RescueTheDay
Well-Known Member
I’m confused on why we’re saying the wait times are back to their pre-holiday times. I’m currently at the park and it’s quite busy with all main rides posting pretty long waits.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
What's with the wait times!? (hint.. they're low)
- Thread starter Model3 McQueen
- Start date
TROR
Well-Known Member
My family does not share my love of theme park design and even they found the ride to be a let down and described the land as dull. I really haven't seen high praise anywhere for it, if I'm being honest.
WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
A 1.5 billion dollar investment isn't made to keep the status quo. Not investing 1.5 billion dollars is what you do when you want to keep the status quo.
Here's what I think the reasons are in the order that they affect the current ticket sales:
1) Overall damage to the Star Wars brand was much greater than some wish to admit.
2) One ride and a plethora of retail leads to the perception of gouging.
3) Combined ticket price increases and AP blockout.
4) Millenium Falcon Smuggler's Run is another simulator, no matter how you spin it. And people already have Star Tours.
5) You don't interact or talk with Luke, Han, Leia, Vader, the Emperor, R2D2, C3PO, Marketing Ball (BB8), Yoda (one voice line counts not), Darth Maul, Anakin, etc, etc, etc... and clearly Rey, Poe, Finn, and Ben aren't pulling anybody to the land.
As for non-Disney fans... it's hard to find any of those anymore. Are they Marvel fans? Then they're Disney fans. Are they Star Wars fans? Then they're Disney fans. Do they like the Simpsons? Disney fans. Do they enjoy Bob's Burgers? Disney fans. Do they enjoy a good Kermit the Frog impression? Yep, you guessed it. So, honestly, I have no metric for determining who is and who isn't a Disney fan anymore.
Well, the wait times are public...
https://www.isitpacked.com/live-crowd-trackers/disneyland/
Except for those who got the media day invitation basically.
WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
It has nothing to do with what I or anybody else wants. Disney needs an immediate boost and evidence of ROI. Right now, it is 6PM with 70 degrees, sunny weather, and MFSR has a 50 minute (inflated) wait time. They're having to cut seasonal employees and some rides are running at reduced capacity. They've reduced their ticket effectively by more than 50%. Disney is a business and these are not good business results at the moment.
britain
Well-Known Member
Interesting thoughts, thanks.
I can say as a Star Wars fan personally, I do NOT want to interact with people pretending to be Han, Luke or Leia. The OT characters are too dear to me to be turned into meet and greet fakery. Sure, a Vader-centric RotR would be nice, but since RotR isn’t even open yet that can’t be the problem.
One thing that I think we need to keep our eyes on is the MARKETING, both actual and informal/social. When no one shows up for a movie on opening weekend, it’s either because the advertising wasn’t compelling (well, not as compelling as the competition) or word has gotten round that the film is a stinker. The actual quality of the film doesn't impact opening weekend at all.
NOBODY was spreading poor word of mouth about the land prior to its opening. Even Tony Baxter (who clearly had other ideas about how it should have been done) avoided giving his opinion. While many people have expressed thoughts about GE's flaws AFTER visiting, none of those reasons can possibly be why people aren't showing up in the first place.
For example "Where's the John Williams music?" is a common complaint I hear. But that cannot possibly have anything to do with why large crowds aren't there. It's a flaw that can only be observed in person, you know, by people who are there!
I agree with the “sameness” of simulators problem. I'm beginning to think that Joe Q. Public chalked the commercials with families in the Falcon cockpit as mere advertising puffery. "Sure, it's probably just Star Tours again. Wake me when there's something new." WDI did such a good job recreating the Falcon that it looks like it couldn't possibly be the real ride!
I also don't think the general public discerns a difference between Seasons of the Force, March of the First Order type stuff, and this new land. If they don't have a legitimate RIDE to promote, the commercials tend to show kids hugging Chewie or teens being moved along by Stormtroopers. How is this any different from the ads from last year? Better Star Wars set-dressing in the background? Not a good enough reason to go the park.
Supreme Leader
Well-Known Member
They have over 10 videos just bashing the recent Star Wars films alone. Stop giving these losers money by watching their content. Truly the toilet of the internet.
