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

[spacemt354]

It's all an interesting thesis, but it seems to have already been done 23 years ago when Indiana Jones Adventure opened. That land expansion was a decrepit ancient temple in an overgrown jungle being tended to by broken down rusty equipment. And people love it.

Kinda apples to oranges.

Most of the attraction is covered by lush greenery and artistic foliage that permeates the entirety of Adventureland. That's not the best comparison of a singular, mostly hidden attraction, to an entire land where guest pathways meander through realistically worn streets akin to something you might find in Tokyo DisneySEA or Animal Kingdom

Again, I just hope the same charm and aesthetically winsome color pallets seen throughout Disneyland are kept in tact. (The railroad refurb gives me hope that is the case)

 

[TROR]

What the heck are y'all talking about? The biggest problems with Star Wars land is it being way over scaled compared to the castle. Disneyland is a small park and has small scaled buildings. The fact DCA doesn't scale with Disneyland is one of its biggest core problems, actually, imo, but at least it's a separate park whereas Star Wars land is out of scale as the rest of its park.

 

[TP2000]

I haven’t been over to Disneyland yet, but what is you guys’ Frontierland like? Ours isn’t ‘dirty’, per se, but it’s definitely more weathered and lived in than the other areas of the park. I’d imagine that will help with the transition to Star Wars.

Also, I doubt that the *whole* land will be dirty and weathered. All of the First Order facilities should be sparkling clean, in keeping with their onscreen portrayal, so there should be a great deal of shiny and new, particularly in the battle escape attraction.

Disneyland's Frontierland is the same aesthetic and palette as WDW's, just laid out very differently and with more attractions. Two of the three entry portals into Disneyland's Star Wars (DHS just has two entry portals) branch off from the northern flanks of Frontierland, along what is called the Big Thunder Trail as it goes along the northern backside of Big Thunder Mountain.

WDI did a fantastic job of making these trails and entry portals look Frontierland, but with rockwork that becomes increasingly weird looking and alien-like. It's not unusual if you've been to Utah, but it's also going to blend with the alien planet rockwork these trails will morph into beyond the berm as they head into Star Wars Land.

 

[sedati]

Here here! Walt had to overcome the perception that amusement parks were seedy, unappealing places. He was shooting for Tivoli Gardens, a beautiful place to simply visit, aside from any rides.

Today, thanks to Disneyland, themed entertainment doesn't have a creepy cheap reputation. You still want pristine 'welcome' areas and amenities, but the attraction architecture can be totally lived in, aged, and even dangerous-looking.

This reply is more WDW based. I was just there after a long absence and was literally gobsmacked by how beautiful and pristine Main Street was- it looked brand spanking new. I think Main Street can always be tweaked here and there, but I think it should stay crisp and clean. With that said, I found the some areas across property that I think could use not only more weathering, but the more layered history look that is the newer trend. Liberty Square I think could use a makeover (though honestly I sort of wish they'd just turn the whole area into Sleepy Hollow.) Most of all, it's the World Showcase pavilions that I feel need some of that faux history given to them. Now that I've been to some of the real countries, I find that overly clean and bright approach just too fake looking. Norway and Morocco (the two later pavilions) fare better, but I think it was the UK in particular that I felt suffered from appearing too trapped in a specific time and place.

 

[britain]

This reply is more WDW based. I was just there after a long absence and was literally gobsmacked by how beautiful and pristine Main Street was- it looked brand spanking new. I think Main Street can always be tweaked here and there, but I think it should stay crisp and clean. With that said, I found the some areas across property that I think could use not only more weathering, but the more layered history look that is the newer trend. Liberty Square I think could use a makeover (though honestly I sort of wish they'd just turn the whole area into Sleepy Hollow.) Most of all, it's the World Showcase pavilions that I feel need some of that faux history given to them. Now that I've been to some of the real countries, I find that overly clean and bright approach just too fake looking. Norway and Morocco (the two later pavilions) fare better, but I think it was the UK in particular that I felt suffered from appearing too trapped in a specific time and place.

Do you mean UK stuck in a specific time and place... as in 1982?

 

[TP2000]

What the heck are y'all talking about? The biggest problems with Star Wars land is it being way over scaled compared to the castle. Disneyland is a small park and has small scaled buildings. The fact DCA doesn't scale with Disneyland is one of its biggest core problems, actually, imo, but at least it's a separate park whereas Star Wars land is out of scale as the rest of its park.

I think Disneyland's Castle will survive with Star Wars unseen on the backside of the park. The Castle has been doing just fine with this big rocky neighbor right next to it for 58 years.

Personally, it was Walt himself who put up the most awkward contrast to the Castle when the Monsanto House of the Future sat directly across the castle moat for 10 years. Talk about thematic inconsistency and problems with scale! WALT!!!!

Walt's classic vista - Bavarian Castle Meets Monsanto Future House Meets Court Of Flags Meets Alice In Wonderland Attraction Poster.

