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

[Phroobar]

It's beginning to look a lot like Life Day.....

New Star Wars Holiday Special Coming to Disney+

Lucasfilm and Star Wars are getting back into the holiday game with a brand new special on Disney+ [...]

comicbook.com

How are they going to do that when Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Art Carney are all dead?

 

[SoCalMort]

How are they going to do that when Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Art Carney are all dead?

From the USA Today article referenced in the above and linked below:

.....He adds that Lego versions of some of the Wookiee characters from the ‘70s special will appear in the upcoming update. Any chance of Lego Bea Arthur?

“Well, you can wait and see," Rimes says. "I don't want to spoil anything.”

'Star Wars' exclusive: New Disney+ Lego holiday special pays homage to its kitschy 1978 predecessor

Exclusive: Premiering Nov. 17 on Disney+, “The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special” brings Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron back together to celebrate Life Day.

www.usatoday.com

They even quote @George Lucas on a Bench : "That's one of those things that happened, and I just have to live with it,” Lucas said in a 2002 Maxim interview.

 

[SSG]

It's beginning to look a lot like Life Day.....

New Star Wars Holiday Special Coming to Disney+

Lucasfilm and Star Wars are getting back into the holiday game with a brand new special on Disney+ [...]

comicbook.com

 

[Disney Irish]

How are they going to do that when Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Art Carney are all dead?

Voice impressionist?

 

[Phroobar]

Voice impressionist?

What? Like a ventriloquist? Like a Jeff Dunham?

 

[Disney Irish]

What? Like a ventriloquist? Like a Jeff Dunham?

You know its not live action right? Its Lego animation, no need for ventriloquism...

So they can get someone like Ralph Garman, Frank Caliento, or any other voice actor that can impersonate those actors no longer with us.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

The circle is now complete...

 

[Californian Elitist]

Apparently the Imagineers that worked on SW:GE were let go not too long after it opened.

 

[mickEblu]

Apparently the Imagineers that worked on SW:GE were let go not too long after it opened.

Where did you hear that? If true, I wonder if that’s because they were not needed anymore or because the powers that be weren’t pleased with the response.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Where did you hear that? If true, I wonder if that’s because they were not needed anymore or because the powers that be weren’t pleased with the response.

One of my friends I went to USC with was a TA for a professor who is also an Imagineer this past semester. The class had other Imagineers come in a guest speak and one of them spilled the beans to the class. The Imagineer said Disney “cleaned house” and fired everyone who worked on the project, according to my friend. Based on how my friend described it, they were let go because of the poor response and how much it sucks. Yikes.

 

[mickEblu]

One of my friends I went to USC with was a TA for a professor who is also an Imagineer this past semester. The class had other Imagineers come in a guest speak and one of them spilled the beans to the class. The Imagineer said Disney “cleaned house” and fired everyone who worked on the project, according to my friend. Based on how my friend described it, they were let go because of the poor response and how much it sucks. Yikes.

Not happy to hear a lot of people lost their jobs but not surprising at all. Also, is it really all the imagineers faults or just the few in charge like Trowbridge? I imagine the rest of them are mostly taking orders.

I knew things were bad when a few months after the land opened Trowbridge was point blank asking the audience where he was speaking if they liked “being part of the story.” It was the way he asked it where you could see he was just genuinely confused because he did not get reaction he was expecting for SWL. Of course that always makes me laugh because he thinks that CMs telling us “bright suns” makes us feel that we are part of some story. Not realizing that for a guests to get to GE they have to walk past 3 lands that are 100x more immersive and full of life.

 

[Disney Irish]

I knew things were bad when a few months after the land opened Trowbridge was point blank asking the audience where he was speaking if they liked “being part of the story.” It was the way he asked it where you could see he was just genuinely confused because he did not get reaction he was expecting for SWL. Of course that always makes me laugh because he thinks that CMs telling us “bright suns” makes us feel that we are part of some story. Not realizing that for a guests to get to GE they have to walk past 3 lands that are 100x more immersive and full of life.

They took a huge chance attempting to create something original from an existing IP, they obviously swung and missed. However I don't fault them too much for actually taking a chance. I fault them rather for the execution. Hopefully they do better next time.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Not happy to hear a lot of people lost their jobs but not surprising at all. Also, is it really all the imagineers faults or just the few in charge like Trowbridge? I imagine the rest of them are mostly taking orders.

