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

[britain]

SWL was designed to fit almost any era. The Falcon was reprogramable with that in mind. They even said it was possible to reset RotR to other eras.

It got stuck, however, on the prequel trilogy because the first movie sold $2B in tickets. They thought it would be as popular as the OT.

But it didn't turn out that way. And they lost money on the SW hotel/LARP.

Reconfiguring the land and rides costs money. So a pivot wasn't going to be any time soon.

That pivot has already started in DL.

When the new Falcon scenario hits DHS/SW, it will be an official full break from the sequel trilogy at DHS.

You mean sequel not prequel, and yes.

 

[MisterPenguin]

You mean sequel not prequel, and yes.

Ooops. Correcting. Thanks for the catch.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

How so?

How did ST choices vs OT choices make the land a blunder? I can point to many reasons the land didn't work, but the shape of the helmet for the bad in black walking around never made the list.

If Harry Potter land had been based on Fantastic Beasts, it would have likewise fallen short of expectations.

The love is for the original trilogy above all.

Neither the prequels nor sequels would have stood on their own.

They had the chance to let us walk through Dagobah, Bespin, and Hoth; instead, we have generic space. Yawn.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Both things are true.

Basing everything around the original trilogy would have been a better decision; however, ultimately the land had/has many more problems beyond its setting.

Changing everything to be based around the original films may help, but ultimately does nothing to improve the attractions, fill the empty spaces, or add kinetic energy.

 

[britain]

Unpopular Opinion: The “Lack of Kinetic Energy” problem is overdone.

One of my favorite places growing up with Disney parks was the Morocco pavilion at Epcot. My brother and I would play hide and seek tag there. Galaxy’s Edge captures some of that, but much larger, and if you happen to have a toy lightsaber with you and the ability to make your own sound effects, all the better.

Morocco has no kinetic energy in it, and it’s just fine. Not every land needs to be Tomorrowland 67 - World on the Move.

Would some sort of cycling exterior attraction like the Banthas make the land more alive? I actually don’t think so. No matter how good they designed the Banthas, they would still need to operate efficiently with as many people as possible. They wouldn’t run “sporadically” like a Main Street vehicles. They’d look like a “train” of lumbering furry vehicles. It could backfire and feel even more fake. A mechanical train (not trying to look like a living thing) would probably work better, but since most things float in Star Wars it would be challenge to get it to adhere to the level of immersion of the land. A Jawa junky kiddie train perhaps?

And I really would not want to see a “greatest hits” land. Don’t give me a corner of Tattooine next to a corner of Hoth next to a corner of Cloud City. That’s just more studio park stuff, a collection of photo ops.

 

[Phroobar]

Would it have killed them to at least make the droid heads move, light up and blink? All the droids standing around are static.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Unpopular Opinion: The “Lack of Kinetic Energy” problem is overdone.

One of my favorite places growing up with Disney parks was the Morocco pavilion at Epcot. My brother and I would play hide and seek tag there. Galaxy’s Edge captures some of that, but much larger, and if you happen to have a toy lightsaber with you and the ability to make your own sound effects, all the better.

Morocco has no kinetic energy in it, and it’s just fine. Not every land needs to be Tomorrowland 67 - World on the Move.

Would some sort of cycling exterior attraction like the Banthas make the land more alive? I actually don’t think so. No matter how good they designed the Banthas, they would still need to operate efficiently with as many people as possible. They wouldn’t run “sporadically” like a Main Street vehicles. They’d look like a “train” of lumbering furry vehicles. It could backfire and feel even more fake. A mechanical train (not trying to look like a living thing) would probably work better, but since most things float in Star Wars it would be challenge to get it to adhere to the level of immersion of the land. A Jawa junky kiddie train perhaps?

And I really would not want to see a “greatest hits” land. Don’t give me a corner of Tattooine next to a corner of Hoth next to a corner of Cloud City. That’s just more studio park stuff, a collection of photo ops.

