In 2019, Disney is planning to open what will most likely be the most popular and profitable theme park expansion in history, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Though we know very little besides the concepts of the two main attractions and a couple of storefronts, Disney has sold the idea simply on the fact that the audience will finally have a chance to enter the world of Star Wars. Disney promises a hyper-detailed, immersive experience that will take guests to a world beyond the Star Wars films, meeting well known characters while experiencing the trademark action the series is known for. Batuu (the planet in focus) will allow park-goers to pilot the Millennium Falcon, escape an Imperial Prison, dine in a Cantina, be caught by Bounty Hunters, and participate directly in the story based on actions in the Millennium Falcon attractions. Not only does the guest get to experience the world, but be a part of it.
Disney has promised that this new area will place the guest within the Star Wars universe as if they lived in the film, which is a strong undertaking, and an expensive one too. If Disney plans to change the theme park landscape by immersing the guest directly into an artificial world, they’ll be risking a lot to do so. Promising a world (literally) and not delivering can be devastating, but it seems like Disney has everything under control. As the opening date approaches, hype only grows, and guests are craving the experience they’ve been promised.
This is Disney’s third attempt to undermine what was a major shift in theme park design and development, that being Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A single-IP, highly immersive themed area that placed guests in the world of their favorite movies was a genius idea, capitalizing on a popular property and milking it for all it is worth. This expansion showed that single-IP areas based on a popular property are a hit, and that focusing on immersing guests in their favorite world is highly profitable. Disney has tried to beat out Harry Potter with New Fantasyland and The Valley of Mo’ara in Animal Kingdom, but neither have truly dethroned the king.
However, many project that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to be the true killer of Harry Potter. Disney expects intense capacity issues at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios when each of their respective land’s open in 2019, and new hotels and extra planning are being developed to accommodate for such. Disney will strike immediate gold with the Star Wars expansion, and they know it.
This leaves Universal in an slight predicament. Harry Potter has been successful thus far, but they can’t keep capitalizing on this one IP for success. Though they plan to expand The Wizarding World yet again in Universal Orlando, recent rumors have proposed new properties to focus on to (hopefully) combat Disney’s Star Wars frenzy.
As mentioned previously, generic themed areas are no longer “in” for most guests. This can be seen across the entire industry, even with Disney. Gone are the days of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, as guests would much prefer themed areas to one property as to fully immerse in the world. Hong Kong Disneyland’s new Frozen themed area + future expansions, Walt Disney Studios Paris’s new updates, Tokyo Disneyland’s’ proposed third gate, and the success of Cars Land and Pandora are just examples of this trend.
Recent rumors have identified the Star Trek universe as Universal’s next themed area, replacing the Terminator 2 3-D attraction that closed earlier this year. Otherwise, Universal may add Star Trek to their 3rd gate with Nintendo-Land and other assorted properties (Volcano Bay doesn’t count let’s not kid ourselves).
Some take issue with Star Trek however, as the series lacks locales that are universally recognized in the same way that Star Wars does. The characters from Star Wars are universal, but Star Trek lacks recognizable characters besides Kirk and Spock. The average person on the street couldn’t tell you about Worf, Chakotay, Seven-of-Nine, Tuvock, or 99% of the main cast across the series history. This undermines the success of The Wizarding World, as it resonated with guests because they recognized the world they became a part of. Though Star Trek is recognizable by name, the content is not.
Disney will regain the top-spot in the theme park industry in 2019, leaving Universal to play catch-up. Super Nintendo Land is a step in the right direction, but placing emphasis on Star Trek may be a risk that doesn’t pay off. A Star Trek simulator attraction in a full sized Starship Enterprise may rival the Millennium Falcon attraction in theory, but the area may not retain the immersion modern guests are looking for.
Universal may boldly go where no one has gone before, and it may regret doing so.
Ryan Dorman is a Columnist and the Content Director for the Boardwalk Times. He can be found on Twitter at @OpentheDorman, and as a host of the Boardwalk Talk podcast on iTunes.
