Season Of The Force - Tomorrowland Overlay Opens November 16th

[Phroobar]

There is a special Darth Vader meet and greet if you have a Disney Chase Visa card. You get a free 5x7 picture of your visit with Darth Vader. It's off in a corner with no real advertising around it inside Launch Bay. You get the same cardboard back drop as the regular Vader M&G. Darth Vader asked me if I know who the rebel spy was. I ratted out my son because he was the rebel spy earlier that day. Vader went silent for a little bit like his voice changer cut out because I think the cast member was caught off guard. He then said "I think you know who it is! Tell me!".I said, "I just did!" We then stood for pictures and I said "Thank you Lord Vader". He said "We will meet again". Boy was that awkward.

Why couldn't they come up with someone that could think on their feet and know the character better? The cast member is just using a voice changer like the one you can buy at Toys R US. He could have commented on my Jedi Training Academy pull over and make up something about me being a Jedi. We could of had a force battle or something.

In contrast, the Megatron at USH was in character and could come up with some pretty funny stuff. He had a comment about everyone. Hopefully Disney gets better at it.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The latest Meet N' Greet character to be added to this updated concept is Spiderman.

As a comparison, here is what Spidy's meet-n-greet looks like at Disney Studios Paris

I know Disneyland's version is meant to be flexible and not too character specific, but it looks kind of underwhelming.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

You can tell money was spent. It's just spent poorly.

Isn't that usually the case?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I was going to write my own review, but Dateline pretty much nailed it.

http://micechat.com/115754-star-wars-season-of-the-force/

I'll probably never experience SOTF, but judging by what I'm reading online I won't be missing much besides Hyperspace Mountain.

 

[Phroobar]

I'll probably never experience SOTF, but judging by what I'm reading online I won't be missing much besides Hyperspace Mountain.

Well, if you take the grouchiness and anti-star wars sentiment out of the "reviews", the SOTF will be pretty fun for 99% of the Disneyland visitors. Not everyone gets to see the models and costumes from the movies. They may stay twenty minutes in Launch Bay and probably do the M&Gs. The clip show will be done just because it is there. People will stand in really long lines for both Star Tours and Space Mountain just like they always do. People will walk around with BB-8 drinks and enjoy their day at Disneyland. Sure Disney could have done more with the lighting like they did for ElecTRONica. Launch Bay could have had better themed environments but would it really matter to the visitors? They could have added more projections to Space Mountain and just left the theater empty. But what is the net gain Disney gets? I would rather them spend less now on this and more on replacement attractions later on.

 

[mickEblu]

The imagineer who worked on this was only allowed to work with the budget / timeframe he was given. SOTF being a disappointment does not make me worry that SWL won't be great. If anything, I'm hoping Disney got so cheap with Launch bay because it won't be around for very long and we can finally get an E ticket in that building.

 

[Jones14]

Upstairs is SuperHero HQ, a series of exhibits, meet n' greets and merchandise for the Marvel superheroes that can't be displayed in the WDW Parks.

The latest Meet N' Greet character to be added to this updated concept is Spiderman.

Maybe I'm looking at different pictures than some other people, but this looks really well done!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

They should have turned that unfortunately placed and ultimately useless and awful globe thing into the Death Star hologram from Return of the Jedi briefing scene. Even the base is spot on. How did they screw that up? Disney, hire me. I'll make this better.

 

[TP2000]

Maybe I'm looking at different pictures than some other people, but this looks really well done!

I walked through the entire Tomorrowland Expo Center last night, and rode Hyperspace Mountain. Your instinct is correct in that it was well done, and they spent money on it. Hyperspace Mountain was clearly the big hit; a great overlay.

There were a few parts of Launch Bay that fell flat; mostly the lame "Cantina" space and the little preview theater thing where Star Wars movie executives gush about how brilliant they are. But the rest of Launch Bay looked and felt exactly like what I had been expecting; a Chewbacca meet n' greet and high-end museum of all things Star Wars, with a nice gift shop.

