I can't believe I missed the announcement in February. How can they cancel probably the best part of Star Wars Weekends? I'm so mad right now. I watched video of the fireworks show the Star Wars Day celebration and it is in no way a replacement. Ugh I can't wait to complain to guest services. :-(
I felt the same way when I first read the announcement. This year was our third year of visiting for SWW and although I enjoyed Hyperspace Hoopla, when I think about the time spent standing around holding a decent spot for the show and the crushing crowd in front of the stage when the show started, I didn't miss it that much this year. Of course this year we did the Feel The Force Premium Package, which gave us lots of elbow room, a fireworks dessert party, and unlimited adult beverages...
The problem I have with that, is I'm not willing to pay for those offerings. I'm not a drinker and I have to watch my sugar intake. We would always watch the hoopla from the American Idol screen so the crowd never bothered me. I was also very underwhelmed with the fireworks show, as I found it boring. I hope enough people complain so they bring the hoopla back. I found it to be a far better way to end the night.
For me, attending a live event and then being forced to watch it on TV in order to avoid the crowds doesn't make any sense. At that point I may as well watch it on YouTube in the comfort of my living room. Plus, I enjoyed shooting that show and you can't take photos of a TV screen... Anyway, it seems to me that this is a matter of the popularity of an event outgrowing the capacity of the venue. I've heard many complaints about Hoopla specifically related to the crowds making it impossible to get a decent view and getting trampled in a sea of humanity. Instead of losing the event all together, I would rather have seen the event move to the Raiders or LMA stages so more people could have a decent view of the action. Of course then I would need a 400mm lens...
I know how you feel, I liked it a lot too. Unfortunately, there's nothing that can replace it, we need to move on...
I was really disappointed too, I loved the Hoopla I agree that fireworks (even with the premium package) are no replacement for it. I do recognize that the crowds were a problem, though. Like ExploringWDW said, maybe if they did it on one of the stages everyone would have a better view, but we would still have the Hoopla!
I think that this would certainly have been a better idea. Move it into the Indy stage or even the American Idol Stage. There are plenty of other places to put the show and then you can finish the night with the added fireworks. I don't know, maybe if enough people complain, they will bring it back next year.
I have also heard that the Star Wars super-fans never liked Hoopla because it didn't meet their purist requirements. Although I personally don't support that view, I can understand it from the super-fan viewpoint. With Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, I can see where Disney may be trying to represent the films in a more purist form in the parks. For that reason, I don't see Hoopla ever coming back in a similar form. Maybe they will come up with something of similar scope and scale that will satisfy the Disney fans as well as the Star Wars fans.
My son...and husband, will be so sad by this news. They are both major fans of Star Wars. I am personally sick of it because I have to watch the movies over and over again when there is nothing else on TV. The joys of living with men!
Unfortunately, I never got the chance to go to Star Wars Weekend, that I remember. I used to be a huge fan of Star Wars back when I was younger and I would have loved to have participated. Unfortunately, things came up. Someday, when I save up enough, I hope to see it, even if I'm more a Doctor Who fan now.
