Disney was fearing the worst when it came to crowd expectations for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Rumors of internal projections that the park would reach capacity for the first eight weeks of the opening also had fans wondering how Disney Parks logistics would handle the opening of the company's first Star Wars Land. As you know, they handed it with a five-prong approach:

- extensive blackout days for castmembers and annual passholders.
- creating new and limited time attractions in Disney California Adventure to lure away crowds. These include bringing back Soarin' Over California, adding Mickey's Philharmagic to Hollywood Land, and the addition of shows like The Tale of the Lion King.
- A three week preview period which required reservations to enter the land for 4-hour timed periods.
- Followed by a boarding pass process, which would allow Disneyland guests to enter a virtual queue via the Disneyland app to enter the land as crowds dissipate.
- Disney even built a new huge parking garage and tram loading area to help accommodate the expected masses (the tram loading area is now open and can be seen in my video above, while the new parking lot is expected to be open any day now).

On the day that the land opened without reservations, it hit capacity and the boarding process happened as promoted. But then something strange happened. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has not required boarding groups since the launch day and Disneyland has been strangely unbusy. We traveled to the park earlier this week, and not only was Disneyland empty but Galaxy's Edge was the most uncrowded I've seen it ever.

So what is happening here? Did Disney scare potential tourists away from visiting the park with all these precautionary logistical procedures? This could be a real possibility, and the news stories of Galaxy's Edge hitting capacity within minutes of opening were much further reaching than the social buzz of the parks being empty since.

Or was it that almost all the annual passes are blocked out aside from the Signature and Signature plus, the two top of the line passes. It's worth noting that Disney has since changed their course and told Castmembers they are not longer blocked out from Disneyland this Summer (aside from July 4th). In addition to that, Disneyland sent an email to Annual Passholders announcing a new summertime deal that would allow passholders to bring a friend to the Disneyland Resort with the purchase of a 1-Day Park Hopper ticket for $99. It seems clear that Disney's plan backfired and the mouse house is now trying whatever they can to get people into the parks.

But the real question is, why are people staying away? Disneyland is notoriously more of a local park. Unlike Disney World, Anaheim is filled with local annual passholders. So maybe blocking all the lower and mid-tier passes, alongside castmember access, is to blame? It seems very likely to me that this is the answer as rides from Disneyland to Disney California Adventure have had some of the shortest standby lines I've ever seen. For example, the other day Radiator Springs Racers had a 10-15 minute wait.

Perhaps tourists are staying away because the second ride, Rise of the Resistance, has not yet opened. Why plan a trip to Anaheim when the land is only half open? I could totally see that having an effect on vacation travel plans.




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Camera: Canon G7x mark II (sometimes sprinkled with iPhone Xs Max footage)

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