News Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Historical Construction/Impressions

[Deleted member 107043]

Yeah, the Electrical Parade was retired for a reason. WDW snatched it up and I'm sad to see it returning now. I bet if WDW hadn't grabbed it, the parade would be dismantled and gone for good by now.

I don't mind the hotel offerings, as my hotel in Florida wasn't anything special. And the dining is meh at both coasts. WDW has more options, but most of it is still theme park food. Be Our Guest is pretty, but the food is average at best. Skipper Cantina had some eclectic dishes, but wasn't anything incredible. Got a soured milkshake at Disney Studios and it's basic burger food there. EPCOT is the only mark that has some good restaurants, and even they aren't anything more special than the Storyteller Cafe or Carthay Circle Theatre in Calufornia. Some of the hotels have better options, but I don't really venture out to the hotels as I'm there for the theme parks and not restaurants. I've come to accept that most food at Disney is Coco's food at Cheesecake Factory prices, no matter which coast we're on. Luckily, I go for experiences over cuisine.

Yeah, as a west coaster without kids I'm satisfied with what DLR has to offer. I'm pretty sure I'd feel differently though if I had a family, or lived elsewhere in the US or outside of the country and was trying to decide which of the two properties to visit.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Please tweet President Trump about it at least 40 times a day.

Disney "Together, we'll grab Star Wars fans by the ......"

 

[SSG]

I would not be surprised to see this Cabana concept show up at Disneyland, assuming the test goes well for WDW.

But at Disneyland they tend to have a sharper sense of style for stuff like this. I could see them installing rooftop lounge type spaces for the Cabanas. And they may not need to be formal Cabanas if they were on upper levels or roofs, as the privacy would be there and you'd just need some design work to create compartmentalized spaces for each tenant.

You could use the upstairs dining room at Golden Vine Winery, or even repurpose the upstairs cocktail lounge there that is open to the public but can be overlooked by non-AP's. The western facing upstairs terrace of Carthay Circle could also work. Or the roof of the Grange Hall in Cars Land where ABC always does their live weatherman shots from.

They seem to have used up the upstairs space in New Orleans Square for the Club 33 expansion, but what about the upper levels of Adventureland? In Star Wars Land the possibilities are nearly unlimited since it has yet to be built.

I bet they could find some unused space on second floors and rooftops for this concept. They certainly won't be plopping plastic tents from Home Depot on the ground like the WDW management did.

Now I know why the People Mover track has never been removed.

 

[Curious Constance]

Of course! And there's a gelato place next door, for recovery.

If you pay for the botox, I'll get the gelato.

 

[britain]

I have no problem with cabanas being in SWL, as long as they blend in, and these marketplaces with lots of drapery and segmented, semi-walled-off areas should provide plenty of opportunities for there to be private nooks, right there, hidden in plain sight.

But if they just keep an acre open and throw in temporary generic cabanas... LAME!

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Welp, Constance's Curious Dirt Mound is no longer with us and has been distributed around the site for grade seperations from Frontierland and Critter Country. It was nice knowing you, dirt pile.

So much for the theory that the dirt was being piled up to support the construction of a new building.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

Welp, Constance's Curious Dirt Mound is no longer with us and has been distributed around the site for grade seperations from Frontierland and Critter Country. It was nice knowing you, dirt pile.

So much for the theory that the dirt was being piled up to support the construction of a new building.

I don't understand. Comments here, as well from a coworker of mine who worked construction, said that piling up the dirt was to compress the ground in advance of starting construction. Removing the dirt is consistent with this scenario.

 

[truecoat]

Yeah, as a west coaster without kids I'm satisfied with what DLR has to offer. I'm pretty sure I'd feel differently though if I had a family, or lived elsewhere in the US or outside of the country and was trying to decide which of the two properties to visit.

As a guy who lives in the midwest and has kids, we prefer Disneyland. I know that Disney World has the grandeur of being big but we don't have to make it a theme park vacation when we go to Disneyland. That's just my 2 cents and everyone has their own opinion.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I think it's pretty much a done deal that Phase 2 on the "Expansion Pad" behind the Millennium Falcon ride is actually Arendelle.

Uhhh, not bloody likely. According to city permits, that industrial building going up is 10,000 square feet. My rebel spies tell me that the rest of that "expansion pad" has plumbing and conduits being laid for another building prior to laying a foundation. If that was really an expansion pad, any buildings would be trailers, like the "neighborhood" trailers behind Carsland, which have been there for over five years. The kind of construction going on now is meant to last for decades.

