Star Wars Weekends discontinued at Disney's Hollywood Studios

[flynnibus]

Why is the 501st different then any other outside talent Disney hires?

Mainly because when you hire in someone like an actor.. or a show.. you hire them to put on DISNEY'S approved show/product. The 501st are more like a 'celebrity' appearance in that they will be themselves... vs hiring a bunch of talent to put on your own show.

 

[danlb_2000]

Mainly because when you hire in someone like an actor.. or a show.. you hire them to put on DISNEY'S approved show/product. The 501st are more like a 'celebrity' appearance in that they will be themselves... vs hiring a bunch of talent to put on your own show.

I am thinking more of the acts that appear at Epcot like the Lumberjacks for example, or Mulch Sweat and Shears at DHS.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think people are missing the main point here.

This is Disney just stopping ONE PRODUCT - SWW. It's not like Disney is saying "no more star wars events"

You'd be a loon to think Disney isn't going to be using DHS as a 'home base' for many many Star Wars events in the future. This is just the closure of one product... to make way for other new ideas.

The current product of concentrated SW merchandise and M&Gs doesn't necessarily fit the new DHS build out. They'll be announcing other things to try to draw fans in and events to cooincide with other events (think movie premiers, etc).

As one door closes.. another opens.

Or in WDW's case it's replaced with a construction wall for a decade or so...

 

[Incomudro]

Or in WDW's case it's replaced with a construction wall for a decade or so...

The glass is always half empty with you, isn't it?

 

[flynnibus]

I am thinking more of the acts that appear at Epcot like the Lumberjacks for example, or Mulch Sweat and Shears at DHS.

But note.. those are examples where they may have had an act outside of Disney.. that isn't the branded product they are putting on while at Disney. It's like putting up a Cover Band... vs having a national label band put up. Sure that band ultimately gains an identity, but an identify usually defined by what people know them as within Disney.

The talent isn't Disney created... but the product is disney owned and managed. You can't do that when they have too much of an identity before and outside Disney.

 

[ford91exploder]

I guess I just see that there are a lot more positives happening here than negatives that are Star Wars specific.

Short Term: Launch Bay, additional scene to Star Tours, Season of the Force with new fireworks (at least), updated Jedi Academy.

Long Term: Star Wars Land by around 2019 with 2 major attractions (and I am sure other experiences, M&G's, etc).

With a total transformation of DHS, you have to be naive not to expect some inconveniences to occur during the transformation. As I mentioned, I do get the fact that this is a disappointment in the short term for those that attend SWW. I just think in the long term, it is going to be worth it.

Why do you have such confidence that the new SWL will be amazing, The recent additions at MK are ahem underwhelming.

 

[Andrew C]

Why do you have such confidence that the new SWL will be amazing, The recent additions at MK are ahem underwhelming.

Star Wars lends itself to be amazing. And it seems to me the intentions of Star Wars land is entirely different than their intentions with the recent FL additions.

 

[ford91exploder]

The glass is always half empty with you, isn't it?

In the case of WDW make that glass 9/10'ths empty, I'm sorry but at WDW Disney has not done AMAZING for a very long time. Example look at the absolutely amazing AKL, Then look at the BLT where they did a brilliant job of matching the style of the contemporary but cheaped out on the furnishing of the BLT, Now GFV where they did not even bother to match the architectural details of the GF. Now move to the Poly where they simply refurbed rooms and called it a 'Villa'

Based on WDW's recent track record I'm not hopeful that SWL will amaze or impress the fans who are hoping for something amazing but it's in the hands of Burbank whose core value is 'how cheap can you make it'.

Disney bought Lucasfilm for the toy sales revenue, I'm sorry but they don't see SW in the same light as the legions of fans to them it's simply an 'IP' which sells boatloads of toys and has a metric crapton of licensing deals.

 

[rucifee]

Star Wars lends itself to be amazing. And it seems to me the intentions of Star Wars land is entirely different than their intentions with the recent FL additions.