I think Disneyland will survive with Star Wars Land on the backside of the park. It will get even busier, but it will survive. Some are even expecting it to thrive.

 

[spacemt354]

Disneyland's Frontierland is the same aesthetic and palette as WDW's, just laid out very differently and with more attractions.

Quick correction, they actually have an equal 'number' of attractions.

Disneyland Frontierland Attraction Count
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Pirate's Lair on Tom Saywer Island
- Frontierland Shootin' Exposition

WDW Frontierland Attraction Count
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Tom Sawyer Island
- Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
- Walt Disney World Railroad Station (not counted)

WDW's Frontierland is much larger in terms of land scope, carrying 2 E-Tickets; however Disneyland also has Critter Country which holds their Splash Mountain as well as Winnie the Pooh, which is why Disneyland Frontierland's only E-ticket is Big Thunder Mountain.

 

[TROR]

Not saying Star Wars land will mess up the scale of the castle, but everything in the park is in a respective scale to it. Main Street USA is scaled to make the castle feel larger. As a result, Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, etc. are all in the same scale. From what we've seen, Star Wars land will not be in the same scale.

 

[sedati]

Do you mean UK stuck in a specific time and place... as in 1982?

Funny, but not quite. Main Street looks like it was all built at once, and you are there on the day right after all the new paint had dried. The UK pavilion has this look too- even though the buildings represent varying time periods, they still all look like they were just completed which sort of defeats the point.

 

[britain]

Not saying Star Wars land will mess up the scale of the castle, but everything in the park is in a respective scale to it. Main Street USA is scaled to make the castle feel larger. As a result, Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, etc. are all in the same scale. From what we've seen, Star Wars land will not be in the same scale.

I don't know about that - I think all those cantina / village buildings will be comparable to New Orleans Square, just with a mountain range incorporated into it.

 

[britain]

Funny, but not quite. Main Street looks like it was all built at once, and you are there on the day right after all the new paint had dried. The UK pavilion has this look too- even though the buildings represent varying time periods, they still all look like they were just completed which sort of defeats the point.

Ah yes, I see.

 

[TROR]

I don't know about that - I think all those cantina / village buildings will be comparable to New Orleans Square, just with a mountain range behind them.

I hope so, but iirc the scale of the rock work/portal into SWL from Frontierland is in a much larger scale than the rest of the land which is concerning.

 

[TP2000]

Kinda apples to oranges.

Most of the attraction is covered by lush greenery and artistic foliage that permeates the entirety of Adventureland. That's not the best comparison of a singular, mostly hidden attraction, to an entire land where guest pathways meander through realistically worn streets akin to something you might find in Tokyo DisneySEA or Animal Kingdom

Again, I just hope the same charm and aesthetically winsome color pallets seen throughout Disneyland are kept in tact. (The railroad refurb gives me hope that is the case)

I think all of Disneyland's Adventureland is a perfect example of the Indiana Jones Adventure aesthetic. I would consider comparing Adventureland to Star Wars Land as apples to apples, without an orange in the basket. Adventureland is a weathered and distressed village environment, with layers of age and various cultures draped over each other. Adventureland is vibrant and exotic, yet aged and cluttered and a bit confused. But it's worked wonderfully for 62 years.

I think Star Wars Land is going to be a great complement to these types of existing Disneyland environments.

 

[TP2000]

Quick correction, they actually have an equal 'number' of attractions.

Disneyland Frontierland Attraction Count
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Pirate's Lair on Tom Saywer Island
- Frontierland Shootin' Exposition

WDW Frontierland Attraction Count
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Tom Sawyer Island
- Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
- Walt Disney World Railroad Station (not counted)

WDW's Frontierland is much larger in terms of land scope, carrying 2 E-Tickets; however Disneyland also has Critter Country which holds their Splash Mountain as well as Winnie the Pooh, which is why Disneyland Frontierland's only E-ticket is Big Thunder Mountain.

Ah, yes. I always lump the Canoes into Frontierland because they are on the Rivers of America, which gives Disneyland's Frontierland six attractions compared to WDW's five.

 

[TROR]

Completely agree about the aesthetic of Galaxy's Edge matching that of Adventureland. I don't know how many of you have scene the classic 1942 film, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, but the film takes place in the French Moroccan city of Casablanca during WWII and Humphrey Bogart plays a character named Rick who owns a cantina in the city. Now I think the similarities between a city in Africa and Adventureland are rather obvious, but what might not be as obvious is the connection between Star Wars and Casablanca. This article here really gets into the details between the film classic and Star Wars, but the point I'm making is, if we can see the clear connection between Casablanca and Adventureland, as well as these connections between Casablanca and Star Wars, then I think it's reasonable to say that w̶e̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶m̶p̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶C̶a̶s̶a̶b̶l̶a̶n̶c̶a̶ ̶a̶n̶i̶m̶a̶t̶r̶o̶n̶i̶c̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶G̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶M̶o̶v̶i̶e̶ ̶R̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶G̶a̶l̶a̶x̶y̶'̶s̶ ̶E̶d̶g̶e there'll be a similarity between Galaxy's Edge and Adventureland.

