At last week’s D23 Expo, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts announced a new Star Wars-inspired resort will open in 2019.
The thought of a Star Wars themed hotel doesn’t really rev me up, but read what Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, had to say:
“It’s unlike anything that exists today.” Bob said. “From the second you arrive, you will become a part of a Star Wars story! You’ll immediately become a citizen of the galaxy and experience all that entails, including dressing up in the proper attire. Once you leave Earth, you will discover a starship alive with characters, stories, and adventures that unfold all around you. It is 100% immersive, and the story will touch every single minute of your day, and it will culminate in a unique journey for every person who visits.”
Now THAT’S got my interest, both as a fan and a business person!
Even though we’re a couple of years away from opening, there are three immediate lessons we can all learn from this project. And guess what? I talk about them in this week’s UNCOPYABLE BUSINESS video!
Be sure to “Like” my video and share with your own BFFs!
Hi Steve. I’ve been in the industrial marketing/writing industry for a long while and enjoyed your presentations beginning with trade show tips for IMTS from years ago. Still enjoy hearing your thoughts. This presentation made me think about a recent vacation experience I had. It was a Flower Power Cruise. I’m guessing you’re in about the same age group so you know what the theme of the cruise was. Mickey Dolenz was the entertainment director and it took off from there with what is left of a number of ’60’s groups. My comment is simply this…everyone on the cruise knew exactly what they were getting into. It was more expensive than, say, a cruise of comprable length without the entertainment. And the cruise guests were all of a like mind–used to be tie-dyed, long-haired hippies from the love generation. And it was worth every dollar. Just wanted to share that experience that reinforces your comments. Thanks, Kelly’s dad.
Great example, Sue! And, yes, I would definitely first the profile of that market. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Steve, what Disney has done here is the conversion of passion (i.e. Star Wars) into the “reality” of living the passion. It’s the translation of the ComiCon dress-up character events into an ongoing living experience. People want to have their fantasies at a nominal price…and this hotel execution is one of them. There are theme hotels all over this country and this Disney hotel is a high profile “branded” experience for Star Wars fans.
Good for Disney making this available to the Star Wars special interest group.
That’s what I talked about, Francis. Catering to the Star Wars super fan, Disney is going far beyond the theme hotels and Comic-Con we’re familiar with. Disney 360 is planning 100% immersive experiences, so the Star Wars hotel and other new projects may set new standards for the term “experience.” I think it’s a great idea.