Your unpopular opinion…the same could’ve been said (and was) about TSI…
Not everything at WDW has to be in 4th gear with your foot floored on the pedal…agree 1000%

 

[britain]

Would it have killed them to at least make the droid heads move, light up and blink? All the droids standing around at static.

I have a theory that they were (are?) planning to add the Star Tours droids to the garage at Millennium Falcon. That is the one place that I agree feels unnaturally dead.

 

[captveg]

Plussing up the droids would be most welcome.

They honestly need to bring a very streamlined version of the interactions the hotel guests had.

I'm glad they are giving in on having some music in the land. I get what they were going for, but they went way too far to the mattresses for realism theming and forgot to ask the most important question: Is it fun? Walking around a silent (aside from jet engine sounds) theme park land just isn't all that fun.

 

[mickEblu]

Unpopular Opinion: The “Lack of Kinetic Energy” problem is overdone.

One of my favorite places growing up with Disney parks was the Morocco pavilion at Epcot. My brother and I would play hide and seek tag there. Galaxy’s Edge captures some of that, but much larger, and if you happen to have a toy lightsaber with you and the ability to make your own sound effects, all the better.

Morocco has no kinetic energy in it, and it’s just fine. Not every land needs to be Tomorrowland 67 - World on the Move.

Would some sort of cycling exterior attraction like the Banthas make the land more alive? I actually don’t think so. No matter how good they designed the Banthas, they would still need to operate efficiently with as many people as possible. They wouldn’t run “sporadically” like a Main Street vehicles. They’d look like a “train” of lumbering furry vehicles. It could backfire and feel even more fake. A mechanical train (not trying to look like a living thing) would probably work better, but since most things float in Star Wars it would be challenge to get it to adhere to the level of immersion of the land. A Jawa junky kiddie train perhaps?

And I really would not want to see a “greatest hits” land. Don’t give me a corner of Tattooine next to a corner of Hoth next to a corner of Cloud City. That’s just more studio park stuff, a collection of photo ops.

Aw man, do you really believe this or are you just going for a hot take on this beautiful (at least here in So Cal) day? If you really believe this I’ll play.

On another note, I agree on no greatest hits land. I think two different locales at most. Endor on one end and Batuu on the other. Aesthetically the two sides of the land are different anyway and the ROTR side already has the forested thing going for it.

 

[Disney Irish]

It should be noted, and while not likely directly related to the Parks, but Disney didn't get full distribution rights to OT until the 2019 acquisition of 20th Century, ie they didn't get full ownership even after the 2012 Lucas acquisition. So that could have played into their decision to use the ST exclusively in GE, ie why play with characters you don't fully own when you can play with the ones you do fully own that you created. That is not to say they couldn't have added OT, because we know they expanded their usage over the years in TL. It just makes sense why they wouldn't want much OT usage in their new land ideas.

Now its wide open, which is why these ideas have probably been percolating in WDI for at least the last few years.

I'm just curious how it'll play out in practice, it'll be interesting how it all turns out.

 

[Professortango1]

If Harry Potter land had been based on Fantastic Beasts, it would have likewise fallen short of expectations.

The love is for the original trilogy above all.

Neither the prequels nor sequels would have stood on their own.

They had the chance to let us walk through Dagobah, Bespin, and Hoth; instead, we have generic space. Yawn.

I thought a lot of the Fantastic Beasts films took place in the Muggle World, hence why they wouldn't be as interesting for the basis for a land. But if the MOM ride was set in the 20's with a bunch of characters I don't know, I'd still be incredibly interested in riding it. I love Gringotts for the ride and experience, not because I care about whatever movie it was based on (I couldn't tell you.) Universal got my money not because of which films they leaned towards in a Franchise, but because they created fantastic theme park experiences with a Franchise that allowed it.

Give me a fun ride with practical sets, some animated figures, a little magical surprise or two, and good narrative structure and I'm interested, regardless of the IP or, as you're saying, the chapter of the IP.

