good one :thumbsup:
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.)
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 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 don’t think this is likely at all. At least not in orlando. Probably true for California though.likely blow Harry Potter out of the water...
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.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 don’t think this is likely at all. At least not in orlando. Probably true for California though.
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’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 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".
I’ll be here when you eat your hat after everyone declares this the next level up in theming from Harry Potter.
You can’t “next level up” the Potter creations... they are the tippy top of the game. You can only meet that level of execution and I feel confident that GE has a good chance of doing just that.
Listen if you dislike the ride that’s fine, but calling it “trash” is extreme hyperbole at its absolute worst.Cool
Listen if you dislike the ride that’s fine, but calling it “trash” is extreme hyperbole at its absolute worst.
My opinion is its a very, very, very bad ride. I was just expressing that in less syllables