don’t have additional charges for several things onboard, more now than ever before?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

YES. There's no one left to carry Episode IX. They had a chance to recut the film and put the emphasis where it should have been all along; on Luke. ...AND, I'm sorry to speak Ill of the dead, but when I saw Ep. VIII and Carrie Fisher came on screen I thought, "Oh my - she was a wreck!" Couldn't they see that she was in poor health? ...that she's not able to carry something as important as this franchise?

Between that, and the fact that Lucasfilm did not have a story arc in place for the new trilogy, I honestly wonder how serious Disney is about Star Wars. If I was a big shareholder, you'd bet that Iger would get that question from me.

I got flamed in 2015...but I'll take the heat on this stance:

Carrie fisher should never have been brought back. Not at all. She just simply was too far gone to be in movies in this capacity.

That's life. I honestly hated seeing Ford and hamill awkwardly tiptoe around in as well...but fisher couldn't even talk after all her "living" Over the years.

So now these 3 movies are tied to her...and she honestly wasn't even resembling the character any more. How do you have "sharp tongue" when you can't actually move your mouth?

They should have done these in the 90's when everybody wanted them...as anyone reasonable could have determined...except apparently guys named "Jorge".

But that's another battle.

 

[SpoiledBlueMilk]

I would play 500 dollars MAX but I know its going to be MUCH more expensive lol

For a max three night stay with all of the immersive content the hotel promises, I'd be comfortable with a $1,000 to $1,200 a night rate.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For a max three night stay with all of the immersive content the hotel promises, I'd be comfortable with a $1,000 to $1,200 a night rate.

I wonder about their desire to staff it properly...this general concept looks to require "actors" near round the clock and disney doesn't like those kinds of operational costs.

 

[21stamps]

I got flamed in 2015...but I'll take the heat on this stance:

Carrie fisher should never have been brought back. Not at all. She just simply was too far gone to be in movies in this capacity.

That's life. I honestly hated seeing Ford and hamill awkwardly tiptoe around in as well...but fisher couldn't even talk after all her "living" Over the years.

So now these 3 movies are tied to her...and she honestly wasn't even resembling the character any more. How do you have "sharp tongue" when you can't actually move your mouth?

They should have done these in the 90's when everybody wanted them...as anyone reasonable could have determined...except apparently guys named "Jorge".

But that's another battle.

The 90s didn’t have GenX with children old enough to watch the movies. The release time was brilliant. Younger GenXers and older Millenials with their own children to share an obsession.
The timing alone made it almost impossible to fail.

I’m going to add that this is also a discussion in another thread...don’t want to distract too much here.

 

[SpoiledBlueMilk]

From what I understand, each of the 3 movies was supposed to focus on one of the original characters. VII was Han, VIII was Luke, and IX was supposd to be Leia. Colin Treverow had a supposedly good script for IX, but once Carrie Fisher passed, he and the Story Board couldn't agree on a new direction.

And Disney allowed the move to be released because it was GOOD. Sorry, it was. It had flaws, but the overall movie was well done.

And now we have JJ to tie it all together, and as he recently said, echo all of the previous movies. I don't have much confidence in this. JJ is great when you want to throw out an open ended mystery to an audience. He's the guy you want when you want the touch of the old JJ Abrams mystery box. He's not exactly the best closer.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The 90s didn’t have GenX with children old enough to watch the movies. The release time was brilliant. Younger GenXers and older Millenials with their own children to share an obsession.
The timing alone made it almost impossible to fail.

I’m going to add that this is also a discussion in another thread.

Then they should have done it without the original characters...

There's nothing "brilliant" about how Star Wars has been handled since 1995...one goofy swerve off an easy road after another.

In retrospect...I would have been ok if they had just left it alone.

It was not just about selling toys...maybe not by design...but in practice.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And now we have JJ to tie it all together, and as he recently said, echo all of the previous movies. I don't have much confidence in this. JJ is great when you want to throw out an open ended mystery to an audience. He's the guy you want when you want the touch of the old JJ Abrams mystery box. He's not exactly the best closer.

This is an obvious elephant in the room. JJ abrams isn't all that. And as you pointed out...he's a "premise" guy...not a finisher.