Not only is shelving the film for 6 months to release on a certain date stupid, it could be potentially dangerous in regards to Eps 8 and 9.

Unlike a lot of films where a sequel is a possibility, in this scenario we KNOW that we are getting a trilogy. With that in mind, they will probably get things rolling for Ep 8 as soon as Ep 7 is completed. If Ep 7 is completed 6 months before any audience has a chance to see it, that means that Ep 8 will be developed completely independent of objective opinions provided by fans who have seen Ep 7. Without that input, Ep 8 could well be made in a perpetual vacuum, following the formula set in place by an Ep 7 that might really suck.

I could be swayed to accept 6 more months of post production to really tighten things up though, so long as they take advantage of the extra time.