I was buying into Andy Castro's scathing review until he got to the part where the friends he went with were able to translate the alien language of Aurebesh and found that the writing on the walls was grammatically incorrect, and that made them angry. If I had been there with them, I would slowly back away from the group and catch the next monorail to Trader Sam's for a stiff drink back in reality.

If you are the type of person who likes to translate Aurabesh in your spare time, I can see where Launch Bay might disappoint you. Everyone else should enjoy the 20 minutes it takes to wander through this new two-level exhibit space.

 

[dweezil78]

I'll probably never experience SOTF, but judging by what I'm reading online I won't be missing much besides Hyperspace Mountain.

When you consider that most of Disney's sci-fi tentpoles just receive a preview in the Magic Eye Theater and maybe an exhibit in the arcade, I think it's pretty damn cool what they came up with for Star Wars. The fact that we got attractions with legit and well-received plus ups is already pretty incredible. Instead of a rinky exhbit in the arcade ala "Tomorrowland," we got something bigger and more elaborate in Innoventions, some really cool lighting, and a few other bells and whistles.

I think with Star Wars Land on the horizon, people have set expectations wayyyy too high for what is really just a movie-promotion on steroids.

(Edit: LOL. Why is d-i-n-k censored!?)

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

There is a special Darth Vader meet and greet if you have a Disney Chase Visa card. You get a free 5x7 picture of your visit with Darth Vader. It's off in a corner with no real advertising around it inside Launch Bay. You get the same cardboard back drop as the regular Vader M&G. Darth Vader asked me if I know who the rebel spy was. I ratted out my son because he was the rebel spy earlier that day. Vader went silent for a little bit like his voice changer cut out because I think the cast member was caught off guard. He then said "I think you know who it is! Tell me!".I said, "I just did!" We then stood for pictures and I said "Thank you Lord Vader". He said "We will meet again". Boy was that awkward.

Why couldn't they come up with someone that could think on their feet and know the character better? The cast member is just using a voice changer like the one you can buy at Toys R US. He could have commented on my Jedi Training Academy pull over and make up something about me being a Jedi. We could of had a force battle or something.

In contrast, the Megatron at USH was in character and could come up with some pretty funny stuff. He had a comment about everyone. Hopefully Disney gets better at it.

Are we sure it's a voice changer and not a set of pre-recorded lines? I don't know either way and I haven't met the character yet, just wondering. Was there a separate queue for Chase card holders?

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

The micechat 'article' has done what should never have been done... it combined the click-bait writing style of micechat with the pathetically pretentious complaining of the internet Star Wars fan... good god what a horrible read. Every single negatively based writing cliche in the book was on display there.

What I'm surprised people aren't catching on to and calling them out on (though maybe some are and are just being banned by Andy in his ever condescending article replys (and assuring to keep negativety for the site non-existent)) is that Micechat flat out called all their readers, fans, and every fan of Disney a pig. Stay classy micechat.

About the overlay- I was there on Friday night, and boy was I having fun with that slop Disney was serving me. I waited in line for 90 minutes like a pig to slaughter for Hyperspace Mountain and thought it was pretty good. It was interesting that the whole middle portion (and beginning a bit) are lacking in effects, but that last 3rd with the lasers and projections was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. So, the 1st portion, meh, it was Space Mountain with Star Wars music, but that last 20 seconds or so was fantastic! That made me one happy pig. We went over and rode Star Tours and had a lot of fun. We were in the back row and the ride was extra jerky, but boy was it fun. We enjoyed talking about the maneuvers the millennium falcon made in the new scene and were wondering if it will do that in the movie. We then had Naboo for our final scene, and instead of complaining about it (and being little snots saying the CG is aged by 4 years), we enjoyed it and had fun as the Naboo scene shenanigans went on (like obedient pigs I guess). The land at night did not come off as tacky to me, but had some vibrancy and a bit of energy it hasn't had in a while, banners and starlight around the main corridor made it feel like a happening place, not dead as it has been for so long (but again, pigs have poor eyesight).