Time will tell. I am skeptical, but optimistic. They need the crew that designed Harry Potter "land", the current generation of imagineers leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Captain Neo]

Star Wars weekends was an OK thing to do once but it got boring when its a similar set up every year with very little new content and that Hyperspace Hoopla thing was embarrassing and to be honest hurt the brand.

 

[Captain Neo]

Time will tell. I am skeptical, but optimistic. They need the crew that designed Harry Potter "land", the current generation of imagineers leaves a lot to be desired.

The main guy who designed harry potter land IS the one leading the Star Wars land project.

 

[Bulldog1653]

I think it's great that you're all volunteers. Is there a way we can find out the location and dates of the events the 501st will be at since Disney will no longer have the best of the best performing? It might help make up for Disney's lack of SW attractions for a few years.

This link wll direct you to the page for the Garrison in your local city/state.
http://www.501st.com/members/displayUnits.php#garrisons

 

[raymusiccity]

The value of the price compared to 5,8, or 10 years ago? And how much prices have gone up at Disney?

Beating a dead horse. All venues have increased their ticket prices exponentially. Sea World just raised their price of admission to $99.00. Where's the outcry regarding that 'value' ?

 

[FigmentForver96]

Beating a dead horse. All venues have increased their ticket prices exponentially. Sea World just raised their price of admission to $99.00. Where's the outcry regarding that 'value' ?

Two wrongs don't make a right. I'm sure you could search the sea world forum and find plenty of complaints about their pricing.

 

[marni1971]

Beating a dead horse. All venues have increased their ticket prices exponentially. Sea World just raised their price of admission to $99.00. Where's the outcry regarding that 'value' ?

Not really relevant. If I stuck my hand in the fire would you do so too?
Its comparing Disney to Disney. And the standards and values they used to hold themselves to.

Maybe a Seaworld forum would have a similar discussion.

 

[rucifee]

Beating a dead horse. All venues have increased their ticket prices exponentially. Sea World just raised their price of admission to $99.00. Where's the outcry regarding that 'value' ?

Cost of entry doesn't in itself define value.

 

[rucifee]

The main guy who designed harry potter land IS the one leading the Star Wars land project.

If this is true, my confidence will increase significantly. Seeing Disney's Fantasy Land in comparison to Harry Potter blows my mind at how much better HP is. HP is completely immersive where FL is underwhelming as it feels shoehorned in and incomplete.

 

[ford91exploder]

If this is true, my confidence will increase significantly. Seeing Disney's Fantasy Land in comparison to Harry Potter blows my mind at how much better HP is. HP is completely immersive where FL is underwhelming as it feels shoehorned in and incomplete.

The key to this is will Burbank ALLOW the team to build an immersive land as the money people have the upper hand. While we know the approved budget is 3.5 billion, All it's gonna take is some clown in Burbank to say 'We can build an adequate SWL for 1.75 billion' and the wheels will fall off and fat bonuses will be handed to all and sundry in the mahogany paneled suites in Burbank.

As a result we the SW fanbase will be left with a pale shadow of what SHOULD have and might have been (like 7DMT which if Burbank had allowed the spend to build what WDI proposed would have been an E-ticket in all senses of the word).

The Disney Defenders get on me but the simple fact is I look at WDW these days the same way Burbank does through the lens of money and when I hear of grandiose plans for expansion I immediately discount them because well that requires spend and in EACH earnings call TWDC is guiding domestic P&R CAPEX to lower levels. Cuts on the other hand flow straight through to the bottom line and I have no trouble believing those will occur.

 

[raymusiccity]

Two wrongs don't make a right. I'm sure you could search the sea world forum and find plenty of complaints about their pricing.

I guess I was imprecise in response to an earlier comment regarding 'The value of the price compared to 5,8, or 10 years ago? And how much prices have gone up at Disney?'.

You can discuss value and ticket prices all day, but, supply, demand, and greed have driven the cost of 'entertainment' to ridiculous levels: i.e. The New York Yankees charge up to $2,500 to sit behind home plate!

 

[danlb_2000]

Time will tell. I am skeptical, but optimistic. They need the crew that designed Harry Potter "land", the current generation of imagineers leaves a lot to be desired.

Is the problem with the Imagineers, or is that they aren't being given enough freedom and money?