Why Disneyland’s $1 billion Star Wars land isn’t a bust despite flat attendance - OCR/SCNG

[Mac Tonight]

When the land was in development I was happy to hear it would be “original” yet still posted a few times that the idea of an original IP land is a bit counterintuitive even if it’s what I preferred at the time. I still think it was the right choice for Disneyland but with the wrong execution. I know now personally would have preferred their original Star Wars plans for Tomorrowland. Without getting into the repercussions for TL.

The thing I had/have against SWL in general is that Star Wars as a franchise is almost too big to fit inside one theme park land (even a 14-acre one) and please everyone's individual tastes. For that reason, I agree that making an original, never-before-seen place was the only choice that made sense. It's just a shame the place they created was just, "meh".

It's the same problem I had/have with Marvel Land: Avengers Campus: brought to you by Circuit City.
Trying to fit the entire MCU into one cohesive space is just too tall a task. It's why every experience has to be centered around the characters.

 

[smooch]

Rey is in the land. She's a Skywalker right?

She literally isn't, she's a Palpatine. Just because she calls herself a Skywalker at the end doesn't mean she is. This isn't even an opinion / Rey criticism, it's an objective truth.

 

[mickEblu]

It doesn’t. Black Spire Outpost ignores well established design principles of creating comfortable, habitable space. It might tell it’s story well and be full of props, but it’s an environment that is intentionally uninviting.

Right. And how can this ever be the right choice for a theme park? An attraction maybe. An entire land. No

 

[mickEblu]

The thing I had/have against SWL in general is that Star Wars as a franchise is almost too big to fit inside one theme park land (even a 14-acre one) and please everyone's individual tastes. For that reason, I agree that making an original, never-before-seen place was the only choice that made sense. It's just a shame the place they created was just, "meh".

It's the same problem I had/have with Marvel Land: Avengers Campus: brought to you by Circuit City.
Trying to fit the entire MCU into one cohesive space is just too tall a task. It's why every experience has to be centered around the characters.

I agree. Star Wars and Marvel can make for great attractions. Theme park lands. Not so much.

 

[Mac Tonight]

I agree. Star Wars and Marvel can make for great attractions. Theme park lands. Not so much.

I mean, not that I'm advocating for this to happen, but they probably should have given both those properties their own parks. Or at least one giant park to share.

The amount of opportunities with that would be staggering.

 

[mickEblu]

I mean, not that I'm advocating for this to happen, but they probably should have given both those properties their own parks. Or at least one giant park to share.

The amount of opportunities with that would be staggering.

I agree. And then back at DL, Thinking of the possibilities of what they could have done with those 14 acres makes me salivate. Something a la Fantasy Springs from TDS? A new original land? Avatar?

 

[mickEblu]

This might sound disingenuous but I’d rather have Big Thunder Ranch/ BBQ and Hungry Bear being riverside (and the expansion space) over what we got with Galaxies Edge. That stuff felt like Disneyland.


EDIT: Forgot about the improved crowd flow and extra capacity due to GE so that makes it a bit tougher. But still 14 acres of expansion space break the tie for me.

 

[Mac Tonight]

I agree. And then back at DL, Thinking of the possibilities of what they could have done with those 14 acres makes me salivate. Something a la Fantasy Springs from TDS? A new original land? Avatar?

Definitely a new original land. Something not created in the corporate “synergy” think tank.

While I do think Avatar land looks cool, it doesn’t really feel Disneyland appropriate to me and works best as an AK exclusive.

 

[mickEblu]

Definitely a new original land. Something not created in the corporate “synergy” think tank.

While I do think Avatar land looks cool, it doesn’t really feel Disneyland appropriate to me and works best as an AK exclusive.

No Avatar doesn’t in terms of scale (haven’t been there but from what I understand) and yet I would have preferred Pandora 100x more than GE.

Something original would be ideal. And give me some BBQ back

 

[Mac Tonight]

No Avatar doesn’t in terms of scale (haven’t been there but from what I understand) and yet I would have preferred Pandora 100x more than GE.

Something original would be ideal. And give me some BBQ back

Agreed. Pandora is at least visually appealing.

 

[Disney Irish]

She literally isn't, she's a Palpatine. Just because she calls herself a Skywalker at the end doesn't mean she is. This isn't even an opinion / Rey criticism, it's an objective truth.

