Don't make an "X-Wing Coaster" - make a Soarin'/FOP X-Wing ride

[pdude81]

You build it indoors, and hide it behind a facade of rocks/spires just like ROTR.

My issue is more he idea of a train in itself pretending to be an X wing. To do that they'd have to spend massively something that has fewer people in a smaller train car like the war coaster posted above. They tied their own hands trying to make this land a destination and not just a themed set of great attractions. And IMO they won't spend the kind of money it would take to both fit the current land and make a great coaster.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

My issue is more he idea of a train in itself pretending to be an X wing. To do that they'd have to spend massively something that has fewer people in a smaller train car like the war coaster posted above. They tied their own hands trying to make this land a destination and not just a themed set of great attractions. And IMO they won't spend the kind of money it would take to both fit the current land and make a great coaster.

I see your concern. I'd like to think it's still addressable. On solution could be smaller but more numerous trains, i.e. the Matterhorn or MK's SM, with smaller blocks to allow more frequent dispatches. Of course that would require a more robust load/unload, which in turn would increase construction and operating costs. Although, honestly, with the land failing to bring the expected crowds, many things could end up getting reworked, including the prime directive of immersion GE currently operates under.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

We'll see how RotR is received and what it's general "vibe" is, but my feeling is that SW needs something more sedate/relaxing than a thrill ride. I'd actually go the complete opposite and suggest that SW:GE could use something like a show much more than a roller coaster or other thrill ride.

They could have an theater show where AA aliens play Star Wars "songs" (can be themed to be in continuity the way the Imperial March was used in Solo and Rebels). I even could see some Stormtroopers crash the party and insist the band plays the Imperial March or the First Order theme.

Or they should have a Force sensitive area where Force Ghost Yoda instructs or trains people on the Force - and that can involve some sort of Dark Side area where Vader or Maul appears as an antagonist. Would be a good way to bring in both the Force and some OT characters.

I think an additional (non-paid) attraction that is very different than the existing rides and fills up a significant amount of time (unlike a quick ride) would help to compliment and round out the land quite a bit.

The cave of evil like Luke visited

 

[drod1985]

I think GE needs a family-friendly attraction before another thrill ride. And any type of coaster doesn't fit the theming requirements of the rest of the land.

Either bring back the Bantha ride, create the GE equivalent of Navi River Journey, or open up an animatronic alien petting zoo/photo-op.

I've mentioned a using RSR as a foundation for re-theming into a podracer ride. Podracing just so happens to be mentioned multiple times in the Black Spire book, so it could be on the GE team's mind.

 

[doctornick]

My issue is more he idea of a train in itself pretending to be an X wing. To do that they'd have to spend massively something that has fewer people in a smaller train car like the war coaster posted above. They tied their own hands trying to make this land a destination and not just a themed set of great attractions. And IMO they won't spend the kind of money it would take to both fit the current land and make a great coaster.

Yeah, I don't see how you can make an "X-Wing" roller coaster and have it properly themed. for the ride vehicle, moving along a track, to look like an X-Wing and be realistic, it would have horrible capacity. If you make each car into a mini X-Wing then you lose the realistic theming.

Sure, there can be an indoor coaster that puts you in the middle of a space battle, but the vehicle would have to be some sort of larger troop transport of the like.

Still don't think a roller coaster is what the land needs though. Maybe if they build a second SW land....

 

[doctornick]

I think GE needs a family-friendly attraction before another thrill ride. And any type of coaster doesn't fit the theming requirements of the rest of the land.

Either bring back the Bantha ride, create the GE equivalent of Navi River Journey, or open up an animatronic alien petting zoo/photo-op

A walking trail with an AA zoo - or even just a single AA Bantha or Dewback as part of the streetsmosphere - would be a good addition to address the land's deficiencies.

