Disney Headlines for May 29th, 2024
This week, we talk about the viral Star Wars video, the legacy of the Sherman Brothers, and a bit of wisdom from George Lucas.
We’ve got plenty to discuss in this week’s Disney Headlines.
A Divisive Evaluation
![YouTube logo](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed-2.jpg)
![YouTube logo](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed-2.jpg)
YouTube
I’m not a fan of long-form YouTube content as a rule, as I’m usually too busy researching and writing to invest that much time in videos.
Still, I always know when a story has escaped the Disney Bubble when I start getting texts about it.
![4 theme parks](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/4899_wdw_50th_beacons_1920x1080_18ce18fd-a6a9-4bdc-98a2-db0882347d51.jpg)
![4 theme parks](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/4899_wdw_50th_beacons_1920x1080_18ce18fd-a6a9-4bdc-98a2-db0882347d51.jpg)
Photo:visitorlando.com
To most of my friends and family, my love of Disney is a curiosity more than anything else.
That fact plays to my advantage in that I know a Disney story is big when they start asking about it.
Sure enough, I received texts last week asking me about this Jenny Nicholson video:
While I know that MickeyBlog is listed as one of the cited sources in the article, that’s honestly about the extent of my knowledge of her.
As far as I know, Nicholson didn’t interview any of us.
We have several staff members. So, it’s certainly possible. I just didn’t hear about it.
I also wouldn’t have had time to watch anyway because I spent three days in the hospital over the last ten days. (I’m fine.)
Still, I’ve quickly glanced around to see what the fuss was about, and the answer is fairly straightforward.
Nicholson has posted a detailed discussion of all the mishaps that occurred during her visit to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Obviously, that wasn’t the majority opinion in that Disney officials have described the Star Wars Hotel as one of the highest-graded experiences ever.
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-departure-return-desktop.png)
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-departure-return-desktop.png)
Photo: Disney
A large percentage of the people who paid for Galactic Starcruiser believe that they got their money’s worth.
Without speaking for Nicholson, it sounds like she didn’t.
![Galactic Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-millenniumFalcon-1UP.png)
![Galactic Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-millenniumFalcon-1UP.png)
Photo: Disney
Based on other reports, she spends somewhere between 25 and 50 percent of the video dissecting her issues.
Why Did Galactic Starcruiser Fail?
![Starcruiser final voyage](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-about-chandrila-desktop.png)
![Starcruiser final voyage](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-about-chandrila-desktop.png)
Photo: Disney
So, I wrote this soon after Disney announced the closure. I actually have a reminder to reevaluate this soon.
The original article just turned a year old, and I planned to take a second look now that we all have some distance.
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-experience-story-desktop.png)
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gsc-experience-story-desktop.png)
Photo: Disney
Nicholson has done that with what many consider a fair evaluation of the attraction’s shortcomings.
As you might imagine, her experiences with the Star Wars Hotel factor into her negative opinion of the idea.
![saja](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG_8409Galactic-starcruiser-By-Attractions-Magazine.jpeg)
![saja](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG_8409Galactic-starcruiser-By-Attractions-Magazine.jpeg)
Photo by Matt Roseboom
Then again, so does the price, and I think everyone here agrees that Disney sold this experience at too high a cost.
So, that’s the focus of all the conversations I’ve had on the subject.
![ouannii](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Star-Wars-Starcruiser-By-Attractions-Magazine-5.jpeg)
![ouannii](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Star-Wars-Starcruiser-By-Attractions-Magazine-5.jpeg)
Photo: Attractions Magazine
Given the glowing reviews and devotion some have shown to Star Wars Hotel, I fully believe it’d still be running if it’d been cheaper.
Don’t get me wrong. The thing’s a debacle. If anything Disney-related closes in 18 months, it’s an unmitigated failure.
![Galactic Starcruiser 2023](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser-dispatches-sabacc_TALL.jpg)
![Galactic Starcruiser 2023](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser-dispatches-sabacc_TALL.jpg)
Credit: Kent Phillips, photographer/Disney
My point is more that even though Nicholson clearly faced struggles during her visit, many people loved it.
