Galaxy's Edge: History, Current State, and Future

[Professortango1]

But never having a Star Wars ride with any speed/gravity is a 40 year mistake

Rise features speed and gravity elements....The elevator sequences both up and down are fantastic and fit the ride/franchise perfectly.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Rise features speed and gravity elements....The elevator sequences both up and down are fantastic and fit the ride/franchise perfectly.

Standards vary

It’s a very elaborate/highly engineered dark ride…but it is a dark ride

A 9 foot drop/sim and maybe 20 mph?

Isaac newton would like a word.

Anyway…I’m totally biased…admittedly. They made so many mistakes…so much so it appears to be intentional…franchise malfeasance…that the ride is less than the sum of its parts.

Just my opinion…but the praise of that ride far exceeds the juice. I think it’s subliminally become a “safe haven” to praise it for many - subliminally - because of the thematic miss on the movies and land they built before they knew what they DIDN’T have working for them.

But I’m always wrong…so there’s that too

 

[Professortango1]

Standards vary

It’s a very elaborate/highly engineered dark ride…but it is a dark ride

A 9 foot drop/sim and maybe 20 mph?

Isaac newton would like a word.

Anyway…I’m totally biased…admittedly. They made so many mistakes…so much so it appears to be intentional…franchise malfeasance…that the ride is less than the sum of its parts.

Just my opinion…but the praise of that ride far exceeds the juice. I think it’s subliminally become a “safe haven” to praise it for many - subliminally - because of the thematic miss on the movies and land they built before they knew what they DIDN’T have working for them.

But I’m always wrong…so there’s that too

I do believe that Rise isn't perfect.

The queue feels like someone trying to copy Indiana Jones without understanding what makes that queue pleasant to be in while Rise's queue feels like an endless series of boxy caves.

I also take issue with the Probe Droid sequence as we are heading towards an empty shaft until we are cut off, so if the droid didn't block our path, would we have just randomly fallen down a hole? And why is the droid starting their scan of a wall that borders the shaft rather than the corridor where people might be?

I also would love some physical stormtroopers firing at us rather than projections, but other than that...the ride is pretty great. I still prefer Splash/Indy over it, but its a polished experience that always gets great reactions from myself and fellow riders.

 

[truecoat]

The sequel trilogy had one good movie, one really good movie, and one terrible movie. Kind of like the OT. Although I would take Return of the Jedi or Rise of Skywalker.

The sequels had a mediocre cover band of a movie, an awful movie and giant cluster of movie to finish if off.

 

[Professortango1]

The sequels had a mediocre cover band of a movie, an awful movie and giant cluster of movie to finish if off.

The Last Jedi had some of my favourite elements in a SW movie since Empire. Its the most interesting version of Luke, Hamil's best acting, and has a ton of great new ideas. The Force Awakens was a soft reboot/cover band, but still ultimately enjoyable and far better than any of the prequels as well as Return of the Jedi.

Add in the fact that Andor is the best Star Wars movie/show and Season 1 of Mandalorian being right behind and I've been pretty appreciative of most of the new Star Wars. Yes, Rise of Skywalker was horrible and Mando Season 2 had way too many cartoon character cameos for no reason and Solo was an undercooked and over-produced turd, but so are half (or more) of the Lucas SW films.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The sequels had a mediocre cover band of a movie, an awful movie and giant cluster of movie to finish if off.

Yeah…dead on

There was no good movie…and even if you can tolerate a bland, expensive reboot…what followed made it that much worse

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

While I might get an ironic laugh from watching them drag Harrison Ford out of his comfy chair to replace the Poe video in the first pre-show, it would be me enjoying it ironically since Ford would be so cranky in his performance.

As for replacing Kylo with Vader, I think it's a one-to-one. Kylo is a fantastic character, as is Vader. Both are intimidating and wear similar outfits. Would they replace Finn's AA's with a geriatric Han to match Harrison's pre-show video?

