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

[Joesixtoe]

Not calling anyone out in this thread,so please dont take offense,but I am SO TIRED of everyone on every site griping about how much Galaxys Edge stinks and its a total failure. The whole online discourse around SW ever since TLJ has been so bitter and negative and disappointing. If all these people hate Star Wars and Disney so much,why dont they just stop talking about it? Why do they have to come into every discussion and crap all over everything just because not everyone shares their hatred?

I have a family member that requires around the clock medical care. I havent been on a vacation in over 5 years. I would LOVE to go to Galaxys Edge...I've been a SW fan since I was 2....and a Disney fan for almost as long. Everything I see looks amazing,and I most likely will never have the time or the money to see it in person. Seeing people go multiple times just to whine and moan about what a "failure" they think it is because it doesnt have this or that just makes me feel miserable. If you're lucky enough to be in the newest most expensive Disney theme park attraction in years,maybe-just maybe-put aside the internet snark and try to enjoy yourself? Or at least remember that there are plenty of SW fans who would do anything to be there in your place!

I loathed TLJ and do not like at all the direction Disney went in regards to the O.T main characters. Having said that, I think Galaxy's edge is so awesome.. the falcon, the interactions.. how immersed you get.. I cant stop telling people about it. I hope you can go one day.. thats cool that your taking care of your family member...

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

Good luck getting Harrison Ford to agree to that. Or convincing Lucasfilm to spend the money on a convincing deepfake.

I love the short memories of some Star Wars fans. People derided the prequels for a solid fifteen years, and then they were suddenly signing petitions demanding that Lucas come and fix the sequels.

oh so Disney was not able to get him to come back for a 4th star wars film called 'THE FORCE AWAKENS" or have him show up to the dedication of GALAXY'S EDGE????

 

[Higginbotham587]

So i finally got to visit the damn near empty park today and wow. The detail is amazing and its the first disney land to really rival potterland in detail (sorry pandora doesn't cut it) but the falcon was amazingly underwhelming was it fun sure but as a gunner or engineer your trying to look forward while pounding on an awkwardly placed button. The detail in the que was amazing as is the land but man i think this falcon ride is too weak for the IP. Yeah i know its the secondary ride but honestly...minus the que star tours to me has more merit.

The second time as a gunner I was able to look out the cockpit more.

 

[Rodan75]

The breathless articles today about CA and FL are a bit crazy. I’m not defending Disney at this point...but ppl have lost their damn minds over SWGE. The minute by minute analysis of wait times, seriously? That is how we are measuring success?

Again time will tell. Glad we didn’t judge NFL before Mine Train opened....oh wait we did. And the boards were wrong.

Good thing we didn’t judge Pandora based on the first few months...oh wait we did. And the boards were wrong.

There are real concerns with Star Wars....mostly that Star Wars isn’t owning the minds of Gen Z kids and has split GenX and Millennials (PT vs OT who matter far less than we would like to think). And that merchandising and marketing strategies are largely failing to grow the core audience. There are issues, but it isn’t efforts to trigger nostalgia in GenX and Millennials, it is the effort to grow GenZ that is failing. If Star Wars Resistance had been a more engaging experience and grown the Rebels audience it would have done more to support GE than anything Millennials or Xers are complaining about in this board.

Lucas has been clear about his belief that each trilogy is ‘for the kids’, meaning each new generation. The current version of Star Wars tried to focus too heavily on the OT (GenX) while moving the story forward to GenZ. Ignoring the PT (Millennials). And by trying to over-serve the OT they failed each of their generational audiences. I’m not sure how they fix it. But it seems like they know they have to work to appease all fans. The Mandalorian and Cassian appeals to OT, Kenobi appeals to PT and TROS seems engineered to bridge the generational gaps (although that plot synopses released over the weekend looks to do more damage Vs healing damage).

In the end it looks like Disney appropriately planned out Star Wars theme park sizing. Only a few months ago posters were pushing for a whole SW Park. Disney was wise to not go overboard.

 

[Piebald]

I decided to head over to Studios yesterday to take advantage of the very very small crowds this week. These past few days felt like the Disney of old, that actually had slow times of the year. It was amazing.

We decided to really explore GE and I really liked it. I had been on Sunday only to ride SR through single rider and didnt spend any more time in there. Some key points-

As stated earlier, SR through single rider is doing a huge disservice to the experience. It's fun if you just want pictures or video and not do anything but if you can, wait.

Thought all the sounds were great. People complained about the music but this was very well done.

I noticed the characters stay out until close if not beyond. This was key IMO since most characters end early in the day. Park closed at 10 and we saw stormtroopers patrolling around 1025 albeit in their towers and not mingling around.

Food and drink is overpriced, but pretty good from what we tried. Not sure if the higher price is to deter more massive lines than they can handle or what but I imagine it's hard for larger families to enjoy meals here. Even snacks are expensive. I had the Ronto wrap, blue milk and some concoctions at Ogas.