 

[spacemt354]

I think all of Disneyland's Adventureland is a perfect example of the Indiana Jones Adventure aesthetic. I would consider comparing Adventureland to Star Wars Land as apples to apples, without an orange in the basket. Adventureland is a weathered and distressed village environment, with layers of age and various cultures draped over each other. Adventureland is vibrant and exotic, yet aged and cluttered and a bit confused. But it's worked wonderfully for 62 years.

I think Star Wars Land is going to be a great complement to these types of existing Disneyland environments.

Look at the artistry, the verve of eclectic cultures mixed with charisma and spirit from the various lantern designs to bamboo railings transitioning into (left out of your example images) the radiant floral patterns of the Enchanted Tiki Room and Polynesia.

The Star Wars color patterns are quite monochromatic. They evoke a certain cuboidal, cylindrical, or semi-spherical architectural pattern that mixed with its size, scale, and purpose - in my view, is a concerning placement and direction for the park.

All I hope for is that it maintains a sense of charm and quaintness...if it does that, despite everything else, I will be satisfied.

Ah, yes. I always lump the Canoes into Frontierland because they are on the Rivers of America, which gives Disneyland's Frontierland six attractions compared to WDW's five.

Then I'll count the railroad, which I purposefully left out due to its multiple stops, but technically is an attraction for the land. So 6 to 6 and still equal.

 

[britain]

Completely agree about the aesthetic of Galaxy's Edge matching that of Adventureland. I don't know how many of you have scene the classic 1942 film, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, but the film takes place in the French Moroccan city of Casablanca during WWII and Humphrey Bogart plays a character named Rick who owns a cantina in the city. Now I think the similarities between a city in Africa and Adventureland are rather obvious, but what might not be as obvious is the connection between Star Wars and Casablanca. This article here really gets into the details between the film classic and Star Wars, but the point I'm making is, if we can see the clear connection between Casablanca and Adventureland, as well as these connections between Casablanca and Star Wars, then I think it's reasonable to say that w̶e̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶m̶p̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶C̶a̶s̶a̶b̶l̶a̶n̶c̶a̶ ̶a̶n̶i̶m̶a̶t̶r̶o̶n̶i̶c̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶G̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶M̶o̶v̶i̶e̶ ̶R̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶G̶a̶l̶a̶x̶y̶'̶s̶ ̶E̶d̶g̶e there'll be a similarity between Galaxy's Edge and Adventureland.

Ha! Yes, with their out-of-scale heads, Rick and Elsa will be perfect aliens.

 

[TP2000]

Look at the artistry, the verve of eclectic cultures mixed with charisma and spirit from the various lantern designs to bamboo railings transitioning into (left out of your example images) the radiant floral patterns of the Enchanted Tiki Room and Polynesia.

The Star Wars color patterns are quite monochromatic. They evoke a certain cuboidal, cylindrical, or semi-spherical architectural pattern that mixed with its size, scale, and purpose - in my view, is a concerning placement and direction for the park.

But look at the artistry, the verve of eclectic cultures mixed with charisma and spirit of this... Star Wars Land alley marketplace.

While this evokes a certain cuboidal, cylindrical or semi-spherical architectural pattern, I think it's going to fit into Disneyland's other themed lands nicely. Plus, it's going to be really, really cool!

 

[spacemt354]

But look at the artistry, the verve of eclectic cultures mixed with charisma and spirit of this... Star Wars Land alley marketplace.

While this evokes a certain cuboidal, cylindrical or semi-spherical architectural pattern, I think it's going to fit into Disneyland's other themed lands nicely. Plus, it's going to be really, really cool!

I mean, all you're doing is just trying to force me to believe something that I personally don't see. The image doesn't really help. It looks claustrophobic and dirty to me. I think there's a big difference between an Adventureland with a ton of different options set in many diverse, open air, colorful settings, and a land based on a singular IP on a dingy planet that wouldn't be the poster child for 'charm', in my opinion, more of...eek, I gotta get off this planet.

You're also leaving out each caveat I have put at the end of my concerns that as long as it maintains the Disneyland charm that makes Disneyland my favorite park in the world, I'll be satisfied. And I've mentioned many times that the attractions will surely be amazing. You're convinced already that it will be great, which is great! I'm not going to be until I see it for myself.

 

[britain]

But look at the artistry, the verve of eclectic cultures mixed with charisma and spirit of this... Star Wars Land alley marketplace.

While this evokes a certain cuboidal, cylindrical or semi-spherical architectural pattern, I think it's going to fit into Disneyland's other themed lands nicely. Plus, it's going to be really, really cool!

Perfect homage to Star Wars contribution to pop-culture: The Used Future.