We don’t need ford. They can computer recreate anyone. For instance: a fisher that looked like the character…and not whatever it was they made the mistake of putting on screen afterward…it would be a huge hit.

And the last time we saw Hamill…he was slicing 40 baddies into pieces like it was the 84 Olympics…

Ren is a good character. It’s a horribly conceived “punt” of a character that a very good actor did the best he could with…and we don’t see him a lot these days either. Portman syndrome

The sequel trilogy had one good movie, one really good movie, and one terrible movie. Kind of like the OT.

Ooof…I wish you wouldn’t go there…no one likes “new math”

The Last Jedi had some of my favourite elements in a SW movie since Empire. Its the most interesting version of Luke, Hamil's best acting, and has a ton of great new ideas. The Force Awakens was a soft reboot/cover band, but still ultimately enjoyable and far better than any of the prequels as well as Return of the Jedi.

Add in the fact that Andor is the best Star Wars movie/show and Season 1 of Mandalorian being right behind and I've been pretty appreciative of most of the new Star Wars. Yes, Rise of Skywalker was horrible and Mando Season 2 had way too many cartoon character cameos for no reason and Solo was an undercooked and over-produced turd, but so are half (or more) of the Lucas SW films.

Well…there is that whole violation of 40 years of ethos…but other than that…how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So...another Death Star-based simulator? I'm good. I would just like something that has better gameplay, more variations, and randomized missions with some more in-cabin effects/surprises.

Like, I'd love to see something happen when the pilot doesn't pull the lever for light speed, like the ship stall out. Too many times I sit in the Engineer seat and watch some idiot pilot squander their spot by just using the joystick. Also, there should be a "breaks" button or something for the breaks gag that is hard to achieve, but achievable. Once again, adding more variations.

didnt see this earlier…

They already built the simulator…and not Nearly as good of one as flight of passage at probably twice the price…

I’d rather they have something NOT be a jerky simulator…but it’s what it is.

So in lieu of that…mights as well give some “visual comfort” to it…

And I guarantee they’ll sell more stuff in the show dump shops

 

[Too Many Hats]

Rise is a masterpiece. A totally brilliantly conceived attraction. It might not be fully satisfying to every Star Wars fan in terms of its representation of the franchise, but as a theme park attraction it’s a spectacular achievement and lightyears ahead of most of WDI’s recent stateside output (Tiana, Runaway Railway, Falcon, Remy, Mission: Break Out, Frozen, Webslingers, even Radiator Springs Racers).

And kudos to Disney for getting the cannons working again. Awesome effect.

My review of Galaxy’s Edge is mixed overall, and I think there are valid criticisms of Rise (ex: some guests might want it to be more thrilling) but generally IMO Disney/theme park fans are way, way too harsh on Rise.

 

[mickEblu]

Rise is a masterpiece. A totally brilliantly conceived attraction. It might not be fully satisfying to every Star Wars fan in terms of its representation of the franchise, but as a theme park attraction it’s a spectacular achievement and lightyears ahead of most of WDI’s recent stateside output (Tiana, Runaway Railway, Falcon, Remy, Mission: Break Out, Frozen, Webslingers, even Radiator Springs Racers).

And kudos to Disney for getting the cannons working again. Awesome effect.

My review of Galaxy’s Edge is mixed overall, and I think there are valid criticisms of Rise (ex: some guests might want it to be more thrilling) but generally IMO Disney/theme park fans are way, way too harsh on Rise.

This echoes how I feel about ROTR…now. Except I’m not sure I like it more than RSR. It’s grown on me since my first ride in early 2020. When ROTR opened expectations were sky high and many of us were comparing to the best Disney has ever done like POTC and Mansion which is a high bar. The lack of thrills were also disappointing at first. Now that it’s settled in the lack of thrills isn’t as disappointing and I can appreciate it for what it is. And when you compare it to other recent attractions like the disaster that is Tiana or MEHkey’s Runaway Railway you can’t help but appreciate it even more.