I knew things were bad when a few months after the land opened Trowbridge was point blank asking the audience where he was speaking if they liked “being part of the story.” It was the way he asked it where you could see he was just genuinely confused because he did not get reaction he was expecting for SWL. Of course that always makes me laugh because he thinks that CMs telling us “bright suns” makes us feel that we are part of some story. Not realizing that for a guests to get to GE they have to walk past 3 lands that are 100x more immersive and full of life.

I agree, it doesn’t make me happy to hear folks were fired. Regardless of what they came up with, it was approved.

Disney should fire themselves at this point, with all the BS they’ve been giving us.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Using cutting edge state of the art digital effects and computer software, I was able to create a replica of the ultimate Disney Star Wars adventure. It's Galaxy's Edge!

 

[smooch]

Not happy to hear a lot of people lost their jobs but not surprising at all. Also, is it really all the imagineers faults or just the few in charge like Trowbridge? I imagine the rest of them are mostly taking orders.

I knew things were bad when a few months after the land opened Trowbridge was point blank asking the audience where he was speaking if they liked “being part of the story.” It was the way he asked it where you could see he was just genuinely confused because he did not get reaction he was expecting for SWL. Of course that always makes me laugh because he thinks that CMs telling us “bright suns” makes us feel that we are part of some story. Not realizing that for a guests to get to GE they have to walk past 3 lands that are 100x more immersive and full of life.

I honestly believe it's a mix of management and Imagineers, but I have a feeling a lot of the Imagineer part is due to management. I have heard that some people in the industry have went to work at other companies like Universal because of the constraints modern Disney puts on Imagineers and how their ideas are turned down / downsized (which is reasonable but not at the level modern Disney does likes the GE roaming characters and stunt shows and droids being cut) to the point where they feel like they don't get to come up with actual ideas, that they are given a concept and have to follow strict and limiting constraints. However I do feel like Imagineering doesn't use a lot of classic effects and instead come up with modern "high tech" effects that don't always work too well. One example is the overuse of screens instead of actual sets and props. I know this is the DLR side but when I went on Na'vi River Journey at Animal Kingdom there is a part where a few of the the leopard looking creatures in the background walking on logs on a screen and it's very obvious it's just a screen on a wall. I would genuinely prefer an animatronic of the front half of the animal with just a moving head since it's in the background and not a piece in the forefront. I'm sure they do that to cost cuts as well which is again a problem with management, but it just feels like the classic effects have been left behind for the most part and the sad part is they aren't as convincing and lack the charm. I don't think all new tech is bad, projection mapping works really well in certain cases to enhance existing attractions.

I also think Imagineering takes itself too seriously which is sad. Their whole "live your own Star Wars adventure" and the fact that Pandora is considered part of the canon timeline like Galaxy's Edge is so ridiculous, they pride themselves on creating a "theme park experience unlike any other" and then try to pretend you're not in a theme park. It's ridiculous, that's how Disneyland has always worked. That's why each area of the park has unique costumes and someone like a Jungle Cruise Skipper exists or like the cast members on the Haunted Mansion behaving in the spooky way they do. You don't need to tell them to act like they aren't in a theme park, though. The lingo and terms of GE caused a lot of confusion for average families visiting the parks from stories I've heard online like calling Savi's "scrap" and saying the fireworks were "aerial fights" or "explosions" or whatever, you don't need to act like you're not in a theme park. They talk about how they give you a unique experience unlike a theme park but then literally build a theme park land where you get to ride 2 rides, spend $300 for a droid and lightsaber, buy a bunch of food / drinks and merch, and watch (a few) characters from the IP walk around. That's what every other land offers minus all the space taken for two upcharge experiences in a land with otherwise nothing to do but spend money when you're done with the 2 rides. It isn't a unique experience that's radically different from anything else, it is fundamentally the same with added pretentiousness that they pat themselves on the back for. If I see hundreds / thousands of guests walking around GE with Mickey ears and carrying lightsabers they built and I have to book a reservation to build a lightsaber or ride the flagship ride of the land then it is very clear I'm not actually in the Star Wars universe. Using an iPhone as a data pad to "hack" things around the land that have no real input on interactions anywhere is not "living a Star Wars adventure." The promises of your performance on the Millenium Falcon influencing interactions with bartenders and walkaround characters is gone from what I understand, you hacking for the Resistance or First Order has no change on any interaction. The land isn't dynamic and doesn't change based on what happens, it is not a "living, changing experience based on your actions" it is a theme park land with a phone game that was oversold in what it will do for your experience.

