Theme Park Bits: Galaxy's Edge Reservations, The Millionth Millennium Falcon Guest And More
In this edition of Theme Park Bits:
If you've visited Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland Park, you know that there are a couple of very big fan experiences, such as getting a drink in Oga's Cantina or making yourself a lightsaber, that are reservation-driven. Now, the same-day reservation system for those two merchandise experiences has shifted to offer a 14-day reservation window. Disney apparently wants them to go as far back as 60 days, a la the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but they're clearly not ready to shift reservations that far back. At least, for now.
Speaking of Galaxy's Edge, you've no doubt heard a ton about it in the last two months. It's a huge hit, even with slightly lower crowds than expected. And now, not even two months after its opening, the park's sole ride, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, has welcomed its 1 millionth guest. An 8-year old boy was deemed the millionth guest on the ride, getting a special meet-and-greet with Chewbacca himself. But hey, just think: you might be the 2 millionth guest...if you're going in the next month or so.
If you do wind up going to the parks soon, you may well get a bit of sticker shock. Ticket prices are higher than ever at the Disneyland Resort, and there's a fun/terrifying statistic related to that. Since the park's opening in 1955, ticket prices have gone up...well, just a little. Just 5,060%. Yes, that's right: ticket prices have gone up over five thousand percent. It's pretty ridiculous, even considering eventual inflation and the cost of doing business. In 1955, it cost just $2.50 to get into the park. Today...well, you can't even buy a soda for that little. Times have changed.
Times have also changed because sometimes, they get a little rough. Our last two stories today are related to incidents when guests in the Disney parks have gotten pretty violent with each other, or with cast members. You may remember the viral video from a few weeks ago when a family had an in-park fight in Disneyland. And you may recall that the family later tried to say nothing happened. Well, charges have now been filed against members of that family, including some felonies and misdemeanors. The tape, as they say, don't lie.
Charges have not yet been filed in another story of guest-on-cast member violence at Walt Disney World, though. Let's say that you're on a trip. You've gotten to the Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios. You'd like to experience it just like everyone else. But you don't have a valid FastPass. If your first reaction is to...punch a cast member in the face, then you might relate to this story of a Chicago guest who did just that, I guess. The guest was one of a few who was frustrated that their FastPasses didn't work, and so they appear to have thrown a full-blown temper tantrum, including hitting a cast member who managed to not feel like filing charges. Pro tip: if you don't have a valid FastPass to a ride, violence is the opposite of the answer. (I hope you already know that.)