Another one of my criticisms of Rise was that it kind of felt too sterile. I mean they absolutely nailed it. You feel like you’re on a Star Destroyer. When I first rode it however I couldn’t help but feel like it was the wrong choice or at least wouldn’t have been my pick for the signature Star Wars experience when you consider all the iconic locations throughout the Star Wars universe. Now with that said, it certainly makes sense and is justifiable considering the amount of time the franchise spends in that setting and when you view the experience holistically. Starting off on land, flying into space and being captured by a Star Destroyer, having to escape and crash landing back on Batuu? Absolutely understand why they would want to bring that experience to life. But imagine for a second instead of being captured by a Star Destroyer we landed on Bespin or Endor with fully realized sets and have those be the starting point for the adventure before the crash landing back on Batuu. Could have been really cool but probably a bit harder to execute. Probably the only way you could ever showcase Bespin appropriately would be in a show building. Something like Endor should be built outside.

 

[Professortango1]

We don’t need ford. They can computer recreate anyone. For instance: a fisher that looked like the character…and not whatever it was they made the mistake of putting on screen afterward…it would be a huge hit.

And the last time we saw Hamill…he was slicing 40 baddies into pieces like it was the 84 Olympics…

Ren is a good character. It’s a horribly conceived “punt” of a character that a very good actor did the best he could with…and we don’t see him a lot these days either. Portman syndrome


Ooof…I wish you wouldn’t go there…no one likes “new math”

Well…there is that whole violation of 40 years of ethos…but other than that…how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln

Not sure what you're suggesting in the first part. A Carrie Fisher impersonator?

The Luke cameo in Mando 2 is the epitome of bad writing, for me. Luke ex Machina. He's not a character rather a mindless plot device. It's like Doctor Manhattan but without the conflict of recognizing that he has become inhuman and alien. Master Jedi Luke is Hamil's worst acting and the least interesting writing in Star Wars.

And I'm not sure what Last Jedi violated? It acknowledged the legacy that was before it and built upon it in incredible ways. Luke realizing that the Jedi have trained the next generation of intergallactic Hitler's time and time again and losing faith in his own religion....brilliant. It turns the repetitious writing into a theme worth exploring. Same with the idea that being a hotshot maverick might actually do more harm than good sometimes. Hero moments feel good, but are we so intent on having them that we refuse to respect the lives around us that we jeopardize with these choices. All fantastic and, once again, drawing off of ever-present tropes within Star Wars and re-examining them.

 

[Disney Vault]

So...another Death Star-based simulator? I'm good. I would just like something that has better gameplay, more variations, and randomized missions with some more in-cabin effects/surprises.

Like, I'd love to see something happen when the pilot doesn't pull the lever for light speed, like the ship stall out. Too many times I sit in the Engineer seat and watch some idiot pilot squander their spot by just using the joystick. Also, there should be a "breaks" button or something for the breaks gag that is hard to achieve, but achievable. Once again, adding more variations.

There are already 2 brake buttons lol

People just don't hit them in time even though they are lighting up. It's assigned to the left pilot

 

[Professortango1]

There are already 2 brake buttons lol

People just don't hit them in time even though they are lighting up. It's assigned to the left pilot

Ah, I've never been left pilot. Does it affect the gameplay at all if they are pressed?

 

[Touchdown]

Ah, I've never been left pilot. Does it affect the gameplay at all if they are pressed?

You will stop in time and not crash into the train, but then the train will lower and your cables will pull you down to crash.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

Rise is great. And I love Star Tours. Falcon always left me wanting more though.

My dream ride would be a speeder bike type ride similar to Haggard Motorbike at Universal

 

[truecoat]

Yeah…dead on

There was no good movie…and even if you can tolerate a bland, expensive reboot…what followed made it that much worse

I can’t even watch them again. I tried TLJ a year after seeing it, hoping I was wrong, and I couldn’t make it 20 minutes.

