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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (Disney's Hollywood Studios)

I think everyone might be overestimating the appeal of this new use of the Star Wars IP, while underestimating the appeal of a new ride--any new ride--in WDW. Again, the Star Wars Weekends they blocked out CMs were moderately crowded at worst--with far fewer guests in costume. At the same time, a ride based on the best example of a "forgotbuster" still commands 2 hour lines. (Tho I think a big part of that is capacity issues--Slinky Dog, another new ride based on a far more popular IP, maxes out at 75 minutes generally because it's such a people-eater.)

That said, any soft opens will have lines, given the nature of Orlando fandom. And Opening Day will have a line through the park to rival Potter--even if Disney has to call in favors from bloggers and reassign CMs to make that happen. It's all about optics and proving their lightsaber swings lower than Harry's wand. That will feed a media cycle that should keep the park crazy through Marathon Weekend, but I doubt we see lines to get into the land itself again outside Christmas week.

Long-term, tho, I keep going back to a post @Disneyhead made months ago in the Attendance thread:

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

Everything we've seen suggests this land does nothing to correct this issue. Crazy crowds, $200 lightsabers, a real possibility a significant percentage of day guests don't get on either new ride. I'm the first to remind people tourists don't follow the parks as closely as we do, but they don't live in a vacuum either. Once conventional wisdom among parents in the northeast and other feeder markets becomes it's not worth visiting DHS unless it's an after-hours event or you booked FP 6 months out, I think you might see lower crowds in 2020 than a lot of the fan community seems to anticipate. (Especially if any sort of election year economic uncertainty is added to the mix.)
 
I think everyone might be overestimating the appeal of this new use of the Star Wars IP, while underestimating the appeal of a new ride--any new ride--in WDW. Again, the Star Wars Weekends they blocked out CMs were moderately crowded at worst--with far fewer guests in costume. At the same time, a ride based on the best example of a "forgotbuster" still commands 2 hour lines. (Tho I think a big part of that is capacity issues--Slinky Dog, another new ride based on a far more popular IP, maxes out at 75 minutes generally because it's such a people-eater.)

That said, any soft opens will have lines, given the nature of Orlando fandom. And Opening Day will have a line through the park to rival Potter--even if Disney has to call in favors from bloggers and reassign CMs to make that happen. It's all about optics and proving their lightsaber swings lower than Harry's wand. That will feed a media cycle that should keep the park crazy through Marathon Weekend, but I doubt we see lines to get into the land itself again outside Christmas week.

Long-term, tho, I keep going back to a post @Disneyhead made months ago in the Attendance thread:

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

Everything we've seen suggests this land does nothing to correct this issue. Crazy crowds, $200 lightsabers, a real possibility a significant percentage of day guests don't get on either new ride. I'm the first to remind people tourists don't follow the parks as closely as we do, but they don't live in a vacuum either. Once conventional wisdom among parents in the northeast and other feeder markets becomes it's not worth visiting DHS unless it's an after-hours event or you booked FP 6 months out, I think you might see lower crowds in 2020 than a lot of the fan community seems to anticipate. (Especially if any sort of election year economic uncertainty is added to the mix.)

I think you are also understating the appeal... my partner who cares less about Disney wants to travel to Disney now for Star Wars... People at my work already know about this addition and are excited.

And we’re in Canada.

I think with the fact it is Star Wars, plus you throw in the most themed experience built in any Disney park, a themed experience that will likely blow Harry Potter out of the water... from a 40+ year old franchise?

It’s going to be insanity.
 
Why do people act as if Harry Potter was the first themed land... Frointerland, Tomorrow Land? Sure, HP land is based off of one IP but essentially all of the Magic Kingdom is a themed land.

While Diagon Alley is great, it’s small, an alley, with really only one ride. It’s a very well themed, interactive shopping strip. Star Wars land is Diagon on ster(droids).

I find Hogsmead to be superior to Diagon, especially after the new Hagrid ride opens.
 
Why do people act as if Harry Potter was the first themed land... Frointerland, Tomorrow Land? Sure, HP land is based off of one IP but essentially all of the Magic Kingdom is a themed land.

While Diagon Alley is great, it’s small, an alley, with really only one ride. It’s a very well themed, interactive shopping strip. Star Wars land is Diagon on ster(droids).

I find Hogsmead to be superior to Diagon, especially after the new Hagrid ride opens.

I tink we’re discussing the new era of hyper real theme, theme based on stories/IPs we know. Harry Potter, Carsland, Pandora... these are all new levels of theming that really hadn’t been done in the parks before.
 
