Star Wars Land announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

[ght]

This park is going to get absolutely swamped. Harry Potter has just over a decade of medium intensity fandom...Star Wars is unparalleled. We know the size of it, and we've seen the concept art but Disney simply must match this land with ambition or it's a huge potential PR disaster. Are 2 rides enough? We'd all love to see Disney go above and beyond instead of just doing 'enough' which has seemed the way as of late. They spoke of 2 signature attractions; will there be smaller attractions too? I'd imagine interactivity will play it's part in some way.

Yeah, after last night's hysteria over the trailer for the new movie plus the record pre-sales (8 times the previous record on Fandango) it is a safe bet that the interest in Star Wars isn't waning any time soon. I doubt I will make it to the DHS one when it opens but I am kind of dreading the crowds it will be pulling in at Disneyland Park (though maybe it will syphon them away from other areas). If RSR still has 1.5-2 hour waits 3 years after it opened I can only imagine what this area is going to be like.

ETA: Not that I am not looking forward to it. It looks like it will be awesome but the crowds

 

[Disneyhead'71]

There seems to be a bit of pent up demand for this particular IP.

They better knock this one out of the park.

 

[CapitanEo]

They better knock this one out of the park.

Reference to expanding into the parking lot

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Reference to expanding into the parking lot

I sure hope so but the expanding into the parking hasn't been confirmed yet.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Yeah, after last night's hysteria over the trailer for the new movie plus the record pre-sales (8 times the previous record on Fandango) it is a safe bet that the interest in Star Wars isn't waning any time soon. I doubt I will make it to the DHS one when it opens but I am kind of dreading the crowds it will be pulling in at Disneyland Park (though maybe it will syphon them away from other areas). If RSR still has 1.5-2 hour waits 3 years after it opened I can only imagine what this area is going to be like.

ETA: Not that I am not looking forward to it. It looks like it will be awesome but the crowds

I wonder what ratings ESPN got last night with the trailer being released during halftime and did they charge advertisers to have a commercial around that time. Pretty clever.

 

[englanddg]

I wonder what ratings ESPN got last night with the trailer being released during halftime and did they charge advertisers to have a commercial around that time. Pretty clever.

Double digit.

ESPN said viewership peaked Monday night between 6:45 p.m. PDT (9:45 p.m. EDT) and 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). During that 15-minute period, the game scored a household rating of 10.5 with nearly 17 million viewers tuned in.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...ootball-ratings-star-wars-20151020-story.html

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Double digit.

ESPN said viewership peaked Monday night between 6:45 p.m. PDT (9:45 p.m. EDT) and 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). During that 15-minute period, the game scored a household rating of 10.5 with nearly 17 million viewers tuned in.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...ootball-ratings-star-wars-20151020-story.html

Awesome - thanks for the numbers

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

This park is going to get absolutely swamped. Harry Potter has just over a decade of medium intensity fandom...Star Wars is unparalleled. We know the size of it, and we've seen the concept art but Disney simply must match this land with ambition or it's a huge potential PR disaster. Are 2 rides enough? We'd all love to see Disney go above and beyond instead of just doing 'enough' which has seemed the way as of late. They spoke of 2 signature attractions; will there be smaller attractions too? I'd imagine interactivity will play it's part in some way.

Hopefully there will be more details that will come out in due time. Yes, there is the two rides that they announced at D23 along with the existing Star Tours. Upgrade Jedi Training? 14 acres is a lot to work with. I've never been to the Star Wars weekends but Disney can really outdo themselves with SWL. It doesn't seem like they have to much to work with right now with what they got.

 

[Yensid1974]

Just a quick question to those in the know. Given they haven't done any of the real construction work for SWL as of yet, if this film does happen to get to biggest film take ever, would they consider adding onto the existing plan and do even more for SW at DHS?

 

[rioriz]

There seems to be a bit of pent up demand for this particular IP.

They better knock this one out of the park.

Out of the park...I see you...

 

[Cesar R M]

Out of the park...I see you...

out of the park.. as in to Epcot?

 

[ChrisM]

Yeah, after last night's hysteria over the trailer for the new movie plus the record pre-sales (8 times the previous record on Fandango) it is a safe bet that the interest in Star Wars isn't waning any time soon. I doubt I will make it to the DHS one when it opens but I am kind of dreading the crowds it will be pulling in at Disneyland Park (though maybe it will syphon them away from other areas). If RSR still has 1.5-2 hour waits 3 years after it opened I can only imagine what this area is going to be like.