If they didn’t, we wouldn’t have Halcy-Con, a fan convention celebrating Galactic Starcruiser.
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Galactic-Starcruiser.jpg)
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Galactic-Starcruiser.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Still, some of the other criticisms return to previously stated ones, mainly that nobody quite knew what to expect.
Some attendants showed up blind and didn’t have any conception of what the Star Wars Hotel would be.
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Starcruiser.jpg)
![Star Wars Starcruiser](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Starcruiser.jpg)
(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
They’re the ones for whom this video apparently applies the most.
Given the interest in the topic, even though I haven’t watched it yet, I’d still recommend that you give it a shot.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Starcruiser-2-2.jpg)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Starcruiser-2-2.jpg)
Photo:(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
You may learn something new about a Disney subject that’s destined to become theme park folklore.
The Legacy of the Sherman Brothers
![The Sherman Brothers](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-SHerman-Brothers.jpg)
![The Sherman Brothers](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-SHerman-Brothers.jpg)
Photo: D23
I’m not going to do a deep dive on the Sherman Brothers today, as I’ve written about them many times.
Doing so now feels like picking the worst possible time. The obituaries and tributes are pouring in, and that’s more than enough.
![The Disney Flywheel as originally envisioned](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/disneyflywheel.png)
![The Disney Flywheel as originally envisioned](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/disneyflywheel.png)
Image: Disney
I recently wrote an article about Disney’s flywheel, including a picture that Walt Disney drew in 1957.
One of the vital parts of that flywheel in the 1950s was music sales.
![Small World Topiaries 1966 Disneyland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/small-world-topiaries.avif)
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
While many Disney artists were hyphenates, actor-singers with hybrid Hollywood careers, the Shermans were arguably the best.
Honestly, I probably don’t even need to add “arguably” to that statement, as it’s a matter of fact.
When Walt Disney envisioned the “little boat ride” known as It’s a Small World, he didn’t have a good concept for the music.
Instead, Disney created this nightmarish cacophony of national anthems that blended together about as well as coffee and mustard.
Desperate, Uncle Walt turned to the Shermans, who saved the day by creating a tune inspired by – I kid you not – the Cuban Missile Crisis.
That’s how gifted the Sherman Brothers were as songwriters.
![Sherman Brothers](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sherman-Brothers.jpg)
![Sherman Brothers](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sherman-Brothers.jpg)
Photo: D23
They could take a catastrophe and turn it into the most frequently played song ever.
Richard and Bobby Sherman won two Academy Awards for their work on Mary Poppins, and they claimed three Grammy Awards as well.
![Sherman brothers Dick Van Dyke Julie Andrews](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sherman-brothers-Dick-Van-Dyke-Julie-Andrews.jpg)
![Sherman brothers Dick Van Dyke Julie Andrews](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sherman-brothers-Dick-Van-Dyke-Julie-Andrews.jpg)
Disney
The two men lived for a combined 182 years, but their work will outlast them by generations.
Disney fans will always think of the Sherman Brothers when we hear There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, One Little Spark, or The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room.
![sherman brothers](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-29-at-7.50.17-PM.png)
![sherman brothers](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-29-at-7.50.17-PM.png)
Photo: John E Reed
When we think about the history and legacy of Disney theme parks, the Sherman Brothers are among the most significant contributors.
Know When to Hold ‘Em, and…
![George Lucas Mark Hammil Harrison Ford](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-21-at-07-27-30-Star-Wars-Celebration-Photos-Harrison-Ford-George-Lucas-More-e1716296266899.png)
![George Lucas Mark Hammil Harrison Ford](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-21-at-07-27-30-Star-Wars-Celebration-Photos-Harrison-Ford-George-Lucas-More-e1716296266899.png)
Photo: Variety
My Star Wars discussions are always mixed messages because I’m not really a fan of the franchise.
My “favorite” Star Wars films are Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
![C3PO](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/C3PO-1024x512.jpeg)
![C3PO](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/C3PO-1024x512.jpeg)
Photo: Lucasfilm
So, yeah. I’m the outlier here. Whenever TBS would do those Star Wars Holy Trilogy weekends, I’d make myself scarce.