I think the Bantha ride is impractical due to capacity, but as others have mentioned why not an actual Peoplemover attraction that takes you around the land and provides narration/backstory? Would likely be too difficult to retrofit at this point to existing space but I wonder if it could be added around the perimeter with some tunnels around the outside to hide the backstage areas.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

Yeah, I don't see how you can make an "X-Wing" roller coaster and have it properly themed. for the ride vehicle, moving along a track, to look like an X-Wing and be realistic, it would have horrible capacity. If you make each car into a mini X-Wing then you lose the realistic theming.

Sure, there can be an indoor coaster that puts you in the middle of a space battle, but the vehicle would have to be some sort of larger troop transport of the like.

Still don't think a roller coaster is what the land needs though. Maybe if they build a second SW land....

You don't need the train to look like the fighter...it just needs to look sorta like a cockpit, build the stations around it to look like the rest of the fighter is there. They could even call it a special 2 or 4 pilot "trainer."

Look, I just stumbled onto the plot line...you're wanting to sign up to be a resistance pilot, so they're going to let you go up in the special "trainer-wing" to test you. Lo and behold, while you're doing this training run, the First Order/Empire shows up and now you have to help the Resistance either defeat them or hold them off long enough to escape.

My point is it's doable. If I can think up this on a whim, SURELY somebody at WDI can figure it out.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

A walking trail with an AA zoo - or even just a single AA Bantha or Dewback as part of the streetsmosphere - would be a good addition to address the land's deficiencies.

I think the Bantha ride is impractical due to capacity, but as others have mentioned why not an actual Peoplemover attraction that takes you around the land and provides narration/backstory? Would likely be too difficult to retrofit at this point to existing space but I wonder if it could be added around the perimeter with some tunnels around the outside to hide the backstage areas.

How about a podracing ride similar to the mario kart ride coming to universal studios? Podracing is shown to have been on Batuu because there are tons of podracing references in ronto roasters.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

A walking trail with an AA zoo - or even just a single AA Bantha or Dewback as part of the streetsmosphere - would be a good addition to address the land's deficiencies.

I think the Bantha ride is impractical due to capacity, but as others have mentioned why not an actual Peoplemover attraction that takes you around the land and provides narration/backstory? Would likely be too difficult to retrofit at this point to existing space but I wonder if it could be added around the perimeter with some tunnels around the outside to hide the backstage areas.

A people mover type attraction was intended to be included in the land but rumor had it that TDO would not pay for it and therefore was removed from the original Disneyland plan as the lands are identical.

 

[doctornick]

A people mover type attraction was intended to be included in the land but rumor had it that TDO would not pay for it and therefore was removed from the original Disneyland plan as the lands are identical.

It wasn't exactly a Peoplemover, it was a large beast of burden that would have had limited capacity and a relatively short path along the one side of the land (in DHS, the area closest to TSL). I'm talking something much more similar to the MK Peoplemover (themed to SW of course) that could go all around the land including into building or through the "spires".

 

[doctornick]

You don't need the train to look like the fighter...it just needs to look sorta like a cockpit, build the stations around it to look like the rest of the fighter is there. They could even call it a special 2 or 4 pilot "trainer."

Look, I just stumbled onto the plot line...you're wanting to sign up to be a resistance pilot, so they're going to let you go up in the special "trainer-wing" to test you. Lo and behold, while you're doing this training run, the First Order/Empire shows up and now you have to help the Resistance either defeat them or hold them off long enough to escape.

My point is it's doable. If I can think up this on a whim, SURELY somebody at WDI can figure it out.

Ok, so it's not really an X-wing though. I totally agree that you could do a space battle roller coaster and write a working storyline to it. I just don't see how a proper X-Wing ride can be done without having horrendous capacity. Maybe there would be some great WDI magic that could make it believable that you are flying an X-Wing while on a track, but I'm skeptical.

I'm just saying before some people seem to really want to "fly an X-Wing" and I think the only way to do that practically is with a screen based attraction. A different space vehicle flying could totally work as a coaster.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

Ok, so it's not really an X-wing though. I totally agree that you could do a space battle roller coaster and write a working storyline to it. I just don't see how a proper X-Wing ride can be done without having horrendous capacity. Maybe there would be some great WDI magic that could make it believable that you are flying an X-Wing while on a track, but I'm skeptical.