New Hope is a great film, but not even my favourite Stare Wars story. That would be Andor. New Hope is right behind and followed by Empire, but then Force Awakens and Last Jedi. All of the eras of Star Wars have some gold and some junk. Not one of them is close to perfect or well-made narratively. So to say that basing the land on new successful films was a mistake is kind of silly, considering they are what many park guests, especially kids, know and really enjoy. Not the movies made almost 50 years ago.

And it sounds like you wanted a non-immersive land. A collage of different locales and planets all mashed up together?

 

[SuddenStorm]

If Harry Potter land had been based on Fantastic Beasts, it would have likewise fallen short of expectations.

The love is for the original trilogy above all.

Neither the prequels nor sequels would have stood on their own.

They had the chance to let us walk through Dagobah, Bespin, and Hoth; instead, we have generic space. Yawn.

Disneyland is rooted in nostalgia. It needed the star wars people actually care about.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Would it have killed them to at least make the droid heads move, light up and blink? All the droids standing around are static.

While I don't think many would find this satisfactory, they *do* indeed move and blink. But only as a result of those 'playing' the app game in SWL.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I thought a lot of the Fantastic Beasts films took place in the Muggle World, hence why they wouldn't be as interesting for the basis for a land. But if the MOM ride was set in the 20's with a bunch of characters I don't know, I'd still be incredibly interested in riding it. I love Gringotts for the ride and experience, not because I care about whatever movie it was based on (I couldn't tell you.) Universal got my money not because of which films they leaned towards in a Franchise, but because they created fantastic theme park experiences with a Franchise that allowed it.

Give me a fun ride with practical sets, some animated figures, a little magical surprise or two, and good narrative structure and I'm interested, regardless of the IP or, as you're saying, the chapter of the IP.

New Hope is a great film, but not even my favourite Stare Wars story. That would be Andor. New Hope is right behind and followed by Empire, but then Force Awakens and Last Jedi. All of the eras of Star Wars have some gold and some junk. Not one of them is close to perfect or well-made narratively. So to say that basing the land on new successful films was a mistake is kind of silly, considering they are what many park guests, especially kids, know and really enjoy. Not the movies made almost 50 years ago.

And it sounds like you wanted a non-immersive land. A collage of different locales and planets all mashed up together?

You know officially last Johnson was the worst thing they ever produced…

Well maybe not phantom menace…but I think I got loaded and slept that one off?

There’s still a couple…maybe five people…who still try to hint/“sneak suggest” that it’s ingeniously a “great” movie..
But the die is cast.

Nope.

But try for another 10 or so years…have at it.

After all…it only took 25 years for the planet to accept phantom as a genius of Lucas’s flanneled brain…

Wait a minute…that never happened. Cancel my “optimism”

 

[Disney Analyst]

Unpopular Opinion: The “Lack of Kinetic Energy” problem is overdone.

One of my favorite places growing up with Disney parks was the Morocco pavilion at Epcot. My brother and I would play hide and seek tag there. Galaxy’s Edge captures some of that, but much larger, and if you happen to have a toy lightsaber with you and the ability to make your own sound effects, all the better.

Morocco has no kinetic energy in it, and it’s just fine. Not every land needs to be Tomorrowland 67 - World on the Move.

Would some sort of cycling exterior attraction like the Banthas make the land more alive? I actually don’t think so. No matter how good they designed the Banthas, they would still need to operate efficiently with as many people as possible. They wouldn’t run “sporadically” like a Main Street vehicles. They’d look like a “train” of lumbering furry vehicles. It could backfire and feel even more fake. A mechanical train (not trying to look like a living thing) would probably work better, but since most things float in Star Wars it would be challenge to get it to adhere to the level of immersion of the land. A Jawa junky kiddie train perhaps?

And I really would not want to see a “greatest hits” land. Don’t give me a corner of Tattooine next to a corner of Hoth next to a corner of Cloud City. That’s just more studio park stuff, a collection of photo ops.

I agree with you to some extent. But I think “kinetics” could be achieved by something as simple as entertainment. Roaming musicians. Using the stages they build for “moments” and stunts.

It doesn’t need to be moving ride vehicles.