Otherwise, friends would try to rope me into watching. Also, my box office evaluations of the prequels earned death threats.
![LEia](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/princess-leia-carrie-fisher-1024x768.jpg)
![LEia](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/princess-leia-carrie-fisher-1024x768.jpg)
Photo; Lucasfilm
I’m talking actual death threats, folks. Star Wars fans and I have been on a break for 25 years.
Here’s the thing, though. I looooved Star Wars Weekends, and I’m a fan of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
![Millennium Falcon](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-wdw-dhs-hollywood-studios-star-wars-galaxys-edge-rain-weather-stock-6-1024x733.jpg)
![Millennium Falcon](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-wdw-dhs-hollywood-studios-star-wars-galaxys-edge-rain-weather-stock-6-1024x733.jpg)
Millennium Falcon
I consider Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance quite possibly Disney’s greatest attraction ever.
Also, I think George Lucas is a genius. I don’t mean creatively but rather as a businessperson.
![George Lucas](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/George-Lucas-1024x644.jpg)
![George Lucas](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/George-Lucas-1024x644.jpg)
George Lucas celebrated his 80th birthday last weekend. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Lucas understood that the industry lacked high-quality special effects. So, he built his own, Industrial Light & Magic.
Moreover, Lucas didn’t sell his films but rather licensed their distribution to studios, keeping ownership for himself.
![Padame](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Padame-4.jpg)
![Padame](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Padame-4.jpg)
Photo: Lucasfilm
That tactic allowed him to sell Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion. But the question has remained. Why did Lucas sell?
Know When to Fold ‘Em
![Alec Guinness George Lucas Star Wars](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/george-lucas-alec-guinness-star-wars-franchise-1024x683.jpg)
![Alec Guinness George Lucas Star Wars](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/george-lucas-alec-guinness-star-wars-franchise-1024x683.jpg)
Photo: Photofest
In 2012, Lucas was 68 years old. When he evaluated the marketplace, he had an epiphany. Here’s what he saw:
“We could see the problems with theatrical distribution amid the rise of streaming platforms, particularly Netflix…
![Netflix](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-netflix-logo.jpeg)
![Netflix](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-netflix-logo.jpeg)
Photo: Netflix
“(We) don’t know what this is gonna be, there’s gonna be a giant transition in the business, I don’t know that much about it.
“And I sold the company, and I retired.”
![Netflix](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screen-Shot-2022-05-15-at-10.29.31-AM.png)
![Netflix](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screen-Shot-2022-05-15-at-10.29.31-AM.png)
Photo: Netflix
In other words, Lucas was an industry veteran of 50+ years by the time Netflix had started its ascension.
As Lucas evaluated the marketplace, he realized he felt out of touch with what was coming next.
![Alec Guinness Anthony Daniels Star Wars](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-12-at-12-07-44-George-Lucas-Anthony-Daniels-and-Alec-Guinness-on-the-set-of-Star-Wars-r_StarWars.png)
![Alec Guinness Anthony Daniels Star Wars](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-12-at-12-07-44-George-Lucas-Anthony-Daniels-and-Alec-Guinness-on-the-set-of-Star-Wars-r_StarWars.png)
Photo: Lucasfilm
Rather than spend his 70s learning an entirely different distribution model, Lucas chose to cash in his chips.
I’m kind of in awe of that. How many people are smart enough to quit when they’re ahead in any walk of life? It’s rare.
![George Lucas](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/george-lucas-2-e1580915552507-1024x471.jpg)
![George Lucas](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/george-lucas-2-e1580915552507-1024x471.jpg)
Photo: LucasFilm
Lucas could have chosen to create three new Star Wars movies and redeem himself after the struggles of the prequels.
Instead, the auteur decided he’d done enough. So, he sold to Disney and got married the following year.
![Hayden Christensen Geroge Lucas](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Hayden-Christensen-George-Lucas-1024x697.jpg)
![Hayden Christensen Geroge Lucas](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Hayden-Christensen-George-Lucas-1024x697.jpg)
Photo: IMDB
While I don’t love Star Wars, I will always be a superfan of the wise person who built the franchise.
George Lucas sits atop Maslow’s Hierarchy.
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Feature Photo: Disney