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

[lentesta]

As someone who isn’t that great with operations, How is this number good? bad? Somewhere in between?

It's likely operating at better than 90% of its theoretical capacity, maybe 93%. Depending on your grading scale, that's anywhere from a B+ to an A.

 

[TalkingHead]

Star Wars is exactly a generational problem. Say you were 10 when Star Wars came out in 1977, you're 52 today. If you were 10 when Phantom Menace came out, you're 30 today. If you were 10 when Force Awakens was released, you're 14 today. A 52, 30 and 14 year old have very different expectations of what they want out of Star Wars. Doesn't necessarily make any of those people wrong, it's just a different set of nostalgia. I grew up with the Kenner toys and seeing the originals in the theaters. I remember the dark time post-Return of the Jedi when no one cared about Star Wars anymore. I remember the extremely disappointing Prequels and now I have the experience of watching my young boys fall in love with Star Wars.

The true test of the franchise will be Rise of Skywalker. Historically both Empire and Attack of the Clones had dips after the first in the trilogy and the third movie had a bump up. If there's another drop off, then Disney has reason to be concerned. Solo was an abnormality. It had very little marketing in a very short window of time and followed one of the biggest event films in a decade (Infinity War). I think it if maintained the December release, it would've been much more successful.

Personally, I think Star Wars biggest problem is China. Until they can break in there, they're always going to fall short. A new series with new characters and original plots might help that considerably.

And to follow through on that thought: the fandom isn’t spread evenly across generations.

Star Wars was a bigger deal to the first generation when it became one of the few movies that defined a generation.

In the 90s, it was bolstered with the special edition theatrical releases and new younger viewers who were drawn in to the prequels.

Now? The movie landscape is far more crowded with franchises than it was in the 70s — Potter and Marvel and animated franchises compete with Star Wars for younger fans. I’m sure young kids like the new trilogy, but they like lots of other things, too.

 

[DoleWhipDrea]

... It doesn’t help that the ad is cringeworthy, with the “I’ve waited my whole life for this” girl.

That ad bugs me every time. I’m sure it was meant to read that the child is expressing what their parents are thinking, but it just comes off wrong. It’s the adults that have waited their whole life for this - why not appeal to them in the marketing? MFSR may not have as high of a height requirement, but actively engaging in a heist and flying the Falcon requires some finesse that a 6 year old just doesn’t have a handle on yet. ROTR will literally have guests acting as war criminals taken into custody by a Nazi-esque regime and escaping its leader. Oga’s is a bar. The best merchandise in the area starts around $200.

SWGE welcomes young and young at heart, but it looks like it was mostly built for the adults to live out their Star Wars role play dreams. The whole concept of the full immersion, the specialized dining and merchandise - it’s all reflective of a renaissance faire. Why not advertise it as such? Celebrate it, even?

 

[Stripes]

That ad bugs me every time. I’m sure it was meant to read that the child is expressing what their parents are thinking, but it just comes off wrong. It’s the adults that have waited their whole life for this - why not appeal to them in the marketing? MFSR may not have as high of a height requirement, but actively engaging in a heist and flying the Falcon requires some finesse that a 6 year old just doesn’t have a handle on yet. ROTR will literally have guests acting as war criminals taken into custody by a Nazi-esque regime and escaping its leader. Oga’s is a bar. The best merchandise in the area starts around $200.

SWGE welcomes young and young at heart, but it looks like it was mostly built for the adults to live out their Star Wars role play dreams. The whole concept of the full immersion, the specialized dining and merchandise - it’s all reflective of a renaissance faire. Why not advertise it as such? Celebrate it, even?

It doesn’t feel natural in any way whatsoever. The delivery is far too dry. When someone says “I’ve waited my whole life for this” do you picture them giddy and smiling from ear to ear in anticipation, or looking on with a rather expressionless face?

And as you stated, the parents are the ones that have waited to experience something like this. The kid doesn’t even look 13 years old.

(P.S. I don’t blame the girl’s acting. The director and writer are at fault here.)

 

[mikejs78]

Admittedly this aspect of the complaint is 100% opinion based. I just know that my opinion on this is correct and anyone that disagrees with me is incorrect.

For what it's worth, I was initially under the impression that the Sequel Trilogy was a mandate from above. Evidently, it was a Scott Trowbridge creative decision.

Admittedly this aspect of the complaint is 100% opinion based. I just know that my opinion on this is correct and anyone that disagrees with me is incorrect.

For what it's worth, I was initially under the impression that the Sequel Trilogy was a mandate from above. Evidently, it was a Scott Trowbridge creative decision.

Well, I happen to know for a fact that you're wrong. .

Interesting fact about Trowbridge. Seriously, if Chapek hadn't gotten out his red pen and gutted a lot of the imersiveness of the land, I doubt many people would be complaining about OT vs ST.

 

[RobWDW1971]

Well, I happen to know for a fact that you're wrong. .

Interesting fact about Trowbridge. Seriously, if Chapek hadn't gotten out his red pen and gutted a lot of the imersiveness of the land, I doubt many people would be complaining about OT vs ST.

Yeah, that would be cool to go to another dimension to experience a different SWGE of our hopes and dreams, but unfortunately we're left to critique the dull, depressing land that they actually built.

 

[mikejs78]

Yeah, that would be cool to go to another dimension to experience a different SWGE of our hopes and dreams, but unfortunately we're left to critique the dull, depressing land that they actually built.

many, many people have said that they really enjoy the land. It could use some additional stuff, entertainment, music, etc., but most people that I know who've been love it.