Well if you want to get technical there has been some debate on the complete lineage of Anakin since his father is unknown. While LucasFilms claims otherwise at this point some have theorized that Palpatine is technically his father due to possibly manipulating of the force causing Shmi to get pregnant and give birth to Anakin. So if that ever becomes canon he would technically be a Palapatine as well, meaning that Luke by extension is as well. Leading to a linkage of the family lines.

Now throwing all that out for a moment, what is in a last name anyways. Many generations ago a last name was based on many things like region you were born, profession, or many other things chosen by a person. So this idea of a last name lineage is a more modern construct. And in this country you can literally change your last name to be anything you want it to be. So there is nothing stopping her from calling herself Skywalker if she wants, other than some fans disliking it.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Right. And how can this ever be the right choice for a theme park? An attraction maybe. An entire land. No

Disney designed a weather beaten, battle scarred, desolate outpost of a spaceport on the outer rim of the Galaxy. Yep! Very Star Wars. Ok, so the milk stand's Faux milk products need reformulation, SAVI's Light Saber building experience needs to be re-opened and the Space Ship full emersion experience needs to be finished. I have HOPE all will be fully on line, soon. That said, been there done that prior to COVID and I liked it. Now I want to get the post COVID experience.

 

[DanielBB8]

The thing I had/have against SWL in general is that Star Wars as a franchise is almost too big to fit inside one theme park land (even a 14-acre one) and please everyone's individual tastes. For that reason, I agree that making an original, never-before-seen place was the only choice that made sense. It's just a shame the place they created was just, "meh".

It's the same problem I had/have with Marvel Land: Avengers Campus: brought to you by Circuit City.
Trying to fit the entire MCU into one cohesive space is just too tall a task. It's why every experience has to be centered around the characters.

Wow, they couldn’t do it so they did it less? If they gotten TATOONIE right, they would have so much demand, they will seek other Star Wars lands in DCA and the WDW parks (4 parks) and everywhere. This is no different than Universal putting Harry Potter in 2 Parks and a rumored Ministry of Magic in their Epic theme park.
As for Marvel, there are plenty of characters that could have their own attractions. The approach would be different but they are not under any restraint with themed lands.

WDW: Epcot gets Coruscant, Animal Kingdom gets Endor, Magic Kingdom gets Dagobah.

There’s also a Jedi Council that needs a place to visit.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

I don't see how whether it's Luke Skywalker or Rey Skywalker makes much of a difference at all. Might as well just have made it a Star Trek land then.

Rey is not nor will she ever be a Skywalker.

 

[DanielBB8]

Rey is not a Skywalker. She just throwing the line. She’s a Palpatine.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Wow, they couldn’t do it so they did it less? If they gotten TATOONIE right, they would have so much demand, they will seek other Star Wars lands in DCA and the WDW parks (4 parks) and everywhere. This is no different than Universal putting Harry Potter in 2 Parks and a rumored Ministry of Magic in their Epic theme park.
As for Marvel, there are plenty of characters that could have their own attractions. The approach would be different but they are not under any restraint with themed lands.

WDW: Epcot gets Coruscant, Animal Kingdom gets Endor, Magic Kingdom gets Dagobah.View attachment 492330View attachment 492331
There’s also a Jedi Council that needs a place to visit.

OR... they just create one theme park for ALL of Star Wars, and leave Disneyland alone.

 

[DanielBB8]

OR... they just create one theme park for ALL of Star Wars, and leave Disneyland alone.

It might still revert to Disneyland if they can’t get the demand. Sorry, what you’re saying is another all or nothing approach.

 

[Mac Tonight]

It might still revert to Disneyland if they can’t get the demand. Sorry, what you’re saying is another all or nothing approach.

All I'm saying is that there is enough Star Wars material throughout the entire franchise to create it's own theme park instead of trying to condense and shove it all into a 14-acre plot of land.

The least they cold have done was make SWL different on each coast.

 

[DanielBB8]

All I'm saying is that there is enough Star Wars material throughout the entire franchise to create it's own theme park instead of trying to condense and shove it all into a 14-acre plot of land.

The least they cold have done was make SWL different on each coast.

And I said it could be Tatooine in 14 acres. At least give me what I want.

 

[Mac Tonight]

And I said it could be Tatooine in 14 acres. At least give me what I want.

And even that would be better than Batuu.