Disneyland had a grand “re-opening” of sorts for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge earlier this week, opening this new land to all guests and not just those with reservations. Anticipating that demand for this new land would be high, Disney set up some new rules and policies for guests to try and keep things moving in and out of this new land. However, in the few days we’ve seen since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has opened itself to all park guests something weird has happened: people haven’t been flooding this land, the way we all thought they would.
Though we are still expecting big things from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (opening this August), Disneyland’s version doesn’t seem to be the instant smash hit that many were predicting, with lone ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, typically holding at between a 30-60 minute wait and shops like the Toydarian stall and Droid Depot essentially standing empty.
But why would this be? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge might be floundering in its early days.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge isn’t technically finished
Image: Disney
Though guests can do a lot inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the fact is that until Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the amazing-sounding E-ticket attraction for this land, is open, the land is technically incomplete (and without its headliner!). And while Disney may have initially been hoping to capitalize on the nearly ubiquitous popularity of Star Wars to get guests in the land despite its unfinished state, those who want to check out the completed version of this land may simply be biding their time until the release date for the second phase of this new land is announced.
Could franchise fatigue be playing a factor?
Image: Disney
One interesting phenomenon that many analysts are starting to discuss is that of franchise fatigue. This past week’s disappointing return for Toy Story 4 has set tongues wagging that maybe consumers are tired of seeing the same old characters over and over again, and are ready for something new. And while Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge doesn’t have a strong character focus (this is “your” galactic adventure after all), perhaps Star Wars doesn’t have the pull it once did for guests, which is why they aren’t flocking in droves to see this new land.
Disneyland annual passholders are largely blacked out for the summer
Image: Disney
Disneyland has a vast array of annual pass choices for guests, but one thing that all the most popular passses have in common is extensive blackout dates, And while some of the most top-tier guests can currently get into Disneyland park, the vast majority of annual passholders are unable to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge until later this year. Now if things continue to move slowly, Disney could lift blockout dates for some annual passholders as they have done in the past, but there’s no way to know how Disney would make such a decision just yet.
There is one bright spot…
Image: Disney
Though things have been really slow at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, particularly at Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and specialty shops like the Droid Depot, there are two places that have still managed to draw huge crowds: Oga’s Cantina and Savi’s Workshop. Perhaps not coincidentally, these two experiences require a reservation, and have very limited capacity during the day. So even though guests can just walk right into this land, pick up some lunch and blue milk before going for a spin on the Millennium Falcon, if you want to have an alcoholic beverage or build your own lightsaber, you’ll definitely want to familiarize yourself with Disney’s new reservation policy for these experiences before you go.
We still have several weeks to go before Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens their version of this new land, but it is very interesting to see how crowd levels at Disneyland have been during the opening weeks of the West Coast Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We don’t know how much of an indicator this slowness might be for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but if guests really are getting tired of Star Wars and/or waiting for the second attraction in this land to be finished, we could be seeing a more low key opening for this upcoming land in Florida than we initially thought…