They need more characters. More aliens, droids or something. I know this has been discussed ad nauseam but they need more especially on busier days to really bring all to life.

Dak Ondor (sp?) Was not moving last night. Was kind of a bummer.

The land is a lot bigger than it seems. You see peoples pictures of the falcon over and over again and get a sense its not big but the land is HUGE.

 

[Piebald]

Also, a lot of people seem upset at the lack of OT characters or references. Honestly it wouldn't surprise me to see Disney start some special ticket events at the studios where they have characters from all the trilogies and dessert parties. Seems like it would be right up their alley.

 

[monothingie]

The breathless articles today about CA and FL are a bit crazy. I’m not defending Disney at this point...but ppl have lost their damn minds over SWGE. The minute by minute analysis of wait times, seriously? That is how we are measuring success?

Again time will tell. Glad we didn’t judge NFL before Mine Train opened....oh wait we did. And the boards were wrong.

Good thing we didn’t judge Pandora based on the first few months...oh wait we did. And the boards were wrong.

There are real concerns with Star Wars....mostly that Star Wars isn’t owning the minds of Gen Z kids and has split GenX and Millennials (PT vs OT who matter far less than we would like to think). And that merchandising and marketing strategies are largely failing to grow the core audience. There are issues, but it isn’t efforts to trigger nostalgia in GenX and Millennials, it is the effort to grow GenZ that is failing. If Star Wars Resistance had been a more engaging experience and grown the Rebels audience it would have done more to support GE than anything Millennials or Xers are complaining about in this board.

Lucas has been clear about his belief that each trilogy is ‘for the kids’, meaning each new generation. The current version of Star Wars tried to focus too heavily on the OT (GenX) while moving the story forward to GenZ. Ignoring the PT (Millennials). And by trying to over-serve the OT they failed each of their generational audiences. I’m not sure how they fix it. But it seems like they know they have to work to appease all fans. The Mandalorian and Cassian appeals to OT, Kenobi appeals to PT and TROS seems engineered to bridge the generational gaps (although that plot synopses released over the weekend looks to do more damage Vs healing damage).

In the end it looks like Disney appropriately planned out Star Wars theme park sizing. Only a few months ago posters were pushing for a whole SW Park. Disney was wise to not go overboard.

This is a culmination of Bob Iger's ego saying he wouldn’t have to advertise and guests would be breaking down the doors to wait on line, while at the same time continually raising prices and setting expectations sky high.

The only problem is the guests never came, and because of the hype and high expectations, the fact that wait times aren’t multiple times what they are now means for many it’s rollout on both coasts was a very noticeable flop. Hence the negative press about it.

This isn’t about Star Wars or its success or failings as a brand, it’s about how incompetent leadership (Chapek) managed to take a golden IP and muck it up.

The question is do they double down in ignorance and incompetence, or make some changes to the value equation that guests will see.

 

[Stephen novak]

Solo was a good not great movie that didn’t do itself any favors in marketing, or word of mouth. Just a perfect illustration that IP alone isn’t going to guarantee success. You actually need quality! *Gasp*

Disagree, solo was the best starwars movie that Disney has produced, and kiera was the best character they have made. Unfortunately due to people being so disappointed in the last jedi no one saw it and unfortunately they will probably never do anything else with kiera

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Disagree, solo was the best starwars movie that Disney has produced, and kiera was the best character they have made. Unfortunately due to people being so disappointed in the last jedi no one saw it and unfortunately they will probably never do anything else with kiera

Disagree that TLJ is the reason no one went to see Solo.

 

[The_Jobu]

You guys... Mom's gonna wake up soon.

Put the thread back together or you'll get in trouble.

 

[wdisney9000]

Glad we didn’t judge NFL before Mine Train opened....oh wait we did. And the boards were wrong.

What were the boards wrong about? That it lacks substance? That the land consists of a clone ride, an extra spinner for dumbo, a glorified M&G and a kiddie coaster that suffered major budget cuts? And probly the worst example of forced perspective to ever be created. They took 7 years to build all that?

Good thing we didn’t judge Pandora based on the first few months...oh wait we did. And the boards were wrong.

Again, what were people wrong about? That Pandora was Igers knee jerk reaction to Potter at Uni? That he paid a butt load of money for an IP that nobody cared about? They did a good job with FoP and I dont recall people complaining about it besides a few references to Soarin. Is NRJ not a bust?

