It was my first Star Wars Weekends at the Hollywood Studios working and also attending. I finally got to witness the chaos that follows those bloody three days of Star Wars fanatics running into Star Wars junkies running into Star Wars actors and actresses. To add to that, Star Tours got an overhaul and re-opened to the public to kick off the Weekend, which by the way has opened to good reviews. But there’s something about this year that seemed a little off.
While it was crazy and was a bit hectic, it still didn’t feel like the crowd hit its full potential, and didn’t seem like Disney went the whole nine yards for this event. There was not much of a crowd waiting at midnight for the event to start, and they had an entirely new Star Wars ride waiting for them! The guests didn’t seem as geeked out and thrilled as the stories used to suggest. So has Star Wars lost its luster to the likes of Harry Potter and Marvel? Has Disney stepped back on the lazy scale for this event? And biggest question of all, why has it been only a 45-60 minute wait on a brand new STAR WARS ride? It seems like all these years, Disney hasn’t done much to enhance Star Wars Weekends to appeal to the masses—they’ve stuck to a familiar formula. Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? But what if its time for a change? Surely we got the Star Wars ride, but why can’t we Star Warsify other attractions in the park?
Why can’t we have Star Wars versions of Toy Story, Indiana Jones, and especially Fantasmic? In the case of Indiana Jones, we saw the full potential that can be unleashed when Star Wars and arguably the greatest trilogy in the history of film collides. Last Tour to Endor was a fantastically-done event that featured a superb Star Wars fireworks show that inexplicably is absent from all Star Wars Weekends, and featured a hilarious mash of Indiana Jones and Star Wars. While we can’t have all the celebrities from that specific event all the time, we can do a decently-abridged version of that show for the Weekends. I mean, seriously, why not?
I think the Star Wars peeps would love to constantly see Boba Fett and Indiana Jones duke it out, and eventually Darth Vader showing up to battle Indiana Jones. With some slight fixtures, this could become an awesome staple to the Star Wars Weekends events. And Toy Story: Midway Mania is a ride that because it relies a lot on projections and screens, can also get the Star Wars treatment. Wouldn’t it be awesome to use the Star Wars blaster sound effects while smashing plates that have Jar Jar Bink’s face on it? Wouldn’t it be awesome to dim the lights a little and have the Star Wars music blasting away in the background? It would not be that difficult to pull off if you ask me.
Another ride that can definitely change a little without much money being involved is the Rockin’ Roller Coaster. The ride structure doesn’t have to change, but change the music so you can hear Star Wars and its sound effects while going on the loops and corkscrews. While it would be a mix of themes, isn’t that what the Indiana Jones crossover was? A mixing of themes? You can hear Yoda start the countdown before you blast off. And at the projections in the end instead of Aerosmith, you see that band of aliens playing the infamous Cantina song. Of course, the background music before the ride can all be Star Wars.
Last but most definitely not least, is Fantasmic. So Disney decides not to throw fireworks in sync to Star Wars music like in Last Tour, but why on earth could they not fix up Fantasmic and create a visual/audio presentation of the Star Wars saga? This would be extremely easy to maneuver considering they have all the technology intact. They can create a 15-20 minute movie about the Star Wars movies, syncing with the dramatic score from the films. Think about it, the images on the water can show scenes from all the movies while John Williams’ epic score blasts in the background. It can be a sort of medley, start with the settings and the heroes (and some supporting characters), as you present each of their themes. And then it can progress to the villains, and all the haunting music that follows. I can see Darth Maul swinging around a glow-in-the-dark dual-lightsaber in the middle of the stage with fire suddenly emerging in the middle during the gloomiest parts of the medley.
Of course, we have the impressive battle music as we see all the aerial space battles that have taken place throughout the movies. We can throw in lasers flying everywhere, a few “explosions” sparking the area, and then a grand final explosion when the Death Star gets blown up. For the final sequence of the medley, we can have the throne room music as all the heroes are presented and all the planets can be seen celebrating. As for the grand finale, one final medley showing the most memorable scenes from the six movies, and finally, the recognizable credits sequence as the show ends. Seriously, this has to be done. Disney, you can nab this idea for free. Just get this done.
Bottom Line: Star Wars Weekends used to be the hotspot to get your true Star Wars fix, but progressing technology and advancements in geekdom has led to us being able to enjoy everything Star Wars without having to travel hundreds of miles to visit a place that has reduced the event to signing a few autographs, having a few merchandise things, and having a Star Wars ride. In these tougher times, if you want people to truly come in droves, you better step up and deliver much more. We hit half the attendance we expected on opening day, and that’s with a new ride attached. Is it honestly the economy? Or can it be because the appeal of Weekends is dying? I am sure the pure insanity of Star Wars Weekends can make a comeback if Disney can prove that they will enhance what they already have. At least show you are really trying.
Nowadays, its going to take more than celebrities and a small dance-off to bring everybody to your park.
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