People quickly began imagining how Walt Disney (DIS) - Get The Walt Disney Company Report integrates Lucasfilm, the owner of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and a few other less-beloved properties.
Disney already had "Star Tours" at Disney Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. That''s actually a great experience, as it offers a wide variety of story combinations, making it enjoyable to ride multiple times (although it''s a fine ride, which isn''t for anyone who is concerned about motion sickness).
Star Wars: Galaxy''s Edge, a breathtaking land set on the fictional planet of Batuu, had much bigger plans when it acquired it from the creator of George Lucas, and in the summer of 2019 it added Star Wars: Galaxy''s Edge, a theme park set in both Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland in California.
Both had sort of rough beginnings when Galaxy''s Edge''s central attraction, but "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" opened. This led to Disney using a notorious virtual queue, which meant that some individuals would book a day at Hollywood Studios or Disneyland but not a chance to ride RotR.
With no standby queue, it was a good success of the draw, and many people were concerned. After a few months, the ride was enhanced and adjusted to meet expectations for more riders per day, and eventually the virtual queue was dropped, as well as paid Lightning Lane passes.
It wasn''t a simple start, but Galaxy''s Edge became an unqualified hit. The next Disney theme park Star Wars project followed a similar trajectory.
Disney is a game changer.
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Disney Builds a Star Wars Hotel
When Disney announced that it would construct an immersive Star Wars hotel that would provide a luxurious experience unlike anything at any other theme park, that excitement quickly disappeared. Most often, the price tag for what is now called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was reduced.
This two-night immersive experience, which includes time at Galaxy''s Edge, costs $4,809 for a party of two and $5,999 for a party of four. That''s a huge cost advantage that prompted many to wonder whether the project will succeed.
During Galactic Starcruiser''s earnings call, a lot of media stories showed how demand was modest, and there was a lot of availability. That proved to be false as CEO Bob Chapek described the very high initial results.
"Response to next-generation storytelling like Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has been phenomenal," he said. "In fact, guest ratings for this immersive experience, which began March 1, are extremely high and in line with our best-in-class offerings. Demand is strong, and we anticipate 100% utilization until the end of Q3, according to reports.
That''s about as good as it gets (it''s difficult to sell more than half of capacity) and now, a new email from Disney makes it appear possible that a second Star Wars hotel at Disneyland might be at least a possibility.
Could Disney Build a Second Star Wars Hotel?
According to Disneyland News Today, some guests who have stayed at Star Wars have received a cryptic email from the theme park business.
"The email is titled "Invitation to participate in research for Disneyland Resort." Invited guests will have to complete a 5-minute survey by email before being selected to participate in the focus group. The 5-minute survey was only about Walt Disney World, although the email title referenced Disneyland Resort," the website said.
This may be a mistake in the email subject line, or it might be that Disney is at least considering to construct another Star Wars hotel (or something similar) to complement the Disneyland Galaxy''s Edge. This would, or would, be a spectacular turnaround for a project many anticipate to be an expensive disaster.