I think everyone might be overestimating the appeal of this new use of the Star Wars IP, while underestimating the appeal of a new ride--any new ride--in WDW. Again, the Star Wars Weekends they blocked out CMs were moderately crowded at worst--with far fewer guests in costume. At the same time, a ride based on the best example of a "forgotbuster" still commands 2 hour lines. (Tho I think a big part of that is capacity issues--Slinky Dog, another new ride based on a far more popular IP, maxes out at 75 minutes generally because it's such a people-eater.)

That said, any soft opens will have lines, given the nature of Orlando fandom. And Opening Day will have a line through the park to rival Potter--even if Disney has to call in favors from bloggers and reassign CMs to make that happen. It's all about optics and proving their lightsaber swings lower than Harry's wand. That will feed a media cycle that should keep the park crazy through Marathon Weekend, but I doubt we see lines to get into the land itself again outside Christmas week.

Long-term, tho, I keep going back to a post @Disneyhead made months ago in the Attendance thread:

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

Everything we've seen suggests this land does nothing to correct this issue. Crazy crowds, $200 lightsabers, a real possibility a significant percentage of day guests don't get on either new ride. I'm the first to remind people tourists don't follow the parks as closely as we do, but they don't live in a vacuum either. Once conventional wisdom among parents in the northeast and other feeder markets becomes it's not worth visiting DHS unless it's an after-hours event or you booked FP 6 months out, I think you might see lower crowds in 2020 than a lot of the fan community seems to anticipate. (Especially if any sort of election year economic uncertainty is added to the mix.)

I’m in agreement with you on everything.
 
Why do people act as if Harry Potter was the first themed land... Frointerland, Tomorrow Land? Sure, HP land is based off of one IP but essentially all of the Magic Kingdom is a themed land.

While Diagon Alley is great, it’s small, an alley, with really only one ride. It’s a very well themed, interactive shopping strip. Star Wars land is Diagon on ster(droids).

I find Hogsmead to be superior to Diagon, especially after the new Hagrid ride opens.
I agree regarding themed lands, the big difference IMHO is the social media and instant information people get regarding these experiences. Rather than reading articles in magazines or hearing about it from a friend, there is now a flurry of opinions, pictures, videos, etc available. This feeds the beast and increases the likelihood that people will want to visit.

For me, Diagon and Hogsmeade are two different animals. While HM is a straight line path through an area, Diagon has off-shoots and byways to explore. HM can get very congested given it’s one-way in/out setup while Diagon doesn’t feel that way to me. Maybe it was when I visited, but as open as HM is, it felt more “crowded” to me than Diagon.
 
I’ll be here when you eat your hat after everyone declares this the next level up in theming from Harry Potter.
Oh I have no doubt Disney fans will do that. Hell they proclaimed freaking Flight of Passage the second coming of Christ and that ride is trash. I think SWL is going to be incredible. It's something I've wanted Disney to do for a long time, and I can't wait to experience it.

I also don't think it's going to match going to the real locations from the stories that Diagon, Hogwarts Express, and Hogsmeade gives, especially after the Hagrid coaster opens.
 
The selfie / social media generation will eat this up. As soon as someone starts posting photos in front of the Falcon and then INSIDE the Falcon it will be all over..

It was VERY smart to have the final waiting room inside the Falcon. It will basically be photo central. I would be surprised if Disney doesn't put one of those "AI" cameras in there as well.

then we have RotR, which by all accounts sounds like the one of the most massive attractions ever built. When the GP walks onto that Destroyer Bay for the first time...forget it.

This land will become immensely popular for those experiences alone, and that's those aren't even the rides...
 
Oh I have no doubt Disney fans will do that. Hell they proclaimed freaking Flight of Passage the second coming of Christ and that ride is trash. I think SWL is going to be incredible. It's something I've wanted Disney to do for a long time, and I can't wait to experience it.

I also don't think it's going to match going to the real locations from the stories that Diagon, Hogwarts Express, and Hogsmeade gives, especially after the Hagrid coaster opens.

The ride is trash? Really?
I mean...you have a terrible opinion.
I realize it's your own, but it's pretty terrible.

Also...Hagrid's coaster isn't technically a "real location".
 
The ride is trash? Really?
I mean...you have a terrible opinion.
I realize it's your own, but it's pretty terrible.

Cool

Also...Hagrid's coaster isn't technically a "real location".

Correct. But neither is the entirety of Star Wars Land. Which is *fine*. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. My point was more the breadth of the fiction represented in WWOHP Orlando that isn't present (IMO) in SWGE. Not trying to take anything away from Galaxy's Edge, which I can't wait to experience.
 
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