You better bet I'll be back to check out the other stuff, try that weird burger they got going on, and to get that BB-8 cup so I can take it to the premiere of Episode VII along with my lightsabre (if I can find the stupid old thing). I may be a pig, but I'm not being an idiot 'fan' of something that just obsesses over all the negative aspects.

Like a good pig, I'm off to watch the Ewok movies and talk about how I actually kinda like the Jingle Cruise.

 

[RAXIP]

Why couldn't they come up with someone that could think on their feet and know the character better? The cast member is just using a voice changer like the one you can buy at Toys R US. He could have commented on my Jedi Training Academy pull overt and make up something about me being a Jedi. We could of had a force battle or something.

Since I can't say more.

 

[Phroobar]

Are we sure it's a voice changer and not a set of pre-recorded lines? I don't know either way and I haven't met the character yet, just wondering. Was there a separate queue for Chase card holders?

There is an area by the outer wall to the immediate right as you walk in. I believe by the video display. There is a cm at a podium where you sign in. They check your card and ID. Then they give you a coupon for the free 5x7 and you go in to see Vader. It isn't the same m&g area that Vader and chewie have.

 

[Phroobar]

I assume its a voice changer but it does seem strange because of its pauses. Maybe it is picking prerecorded lines based on your responses. Maybe it is like the old program Eliza that you say something to it and it tries to come up with a response.

 

[Keys_of_Hearts]

Yeah Path of the Jedi was pathetic especially coming from major studio.

I think it was such a wasted opportunity and I don't think money was the issue. You can tell money was spent. It's just spent poorly.

Hyperspace is fun, though it would have been nice if the projectors were updated. I felt like I was in the original Star Tours.

Wasn't it because of Abrams that the movie preview was canned?

 

[RAXIP]

I assume its a voice changer but it does seem strange because of its pauses. Maybe it is picking prerecorded lines based on your responses. Maybe it is like the old program Eliza that you say something to it and it tries to come up with a response.

I'll also leave this here (Vader shows up around 2:20)

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I'll also leave this here (Vader shows up around 2:20)

Wow it's so awkward.

 

[Disney Analyst]

It's likely just like Talking Mickey at Magic Kingdom. A CM in another room is watching, and choose pre recorded sayings to play back to the guest in the experience. There can be delay while they figure out what the best response they can give is to what has been said... Awkwardness does happen....

 

[BrianLo]

The micechat 'article' has done what should never have been done... it combined the click-bait writing style of micechat with the pathetically pretentious complaining of the internet Star Wars fan... good god what a horrible read. Every single negatively based writing cliche in the book was on display there.

The review can be summarized as...

"This is awful, and this looked awful, this tasted awful, oh and look at this it is awful. They did this, which was better, but since I hated it before, therefore, awful. Let me freak out about continuity, awful. Now let me tell you about something unrelated, *speculation* it's AWFUL. People really like this, it's actually good, but let me talk about how the previous version was awful and it could and should have been really, really good. So instead it's probably going to *speculation* end up being awful when it overstays its welcome. But to support that awful speculation I'll just inaccurately confuse dates for a whole bunch of things like that awful Rogue One movie or the equally awful Shanghai Disneyland. I don't think I called those things awful, but that was clearly an oversight. Now lets complain about how awful the lighting at night probably is... but for some reason include a bunch of rather flattering pictures. Conclusion, that thing you were super excited about in the future? It's definitely going to be awful.

Oh my god, have we gone upstairs to see the most awful thing of all yet? Spiderman"



It is not that I don't want good, hard criticism. There comes a point though where a 'review' is so seething with utter unrelated nonsense and spins everything into a negative, that the entire point of the matter has been completely lost.