Galaxy edge in trouble?

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My guess is we'll see some retooling over the next couple of years
As we always do.

to add more elements, scenery and characters that Star Wars fans are familiar with.
I think the intention has to be to keep the land relevant to the films/television series/comics/whatever they're distributing at the current time. We're seeing loads of blue ("Arendelle aqua") merch and snacks because Frozen 2 is coming out. It'll be worth having a few fewer staunch "original trilogy" Star Wars fans if the land can help promote and can ¢apitali$e on the fresh interest of fans of the current/next film.
 
Who opens a land without its headliner? Disney deserves the bad press they're getting from some sources. I'm sure they'll recover just fine though, once the main attraction opens and they find a way to add some of the details back that were cut along the way.

Right now I'm guessing the ones who like it the most are the ones who can afford all the pricey extras. I am curious to see what happens when all the megafans already have their light sabers and droids. Do they keep buying them on each trip? Does Disney settle for fewer sales?
 
I think they might have created some of this negativity themselves by opening the land without its major headliner. Like people said, it’s Pandora without FoP. One meh ride and the ability to drop $$$ on a shoulder banshee wouldn’t have gone over well. I think it’s hard to really say how well the land is doing in WDW until December.

I can’t say I’m disappointed that it doesn’t seem to be attracting non Disney people in droves though. I was really worried I was going to have to look at our Disney trips as pre GE and post GE from now on lol.
 


I have been to Galaxy's Edge a few times now and after my initial WOW of seeing a new land, I just don't see myself coming back here over and over, and I don't think I am in the minority for most guests. I am a casual Star Wars watcher and huge fan of Disney. My kids think the food is weird, everything is expensive, the ride is boring, the characters stopped for me but not for my kids and they were disappointed. It's hot with nowhere to go for relief (because all stores and restaurants have queues, you can't walk in) the blue and green milk taste weird, like sunscreen. I just don't love it at all.

Maybe I will change my mind after ROTR opens.
 
I find it odd that people equate shorter wait times with failure. Do we have any data on how many people are actually riding on an hourly basis? How do we know less people are riding SR than, say, FoP? As PP's have mentioned, Smuggler's Run has no FP+ like the other "e-ticket" rides in WDW. Could we not equate shorter wait times with a success in WDW figuring out how to actually design rides and manage lines so people have a better experience? I mean, really, 3-4 hour wait times when FoP was new equals success? Certainly not a success for guests wanting to ride and also enjoy other areas of the parks. I've actually been to SWGE. While Smuggler's Run isn't my favorite ride in WDW, I appreciate the design aspects, particularly, of the que and SWGE at night is incredible. I had no issue with immersing myself in the story that was created. Star Wars is a universe and there is more to it than what has been presented on the movie screen. If you can open your mind and put yourself in the story, IMHO, it's pretty cool.

I hope the "No FP is making the line shorter." idea some folks are floating is true. I really do. But fan sites out there dont see it that. https://cosmicbook.news/star-wars-galaxys-edge-dead-rise-resistance-disaster

Yes 100% Pandora and TSL felt like and were seen as more of a success with hours waits to get in pandora and TSL, and the hours wait to get on FOP and SDD when they opened. Sure it sucked for the guests, but it showed demand. Galaxies simply isn't showing that demand after its first couple of days(on both coasts). I have a strong feeling that cannot completely be attributed to no FP at Smugglers run.
 
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"alleged insiders" :rotfl2:

Most of the negatives, especially those that use words like "failure" and "disaster," are from those who hate the new movies and are upset that the land wasn't based in classic Star Wars. Not so much the prequels. And there are a lot of online fans who feel that way. So go yourself, and decide what you think, but if you resent Disney for "what it did to Star Wars" you will probably be in the don't like it category.
 


"alleged insiders" :rotfl2:

Most of the negatives, especially those that use words like "failure" and "disaster," are from those who hate the new movies and are upset that the land wasn't based in classic Star Wars. Not so much the prequels. And there are a lot of online fans who feel that way. So go yourself, and decide what you think, but if you resent Disney for "what it did to Star Wars" you will probably be in the don't like it category.

Really not the point. We arent debating the movies popularity, but the popularity of the land itself as an attraction. It really doesn't seem to be a big hit right now BASED ON CROWD LEVELS, not if people "like" it and the movies or not. And from my side I just see a bunch of apologists who have a hard time admitting that its possibly not as popular was Disney would have hoped.

We are going next week for the first time and Im SUPER excited to go. We have all the reservations booked and I'm ecstatic to see it all as a Stars Wars and SciFi fan. But that doesnt mean its performing as expected.
 
I think people are gleefully rubbing their hands together hoping that Disney fails. People love to see giants fall.

I 100% agree with your take. I'll be heading down next month for my 1st visit to SW:GE and I am reserving judgement until I get to see it in person; however, the numbers don't lie, and I think it's been pretty well documented that attendance hasn't exactly been what they had hoped.

But I am also reading that attendance at other theme parks is way down as well. I even read about guests recently walking on to the Hagrid coaster at Universal! So I don't think the attendance problem is unique to Disney. There may be some larger concerns (like, the economy) on people's minds right now that could be contributing to the numbers being down.
 