All of what I said above does not mean either land is a "failure". I dont see people saying Pandora, NFL or SWGE is a failure. The only thing I have seen in this thread is people pointing out low crowd levels and Disney missing the ball on a few decisions for the land, and those people are immediately labelled as complainers and their words are twisted into claims of "failure". The people who complain about the complainers are for the most part the same people who often defend the brand at any cost. Same people who claimed crowds were low in summer because of people holding off until SWGE opens. Attendance didnt go up, so now the crowds are low because RoTR isnt open yet, and oh ya, lets not forget the gorilla glue that holds their defense together...Dorian. The storm that wasnt even a threat when the land debuted and people would have already arrived for the opening.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

Disagree, solo was the best starwars movie that Disney has produced, and kiera was the best character they have made. Unfortunately due to people being so disappointed in the last jedi no one saw it and unfortunately they will probably never do anything else with kiera

Solo was pretty good. Hard disagree with Kiera though. Also, while I enjoyed Solo, I don't see it having much if any appeal to younger kids.

 

[Steph15251]

Speaking of low crowds I wish I could go to HS ,just so I can have a short wait to get on the rides.But sadly I am blackout the month of sept.and I think Oct.

 

[Steph15251]

What were the boards wrong about? That it lacks substance? That the land consists of a clone ride, an extra spinner for dumbo, a glorified M&G and a kiddie coaster that suffered major budget cuts? And probly the worst example of forced perspective to ever be created. They took 7 years to build all that?

Again, what were people wrong about? That Pandora was Igers knee jerk reaction to Potter at Uni? That he paid a butt load of money for an IP that nobody cared about? They did a good job with FoP and I dont recall people complaining about it besides a few references to Soarin. Is NRJ not a bust?

All of what I said above does not mean either land is a "failure". I dont see people saying Pandora, NFL or SWGE is a failure. The only thing I have seen in this thread is people pointing out low crowd levels and Disney missing the ball on a few decisions for the land, and those people are immediately labelled as complainers and their words are twisted into claims of "failure". The people who complain about the complainers are for the most part the same people who often defend the brand at any cost. Same people who claimed crowds were low in summer because of people holding off until SWGE opens. Attendance didnt go up, so now the crowds are low because RoTR isnt open yet, and oh ya, lets not forget the gorilla glue that holds their defense together...Dorian. The storm that wasnt even a threat when the land debuted and people would have already arrived for the opening.

I maybe the only one but I really like NRJ

 

[MrPromey]

I maybe the only one but I really like NRJ

You are!

Now go hang your head in shame!



In all seriousness, I think people would feel a lot differently about it if it regularly had 15-30 minute waits. It's the waiting an hour or more to ride and then realizing that's an hour or more (plus the 4 minutes of the ride itself) that you'll never get back which gives people the opinion of this thing that most of us have.

 

[Steph15251]

You are!

Now go hang your head in shame!



In all seriousness, i think people would feel a lot differently about it if it regularly had 15-30 minute waits. It's the waiting an hour or more to ride and then realizing that's an hour or more (plus the 4 minutes of the ride itself) that you'll never get back which gives people the opinion of this thing that most of us have.

I only went on it two times and both times I did not have to wait

 

[MrPromey]

I only went on it two times and both times I did not have to wait

That explains a lot (to me, at least), then.

I only went on once (more than a year after it opened) and waited 70 minutes. There has been nothing shorter than a 50 minute wait every time I've been back and I feel nothing but pity for the people I see every time I walk by that extended queue.

 

[Steph15251]

That explains a lot (to me, at least), then.

I only went on once (more than a year after it opened) and waited 70 minutes. There has been nothing shorter than a 50 minute wait every time I've been back and I feel nothing but pity for the people I see every time I walk by that extended queue.

I went to the cast preview lol,My twin works at Disney

 

[MrPromey]

I went to the cast preview lol,My twin works at Disney

I recall reading from someone who won the AP preview lottery that they thought it was great for what it was and that they expected it to have 30 minute waits after the initial opening crowds.

Had they been right about the waits, I don't think it would have the overwhelmingly negative reputation that it has.

Still, as a new build in a new land that they were expecting to be popular, it's a bit surprising they didn't do something more with it than they did.

 

[phillip9698]

This is a culmination of Bob Iger's ego saying he wouldn’t have to advertise and guests would be breaking down the doors to wait on line, while at the same time continually raising prices and setting expectations sky high.

The only problem is the guests never came, and because of the hype and high expectations, the fact that wait times aren’t multiple times what they are now means for many it’s rollout on both coasts was a very noticeable flop. Hence the negative press about it.

This isn’t about Star Wars or its success or failings as a brand, it’s about how incompetent leadership (Chapek) managed to take a golden IP and muck it up.

The question is do they double down in ignorance and incompetence, or make some changes to the value equation that guests will see.

I think Disney is really doing themselves a disservice by using fast pass and limiting capacity to keep wait time artificially high. They have now conditioned guests to expect long waits no matter when they take a trip, so when something new is set to open people are planning to stay away because even longer waits are just unfathomable and people don't want anything to do with it.

My wife and I took 2 trips a year for the past few years and we purposely eliminated them altogether due to expecting nightmare waits due to GE and Pandora. We decided to save all that misery till the 50th.

Peoples trips are now planned around when they expect a somewhat reasonable crowd level, not when it's actually most convenient for them to travel.