Ravenclaw78
Well-Known Member
I'm probably not very "plugged in" to current fandoms, but sadly, your observation does not surprise me.I think it's fairly common nowadays in most "geeky" fandoms, especially this decade. It's present in Star Trek (they kind of invented it), Doctor Who, Comics, a lot of tv shows with devoted fanbases, even Disney (dare I say).
Well, that's a topic for another day, but returning to the topic of the hotel, I think you repeat many of the assumptions that predicted SWL to be an overwhelming success. "There's so many fans that will flock to this place no matter what, it cant fail". I would hope that is exactly the kind of thinking the execs are avoiding and not just leaning on the popularity of Star Wars.
Anecdotally, as a former LARPer myself with lots of friends and acquaintances that still LARP and frequently travel hundreds of miles to play in their favorites, I know a lot of people who are already planning to book this experience. I think you're right that if they screw it up, they'll find it empty very quickly, though. Word of mouth travels fast. @ImperfectPixie is also right that many will want to bring their own costumes, so I'm hoping that the provided costume pieces are optional. I do expect that the 501st will have to leave their stormtrooper gear at home regardless, as that doesn't fit in with the theme of being a civilian passenger vessel.