 

[Professortango1]

Disneyland is rooted in nostalgia. It needed the star wars people actually care about.

Andor? I'd love that.

You know officially last Johnson was the worst thing they ever produced…

Well maybe not phantom menace…but I think I got loaded and slept that one off?

There’s still a couple…maybe five people…who still try to hint/“sneak suggest” that it’s ingeniously a “great” movie..
But the die is cast.

Nope.

But try for another 10 or so years…have at it.

After all…it only took 25 years for the planet to accept phantom as a genius of Lucas’s flanneled brain…

Wait a minute…that never happened. Cancel my “optimism”

Last Jedi was divisve, but I loved it overall. I was excited to see a Star Wars story that didn't have the same exact beats and characters. But I also did hate the yo mama joke and the horse Chihuahuas.

Most of the hate for Johnson has been MAGA Bros and Boomers. One group doesn't understand Star Wars and the other group keeps wanting more reruns a 50 year old story.

Andor, Mandalorian Season 1/3, Last Jedi...these are my favourite pieces of Star Wars to come out in my lifetime. And I'm old. My 7th graders like the new stuff but think Star Wars is kind of lame because how old people get obsessed with it and gate keep.

 

[Phroobar]

Andor? I'd love that.
Last Jedi was divisve, but I loved it overall. I was excited to see a Star Wars story that didn't have the same exact beats and characters. But I also did hate the yo mama joke and the horse Chihuahuas.

Most of the hate for Johnson has been MAGA Bros and Boomers. One group doesn't understand Star Wars and the other group keeps wanting more reruns a 50 year old story.

Andor, Mandalorian Season 1/3, Last Jedi...these are my favourite pieces of Star Wars to come out in my lifetime. And I'm old. My 7th graders like the new stuff but think Star Wars is kind of lame because how old people get obsessed with it and gate keep.

Someone has to protect it since Millennials have no culture of their own.

 

[mickEblu]

Ogas is closing soon for a refurb. Which got me thinking - what can they do to put it on my radar again? I haven’t walked in there since before the pandemic. They need to turn it into a table service restaurant + bar. Get rid of the communal seating. Make it bigger with some backstage space if possible. Of course, if an actual table service restaurant is anywhere in the foreseeable future than than not all of the above is necessary.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Andor? I'd love that.
Last Jedi was divisve, but I loved it overall. I was excited to see a Star Wars story that didn't have the same exact beats and characters. But I also did hate the yo mama joke and the horse Chihuahuas.

It was not and did immense damage to Star Wars, LFL and Disney as a whole

Far less money has been made than could have been. That’s the goal

if you want to say it catches more strays than maybe it should because all three movies were terr-awful in their own ways? That’s a valid point.

And yes…the prequels suck. But to not get it close to right after? Unconscionable mistake. At least it sent JJ into hiding…positive

Most of the hate for Johnson has been MAGA Bros and Boomers. One group doesn't understand Star Wars and the other group keeps wanting more reruns a 50 year old story.

Well you’re talking to neither. A dude that went to allied/pride rallies and events in the 90’s. And I’ve had many more close female friends in my adult life than “bros” (bit shocking …but true)

My issue is not the diversification…it’s that Disney - highlighted by LFLs dearly departed unsuccessful leader - have just done terrible character and story work (mostly). To combat culture and gender bias…they’ve done a lot of kindergarten level cultural appropriation. Disney has done it…repeatedly. That’s what’s Been lost in the last 10 years of vitriol…they’ve just done an awful job on an awful approach.

Andor, Mandalorian Season 1/3, Last Jedi...these are my favourite pieces of Star Wars to come out in my lifetime. And I'm old. My 7th graders like the new stuff but think Star Wars is kind of lame because how old people get obsessed with it and gate keep.

They haven’t figured out how to serve multiple masters with it. George couldn’t and Disney sure as hell have face planted on it.

The failure has made it lame. Considering my stance (frequent) that Star wars is the textbook “nato franchise”…time and place were main ingredients to how it hit and you can’t replicate that in a lab