Millennium Falcon has already had 1 million visitors... https://www.polygon.com/platform/am...and-millennium-falcon-1-million-riders-disney
I'm going to Disneyworld in February for two weeks to really take in Star Wars land. Rise of the Resistance is supposed to open in December, so hopefully they will have all the bugs worked out by the time we go.
1 million should have been hit within days not weeks. Attendance to the park is low. And there is nothing for kids to do. Also the outside show held near the end of the day hasn't happened since the soft opening happened.
For reference, Smuggler's Run's rated capacity is 1,800 per hour, and the park is open from 8 am to midnight (16 hours), so assuming Galaxy's Edge was maxed out constantly from doors open to the stormtroopers giving the last bum's rush at night, it would take 555.5 hours, or 35 days, to reach the millionth rider. It would be mathematically impossible for them to have their millionth rider in less than a month, never mind "days." It actually took 46 days to hit that benchmark. The fact that Smuggler's Run is apparently cranking through people at about 75% of its theoretical maximum seems pretty decent to me, considering that people need to work and sleep rather than filling Star Wars Land to bursting all day, every day.
I keep thinking that if future movie sets were built in dead-malls, with server farms and a cell tower as part of the complex to have the building make money even during down times--a profit can be turned for those who can't afford to go to disneyworld/land--but could drive to old mall locations nearby.
This September Freeform is going to be featuring 30 Days of Disney, a special month of Disney movies and specials, and one of the things they're going to be showing is Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Adventure Awaits, a new 2 hour special all about Galaxy's Edge. It's going to be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, and will feature appearances by Keegan-Micheal Key, Sarah Hyland, Jay Leno, and Kaley Cuoco, who will all be learning about the stuff at the attraction.
I just came back from GE and I had a blast. I'm very eager to go again, though likely not until the second ride opens. But this special just sounds....sad and kinda desperate. Yeah, attendance wasn't as big as they wanted and that seems like it's due almost entirely to the ironic fact that people were worried about crowds, so they stayed away. The park will eventually normalize and will have proven to be a good investment in the longterm. But, hey, at least Freeform is following in the footsteps of their corporate cousin, ABC, who used to air entire dedicated "specials" to the Disney Parks that were nothing more than straight up commercials for the parks. Walt would be very proud indeed.
There's no "free roam" on the interior of the Falcon, is there? For logistical purposes, it's understandable that it isn't possible to the general public... but the one thing (the only thing) I'd want from this kind of Galaxy's Edge experience would be a few minutes of photo-ops with friends/family on board the Falcon. Couldn't they find a way to build several falcon interiors and make it 'seem' like you are boarding the Falcon? I guess these rides are too narrative-reliant for this old geezer. Great to hear you enjoyed, Crewman6. Did you score any Galactic swag while visiting Batuu? This Jay Leno/Kaley Cuoco 2hr live event sounds absolutely bizarre, I hope it's like the Star Wars Christmas Special!
If you ride Smuggler's Run, there is a waiting period where you get to hang out in the "main" area of the Falcon. I was led to believe you'd have a good chunk of time there, but it felt like 5 minutes. So you can certainly get lots of cool pics (as my friend and I did, mostly at the chess table), but don't dilly dally. There is a little time to grab a quick pic or two before the ride takes off and after it lands (and certainly many people take pics and video during the ride, too.) On your way out, you can also pose for a pic as you disembark via the corridors. So while you don't get time to "free roam", there is plenty of time to grab some cool snaps to make your friends jealous on the 'gram. As basically everyone did. There is obviously an embarrassing amount of available merch and much of it was quite tempting. But, as this year has seen a massive influx in quality product in the Star Wars "Vintage Collection", my shelf space at home is too much at a premium for me to have bought any of it. I did grab an Imperial officer rank badge, which I really like, though. Unfortunately, because it attaches with a magnet, the thing fell off at some point and the magnet was lost. Fortunately, the very kindly workers at Doc Ondar's Den of Antiquities were nice enough to replace it.
Any indications as to how the roleplaying aspect is working? I think it's probably worth holding off until the whole area's developed a bit further. I quite fancy a standoff with a bounty hunter in the cantina, being stop and searched by stormtroopers or recruited into the resistance. I was at Paris earlier in the year and notices Star Tours 'arrives' at Galaxy's Edge so maybe that's how they'll incorporate it. It's next door in Florida.
The role play aspect is pretty limited at the moment. You can definitely have fun encounters with the characters like Chewie and the stormtroopers. Vi Moradi told me we could hack the TIE Echelon, but I wouldn't say it really felt like a "mission." Supposedly, more characters, more scenes, etc. are planned. The app is fun, but it's not exactly mind-blowing. Supposedly, more "interactivity" is on the way. I think holding off is probably a good idea, if for no other reason than the land's main ride isn't up and running.
I've seen a couple references now to Vi Moradi being at Galaxy's Edge, so does that mean there's actually a live actress playing Vi wandering around the park? Or is she just part of the app or something like that?
Wouldn’t surprise me if they have some of the actors around at some point. They had Holland as Spider-Man when I was there. General Hux would be the best as he’s my favourite of these new Disney characters, although they did ruin him slightly in 8.