So your opinion and all, but stop trying to pass your opinion off as fact. It's not.

 

[erasure fan1]

To each their own. I certainly think it is for many. Walking in HS alone, its blasted everywhere. Lets see, a nighttime show with a large stage where multiple performances take place all day, Launch Bay, Star Tours, A whole Land dedicated to the newer films, the Jedi Academy and I am sure I missing more. That is oversaturation in a park that can't afford it.

While that is all true with the studios, that is completely different than star wars fatigue. I think it's more of an indictment on the studios more than star wars. If everyone loved the last jedi, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Did they oversaturate one park? Yea, probably. But demand for good star wars is still there. The only fatigue is of Disneys handling of the franchise.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

View attachment 410281

My wife swears Tim Tracker is actually Kermit!

 

[DoleWhipDrea]

While that is all true with the studios, that is completely different than star wars fatigue. I think it's more of an indictment on the studios more than star wars. If everyone loved the last jedi, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Did they oversaturate one park? Yea, probably. But demand for good star wars is still there. The only fatigue is of Disneys handeing of the franchise.

Hollywood Studios is a mess of a park that doesn’t have a clear identity. SWGE goes so hard on immersion and theming that the rest of the park almost looks...worse, in some ways? Obviously the park hasn’t been in good shape, with attractions that supported the park’s original thesis now defunct (GMR & the Studio Tour.) Toy Story Land is somewhat of a bridge between classic theme park design and the new all-immersive environments. And neither of these expansion areas support the theme of Hollywood. Maybe the park should be renamed to Disney’s Purchased Intellectual Properties...

Reactions to TLJ isn’t the make or break here. People will always complain, regardless what they get. You can’t please everyone, and with a huge franchise like Star Wars that has gone on for over 40 years, it’s even more complicated. It’s not *their* Star Wars. Lucas didn’t make them happy and Disney wasn’t going to either. The internet is a bubble of anger, and people that haven’t even experienced SWGE are trash talking it, which obviously is going to influence other people. The media feeds on that anger and spreads it even further.

And still, there are plenty of people that have never even watched a Star Wars film, so they don’t care about the expansion and are actively staying away due to their fear of crowds.

It’s not all one reason as to why the crowds aren’t showing up. It’s a complex mixture of different variables...all of which can still be fixed. People still love Star Wars.

The real fatigue is all IP integration. And HS is, unfortunately, just IP.

 

[marni1971]

As someone who isn’t that great with operations, How is this number good? bad? Somewhere in between?

Getting close to the operational maximum.

 

[Joesixtoe]

The internet is a bubble of anger, and people that haven’t even experienced SWGE are trash talking it, which obviously is going to influence other people. The media feeds on that anger and spreads it even further.
[/QUOTE]
How true this is. People even make money on YouTube videos hating every single move a company makes. I'm like, you can't hate every decision, your going to look inauthentic.

 

[Jones14]

Getting close to the operational maximum.

That’s awesome! When was the last time they had an E-Ticket that was this reliable right out of the gate?

 

[ThistleMae]

Universal does have better rides and attractions for teenages through age 40. But what about adults with money. Does anyone here really think Universal is a resort that people 50 and older want to go to? WDW has rides and attractions for everyone and especially for those over 50, who are the people with money to spend.

I agree that WDW is better for folks who don't enjoy thrill rides, or the bigger thrill rides anyway. I don't care for Universal myself because there aren't many rides I can go on...it's a waste of money for me. Whereas WDW is just perfect! I am over 50 but as you get older your income usually doesn't go up, it goes down when you are living on a fixed income.

 

[gmajew]

It's funny remember how mad and how much hate people had for the prequels when they came out..... Jar Jar and all of the movies were panned and hated and the old original fans complained and complained... Now they are thought of as much better films then they were and the new movies are hated.... It appears to me that the ones doing most of the complaining are the ones that want it just like their childhood and anything different we complain.... I grew up on the original ones those will always be my favorite but so far neither set of films have been bad and I can say I did enjoy them all...

Hans death sucked... Luke ending made me cry.... but I am still waiting and excited about everything Star Wars at this point.

 

[Jlasoon]

I've been seeing a lot of ads for SWGE here in Toronto (subway ads, billboards, and local tv commercials)

I've seen a ton of ads for SWGE in the Chicago area.

Of course they're advertising. They've essentially killed the 'Golden Goose' here in Florida - the local AP holders.

 

[gmajew]

Of course they're advertising. They've essentially killed the 'Golden Goose' here in Florida - the local AP holders.

Personally I am seeing way way less ads for this land then I did for NF may have even seen more for Toy Story Land then SW

 

[smile]

Evidently, it was a Scott Trowbridge creative decision.

he said that?!

 

[RSoxNo1]

he said that?!

I don't know if he's said it publicly or not, but I doubt he would hide from it. I received the information indirectly when I was pushing for information on some of Galaxy's Edge's shortcomings.

Having said all this, if I was Trowbridge, my argument against the critics and the executives that may be looking for a fall guy would be as follows:

• You cut my entertainment budget.
• You cut the advertising budget.
• You're judging an incomplete land.

 

[marni1971]

That’s awesome! When was the last time they had an E-Ticket that was this reliable right out of the gate?

It happens quite a bit. Although this ride had its troubles before opening. It’s been running on and off (and off) in Anaheim at least since Christmas.