News Star Wars Galaxy's Edge opening day reports - Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Every single Star Wars movie Disney has done is better than all of the prequels with the exception of maybe episode 3. Maybe. The only good thing to come out of the prequels was Darth Maul and Ewn McGregor as Obi Wan.

And yes, I am counting Solo in that. Still a better movie than Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Who on EARTH said anything about the prequels???

The prequels - which could have been so much better I retrospect if Lucas hadn’t gone it alone - were all about “spectacle” and adding “stuff” to be sold in the late 20th century economic model.

What Disney is doing - least so R1 but still a little there - is overcompensating for the prequels by making it all about “look” and not about the character development. Disney has no developed characters except for driver...who still hasn’t been fleshed out enough. Ridley is “blank page”. “Where’s my mum and daddy??”

Oh please...that wasn’t going far before numbnuts filmed his bizarr-o movie. The other mistake Disney is making is wasting so much time “keeping everyone guessing” Why? It doesn’t have to be Hitchcock or Shamlayn for gods sake.

It’s about the characters...you can have a simple story arc be great if the actors sell it.

This is the greatest scene in Star Wars...but it really has nothing to do with the amazing visuals (for the time)...



It was always about the character

 

[Stripes]

If you do that, at least make sure both images are to the same scale and include the whole land:

View attachment 403948

The image was comparing general on stage, guest walkable areas (with the exception of a few BOH facilities that are inevitably included).

This is because guest density is much, much lower inside show buildings and roller coaster grounds. It gives a much better idea of how much crowd capacity there is than including attractions in the picture. Here's the article it was taken from: https://attractionsmagazine.com/star-wars-galaxys-edge-crowds/

There are issues though, so I've edited the picture to better reflect walkable areas, minus the few BOH areas that are captured in both. The image is scaled to be equidistant from the surface.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Martin I cannot tell if this is a fair comparison because show buildings are in there. I can say GE “feels” a ton bigger and doesn’t have the choke points Hogsmeade seemed to me to have.

My main compliments for the land are the size they used and the backdrops...

There is a lot of potential for expansion...which is what it needs

 

[mergatroid]

Is there anywhere to find out what time Disney actually opens each day (I'm aware there's 6am signposted for early entry, however on opening day they opened earlier)? Also anywhere showing what time crowds are 'starting' each day to give me an idea what time to get there in a few weeks?

 

[JustInTime]

Plain and simple it's just arrogance. Disney figured we'd be happy just for the opportunity to walk into a star wars land. And then even happier to spend $200 to build a lightsaber, $100 to build a droid and $50 on drinks in the cantina.

Yep. Exactly. I know MANY people who are simply waiting. Almost everyone I know, actually.

 

[planodisney]

We know two families that did not cancel their trips. One arrived yesterday and the other decided to book a last minute trip and fly down today (from Chicago), since GE crowds arent as bad as expected. Good chance other people are doing the same.


If you dont mind me asking, are you staying on property?

Staying at the Marriott Lakeshore Reserve.
We are Marriott MVC members we stay probably half our visits at MVC’s and half at WDW resorts.
This trip the WDW resorts we’re just too expensive for September. We are taking 9 people so it was just too much to do WDW resort.

 

[VaderTron]

Once again the line for FoP, a ride that has been around for more than 2 years, is longer than the line for MF:SR, a ride that has been open for 3 days. Can't say it's because of the hurricane. This is same day/same time stats using the crowds that actually showed up.

 

[mikejs78]

Once again the line for FoP, a ride that has been around for more than 2 years, is longer than the line for MF:SR, a ride that has been open for 3 days. Can't say it's because of the hurricane. This is same day/same time stats using the crowds that actually showed up.

MF:SR has a higher capacity than FoP when all theaters are in use. And we know that they often aren't all in use for FoP. Also one is using FP and one isn't, and some people claim that that affects standby time. Can't compare the two.

 

[VaderTron]

Yep. Exactly. I know MANY people who are simply waiting. Almost everyone I know, actually.

Why are people waiting?

1. It's not affordable to go now and then again in 6 months to a year. That is a new issue that wasn't the case for many Disney travelers until the past few years. It's an issue that will start to take it's toll on the bottom line for Disney. The consequences...well, let's not get too depressing now.

2. They opened at the end of summer when many families were just getting started back to school.

3. They opened near the height of hurricane season.

4. They only opened 1 new ride.

5. They cut extra entertainment and "streetmosphere" cheapening the experience while adding more expensive add-on things to do instead.


All extremely poor decisions made with the expectation that enough of the same pixie dusters, who come no matter what, would mob the place and it wouldn't matter. They sold shareholders the idea that they would be making money hand over fist and practically have to beat back the crowds like it was a Black Friday Door-buster event in the mid 2000's.

They were wrong.

 

[MisterPenguin]

It was wrong for them to say it's open without the second ride in operation. They could have painted this as an extended preview (like so many computer apps and games do with a lengthy 'beta') which isn't entirely wrong, then they could have been graded on a curve.

 

[VaderTron]

MF:SR has a higher capacity than FoP when all theaters are in use. And we know that they often aren't all in use for FoP. Also one is using FP and one isn't, and some people claim that that affects standby time. Can't compare the two.

You absolutely can compare the two. Here's how:

"The line for this window where you get hot dogs is 90 minutes. The line for this other line where you get hamburgers is 120 minutes. Which one do you want to get in line for?"

"Hmm...I know the other line is shorter, but I like hamburgers better. I'm going to wait in the 120 minute line. It's worth it."

By choosing to stand in a longer line for FoP, guests are voicing their preference in the most tangible way possible. Not by word, but by action.