ETA: Not that I am not looking forward to it. It looks like it will be awesome but the crowds

I'm honestly somewhat concerned that even this new, revised Star Wars Land plan won't be ambitious or large enough to handle the demand.

 

[Mikejakester]

Just a quick question to those in the know. Given they haven't done any of the real construction work for SWL as of yet, if this film does happen to get to biggest film take ever, would they consider adding onto the existing plan and do even more for SW at DHS?

You beat me to this question...

 

[danlb_2000]

Just a quick question to those in the know. Given they haven't done any of the real construction work for SWL as of yet, if this film does happen to get to biggest film take ever, would they consider adding onto the existing plan and do even more for SW at DHS?

I don't know in reality how that will effect the decision, but I personally don't think it should. There is no way that this movie doesn't make it into the top 10, I know it will go higher, but for the sake of argument. I don't know why management would think the #10 highest grossing movie of the all times would be less worth of a huge expansion then the #1, especially when you consider that at the moment Disney doesn't have a ride based on any movie in the top 15, although 2 are on the way. We are also talking about one of the most recognizable and marketable franchises in the world.

 

[Coaster Lover]

I would find it very unusual that they would spend a bunch of money on a new themed section themed to a franchise that they just spent a boatload on with the intention of making multiple movies and TV shows over the next several decades and NOT have some sort of potential for future expansion of the area. However, I do not think they will put all their eggs in one basket and make an expansion to the original plans to have the opening day section be significantly larger than what has already been announced. Now, doing what Universal did and have the plans for expansion more or less ready to go and start groundbreaking a couple years after the first part opens... sure, I could definitely see that as a possibility, but I think what we see opening day will be right along the lines of what has already been announced (regardless of how successful this film is)... just personal opinion...

Personally, I hope they can really integrate the use of MagicBands into this area (much like they have talked about all along). Maybe be able to have the characters call you by name on one of the rides or in the meet-n-greets or be able to buy special Magic Bands that give you the ability to use the force and make things move or interact with things around the area (though I don't know if Disney would see that as too much of a copy-cat reaction to the wand offering that Universal has).

 

[doctornick]

I would find it very unusual that they would spend a bunch of money on a new themed section themed to a franchise that they just spent a boatload on with the intention of making multiple movies and TV shows over the next several decades and NOT have some sort of potential for future expansion of the area. However, I do not think they will put all their eggs in one basket and make an expansion to the original plans to have the opening day section be significantly larger than what has already been announced. Now, doing what Universal did and have the plans for expansion more or less ready to go and start groundbreaking a couple years after the first part opens... sure, I could definitely see that as a possibility, but I think what we see opening day will be right along the lines of what has already been announced (regardless of how successful this film is)... just personal opinion...

I wonder if it is possible that "Phase 4" (which @marni1971 has suggested would be in the Animation Building area if it were to happen) might be a second Star Wars land (i.e. a different planet) with an intrapark connector/ride between the two sections (sort of a combination of the Hogwarts Express and MK railroad) that simulates traveling between the planets.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I believe Phase 4 will most likely be a Disney IP.

 

[marni1971]

I wonder if it is possible that "Phase 4" (which @marni1971 has suggested would be in the Animation Building area if it were to happen) might be a second Star Wars land

As it stands, no.

 

[Ignohippo]

Just a quick question to those in the know. Given they haven't done any of the real construction work for SWL as of yet, if this film does happen to get to biggest film take ever, would they consider adding onto the existing plan and do even more for SW at DHS?

No. The plans are what they are.

Future expansions are possible, but that won't be for years after the new area opens, if ever.

However, until things are announced otherwise, the Muppet area of SoA remains in play. While SoA will most likely be going, I don't believe the Muppet area is part of those plans.

@marni1971 is that what you hear as well?

 

[Unplugged]

Curious about something, perhaps an "insider" or experienced project tracker can explain. I realize that the announcements of land space used for projects inside a park are restricted when they are "in the round" such as the Mine Coaster. But when they say SWL will use 14 acres and we know it is along the side of the park, is that 14 acres of accessible themed guest space and not inclusive of the attraction buildings that extend back stage, or is 14 acres the whole thing? I ask as depending on the size of the buildings and facilities required, that can eat into the themed experience a bit. I know a lot of space is proposed and I'm sure it will seem big when it opens, I was just curious to get a perspective on how much walking themed area we may see in actuality.