I think Imagineers should take their job seriously, obviously, but they don't seem to have as much fun with it, they take everything too seriously. Some things in a theme park should be goofy family fun, not everything has to be an incredible new experience that is pushing boundaries (as much fun as that would be) and they seem like they've forgotten how to do that, whether it be the Imagineers themselves or the influence management has on them. The major IP push is what bothers me the most, Pandora and Cars Land are very impressive (I haven't visited GE so I can't speak on it personally) lands but my problem is that EVERYTHING is an IP now, nothing like Jungle Cruise or BTMRR or Space Mountain or the Haunted Mansion. Yes Disney has always used IP whether it be their own or other IPs (which they now all own) but there was a mix of non-IP and IP. I can't think of anything substantial added to Disneyland recently that isn't an IP and that's a problem for me. Again I find that to definitely be a management problem. It's so sad to hear that the land did so poorly because of management and Imagineers and just getting rid of everyone who worked on it. Management needs to be held responsible too.

 

[Curious Constance]

Its actually good to hear some confirmation that Disney considered it a failure. But disturbing to think they fired the creative people behind it and did nothing about the people on top that took all the money and creative freedom away from those creative people. Sounds like the big wigs are really out of touch with reality.

 

[el_super]

One of my friends I went to USC with was a TA for a professor who is also an Imagineer this past semester. The class had other Imagineers come in a guest speak and one of them spilled the beans to the class. The Imagineer said Disney “cleaned house” and fired everyone who worked on the project, according to my friend. Based on how my friend described it, they were let go because of the poor response and how much it sucks. Yikes.

Imagineering is inherently project based work, and Imagineers are usually let go when not assigned to a new project. For Galaxy's Edge, WDI had entire office buildings of designers and engineers setup backstage at Disneyland. They were there for the design and construction, and by May of 2019, before it even opened, they were all cleared out.

Shouldn't read too much into it, as far as the reception to Galaxy's Edge goes. They fired the creative team that built Tokyo Disney Sea too.

All the creative folks that worked on Galaxy's Edge are still there. Trowbridge, Kalama, Beatty, and Kerrison. They're all still working on Star Wars projects. If I am remembering correctly, Trowbridge is actually the portfolio owner for all of Disneyland Park, and just recently showed up during an in-house 65th Anniversary presentation.

 

[el_super]

Its actually good to hear some confirmation that Disney considered it a failure.

They don't.

But disturbing to think they fired the creative people behind it

They didn't.

Sounds like the big wigs are really out of touch with reality.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Imagineering is inherently project based work, and Imagineers are usually let go when not assigned to a new project. For Galaxy's Edge, WDI had entire office buildings of designers and engineers setup backstage at Disneyland. They were there for the design and construction, and by May of 2019, before it even opened, they were all cleared out.

Shouldn't read too much into it, as far as the reception to Galaxy's Edge goes. They fired the creative team that built Tokyo Disney Sea too.

All the creative folks that worked on Galaxy's Edge are still there. Trowbridge, Kalama, Beatty, and Kerrison. They're all still working on Star Wars projects. If I am remembering correctly, Trowbridge is actually the portfolio owner for all of Disneyland Park, and just recently showed up during an in-house 65th Anniversary presentation.

Okay.

 

[Phroobar]

From the USA Today article referenced in the above and linked below:

.....He adds that Lego versions of some of the Wookiee characters from the ‘70s special will appear in the upcoming update. Any chance of Lego Bea Arthur?

“Well, you can wait and see," Rimes says. "I don't want to spoil anything.”

'Star Wars' exclusive: New Disney+ Lego holiday special pays homage to its kitschy 1978 predecessor

Exclusive: Premiering Nov. 17 on Disney+, “The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special” brings Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron back together to celebrate Life Day.

www.usatoday.com

They even quote @George Lucas on a Bench : "That's one of those things that happened, and I just have to live with it,” Lucas said in a 2002 Maxim interview.

I'm still waiting for these Holiday Special figures to be released.