 

[VaderTron]

You absolutely can compare the two. Here's how:

"The line for this window where you get hot dogs is 90 minutes. The line for this other line where you get hamburgers is 120 minutes. Which one do you want to get in line for?"

"Hmm...I know the other line is shorter, but I like hamburgers better. I'm going to wait in the 120 minute line. It's worth it."

By choosing to stand in a longer line for FoP, guests are voicing their preference in the most tangible way possible. Not by word, but by action.

Update: There are more guests voicing their preference. The time for FoP just went up to 125 minutes and MF:SR dropped to 80.

 

[easyrowrdw]

You absolutely can compare the two. Here's how:

"The line for this window where you get hot dogs is 90 minutes. The line for this other line where you get hamburgers is 120 minutes. Which one do you want to get in line for?"

"Hmm...I know the other line is shorter, but I like hamburgers better. I'm going to wait in the 120 minute line. It's worth it."

By choosing to stand in a longer line for FoP, guests are voicing their preference in the most tangible way possible. Not by word, but by action.

There aren't necessarily more people getting in line for Flight of Passage, though. It's just that fastpass makes the ones that are there wait longer.

 

[Higginbotham587]

Update: There are more guests voicing their preference. The time for FoP just went up to 125 minutes and MF:SR dropped to 80.

I really don’t think this is right. The ratio of FP to standby at FoP is something like 1:8 (though @marni1971 will have the exact number). To compare the wait time of a ride with FP to one without doesn’t make any sense. @marni1971 has consistently assured us that FP lengthens standby wait times. I believe him.

 

[mikejs78]

You absolutely can compare the two. Here's how:

"The line for this window where you get hot dogs is 90 minutes. The line for this other line where you get hamburgers is 120 minutes. Which one do you want to get in line for?"

"Hmm...I know the other line is shorter, but I like hamburgers better. I'm going to wait in the 120 minute line. It's worth it."

By choosing to stand in a longer line for FoP, guests are voicing their preference in the most tangible way possible. Not by word, but by action.

Or, it could mean one of the theaters went down at FoP and the line just backed up. Comparing two wait times of two attractions in different parks at any point throughout the day is rather foolish. Keep in mind DHS is also open longer. I'll frame it another way: if 28,000 people ride MF today and only 23,000 ride FoP, which is the more successful ride?

 

[Dave B]

Is Orlando kids back in school? I don’t k ow how Disney could of had a worse weather weekend though to open a land like this. I know friends that cancelled their trip earlier in the week to not get stuck Monday.

Is hope the place can withhold the storm so I can see it perfect next summer. Lol.

And today they say the storm wont even hit Florida, it is moving towards the Carolinas

 

[JustInTime]

Why are people waiting?

1. It's not affordable to go now and then again in 6 months to a year. That is a new issue that wasn't the case for many Disney travelers until the past few years. It's an issue that will start to take it's toll on the bottom line for Disney. The consequences...well, let's not get too depressing now.

2. They opened at the end of summer when many families were just getting started back to school.

3. They opened near the height of hurricane season.

4. They only opened 1 new ride.

5. They cut extra entertainment and "streetmosphere" cheapening the experience while adding more expensive add-on things to do instead.


All extremely poor decisions made with the expectation that enough of the same pixie dusters, who come no matter what, would mob the place and it wouldn't matter. They sold shareholders the idea that they would be making money hand over fist and practically have to beat back the crowds like it was a Black Friday Door-buster event in the mid 2000's.

They were wrong.

You’re exactly right. Ultimately this land will be a success for Disney. But it could have been even more explosive.

 

[marni1971]

Martin I cannot tell if this is a fair comparison because show buildings are in there. I can say GE “feels” a ton bigger and doesn’t have the choke points Hogsmeade seemed to me to have.

Oh, Hogsmeade is horrendous for choke points when busy. Maybe Diagon would be a better comparison? SWL also surprises with the pathway areas along the northern berm. It’s almost a wilderness.

 

[VaderTron]

Or, it could mean one of the theaters went down at FoP and the line just backed up. Comparing two wait times of two attractions in different parks at any point throughout the day is rather foolish. Keep in mind DHS is also open longer. I'll frame it another way: if 28,000 people ride MF today and only 23,000 ride FoP, which is the more successful ride?

It's A Small World, because it will beat out every other ride.

Ridership is not the only measure of preference. If It's A Small World is 15 minutes or less (almost always is) I will ride it. If it's 25 or 30 minutes I move on to something else. It's not worth waiting. On the other hand, the only ride I have waited more than 100 minutes for is FoP. I have done so multiple times. Would I wait for MF:SR more than 100 minutes? No.

So, because I may ride It's A Small World 3 times in a day when the line is 15 minutes or less does not mean I prefer that ride over SDMT or FoP or MF:SR that I only rode once when it went down to 80 minutes.

 

[mikejs78]

It's A Small World, because it will beat out every other ride.

Ridership is not the only measure of preference. If It's A Small World is 15 minutes or less (almost always is) I will ride it. If it's 25 or 30 minutes I move on to something else. It's not worth waiting. On the other hand, the only ride I have waited more than 100 minutes for is FoP. I have done so multiple times. Would I wait for MF:SR more than 100 minutes? No.

So, because I may ride It's A Small World 3 times in a day when the line is 15 minutes or less does not mean I prefer that ride over SDMT, that I only rode once when it went down to 60 minutes.

So now Smugglers Run is a 120 min wait, and FoP is a 105 min wait. FoP must not be popular anymore! Oh noes!