I just got back from a trip on Sunday and we visited Galaxy's Edge two times during our trip. We rode Smuggler's Run three times, and we built the droid, built a light saber, and went to Oga's twice. We visited all the shops, and I played with the AR game within the area and had an enjoyable time. The thing that stood out the most to myself and my husband (who is the really big Star Wars fan) is that Batuu is a planet of all humanoid creatures. Literally the only non-humanoid you can see in the entire area that isn't an animatronic is Chewie. It feels so milk-toast to not have any walk around characters that are the different alien races. Clearly Disney was trying to cut costs with hiring performers because you only see the same 4 wandering around all day. It just doesn't feel like you're on an alien planet. I'd love to see them make the area feel more diverse.
That being said, my husband was severely disappointed with Smuggler's Run because the ride is kind of blah if you're not the pilots (there aren't even viewing screens right in front of the gunners and engineers so they feel a bit disconnected from the entire experience). I liked the land enough, would gladly visit again on my next trip, but I didn't feel as "imersed" as I do within the Pandora environment.
 
I am thrilled the crowds have been staying away.
I just got back from a trip on Sunday and we visited Galaxy's Edge two times during our trip. We rode Smuggler's Run three times, and we built the droid, built a light saber, and went to Oga's twice. We visited all the shops, and I played with the AR game within the area and had an enjoyable time. The thing that stood out the most to myself and my husband (who is the really big Star Wars fan) is that Batuu is a planet of all humanoid creatures. Literally the only non-humanoid you can see in the entire area that isn't an animatronic is Chewie. It feels so milk-toast to not have any walk around characters that are the different alien races. Clearly Disney was trying to cut costs with hiring performers because you only see the same 4 wandering around all day. It just doesn't feel like you're on an alien planet. I'd love to see them make the area feel more diverse.
That being said, my husband was severely disappointed with Smuggler's Run because the ride is kind of blah if you're not the pilots (there aren't even viewing screens right in front of the gunners and engineers so they feel a bit disconnected from the entire experience). I liked the land enough, would gladly visit again on my next trip, but I didn't feel as "imersed" as I do within the Pandora environment.
All the walk around characters in Pandora are humans too.
 
I am thrilled the crowds have been staying away.

All the walk around characters in Pandora are humans too.
Does anyone care about seeing a Navi in Pandora when the landscape is so beautiful? Batuu is drab (by design) and could really use some spicing up with interesting alien races (that aren't all over 7 feet tall like the Navi would have to be). I think there's a larger fan base of people expecting to see someone interesting related to Star Wars than anyone who actually goes to Pandora because they LOVE Avatar.
 
In all fairness didn’t the early announcements make the land seem much more immersive and interactive than it actually is, more like what they’ve described the new hotel to be?
 
Nothing is definitive until the second, supposedly mind-blowingly better second attraction opens. Imagine if they had opened Pandora for 6+ months without opening Flight of Passage.

That being said, I think Disney is going to find it was a colossal mistake creating a Star Wars land that wasn't based on the movies. What people love about Harry Potter at Universal is that they can walk through painstakingly recreated locations from the books/movies. That's what people want with Star Wars, not something new and certainly not something with so many expensive extras.
My guess is we'll see some retooling over the next couple of years to add more elements, scenery and characters that Star Wars fans are familiar with. As someone previously stated, the reason WWOHP has been so successful is the immersive atmosphere for fans. I'm not a die hard Star Wars fan, but I have seen the original trilogy more times than I can recall, and have seen all of the movies at least a couple times. I was hoping to see a few different themed areas like Tattooine, Hoth, Endor, etc.

I´m only a casual SW fan and I´ll reserve my opinion of SWGE for when I actually see it.
But in terms of comparision to WWoHP, I´ll say, as a HUGE pottermaniac that what draws me to spend 4 months worth of salary every 2 years to (re)visit WWoHP - and what makes me want to stay and live there every trip LOL - is the immersive factor. There´s a treat for us diehard potterheads at every corner, and many things I don´t need to pay for, like watching the frog choir or Celestina Warbeck or riding the Hogwarts Express (although you do need the park2park ticket) or even taking a picture mounting Sirius´ bike. Heck, I kinda hate butterbeer but I´ll still buy it every trip (the frozen/slushie version, the only drinkable one lol) ´cause it makes me feel I´m at Hogsmeade. To the rest of my family it´s a cool themed place, but to me and my wife is our chance to immerse in a fantasy universe that takes us back to childhood/teenage years and makes us feel good.
And that´s why Universal takes some of my Orlando trip money every time - if it wasn´t for WWoHP, I´d probably skip Universal and stick to Disney. That´s probably what keeps a lot of diehard fans coming back too - for those that are not that familiar with HP or don´t really care it´s probably a "one and done" type of deal.
Again, I´m reserving my opinion for when I see it and I understand that the SW fandom are a lot less forgiving than the HP fandom (we´re suckers for anything potterish, really lol), but if the diehard fans are complaining about something, I´d listen ´cause they might have a point. :confused3
 
In all fairness didn’t the early announcements make the land seem much more immersive and interactive than it actually is, more like what they’ve described the new hotel to be?


The land is extremely interactive. From the app to the CMs. I was surprised And delighted at how immersive And interactive it all was....more so than I found WWoHP to be (and I love WWoHP. Have a wand and everything. Hufflepuff for life!).
 
In a way..I AM GLAD..... Disney has become way way too greedy...
Also.. Disney is trying to make their Starwars... THEIRS.... they are trying to PUSH AND FORCE o us.. Kylo.. Rey etc...
 
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