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

[Stripes]

Having the land based on the Sequel Trilogy is like opening the original Harry Potter Land and having it all based on Fantastic Beasts. Starring Newt, Jacob, Queenie, and Grindlewald. And setting it 70 years before Potter/Weasley/Granger are born.

Didn’t Universal state that the HP lands do not exist in a linear timeline? With the exception of the rides, there is no hint of any characters from the films in the land at all, reportedly a key stipulation of JK Rowling.

Nonetheless, Universal has had the brilliant idea to bring your premise to life.

 

[mikejs78]

True...but the early returns don’t indicate that.

It’s just as slow as usual for this month if not more slow:

October will be busy...as will most of November and December.

The problem is it has been for a decade as well and Hotel capacity is nearly the same. So if people are gonna post “ROTR wait is 2 hours..:it’s a hit!”...I’m gonna have to fire a warning shot on that. The only thing to prove it’s driving attendance are attendance numbers up property wide.

Well, there is the new tower at Coranado, and the Riviera opens in December... And hotels look nearly completely booked in October, so that is something...

 

[Stripes]

It will be thrilling, but it was never a thrill ride.

I think it’ll be like Shanghai Pirates in the sense that the thrill factor comes from the music and sights, until the end with the drop. That pit is way too deep to be just for elevator mechanics.

 

[Jones14]

The problem is it has been for a decade as well and Hotel capacity is nearly the same. So if people are gonna post “ROTR wait is 2 hours..:it’s a hit!”...I’m gonna have to fire a warning shot on that. The only thing to prove it’s driving attendance are attendance numbers up property wide.

What’s frustrating is that the crowd levels of late are what the resort *should* feel like all the time, but they underinvested and under-built the parks for so long that they can’t consider something a success unless the demand far outstrips the supply.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well, there is the new tower at Coranado, and the Riviera opens in December... And hotels look nearly completely booked in October, so that is something...

Right...

October has been packed for 10 years.
Why?
1 travel boom
2. Halloween parties
3. Food and wine festival
4. Shifting academic calendars - fall breaks and more “trimester” setups

So Coronado is an add...though it was built for convention traffic

And they took out 384 rooms of Caribbean to put in the new DVC.

...let me know if you want another shot at the title

I used to love going that first week in November...but people mobbed it and ruined it. My “never again”
Moment was 2014

I loved October...people mobbed it. My “almost never again” moment was 2008...but I tried again and hit the wall in 2010.

Large crowds with “offseason” hours? Pass.

 

[mikejs78]

Right...

October has been packed for 10 years.
Why?
1 travel boom
2. Halloween parties
3. Food and wine festival
4. Shifting academic calendars - fall breaks and more “trimester” setups

So Coronado is an add...though it was built for convention traffic

And they took out 384 rooms of Caribbean to put in the new DVC.

...let me know if you want another shot at the title

I used to love going that first week in November...but people mobbed it and ruined it. My “never again”
Moment was 2014

I loved October...people mobbed it. My “almost never again” moment was 2008...but I tried again and hit the wall in 2010.

Large crowds with “offseason” hours? Pass.

Try late April/early May or September. Best times of year crowd-wise. Although I figured out how to have fun pretty much any time with any crowd level, those two times of year are my favorite.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Try late April/early May or September. Best times of year crowd-wise. Although I figured out how to have fun pretty much any time with any crowd level, those two times of year are my favorite.

Good advice...but are you thinking I haven’t been near every week since I departed the ranks of nametags?

I have zero expectations to do anything when I go...which is why it never “disappoints”. But I’m easy...

I will say last year (2018) id rank my crowd experience as such:

February (Mardi Gras week...stay home, Louisiana): awful
Spring break: little better, not great
Labor Day lead up: good
December 28-Jan 4: surprisingly good

 

[Dan Deesnee]

One thing that has been rolling around in my head lately is comparing Batuu / SWGE to old school Epcot and some of the original creations when the parks opened like Jungle Cruise and Pirates.