I think it's pretty much a done deal that this is a "Service Area" that will be there for a long time.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I don't understand. Comments here, as well from a coworker of mine who worked construction, said that piling up the dirt was to compress the ground in advance of starting construction. Removing the dirt is consistent with this scenario.

Oh? Well maybe I misunderstood the explanation about how it all works. It appears like they were just stashing it there to be used later, but I'll defer to your friend because I know next to nothing about construction.

 

[BrianLo]

Uhhh, not bloody likely. According to city permits, that industrial building going up is 10,000 square feet. My rebel spies tell me that the rest of that "expansion pad" has plumbing and conduits being laid for another building prior to laying a foundation. If that was really an expansion pad, any buildings would be trailers, like the "neighborhood" trailers behind Carsland, which have been there for over five years. The kind of construction going on now is meant to last for decades.

I think it's pretty much a done deal that this is a "Service Area" that will be there for a long time.

I honestly don't know, but what they are building there doesn't scream ultimate permanence. It is a fairly quick and cheap warehouse, big yes, but we haven't really elucidated its purpose.

Of course, it could still very well mean one of the other buildings surrounding Toontown can now be removed instead, which is why I certainly won't argue as what you are saying could be totally correct.

The equivalent building hasn't shown up in the mock WDW drawings, so it doesn't strike me as something service "needed" for Star Wars.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

WDW's attendance is in steady decline? I had no idea.

Whatever. We were at the MK today/tonight and I have never seen it so crowded. I thought kids were in school.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I honestly don't know, but what they are building there doesn't scream ultimate permanence. It is a fairly quick and cheap warehouse, big yes, but we haven't really elucidated its purpose.

Of course, it could still very well mean one of the other buildings surrounding Toontown can now be removed instead, which is why I certainly won't argue as what you are saying could be totally correct.

The equivalent building hasn't shown up in the mock WDW drawings, so it doesn't strike me as something service "needed" for Star Wars.

The thing that makes me think it's unlikely to be an expansion pad connected to Toontown/Fantasyland is the service road seperating Frontierland and Fantasyland that dips below grade there under the DLRR. Of course they could reroute the lane underground, but if that were in the plans wouldn't it make more sense to do that now while everything is torn up? Why go through such lengths to preserve it if they are planning to rip it up in a few years?

If there are indeed plans for Frozen at DLR my guess is that the FL Theater will be getting the axe.

 

[Curious Constance]

Welp, Constance's Curious Dirt Mound is no longer with us and has been distributed around the site for grade seperations from Frontierland and Critter Country. It was nice knowing you, dirt pile.

So much for the theory that the dirt was being piled up to support the construction of a new building.

There is a lot of road construction off the highway on my way to work, there are several mounds of dirt sitting around. Now my brain equates dirt mounds with Star Wars so I always get excited when driving by. I've considered snapping some pictures some time and posting it as if it was Star Wars construction, guess I missed that opportunity.

 

[dweezil78]

Yeah, as a west coaster without kids I'm satisfied with what DLR has to offer. I'm pretty sure I'd feel differently though if I had a family, or lived elsewhere in the US or outside of the country and was trying to decide which of the two properties to visit.

I really do love 'em both equally for different reasons. Just got back from my annual WDW trip and it's just so much fun to roam about the property and explore -- especially all the stuff around Bay Lake accessible via monorail or boat.

Like, the fact that I can leave the MK by boat and in a few minutes be here with this view is pretty great... I really enjoy doing all the things I can't do while at DLR and vice-versa when I'm back on the west coast.

 

[TP2000]

MintCrocodile has another of his generally excellent photo updates up tonight. Here's a good panoramic photo of the construction taking place Sunday morning.

There's just a lot of stuff going on every day at this construction site. Digging down, building up, etc., etc.

Plus a good shot from inside the park in Critter Country of the progress along the new route of the Rivers of America. A lot more rocks and topography here, instead of just a berm with trees.

Lots more to be found at his blog... http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/

 

[180º]

MintCrocodile has another of his generally excellent photo updates up tonight. Here's a good panoramic photo of the construction taking place Sunday morning.

He actually mentions he took these photos Friday morning, so we're probably even further along now.

 

[Phroobar]

Whatever. We were at the MK today/tonight and I have never seen it so crowded. I thought kids were in school.

Well that must be it. DarthFiscus75 thought it was crowded so therefore WDW's attendance levels are increasing. Just ignore all the official reports and other factors. If you say its crowded than that is good enough for me. Besides this is completely off topic.

 

[180º]

Shall I do the honors today? Right on schedule, She'sInLosAngeles comes through!

 

[Phroobar]

I'd hate to be a tourist just on the other side of that wall eating lunch as that claw works four feet from me.