Okay, first things first. How far back are we being sent?
@Bear Ribs writes:
I'll see about trading favors to have this planet show up in Rebels at the very least along with a couple of books, and ideally as a location in Rogue One and even The Force Awakens.
...and he's the OP here, so I assume I'm being sent back to at least 2013 (where things happening in TFA can still be influenced to some degree)?
Note that the actual Galactic Starcruiser plan was only initiated in March 2017, four years later. At that point, filming for TLJ had been done for almost a year, and forget about TFA and
Rogue One. At best, you might get your fictional location featured in TRoS (but whether that's a selling point remains to be seen).
Taking my cues from
@Bear Ribs here, I'm assuming 2013 is the "go-to" year from where we have to carry out the plan.
Second point: Galactic Starcruiser (at Disney World Orlando) and Edge of the Galaxy (two locations: Disneyland Anaheim
and Disney World Orlando) are both underperforming, and both had huge budgets. Technically, Edge of the Galaxy is a better idea (although poorly executed), but Disney World Orlando is the better location (way more visitors), so the Anaheim location has remained relatively devoid of visitors (to the point that it's a financial boondoggle, too).
Ideally, if I'm put in charge in 2013, I'd propose going all-out on a major theme park attraction located at Disney World in Florida, using the full budget available for such ventures. That is: we have 1.2 billion for OTL Galactic Starcruiser, 1.1 billion for Galaxy's Edge Anaheim and 1.1 billion for Galaxy's Edge Orlando. The total for this is 3.4 billion dollars.
My proposal is to build
one sure thing, instead of three different attractions (two of which have serious draw-backs, and all of which are poorly conceived qua content that they offer.)
If we assume that I can cut that budget to 2.5 billion, so that the remaining 800 million can be allocated elsewhere, is it sufficiently plausible that I can convince key decision-makers Disney to go with my plan? I'm additionally willing to make up to 75% of my own salary conditional upon the attraction's success. (To be held on a Disney account in the mean-time, only to be released to me if and when the park has passed its break-even point and subsequently meets certain revenue criteria.) I'll have a clause put in that if the park is closed due to external causes, that period of shuttering is exluded. (Because I know Covid-19 is still coming.)
The fact of the matter is: I'm very confident that we can make a huge success out of this. As far as time-tables go, real-world experience hath shewn that planning for a project of this magnitude takes about two years, and construction takes about three years. Again assuming that I'm sent back to early 2013 (I'm thinking late January, when Abrams took over TFA), that means this thing can open in early 2018.
Actually building up the location can be done first, and making it completely ready to receive guests can be the final stage. My reason for this is that if we time things right, the location can be
used for filming. You can actually have this place built up to serve as a high-quality, full-immersion set -- and just in time for the filming of (ATL) Episode VIII. When filming is done, you complete the transformation into a large theme park attractions. That way, in early 2018, mere months (if not weeks) after seeing this impressive location in Episode VIII, fans will actually be able to
go there.
Better marketing cannot be created. This tent-pole film is, in a way, one huge back-door marketing ad for the theme park.
(Furthermore, interference in the nature of Episode VIII of this kind may very well ensure that Rian Johnson never gets to write or produce it.)
Given the above time-table, we'll have basically all of 2018 and 2019 to make loads of money with this. Then, I assume Covid-19 (or rather: the government's response to it) will knee-cap the whole operation for about a year at minimum. Unless, of course, Covid-19 is included in the list of "natural disasters" that the ROB is shielding us from. (In which case: thanks for securing the re-election of Donald Trump, Robbie. Nice one!) But assuming Covid-19 still hits, and the lock-down still happens, we can look forward to a grand re-opening afterwards.
Either way, with this thing opening in early 2018, the minimum goal of having it break even within a decade is barely a challenge. We can make this a massive hit. All we need is something that makes people want to visit. Which means offering something they like, at a price they can afford. For that to work, we need to ask a few obvious questions that the good folks at Disney clearly, uh,
didn't, in OTL. Such as:
1) Who is our target audience?
2) What is said target audience willing and able to pay, for which things that we can offer?
3) What's the ideal balance between our pricing and the prospective size of the paying audience (where higher price is more revenue per customer, but also lower numbers of customers overall)?
Our target audience is
mixed. The core demographic will be parents and children, so the main gist of the attraction must be family-oriented. Some here have mentioned (essentially) making it a night-club with sexy Twi'lek girls and the such, but that's not going to fly-- not for Disney, and not for the bottom line. You can obviously add an
element of that, but you can't rely on it. Besides families, the other main demographic is
Star Wars fans. Adult fans have to enjoy the park as well, so it can't be universally "kiddie". That last bit also helps keep the parents of kids engaged. This has to be, basically, fun for all ages. It has to be appropriate for younger audiences, which means you can't make it
too scary or risqué. Therefore, you have to double down on making it
impressive. It has to look really good, it has to offer an immersive experience, and it has to leave people with the impression of: "
Wow, that was really an awesome experience, my money was well spent on this. Best weekend of my LIFE!"