 

[Misted Compass]

Something like Endor should be built outside.

Maybe something like a grander version of the ET queue?

 

[mickEblu]

Maybe something like a grander version of the ET queue?

Yeah that’s exactly what I was thinking but thought that Endor deserved more and ideally it would be outside to execute to its full potential. An indoor Endor could only work in a nighttime setting and I don’t think that’s ideal.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I can’t even watch them again. I tried TLJ a year after seeing it, hoping I was wrong, and I couldn’t make it 20 minutes.

They have zero…none…rewatch draw

Which is basically the 180 degree opposite of the Star Wars franchise

Total failure. On all levels

 

[Too Many Hats]

This echoes how I feel about ROTR…now. Except I’m not sure I like it more than RSR. It’s grown on me since my first ride in early 2020. When ROTR opened expectations were sky high and many of us were comparing to the best Disney has ever done like POTC and Mansion which is a high bar. The lack of thrills were also disappointing at first. Now that it’s settled in the lack of thrills isn’t as disappointing and I can appreciate it for what it is. And when you compare it to other recent attractions like the disaster that is Tiana or MEHkey’s Runaway Railway you can’t help but appreciate it even more.

Rise met my sky-high expectations on my very first ride, and my appreciation has only grown over time. I notice new details on every ride, in terms of the music, projections, lighting, storytelling cohesiveness, pacing, etc. I realize this is contrary to the experience of a lot of Disney parks fans, who have criticized the ride for having 1 major AA/effect in each scene and nothing else to look at. This is, to some extent, a valid critique (and true of lots of modern WDI rides); personally, however, I'm just in awe of how well the ride tells its story, and when I ride I really appreciate all the subtleties that make that storytelling possible.

Conversely, my enjoyment of RSR has decreased a bit. Don't get me wrong; the facade is literally jaw-dropping -- walking into Cars Land from San Fransokyo is the most awe-inspiring thing in DCA, IMO. I really appreciate the crowd-pleasing nature of the attraction; it's 100% the perfect addition to fix DCA 1.0's issues, and guests love it. But the ride's story lacks peril and is kind of one-note. I enjoy it for what it is, but it lacks the sophistication of Rise.

Rise is also just totally my type of ride. I've been an Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man admirer since 1999, and Rise is very much a spiritual successor to that attraction. I also just love the "experience" types of rides that take guests on a journey via particularly elaborate preshows, like Haunted Mansion or Gringotts.

Another one of my criticisms of Rise was that it kind of felt too sterile. I mean they absolutely nailed it. You feel like you’re on a Star Destroyer. When I first rode it however I couldn’t help but feel like it was the wrong choice or at least wouldn’t have been my pick for the signature Star Wars experience when you consider all the iconic locations throughout the Star Wars universe. Now with that said, it certainly makes sense and is justifiable considering the amount of time the franchise spends in that setting and when you view the experience holistically. Starting off on land, flying into space and being captured by a Star Destroyer, having to escape and crash landing back on Batuu? Absolutely understand why they would want to bring that experience to life. But imagine for a second instead of being captured by a Star Destroyer we landed on Bespin or Endor with fully realized sets and have those be the starting point for the adventure before the crash landing back on Batuu. Could have been really cool but probably a bit harder to execute. Probably the only way you could ever showcase Bespin appropriately would be in a show building. Something like Endor should be built outside.

I hear you. For me, this is the potential (and lost opportunity) of a 14-acre "Star Wars Land;" it should transport guests to a wide variety of Star Wars environments. Instead we only got 2 (the forest and Batuu), and neither even exists in any SW film. Where is Hoth? Cloud City? Endor? I don't hold this against Rise; I love the idea of sneaking around a Star Destroyer. I hold it against Galaxy's Edge overall.