Walt Disney World Resort has just opened a Sweepstakes for free tickets to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge titled Back to Batuu. The Sweepstakes will run from August 29th to September 30th. The rules and entry are very simple and straightforward, but there is a catch.
Those wanting to take advantage of this opportunity must simply use social media to post a picture from their previous Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge visit to Twitter or Instagram. The hashtags #sweepstakes, #GalaxysEdge, and #BacktoBatuu must be utilized as well as tagging @WaltDisneyWorld. Fans can also respond to Walt Disney World’s Facebook post that mentions the Sweepstakes in a similar fashion. For those not wanting to use social media, there is an option to handwrite a letter and mail to the Back to Batuu Sweepstakes at their PO box in Bloomfield, Michigan.
There are a few other catches, though. It is only for residents of the U.S. It is only for the Walt Disney World Resort and not for the Disneyland Resort. Travel is not covered, and winners must attend this year between December 3rd and December 6th. Oh, and of course, you must have already attended the park to be able to enter.
Given that tickets to this park are not cheap, this is a nice opportunity for fans to return. But it seems safe to assume that this is also being used to drive attendance at the poorly performing park. While the controversy over the new Star Wars movies may be to blame, it’s much more likely that the tickets are expensive, going to Disneyland or the World Resort is expensive, there is only one ride, and frankly, there is no sense of attachment to the park. Batuu was designed specifically for the park, and perhaps if Disney had gone with a fan favorite like Tatooine, there would be more interest.