Some fans seem to yearn for the good old days before Epcot was becoming IPcot by adding characters to everything. Ironically enough Disney builds SWGE and goes the more difficult route of creating something brand new instead of stuffing it with long established characters and planets. For doing this, they get roasted by a large number of people.

I just think it's an interesting juxtaposition. We bash them for adding characters to one park, then bash them for NOT adding characters to another. Don't take this as me praising SWGE, I haven't been yet. I get that it's missing icons of Star Wars, I get that people think these original trilogy characters will be mega popular forever, and I get the frustration of "why even bother calling it Star Wars".

But maybe SWGE will remain more relevant over the next 20-30-40 years because it isn't stuffed with original trilogy characters, etc. Not saying it will, but times, and people change.

 

[LukeS7]

One thing that has been rolling around in my head lately is comparing Batuu / SWGE to old school Epcot and some of the original creations when the parks opened like Jungle Cruise and Pirates.

Some fans seem to yearn for the good old days before Epcot was becoming IPcot by adding characters to everything. Ironically enough Disney builds SWGE and goes the more difficult route of creating something brand new instead of stuffing it with long established characters and planets. For doing this, they get roasted by a large number of people.

I just think it's an interesting juxtaposition. We bash them for adding characters to one park, then bash them for NOT adding characters to another. Don't take this as me praising SWGE, I haven't been yet. I get that it's missing icons of Star Wars, I get that people think these original trilogy characters will be mega popular forever, and I get the frustration of "why even bother calling it Star Wars".

But maybe SWGE will remain more relevant over the next 20-30-40 years because it isn't stuffed with original trilogy characters, etc. Not saying it will, but times, and people change.

I think the major difference is that even though it doesn’t use the OT characters it is still inherently IP-based. As someone who likes Force Awakens (and Rogue One) and someone who has been to the land, taking almost all elements from the originals out while still using the IP just feels like a shell of what it could be.

At that point, just either make it its own thing or go all the way with the IP. It’s like having the Guardians ride with none of the Guardians or music, but with Sylvester Stallone’s band of Ravagers. Conversely, Epcot was inherently not IP-based and has since been having IP shoved into it. It’s a bit of a different scenario.

I really did enjoy my experience in the land however I’m surprised at the lack of true desire/need I feel to go back to it in it’s current state.

 

[Surferboy567]

So if people are gonna post “ROTR wait is 2 hours..:it’s a hit!”...I’m gonna have to fire a warning shot on that. The only thing to prove it’s driving attendance are attendance numbers up property wide.

What about the people just going to check out RoTR? Wouldn’t that count as diving attendance (admittedly to one park but still).

 

[LukeS7]

What about the people just going to check out RoTR? Wouldn’t that count as diving attendance (admittedly to one park but still).

If it doesn't increase overall attendance across property then its net impact would still be zero. Even if DHS's numbers go up, if the numbers for Epcot, MK, and AK go down to equal it, it didn't increase attendance.

 

[Surferboy567]

If it doesn't increase overall attendance across property then its net impact would still be zero. Even if DHS's numbers go up, if the numbers for Epcot, MK, and AK go down to equal it, it didn't increase attendance.

Gotcha, didn’t realize that...thanks for the clarification. As per your countdown have fun in WDW!

 

[LukeS7]

Gotcha, didn’t realize that...thanks for the clarification. As per your countdown have fun in WDW!

I actually forgot to update that but thanks! It was for the opening of GE actually

 

[Mickeyboof]

Didn’t Universal state that the HP lands do not exist in a linear timeline? With the exception of the rides, there is no hint of any characters from the films in the land at all, reportedly a key stipulation of JK Rowling.

Nonetheless, Universal has had the brilliant idea to bring your premise to life.
View attachment 409673

But this would be the third land built, not the first.

We’ve only got one Star Wars land.

