Walt Disney (DIS) buying Lucasfilm, the owner of "Star Wars", "Indiana Jones", and of course, "Fraggle Rock", for $4 billion now seems like one of the biggest bargains of all time.
When the deal was made the real prize seemed like rights to making new "Star Wars" movies for theatrical release. That worked out pretty well (with one major exception) as Disney has released five "Star Wars" movies since the deal closed. The global box office returns, even though they declined over time, according to data from Box Office Mojo, seemed to more than justify the purchase.
- "The Force Awakens" (2015): $2.06 billion
- "The Last Jedi" (2017): $1.3 billion
- "The Rise of Skywalker" (2019): $1.07 billion
- "Rogue One" (2016): $1.05 billion
- "Solo" (2018): $392 million
That's roughly $6.8 billion in box office over four years -- probably enough to justify the $4 billion purchase price -- but movie rights did not turn out to be the only massively valuable piece of the Lucasfilm purchase. Disney also has built its streaming network, Disney+, on the strength of "The Mandalorian," alongside its ever-increasing universe of shows. And, of course, it also owns the property for inclusion in its theme parks.
That's something the company has steadily built on, and now, the Mouse House has even bigger plans for both its "Star Wars"-themed experiences, Galaxy's Edge at Disney World's Hollywood Studios and its much-maligned Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
Image source: Walt Disney
Disney Keeps Growing Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Calling Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge a unique theme park land would not be fair to Comcast's (CMCSA) Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands or even Disney's own Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney World's Animal Kingdom theme park.
These lands, however, represent something entirely new in the theme park world. Instead of just being a collection of rides, shows, and shops, they're fully immersive experiences that block out the outside world. When you're in Galaxy's Edge on the fictional planet of Batuu, you can't see the rest of Hollywood Studios. You're essentially in the Star Wars universe surrounded by aliens, slightly different language, and a cast of characters that's about to get bigger.
Before the pandemic, a big part of the Galaxy's Edge experience was the characters walking around the "city." Yes, there were Stormtroopers and other background characters, but there were also major players, including some of the biggest names in the Star Wars universe.
These characters would interact with guests as part of the story rather than for pictures or meet and greets. Rey might ask for help hiding from First Order forces or even Kylo Ren himself. The pandemic put an end to those interactions, but now Disney has plans for them to return, according to a job posting spotted by BlogMickey.com.
"Disney Live Entertainment is seeking performers to portray Darth Vader and Chewbacca, from the Star Wars saga, for immediate and future Full Time and Part Time roles. Performers will have the opportunity to bring these roles to life, in addition to performing as the world-famous Disney Characters, at the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, FL," the job post stated.
A separate posting is seeking actors to portray Stormtroopers.
Disney's Star Wars Hotel Adds New "Voyages"
While Galaxy's Edge used Star Wars intellectual property in an expected way, Galactic Starcruiser offered an entirely new experience. The immersive hotel had a rocky beginning with social media mocking its price -- $4,809 for a party of two, and $5,999 for a party of four -- for a two-day, two-night experience.
But, despite the early doubts, Galactic Starcruiser appears to be an unqualified hit, and Disney has released new availability for people looking to book the one-of-a-kind Star Wars experience.
"New 2023 voyage dates for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will soon be available at Walt Disney World Resort. Beginning Sept. 1, 2022, guests may book two-night vacation experiences aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser for voyage dates through the end of September 2023," the company shared in a press release.
The "trip," includes all meals, accommodations on the "ship," and special access to Galaxy's Edge. Guests also get to experience familiar experiences from the films like wielding a lightsaber against a training droid and learning to play "sabacc," a game both Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are fond of in the films.
