TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Big surprise at Disneyland: Star Wars Land's not-so-long waits
Change Size
Inside Star Wars Land at Walt Disney Co.'s Disneyland Park ahead of opening day (Bloomberg/-)
Walt Disney Co.’s efforts to prevent overcrowding at its new Star Wars themed land appear to be working.
Websites that track attendance at Disneyland, the second-busiest theme park in the world, say the crowds have been manageable. The wait Wednesday afternoon for the signature Millennium Falcon ride was as little as 25 minutes, comparable to the 25-year-old Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, according to Laughing Place Inc., which uses a proprietary system to track crowds.
Just like Monday, majority of visitors at Park Opening headed straight for GE, leaving very minimal wait times everywhere else. Fewest crowds I've ever encountered at Disneyland. Even GE didn't feel too crowded by late AM, and wait times for SR 60 min or less throughout PM.
@RideMax4Disney What we were able to do yesterday between 8-11 am, when others where in 3 hour line for Smuggler's Run: Matterhorn, Small World, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain. Used FP for SpM, BT but not sure needed to.
— Stephen Shih (@shihsl) June 26, 2019
“We’re kind surprised how easy it is to get into,” said Ben Matthews, news-desk editor of Laughing Place. “Everyone thought Disneyland was going to get slammed.”
Disney opened Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the largest-ever addition to its Disneyland park, on May 31. To manage an expected surge in demand, the company introduced its first reservation system. Guests had to stay in a company-owned hotel in Anaheim, California, or sign up for a spot online. The reservations, which ended June 23, were snapped up in less than two hours.
Read also: Star Wars theme park opens at Disneyland
Capacity increase
The company made other changes to smooth traffic flow, such as lowering curbs and eliminating smoking areas.
“We are incredibly focused on delivering a great guest experience for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” a Disney spokeswoman said. “This land has added 20% more capacity to Disneyland Park, and together with all of our new offerings, advanced planning and innovative technology, has resulted in incredible feedback and satisfaction from our guests.”
On Wednesday, IsItPacked.com rated Disneyland a “Hey, It’s Alright,” the second-lowest level of attendance. TouringPlans.com, another crowd tracking site, originally predicted Wednesday would be at 9, its second-busiest level, according to Fred Hazelton, statistician for the service. He now rates the crowd at a lower 3.
“We’re updating everything,” Hazelton said. “It’s exactly that dramatic.”
Social media
Data from the tracking sites were echoed by some guests on social media.
“Fewest crowd I’ve ever encountered at Disneyland,” Stephen Shih, who identifies himself as a father and pediatrician, wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “Even GE didn’t feel too crowded by late AM.”
Disney, based in Burbank, California, this week partially lifted restrictions that prevented employees from visiting the park for free this summer.
Matthews identified a few possible reasons for the lighter turnout. This is the first week of blackout dates for many Disneyland annual-pass holders, which likely thinned the crowds somewhat, he said. Some fans may be waiting until the Rise of the Resistance, a second attraction at Galaxy’s Edge, opens later this year. Some would-be customers may also have been confused by the reservation system and thought the attraction was still sold out.
The company is scheduled to open a second Galaxy’s Edge at its Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida, on Aug. 29.