I loved hearing the Harry Potter soundtrack when visiting Wizarding World, so why is hearing the soundtrack from Star Wars wrong? I just don’t get the argument. The soundtrack is entirely the reason the movie resonated with audiences. The
Lands or Worlds in Star Wars are distinctive. They shouldn’t be duplicated, but they try. Batuu is not Star Wars. Tatooine is it. I rather see Luke, Han with Chewbacca, and Leia walkabout characters than Rey who is still an empty canvas who we are still trying to figure out her origins. Galaxy’s Edge is not my Star Wars. It’s no one’s.
Lands or Worlds in Star Wars are distinctive. They shouldn’t be duplicated, but they try. Batuu is not Star Wars. Tatooine is it. I rather see Luke, Han with Chewbacca, and Leia walkabout characters than Rey who is still an empty canvas who we are still trying to figure out her origins. Galaxy’s Edge is not my Star Wars. It’s no one’s.
WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
How would you like it if the Jedi Training Stage was moved to the Resistance Area, and along with some changes to the script that kept it thematically consistent, at the end of the show, a holographic Luke Skywalker and Master Yoda are displayed on the stage? They could have both encouraged the young padawans to stay true to the light and always fight against the dark side. That's the kind of stuff that was cut because Lucasfilm Story Group was adamant that SW:GE takes place after TLJ and there aren't young jedis being trained by jedi masters.
So when you see people who knew about the poor decisions being made who feel validated now, that's sort of why. Do you know what could have been with a 1.5 billion dollar investment compared to what we have? That's roughly 14 times the budget for Mount Everest after inflation. That's 14 Mount Everests!
But I really hate the recent Star Wars films.
But that is actually not a terrible wait time considering FastPass is not being used (as that would at least double it) and it has been open for more than a month. And you are only contributing to a narrative which could lead to overcrowding and long uncomfortable wait times again. But I understand what you are saying.
britain
Well-Known Member
That does sound like it would’ve been nice, but it also would’ve looked like more of the same. Jedi training Academy has been in all the advertisements for Disneyland for many years now! How would including that in Galaxy’s Edge have made thousands show up?
Should’ve included a Batuu version of a speederbike coaster. Photographs well, easily understood, easily marketed.
Last edited:
WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
All that I'm suggesting is that if you put me in as a project lead on an expansion, and you gave me a budged of 1.5 billion dollars... I will guarantee you that I would have more than two rides, a tiny cantina, a light saber experience, and a bunch of retail. Again, that's 14 Everests and they built 2 rides, 1 tiny cantina, 1 light saber experience, and a bunch of retail. Where's the virtual reality pod racers? Where's the X-Wing indoor coaster? Where's blue milk that actually tastes like it wasn't squeezed out of a terrestrial fruit juice bottle? Where's the backstory for the current fireworks with their own music and score that happens only in SW:GE? Where's C3PO and R2D2? Where's the live actors, droids, and aliens?
I can keep going and going... but it's just sickening that they spent 1.5 billion and the last 14 acres... and this is all we got. It looks like Disney's Middle Eastern Kingdom Theme Park. It's even worse that they tore down a bunch of DHS and plopped this on it rather than increasing the park's footprint and capacity. DHS actually LOST total attraction count when they put this thing in. It boggles the mind...
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
14 Everest’s.... goodness. We should have at least 6 attractions for that budget. 2 coaster style, 1 dark ride, 1 simulator, 1 peoplemover style, and 1 special effects show (yoda showing off the force?).
TP2000
Well-Known Member
That always happens in July and August. It makes me laugh because so many East Coasters think Disneyland is a locals-only park. If they only knew that the United Nations descends on Disneyland every summer. And spring. And Christmas. And most weekends.
ThemeParkTraveller
Well-Known Member
Where are you getting that budget? Most reported sources claim Galaxy's Edge cost $1 billion.
eddie104
Well-Known Member
shambolicdefending
Well-Known Member
Not that you were asking me, but my sense is that there are two root causes.
First, Disney's version of Star Wars isn't as appealing as they thought it was. Second, letting the park become overcrowded has done serious damage to Disneyland's appeal outside of the AP community.
britain
Well-Known Member
Do you mean Disneyland's new land isn't as appealing as they thought it was? Or the recent movies aren't as appealing as they thought they were?