https://news.yahoo.com/disneyland-apos-star-wars-galaxy-162154414.html
I've been to Galaxy's Edge 3 times now (hurrah for select premium passport) and each time I noticed how light the crowd felt outside of the new Star Wars land. It was damn surreal experience compared to how crazy the park was last year during the summer. When I went last week after the reservation period was over, it seemed packed, but in the afternoon the rush seemed to die down.
I feel like people staying away deliberately might be the best explanation right now. With how much coverage this thing got for the past year and how much everyone was told how crazy it would be, a lot of people are probably staying away right now. Though if it stays low I wonder if Disney will left the blackout dates for lower tier passport holders. That might make the crowds insane again...
For months, Disneyland officials prepared for the large crowds that would descend with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the largest and most anticipated single-themed addition in the park's history.
Paths were widened, planters were narrowed and queues were redesigned, all in an effort to open as much room as possible when the new land opened. Steps were taken to control access, ensuring the 14-acre Black Spire Outpost would not burst at the seams.
Yet crowds have been lighter than anticipated since Galaxy's Edge opened to all visitors on June 24. (Reservations had been required for the three weeks prior.)
The virtual queue, which park officials created to handle high demand, has been triggered only a handful of times, typically in the morning. Otherwise, Galaxy's Edge has been open with no limits, allowing guests to come and go as they please.
Attendance has been relatively light through the rest of the park. Waits for Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean have typically been 20-30 minutes, roughly half of what might be expected this time of year. Shorter lines also have been seen for the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Speculation on the lower-than-expected attendance numbers has focused on two possible reasons, neither having to do with the look and feel of Galaxy's Edge.
First, potential visitors may have feared the anticipated crush of guests and decided to wait until the novelty wore off.
Second, some may have put off visiting until Rise of the Resistance opens. The cutting-edge attraction that takes riders aboard a Star Destroyer won't open until later this year. (Disney won't even hint as to a possible date.)
In addition, the cheapest annual passes aren't good through July and most of August.
I've been to Galaxy's Edge 3 times now (hurrah for select premium passport) and each time I noticed how light the crowd felt outside of the new Star Wars land. It was damn surreal experience compared to how crazy the park was last year during the summer. When I went last week after the reservation period was over, it seemed packed, but in the afternoon the rush seemed to die down.
I feel like people staying away deliberately might be the best explanation right now. With how much coverage this thing got for the past year and how much everyone was told how crazy it would be, a lot of people are probably staying away right now. Though if it stays low I wonder if Disney will left the blackout dates for lower tier passport holders. That might make the crowds insane again...