The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park is currently in its final stages of construction in California and Florida and looks like it’s going to be something truly special.
The billion-dollar attraction is destined to be a mecca for Star Wars fans of all ages, billing itself as an immersive experience in a galaxy, far, far away. On the outer rim world of Batuu, you’ll be able to pilot the Millennium Falcon, infiltrate a First Order base and enjoy a delicious beverage at a Cantina Bar, among other things, and from everything we’ve seen of it so far, it looks truly fantastic.
Disney’s been busy showing off their work-in-progress recently, putting out some neat videos teasing what’s come, and it’s now been revealed that they’re so confident in Galaxy’s Edge that they don’t see any point in marketing it. Speaking about their plans for the opening, CEO Bob Iger said the following:
“And I would say, by the way, on the marketing expense side, don’t expect much. I’m thinking that maybe I should just tweet, ‘It’s opening,’ and that will be enough. I think we’re going to end up with incredibly popular and in-demand product with these two new lands.”
Honestly, he’s probably right. The mere opening of these two parks is guaranteed to generate a ton of good press, with every outlet falling over themselves in order to get the first peek at what’s inside the park. Why bother spending money on ads when you can get journalists to do the job for you, right? I also fully believe that these parks are going to be filled to capacity for a very long time after they’re opened.
All that being said, this success might actually come back to bite Disney in the ass. After all, they’re promising that guests will feel as if they’re the stars of their own personal Star Wars movie. If the reality’s a jam-packed park full of queues (and inevitably, crying children), they might not be able to achieve this.
At the moment, Disney says that Galaxy’s Edge will have a 200,000 guest capacity, and estimates that 1,800 riders per hour (or 28,800 daily riders) will get to use Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run in a day. A possible mitigation could be that Galaxy’s Edge will use the MaxPass reservation system, but even so, Disney parks analysis site Touring Plans estimates an eye-watering six-hour wait to sit in Han Solo’s pilot seat.
No wonder they’re not spending money on marketing. Perhaps the only real worry for Disney is that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will become a victim of its own popularity.