What we actually offer is a theme park experience. Some others here have suggested some kind of beach resort with swimming and diving and boat trips and the such. I disagree, because you can get that experience elsewhere, and quite probably a lot cheaper. Don't worry that parents will be "bored". There will be plenty to do, and it won't be boring. The goal is for the guests to be busy and entertained all day. Again: immersive experience.
The attraction itself should follow the (essentially sound) concept of Galaxy's Edge, where you have a
Star Wars-themed mini-park, with all sorts of different (sub-)attractions included within. Much as in Disney parks themselves, there should be different rides/experiences you can sign up for, a bunch of shops (presented entirely as in-universe establishments), saloons, restaurants, and various such things. In other words: loads of fun stuff that people can do, and can... spend money on.
This brings us to pricing. Most families with young kids aren't swimming in cash. Most adult
Star Wars fans aren't either, and although many of them are willing to spend, the simple fact is that if they pay a lot for this, it just cuts back on their available budget for buying other merch in the near future. So we need to balance things out. This needs to be reasonably affordable, so that
lots of people show up. This attraction, if set up well, is going to be something that can draw in a
very big audience. That means you can't cater to the rich, because that's a
small audience.
Henry Ford figured this one out over a century ago. The most successful ventures in all of capitalism cater to the
masses. And if you're Disney, the mass audience is
built in. Unlike in OTL, refrain from squandering this huge advantage. "
Star Wars for the people" is our goal here!
As such, some indications of pricing:
-- The admission fee will be 100 bucks (rather than the OTL 150 bucks). If you the night in the hotel, you get a 50 buck discount on the admission fee. If you spend 2+ nights, you get the entire admission fee reimbursed. (Make it attractive to stay longer!)
-- Building your own high-quality replica light-sabre will cost about 100 bucks (rather than the OTL 200 bucks).
-- Cheaper toy light-sabres will be available in various quality types, ranging from c. 65 bucks (very good, but less good that the self-crafted 'super' model), to the most affordable children's toys priced at c. 20 bucks.
-- T-shirts will be sold for 20-30 bucks (rather than the OTL 30-40 bucks).
-- Jedi robes will be sold for 50-100 bucks (rather than the OTL 100-200 bucks).
-- All the toys and plushies etc. will be cheaper, with toys that in OTL cost c. 20 bucks instead being priced at 10-15 bucks, and no toy (except perhaps some top-of-the-line huge sets) costing more than 50 bucks.
-- The drinks will be
much cheaper than in OTL, with a beer costing 10 bucks (rather than the OTL price of 18-20 bucks), and cocktails being sold at prices like 20-25 bucks (as opposed to the OTL 40-50 bucks). Mocktails should be sold at around 15 bucks (as opposed to the OTL 35 bucks). Non-alcoholic drinks like sodas should be sold at about 5 bucks. (In many cases, you get themed bottles, cups, or coasters that you can keep and re-use when you're back home.)
-- As for pricing when it comes to accommodations in the hotel: it's obviously up-scale, but it shouldn't be prohibitively expensive. If we compare Disney's other hotels, we see that they often have multiple hotels in or around their parks, with varying rates. The starting rate for basic rooms (for two) go from 415 bucks per night to 750 bucks per night. This magnificent resort is going to be specifically designed for luxury and opulence, so it's going to be at the top end. There's also no travel time to the attractions, since the hotel is part of the attraction. It's all universally
Star Wars-themed, and the entire staff has to be paid to basically perform as actors 24/7. All that makes something like 1000 bucks a night completely reasonable. Mind you, that's much cheaper than OTL's Galactic Starcruiser Hotel, which offers far less (by every metric).
Now, the core business. What are we actually
making, here? We take the not-stupid ideas from Galaxy's Edge, Starcruiser Hotel, and -- believe it or not -- Canto Bight. We basically build a small theme park that is presented entirely as an in-universe location.
I have no definite name, yet. To get the idea across, let's call our location
Lando Bight.
As the name implies, this opulent resort is owned by none other than Lando Calrissian. He has built all this up following the OT. (At the very earliest possible moment, we bring in Billy Dee Williams to film promotional materials, in-character. Lando's palace-like resort is, to the guests, their top-of-the-line hotel.) Around the resort, there is a charming in-universe tourist resort, where guests can visit all sorts of shops and other places, including a host of inter-active attractions.
People enter via a "starport". In reality, they enter a shuttle that serves as the entrance, and which
very slowly moves into the compound. This is only 50 metres at most, but it has no windows, and it's designed to shake a lot. The conceit is: you're on a shuttle trip to the in-universe location. During this "trip", you get the orientation, and they tell you all about the awesome places you can visit.
You also get the narrative introduction, namely that a First Order garrison has been stationed on the planet, and is trying to take over. Lando has craftily maintained his formal neutrality, but the First Order is trying to encroach more and more. And meanwhile, there are whispers that there are Resistance operatives at work here... and the First Order has even accused Lando of secretly helping them. The overall impression is that you're immersed in an adventure.
