 Dear Coaster Friends,
I love Star Wars, I know not a bold statement. Star Wars has been an ever present staple in pop culture for decades. It is really the only cool science fiction, suck it Star Trek! When Disney took over the franchise there was a doubt by many that they would treat this beloved story well and continue to grow it in a way that the fan base would approve of. Star Wars fans can be a discriminating bunch, but they also show up with their wallets open when something new is introduced. That is where Disney was like, “Hold my beer”, and created plans for a Star Wars themed land, called Galaxy’s Edge, with attractions in their theme parks. They were building an immersive land with rides, characters, shops, and experiences that would make you feel as if you had stepped into a galaxy far far away. That was the expectation and from a business standpoint, it sounds like a surefire way to print money. Galaxy's Edge has been opened for several months at Disneyland and then at the end of August it opened in Disneyworld. However it did not create the mass hysteria and crowds that were expected, in fact I would call the opening underwhelming. What happened? Disneyland opened up Galaxy's Edge first so the public knew what to expect later in Florida. The land opened with Smuggler’s Run a Millenium Falcon simulator ride. The introduction of the land was restrictive; advanced reservations only, restrictive time windows, a price increase, and a blackout for passholders. This attempt to control crowds may have had the opposite effect, and that was to create a land without a crowd that highlighted that there wasn’t much to do yet. The feature attractions are not open so after one ride, Smuggler’s Run, had been experienced the only thing left was to go shopping and meet the characters. So you want a Star Wars T-shirt? Sorry they don’t sell T-shirts in a galaxy far far away. You can go into stores you may see in the movies and buy personalized replicas but not the type of souvenirs you would expect at a theme park, and it is expensive enough that these items are not for everyone. You could take photos, just not with the beloved characters you may expect. There is no Darth Vader, Ewocks, Yoda, or Han Solo. Disney focused the land on the new generation of Star Wars movies so the classic characters aren’t represented. Combine the thin amount of entertainment with the promise that the best is yet to come, and people waited. The attendance boost that they were expecting was nonexistent and worse yet it had the opposite effect for people looking to avoid the crowds that never formed. There reality was that attendance declined. These results must have hit Disney hard. They are restarting a campaign to spread the word that the Star Wars attractions are there, in case people who may plan a trip to either Disney property were unaware. They will be campaigning on TV hard with cooperation from Disney’s cable network, ABC, & ESPN. Neil Patrick Harris will host a celebrity packed two hour special on Freeform showing how much fun you can have in the 14 acres expansion drinking blue milk and building droids. Their initial approach was very light and this new promotional campaign will be in your face. There has also been shake ups in leadership following the Galaxy’s Edge expansion. Catherine Powell announced she would be leaving her role as president of Disney Parks West, and her position would be eliminated. Internally many executives changed leadership roles as a step in reorganization. This may have addressed leadership choices, but fundamentally ignores that Galaxy’s Edge did not live up to expectations. Tourists like accessible souvenirs, Disney needs to have a place where that can take place. Give fans a chance to buy a Star Wars or even better Smuggler’s Run T-shirt. At the very least make a Darth Vader costume and get someone to wear it so we can take selfies with the dark side. The only way the area is going to truly feel alive is if it is full of guests who are excited to be there, and their vision of what Galaxy's Edge is what will make that happen. Author Jeff Goodman  Dear Coaster Friends,
Enjoy this lockscreen\wallpaper sized for your phone. I305 is one of the wildest rides I have ever been on, it is hands down one of my favorites. However it is so wild when people ask me if they would like it I often reply it is wild! You may hate it, you may love it, but it will definately be one of those. If you make this your phone's background it will definitely speed it up. Author Jeff Goodman  Dear Coaster Friends,
Six Flags and Cedar Fair have fully announced their 2020 plans, but SeaWorld has been slowly wetting out appetites with drips of information. Three of their five parks have signaled that next week they will be presenting more information. All five of the parks have shared some info, so we know that they are all building roller coasters. We know that some are aimed to be record holders of their type or region. We know some names, we know partial layouts. However this campaign of releases of information in bits has been building towards the simple revelation that SeaWorld parks, the smallest of the big chains, is gearing up for an epic year. Next week SeaWorld Orlando will tell us about their 2020 project, so far only a teaser with no images of the ride was released. Busch Gardens Tampa will also be sharing the day with hopefully a name and more layout revealed. Most recently SeaWorld San Diego announced they will also be sharing the day to share more info on their unnamed wooden coaster. Could the remaining two parks hop into the mix for a chain wide reveal? While 2020 will obviously be the year to visit your Busch Gardens and SeaWorld parks I wanted to look further into their future. The parks have committed to ending their Orca breeding program so basically in about 20-30 years it is safe to say they will be losing those animal shows and exhibits that helped define their brand. It is also plausible that in the future other animal exhibits could be phased out as well. The general public is less enthusiastic about these types of attractions in theme parks and eventually like it or not they will become a thing of the past. Ultimately I think they will hit a tipping point where the resources needed to properly care for these animals and the space they take up inside the park will become a loss compared to thrill rides. While SeaWorld in their public statements push against this idea, everything we see them do on the business side of things points towards a future of investing in thrill attractions. So at what point will it become silly to have Shamu as the company mascot or even the SeaWorld name over the gate? I think the best strategy for the brand is to pivot the three SeaWorld branded parks to Busch Gardens. From this point forward I'd like for you to think of me as Neptune proposing a dramatic shift for these three parks. That way they could retain some of their animals and as areas become vacant they can be replaced with rides. My suggestion is to change SeaWorld Orlando into Busch Gardens Southern Oceans. The focus on this year-round hotspot could be staying cool. The continent could be Antarctica, but the park could also feature rocky islands, icebergs and other natural looks instead of the typical architecture of specific regions. This would leave room for the penguins and other sea life to stick around. SeaWorld San Antonio could become Busch Gardens Australia. They could lean on their climate and create a collection of land animals like kangaroos, while retaining sea life in a Great Barrier Reef themed area. Finally I would theme SeaWorld San Diego to Busch Gardens Asia. This park gets the most local resistance for animal exhibits and the San Diego Zoo is considered to be at the top of their field. This park could focus on regional architecture to give different areas a distinct feel. However since the sea is an important part of life in many Asian cultures it could still accommodate sea life exhibits. All of these changes, no matter what cosmetic overlay I suggested, the focus moves away from the animal exhibits and shows. The focus moves towards cultures and natural uniqueness. This is why the two Busch Gardens parks have escaped the same level of public scrutiny that plagued the three SeaWorld parks. They are theme parks full of thrilling attractions that have animals, while SeaWorld was viewed as profit driven aquariums with rides. You may say I am erasing the soul or identity of the brand, but I am not. I am trying to hide it in plain sight while preserving and enhancing what I like about theme parks, the rides. I know my proposal is drastic and many will not like this suggestion, and to you I say don’t worry. I am not in charge of SeaWorld nor am I qualified for such a position, however these tough choices will be in the company’s future. As in nature you need to evolve to survive, so embrace the change or go extinct. Author Jeff Goodman  Happy Labor Day from your coaster friends at COASTER-net! As our hot days at the parks come to an end, don't worry because they are going to be replaced by cool autumn nights. Enjoy this wallpaper of the carousel at Six Flags Great America.
Author Jeff Goodman |
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