I'm just saying before some people seem to really want to "fly an X-Wing" and I think the only way to do that practically is with a screen based attraction. A different space vehicle flying could totally work.

Ok, I agree with you for the true simulation experience. The problem there is we already have MF:SR, and ROTR is going to be partially simulator-based as well. Part of my contention is we don't need another variant of simulator.

You're correct that it won't be a true "flight" experience in any craft, as the flight pattern will have to set to follow the track, so ther would be no pilot control.

Still, there is something more satisfying in experiencing the actual g-forces on a coaster that a theme park simulator cannot match.

 

[doctornick]

Ok, I agree with you for the true simulation experience. The problem there is we already have MF:SR, and ROTR is going to be partially simulator-based as well. Part of my contention is we don't need another variant of simulator.

You're correct that it won't be a true "flight" experience in any craft, as the flight pattern will have to set to follow the track, so ther would be no pilot control.

Still, there is something more satisfying in experiencing the actual g-forces on a coaster that a theme park simulator cannot match.

No, that's not the point I was trying to make.

If you are going to make a realistic X-Wing vehicle that you ride, it has to be large and only seats one person, maybe two. To put such a vehicle on a roller coaster track would be impractical. You could make it so you get into a vehicle using special effects and only the cockpit moves but then you are "flying" in a cockpit on its own. Even if you say it is a modified X-Wing to hold multiple people, you still have a large vessel which seems difficult to imagine on a track.

Yes, this is a problem that maybe WDI could solve. I'm very skeptical that any solution would be satisfying to those who are clamoring that they "always wanted to fly an X-Wing on a trench run". I think the closest thing would be an alternative vehicle (some sort of a cargo vessel perhaps) carrying multiple passengers that encounters X-Wings and Tie Fighters along the route. I think there's potential there; I just don't see how "X-Wing roller coaster" would work without being laughably unrealistic in terms of vehicles.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

No, that's not the point I was trying to make.

If you are going to make a realistic X-Wing vehicle that you ride, it has to be large and only seats one person, maybe two. To put such a vehicle on a roller coaster track would be impractical. You could make it so you get into a vehicle using special effects and only the cockpit moves but then you are "flying" in a cockpit on its own. Even if you say it is a modified X-Wing to hold multiple people, you still have a large vessel which seems difficult to imagine on a track.

Yes, this is a problem that maybe WDI could solve. I'm very skeptical that any solution would be satisfying to those who are clamoring that they "always wanted to fly an X-Wing on a trench run". I think the closest thing would be an alternative vehicle (some sort of a cargo vessel perhaps) carrying multiple passengers that encounters X-Wings and Tie Fighters along the route. I think there's potential there; I just don't see how "X-Wing roller coaster" would work without being laughably unrealistic in terms of vehicles.

I think we're dancing around each other without intending to.

Have you ridden Hyperspace Mountain? It's exactly what you describe with a "large vessel" of the SM train.

You're correct that it's highly impractical to put an entire X-wing (or any other fighter) on the track. However, once you're inside the cockpit, what is there to convince you you're not in the whole fighter? There's going to have to be some give, because you can't practically do one-person cockpits. And from that point, strictly speaking, you're right in that it wont be an "canonical" single-pilot X-wing cockpit anymore. I'm simply saying that it's a natural progression to use the story to explain why this might be a little different, i.e. a "training craft" with a dual or quad cockpit, or maybe a different, entirely new class of fighter (C-wing, or a Z-wing, or maybe even a BS-wing at the rate I'm going). Make the sets, projections, and effects good, and you'll get the feel of "the trench run" even though it's not, strictly speaking, in a canonical X-wing. Star Tours managed to pull it off before in the StarSpeeder 1000.

I guess the problem is I've never made clear I'm throwing out an example of a "Star Wars Fighter Battle Coaster" rather than a strict X-wing coaster. My whole point is I completely disagree with this thread's premise that any third ride needs to be another evolution of Soarin' or FoP.