Jedi Training Academy to close to reopen later this year as 'Jedi Training - Trials of the Temple'

[21stamps]

I don't have kids, so I would not be able to speak to how they view the franchise outside of my friends who have them. From what I gather, BB-8 (understandably) rules the land these days, but I don't even have enough good friends with kids to make a general statement on what they like the most.



I'm not saying that there's only the two groups, but those were the two you compared (hardcore fans and the general public, which I took to mean non-fans), so those were the two I addressed. I definitely disagree with you on the notion that most casual fans will be upset that the land isn't based during the original trilogy, though. The new trilogy seems to be going over well with casual fans, and Vader will still be present as long as Jedi Training and/or Star Tours is around. There are definitely going to be outliers, but I really think that the only way the majority of visitors would be dissastisfied is if they showed up to find a land based on the prequels. Going with the new trilogy makes the most amount of people happy, and gives them wiggle room to keep a few old favorites around.

I asked because most kids I know, including my own and his friends, will play with their toys and mix up all of the characters. Poe can shoot at Darth Vader, Yoda can train Rey, and so on. They know they are from different movies- but the kids don't care.

Here's my son's backpack this year- one that he "just had to have"

Last year it was a solid black Darth Vader, the year before was R2D2, his lunch box this year is BB8.

His bedding is Kylo Ren.
Room decor is a hodgepodge of a Millennium Falcon painting, a large framed hologramish picture of Stormtroopers, and two smaller Yoda and Luke paintings. With a Darth Vader alarm clock and Kylo Ren's lightsaber as a wall mounted nightlight.

He's a huge fan, and he couldn't care less about the timeline, he loves the characters for what they are.

 

[doctornick]

It's not just me, how many other people have commented in this thread just today that they were surprised or disappointed that the new land is limited to the new trilogy.

For the type of immersion they are aiming for with SW:GE, the correct move was to pick a specific setting -- which includes a specific time frame -- and be consistent with it. There could be arguments for using a different setting, but just doing a random mix of stuff from Star Wars would have been far from ideal and would be less impressive.

By using the new trilogy, they actually can involve a lot of classic characters. Chewie will almost certainly be involved in the MF ride. C-3PO and R2-D2 can join BB-8 in the land. Luke and Leia can be around -- yes, older versions, but still those characters. There's always the possibility of Han too. Even Obi-Wan and Yoda (and Anakin, I guess) could appear as Force Ghosts. So, there's at least options to satisfy original trilogy fans while keeping the story consistent.

I do agree that having the opportunity to have characters from the original trilogy would be cool too. But the solution for that is to build a second land based on that timeline. That way, they can continue to have fully immersive storytelling while providing some fan service. Honestly, I'd be fine with keeping Star Tours (even getting rid of the anachronistic elements from the new films) and building a second land distinct land around that.

But back to SW:GE, I do wonder if there is plans for a JTA type attraction in the land. I hope there is.

 

[doctornick]

Not having classic Star Wars characters,vehicles, aliens, and droids, the new land will easily be its downfall. The original trilogy is timeless but we don't know how long the sequel trilogy will be relevant. Not having those X-Wings or Imperial Shuttles or classic Stormtroopers or Darth Vader will really just harm the entire land in the long run, in my honest opinion.

The difference in Stormtroopers and even vehicles is minimal to most people. The hardcore people who would notice will appreciate the attention to detail in the new land.

As for having "classic" stuff, who says they can't? The setting is after the original trilogy and old things can still exist. We already know there's freaking AT-ATs in the Battle Escape ride. I'm sure Disney will be more than happy to toss in homages to the original trilogy whenever they can in a story consistent manner.

 

[GoofGoof]

But back to SW:GE, I do wonder if there is plans for a JTA type attraction in the land. I hope there is.

Since there is only one Jedi left in the new trilogy that doesn't leave much room for a JTA type attraction. I think it will probably go when Star Tours goes.

 

[GoofGoof]

I do agree that having the opportunity to have characters from the original trilogy would be cool too. But the solution for that is to build a second land based on that timeline. That way, they can continue to have fully immersive storytelling while providing some fan service. Honestly, I'd be fine with keeping Star Tours (even getting rid of the anachronistic elements from the new films) and building a second land distinct land around that.

For me personally I would rather have a different IP for the echo lake area. I love Star Wars but I would prefer 1 all inclusive Star Wars area and then another IP like Indy added as an additional land.

 

[doctornick]

I just rewatched the video I took of the show last year. Now I see what you're talking about.

In fairness to myself and all other parents attending, we're paying more attention to our children than the lines in the show. The kids are probably just focused on learning their light saber skills. Most likely the majority of them do not watch Rebels on a regular basis.

It's certainly easy to miss the details of the show and how it "works" if you aren't paying close attention to the dialogue. And, indeed, most people are probably just watching the kid they know and squealing with delight as they swing the light saber around. I don't think there's any big issue with that -- and no one here is making fun of people for not picking up the details of Force Illusions or whatnot.

But Disney has thrived on intimate details. I'm sure not the only one who is constantly amazed when historians here can point out tiny details on Disney attractions that exist to make things "work" or be meaningful on another level. The kind of things that make the 30th ride on an an attraction even more meaningful because you've discovered something new. So, I don't get why some might be offended to learn that Disney put a lot of thought into Trials of the Temple to having it "work" with Star Wars canon. To that I say kudos to Disney for telling a proper story, not making fun of them for being "convoluted".

If your kid is just excited to fight Darth Vader, great. That's awesome. But at the same time, if you are someone who is wondering how Disney "messed up" by having Kylo Ren and Darth Vader on stage at the same time, Disney actually has explained it for you. Nothing wrong with experiencing things on different levels.

 

[doctornick]

Since there is only one Jedi left in the new trilogy that doesn't leave much room for a JTA type attraction. I think it will probably go when Star Tours goes.

The new trilogy isn't done yet.