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

[DanielBB8]

And even that would be better than Batuu.

Absolutely.

 

[Supreme Leader]

Pixar Pier is better than Batuu. We need to set a higher standard.

The utter delusion.

 

[Supreme Leader]

Ah, if only crappy Batuu had Han Solo or had somebody actually doing something - great way to reinforce my point. Thank you.

Ok.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

I think that's fine really. I get that some people prefer some IPs and themes over others. Nothing wrong with that. I also don't think there's anything wrong with stating as such (So I hope i haven't given the impression that those opinions don't have value unto themselves). What I would hope though is that people understand where opinion and nostalgia cause blanket statements such as saying the land is a failure, to be fairly biased and harder to argue against.

In spite of my reservations about the feelings of the land overall, I actually partially cede your point that I think it’s far too premature to determine if the land is honestly a success or failure for Disneyland since what is clearly the “heart and soul“ of the land (RoTR) for which WDI seeming bet nearly all their chips on was open for a whole two months to the public on a limited basis before the park closed.

There is a very broad delta between “success” and “failure“ here. I do think one could argue that boosts in in-park spend overall are a net positive. But it’s also clear from executive comments, capital spend on project stardust, etc. that on the metric of increasing overall attendance the land overall did not meet that clearly set metric. Attendance was flat in 2019. It’s unfortunate guests only got to explore the hollowed out window dressing during all of 2019 by comparison. And because of COVID we may not even truly be able to measure “success” for a while using these traditional metrics.

I think there is room for improvement and it starts at its core with “setting the stage” for the land which should have been done from day 1 (Back in May, 2019 when they knew they could not open without the core E ticket).

 

[mickEblu]

Pixar Pier is better than Batuu. We need to set a higher standard.

If we define better as a place I want to walk around, feel some kinetic energy, see the sunset on the bay, the lights at night, ride some thrilling and fun rides it’s indeed better. Of course, it was better than Galaxies Edge as Paradise Pier 1.0 and 2.0 too.

 

[mickEblu]

And come to think about it, that part of the original Disneyland parking lot that was there before it was DCA wasn't as boring and depressing as Batuu either.

I mean those parking lot signs with the different characters on them did bring me great joy as a kid.

 

[mickEblu]

And the tram ride where you could easily fall out and the constant buzzing of the electrical towers? Man, it was like Times Square on New Years Eve compared to this:

View attachment 492530

Hey kids, look! All of your favorite droids from the movies! But blown to bits! Nah, it won't give you nightmares, it's fun!

I remember being utterly confused the first day I was herded in through Critter Country into GE in June 2019. I wish a camera would have been on me as my excited face turned into confused and then disappointed I came upon shut door after shut window and ended up at the First Order Concentration camp side. I finally saw the best parts of the land later... the Falcon, surrounding rock work, Rontos, and the marketplace (that underdelivered). But wow that first leg of my way around GE I couldn’t believe it. Through the nothingness of the ROTR side and then through all the little alleys of shut doors and windows to the depressing First Order area.

 

[mickEblu]

I was even more embarrassed as I brought a group of friends and family and had really built it up and by the time we walked the "mile of sadness" from Critter Country to the First Order side I could already hear myself starting to try to rally excitement in the awkward silence - Hey, look it's an X Wing behind a fence! Uh, look it's two stormtroopers! Uh, uh, hey, look they are selling a R2D2 in the store! Look, the Diet Coke looks like a thermal detonator! It was pretty pathetic.

After doing MFSR a couple of times and trying to explain to them what just happened on that, lunch in a storage container, and another loop around the beige emptiness we went back into Disneyland. By the end of an otherwise awesome day, truly SWGE was the least memorable part of the day and felt just like a weird detour into just a really, really badly executed terrible concept.

LMAO at mile of sadness. But the CM at the storage container restaurant says “bright suns.” You don’t like living out your story?

 

[mickEblu]

Now having over a year to process it - the storage container restaurant may end up being the most baffling of all of the truly terrible creative decisions. Imagine if you walked into WDI and said "Guys, exciting news! We are going to build a Star Wars land! That's right, a freakin' Star Wars land! We need you to come up with an amazing, one of a kind dining experience in the land! Anything you want, the world is your oyster, knock my socks off with your creativity!"

Ladies and gentlemen, WDI gave us this:

View attachment 492534

I just can't take anybody seriously who tries to defend this. Of all of the possible Star Wars environments and the idea that WDI got to create the world's first Star Wars themed restaurant they gave us....storage containers. Lots and lots and lots of storage containers.

Like every child's dream when they first saw Star Wars - "Someday, I will eat in a storage crate. Someday...."

