Excellent post - if only WDI put the thought into the arc of the attraction that you did. Minimizing the criticism to “it’s just too short” misses the entire point of WDI not understanding the concept of a cohesive, meaningful experience.
It’s just one of the many reasons MFSR is such a disappointing creative failure. You have this incredible build up of the Falcon, entering the cockpit, etc. and the “adventure” is picking up some cans in the dark for some dude named Hondo. The whole is very much less than the sum of its parts.
And that is not budget cuts, Chapek, or Hurricane Dorian - that is just terrible storytelling.
This is just the epitome of what is wrong with the rides, lately.
There are legit budget hampered rides/attractions...JII comes to mind first, followed by SE ending.
Then there are the ones where Imagineering dropped the story telling ball and make an excellent ride feel like a lesser ride. Nobody has ever called SE too short, yet it has the exact same problem as NRJ...The epic story and buildup leads to nothing. No epic send off, no look to the future as its displayed in the ride, no ending. Just a "get off now". Honestly, SE could have used the budget to spruce up the ending, but instead, they ripped it out. NRJ just doesn't end.
For further reference, lets look at other boat rides...PotC, IASW and Mexico.
Mexico: Story is Donald explores Mexico, fiends need him for a show, explore Mexico with hijinx, find Donald, Celebrate while the band plays.
IASW: Sail through all the nations of the world, the music is the same, but has its own flavor, the dolls dress uniquely and do their own cultural things. At the end, its a room where all the flavors of the music blend to make a new unique version of the song, the traditional costumes become basic colors that unify the theme and everyone from all over the world is united in song, while still maintaining their unique flavor that makes the whole.
Original PotC...ugh...they messed this one up: Set sail to see the dead pirates, shipwrecks and cursed plunder. Dive through a dark tunnel and arrive at a time when the pirates are searching for the treasure that cursed them. The city is attacked from the boat, the pirates land and take over the town, some pirates are captured and some find the treasure. The ending is a callback to the start, giving you the feeling that this isn't the first (and wont be the last) time the curse treasure will take the lives of some treasure hunters.
*the new pirates is just a mess...the beginning doesn't really matter, the pirates seem uninterested in anything not Sparrow, no pirates find the treasure except Sparrow and its not clear there was any ill effect to him finding it.