Lando's luxurious resort and hotel how two grand entrances: one on the side where the "shuttle" arrives, another on the side of the bustling resort town. Guests first arrive on the former side, and disembark their shuttle. Luggage is loaded only cool-looking droid carts and whisked off while the guests head inside.
The hotel offers all sorts of amenities. There are excellent accomodations at different prices, and several in-house restaurants offering different styles of in-universe cuisines. (For instance, a restaurant that specialises in seafood may be presented as run by a Mon Cal chef.) The hotel also offers a high-end spa treatment and "Jedi meditation sessions". All of this will be presented as an array of special treatments and luxuries hailing from various worlds that exist in-universe. There will be a large swimming pool, with slides for the children, relaxing hot tubs, and a near-by juice bar. All the luxuries one might desire will be there.
Elsewhere, probably in the same "most serene" part of the resort that also an elegant Naboo-styled garden ("the Naberrie garden"?) where guests can really take a moment to relax, such as in the quiet moments of the late afternoon-- after a busy day, but before dinner. I imagine that beyond this garden is an even more secluded "secret" garden, with a small temple-like building in the centre. That's where the "Jedi meditation sessions" are held, supposedly in this hidden place that the First Order doesn't know about.
For those seeking a less spiritual kind of enjoyment, there is also a casino and night-club for grown-up guests. Nothing uncouth, obviously, but this is the kind of location where one might have a nightclub singer in a slinky dress, possibly in Twi'lek make-up or something of that sort.
The Hotel will have a grand balcony overlooking a small lake (either already there or dug out as part of the attraction). Below, the town's lake-side promenade also overlooks the water. Every weekend, there will be a grand fireworks show over the lake, obviously accompanied by John Williams music.
Beyond the resort, the town will obviously offer all sorts of places and shops that people can visit as well. In this, the Galaxy's Edge attraction is a pretty good model, although it could be set up more ambitiously. You could really turn the town into more of a theme park setting, with animatronics bustling about on rooftops, or reaching out of high windows the guests can't reach.
There should be a (properly sci-fi looking) monorail that drives you through town and then around the small lake. At other places along the lake-shore, there will be animatronic aliens busy fishing, and they'll have their own little towns that you'll ride through. There may even be some Gungans in the lake, who knows.
At one point, the train can be stopped by a First Order patrol and a "Rebel agent" can sneak aboard the train. This actor must then quickly hide in a secret compartment on the train, and then two stormtroopers board the train, fail to find him, and leave. That sort of thing. Nothing to it, but for kids, that is really exciting and scary. (When the train gets back to the town, the "Rebel agent" can thank the guests for letting him catch a ride, and hand out coupons for discount on ice-cream. Again, very simple, but it gets the job done.)
In the town itself, you'd definitely finds all the stuff the OTL attraction(s) already have, such as:
-- A less "fancy", more down-to-earth restaurant than the stuff you'd find in the hotel.
-- Maybe a Dexter's Diner type thing?
-- A cantina/saloon next to the "spaceport hanger", where all sorts of odd types congregate.
-- A stand for grilled sausages and roasted pork wraps et cetera (all presented as in-universe foods, obviously).
-- A stand for popcorn snacks.
-- An ice cream and dairy shop, where they sell (obviously) ice cream, yoghurts, (blue) milk and such things.
-- A shop selling a wide variety of toy droids.
-- A shop with plush creatures and critters from around the galaxy.
-- A workshop with handcrafted toys, where children can also help make their own toy, which they can then take home.
-- A store selling all sorts of in-universe and generally SW-theme clothing.
-- A merch store where you can buy replica blasters, light-sabres and other such things.
-- A workshop where you can actually (help) construct your own custom-made high-end replica light-sabre.
-- A shop selling supposed antiquities, including Jedi or Sith holocrons and jewellery that is made with "Krait Dragon pearls" and such things.
But you'd also have some more things, such as:
-- A bookstore that has every single SW book or comic ever made for sale, plus a lot of books
about SW and LucasFilm. Also sells audiobooks, soundtrack records and such things, obviously.
-- An SW video game arcade, where you can test-play and buy all the newest SW games. But more importantly, we'll have a state-of-the-art VR system that allows players to play a custom-made dog-fighting game that takes place on the planet where the resort is also set. This has two set-ups. One is a ("secret") Resistance training programme, where teams of players challenge each other, and there's prizes for the winners. The second lets a team of players go up against a group of First Order fighters, to protect the planet from invasion. (If they win, more prizes. If they lose, not to worry, because Admiral Ackbar's fleet arrives just in time to help out. Basically: the bad guys never win.)
-- An (open-air? seme-open-air?) theatre in the town, where a variety of live shows can be performed. This can range from theatrical (and heavily stylised?) re-enactments of the films to more comedy-oriented things like
Hyperspace Hoopla.
I'm sure there are way more possibilities, but this overview gives a good impression of how I'd set things up. A lot of these ideas are pretty obvious, and I'm surprised they weren't implemented in the real-world attractions. Most people here certainly thought of the good ideas! There is little doubt in my mind that the plan I've outlined will be a massive success, and I look forward to running Disney and making it
good again.