You re right. Baffling choice. My one and only time eating at the Maersk Tavern the CM told me the moon version of bright suns. I almost said “beg your pardon” but then it occurred to me what she said. Being embarrassed for her I played along and said it back with but it was painful.

 

[Mac Tonight]

I think SWL ultimately suffers from an identity crisis. Is it an IP land? Yes. Is it an original land? Also yes. But in trying so hard to be both, it kind of fails at fully being either one.

It’s a land that so desperately wants to stand on its own, but also exists to cash in on Star Wars nostalgia. I honestly think people wouldn’t have known what to do with Batuu/Black Spire Outpost unless they attached the Star Wars name to it. But because they did, it automatically carries with it certain expectations that simply can’t (IMO) be met within the confines the land exists in.

It can’t encompass the whole franchise to everyone’s satisfaction, but at the same time, there just isn’t enough there without Star Wars to draw anyone in. It’s a true paradox.

 

[SSG]

While I don't really disagree with the last few pages of comments, I think it's an easy(ish) fix by opening up the timeline to the entire Star Wars era. Get the legacy characters in. That, and liven the place up with music, entertainment, etc. Disney can build from there.

 

[mickEblu]

While I don't really disagree with the last few pages of comments, I think it's an easy(ish) fix by opening up the timeline to the entire Star Wars era. Get the legacy characters in. That, and liven the place up with music, entertainment, etc. Disney can build from there.

How about some ivy, more trees and a water feature or two?

 

[lazyboy97o]

I just can't take anybody seriously who tries to defend this. Of all of the possible Star Wars environments and the idea that WDI got to create the world's first Star Wars themed restaurant they gave us....storage containers. Lots and lots and lots of storage containers.

But that is Star Wars. Look at the backgrounds and that’s what it is. There is a bunch of rust and junk. Step away from the bar and the infamous Mos Eisley Cantina is mostly beige walls.

 

[DanielBB8]

Now having over a year to process it - the storage container restaurant may end up being the most baffling of all of the truly terrible creative decisions. Imagine if you walked into WDI and said "Guys, exciting news! We are going to build a Star Wars land! That's right, a freakin' Star Wars land! We need you to come up with an amazing, one of a kind dining experience in the land! Anything you want, the world is your oyster, knock my socks off with your creativity!"

Ladies and gentlemen, WDI gave us this:

View attachment 492534

I just can't take anybody seriously who tries to defend this. Of all of the possible Star Wars environments and the idea that WDI got to create the world's first Star Wars themed restaurant they gave us....storage containers. Lots and lots and lots of storage containers.

Like every child's dream when they first saw Star Wars - "Someday, I will eat in a storage crate. Someday...."

Disney wants to monetize Star Wars like Harry Potter. Unfortunately, Lucas never built into what the characters ate other than Blue Milk. If they did add some dining scenes in the Sequel Trilogy instead of another Cantina or Green Milk scene, they might have some new inspiration.
Ronto Roasters is just wrong.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

What SW land probably needed was a fast-paced exciting thrill ride. The lethargic pace of Ride of the Resistance doesn't reflect the special effects scenes and rapid editing of the movies. The Millennium Falcon is just a ridiculous Xbox game with graphics that don't look cinematic and it doesn't even really feel like a ride.

 

[DanielBB8]

Here’s where star wars characters actually ate.

Aunt Beru’s house and Lando’s Cloud City with special guest Darth Vader.

 

[DanielBB8]

Let’s eat with the Ewoks. Han Solo is on the menu.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Then you have an extremely limited imagination when presented with the entire Star Wars universe as a palette with which to paint.

How about an underwater restaurant on Naboo? An ice cave on Hoth? An Ewok village in the trees? In a Jedi Temple? Cloud City overlooking Bespin?

There are countless more creative, entertaining environments to build the world’s first Star Wars restaurants - but hey, you seem excited about storage containers so WDI says thanks for the support.

Doing something different would not have been familiar and easily recognized. It would not match the aesthetic, particularly that seen in the Original Trilogy. An engaging, human-oriented environment is something that would largely be new, not previously seen. Butuu’s problem is that it does match the aesthetic of Star Wars.

Where did I express excitement?

 

[Supreme Leader]

I'm more baffled that they had a great opportunity to have a high speed Pod Racing/Speeder bike racing coaster zip in and around the Batuu mountain landscape but just passed up on it. I can just imagine it now... little animatronic Off World Jawa's shooting at you as you pass by.
Then again I think that's what can be said about Disney's handling of Star Wars, missed opportunities. I like Galaxy's Edge but lately when I think of it or discuss it there's always a "but" added at the end of the sentence. I wouldn't even have been surprised if they did have a Jedi Training show it would be a $40 upcharge.

 

[socalifornian]

I wish. Those caged battle droids are how they feel about the prequels