Also, just wanted to throw in that at Harry Potter, they know what magic is and celebrate it. At Star Wars, a cast member told me to not talk about lightsabers because they’re illegal. Bright suns!!!

 

[ToTBellHop]

Guys, I need some help. When I visited DHS last month, I was searching for SWGE but couldn’t find it. I wandered instead into a refreshed Honey I Shrunk the Kids that looked nothing like anything Rian or J.J. had shown me. I’m fairly confident I road the unannounced but long rumored Indiana Jones ride. We were searching for what I understand to be a cursed-by-aliens artifact called “coaxium”. No Harrison Ford but that’s par for the course on Indy rides. His solitary focus nowadays is merely staying alive so us fans can mitch and boan about how he’s not in the films.

In a nearby market, I sampled a drink that tasted like chilled monkey brain. Such attention to detail!

But seriously, where’s SWGE? Do I turn right or left at the carcass of GMR? Is it close to the corpse of the Monster Sound Show or the perpetually-embalmed-like-Stalin VotLM?

Maybe it’s still under construction at Universal’s 4th gate? So confused.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What about the people just going to check out RoTR? Wouldn’t that count as diving attendance (admittedly to one park but still).

If those people are getting on plane and buying a week at a FABULOUS Walt Disney resort and purchasing lots of yummies and swag...then yes. And will be reflected in an attendance uptick.

If it’s the normal level Holiday crowd and some locals from BVL popping in...then no

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Guys, I need some help. When I visited DHS last month, I was searching for SWGE but couldn’t find it. I wandered instead into a refreshed Honey I Shrunk the Kids that looked nothing like anything Rian or J.J. had shown me. I’m fairly confident I road the unannounced but long rumored Indiana Jones ride. We were searching for what I understand to be a cursed-by-aliens artifact called “coaxium”. No Harrison Ford but that’s par for the course on Indy rides. His solitary focus nowadays is merely staying alive so us fans can mitch and boan about how he’s not in the films.

In a nearby market, I sampled a drink that tasted like chilled monkey brain. Such attention to detail!

But seriously, where’s SWGE? Do I turn right or left at the carcass of GMR? Is it close to the corpse of the Monster Sound Show or the perpetually-embalmed-like-Stalin VotLM?

Maybe it’s still under construction at Universal’s 4th gate? So confused.

Yeah...somebody suggested it couldn’t be found in Disneyland because they hid it...

If only Anaheim hadn’t passed that city ordinance banning guide maps!! Both paper and on apps.

I hate big government

 

[The_Jobu]

But this would be the third land built, not the first.

We’ve only got one Star Wars land.

Also, just wanted to throw in that at Harry Potter, they know what magic is and celebrate it. At Star Wars, a cast member told me to not talk about lightsabers because they’re illegal. Bright suns!!!

Yeah well bright suns to you too pal!

 

[erasure fan1]

Ironically enough Disney builds SWGE and goes the more difficult route of creating something brand new instead of stuffing it with long established characters and planets. For doing this, they get roasted by a large number of people.

I just think it's an interesting juxtaposition. We bash them for adding characters to one park, then bash them for NOT adding characters to another.

But they didn't not add characters. They just added their characters. It is still Star wars so it really isn't "new". It will be a point of contention for many many many years. No one will be able to covince someone who loved the OT and is upset there isn't a Yoda meet and greet, or Lando isn't in Smugglers run. Unless Disney can make better star wars than the OT, it will always be divided. The part that rubs people the wrong way is the fact they could have made most people happy. They chose not too, most likely because of pride.

 

[Hawg G]

Caravan on a stick...it was very 80’s.

I think a better ride system would have elevated the attraction over time.

I’ll grant you that for its day it was seen as “more ambitious”...but the reality is a more thrilling ride was always warranted.

Still don’t have a true Star Wars thrillride. But that happens when you underdevelop parks for all ages

Better ride system? Only a single simulator existed before it opened. In an out of the way location.