Feb. 21st Star Wars land preview on ABC

[lebeau]

The EU was glorified fan fiction.

Much like The Force Awakens.

*ducks*

 

[lebeau]

Oh, please. That was a game show that wasn't that good. It was a trivia show, in which one question was answered every 10 minutes. What kind of staying power should a game show like that have? Disney was brilliant in milking that piece of fluff for all it was worth. They got more out of it than it deserved. All these "modern" game shows die. Deal or No Deal, Weakest Link, ... Minute to Win It ... Duel. They all were kind of weak ideas with limited long term appeal. When the novelty wears off, they disappear.

There's a difference between milking a weak franchise vs. running a good one into the ground.

They tanked the network that year by scheduling that weak reality show just about every night:

The nighttime version initially drew in up to 30 million viewers a day three times a week, an unheard-of number in modern network television. In the 1999–2000 season, it averaged #1 in the ratings against all other television shows, with 28,848,000 viewers. In the next season (2000–01), three nights out of the five weekly episodes placed in the top 10. However, the show's ratings began to fall during the 2000–01 season, so that at the start of the 2001–02 season, the ratings were only a fraction of what they had been one year before, and by season's end, the show was no longer even ranked among the top 20. ABC's reliance on the show's popularity led the network to fall quickly from its former spot as the nation's most watched network.

And in typical Disney fashion, just as the show was past its prime, they based a theme park attraction on it. Disney is in the golden goose killing business. Fortunately, with Marvel and Star Wars, they have purchased unkillable geese. But Disney will flood the market to the point where everyone who doesn't attend SW conventions will get a little sick of SW.

 

[lebeau]

No. No, it's not. That's ridiculous.

Lawrence Kasdan isn't a Star Wars fan fiction writer.

Kasdan's involvement doesn't really change my opinion that TFA feels like a fan fiction script given a blockbuster budget. For one thing, we're not dealing with the Lawrence Kasdan who wrote Empire and Raiders. That guy is gone. He aged into the guy who wrote and directed Mumford and Wyatt Earp.

But even if Kasdan had been churning out quality work for the last 20 years, I'm going to grade TFA on its own merits. I don't care whose name is on the credits, TFA is so full of fan service and call back to the original trilogy that it reads like a work of fan fiction.

 

[erasure fan1]

Actually, Disney did have earlier plans to fast-track a Star Wars land. Those plans were scrapped (wisely, I believe) when higher-ups decided that it wasn't ambitious enough

Time will tell if it is ambitious enough. History would show the opposite, higher ups usually cutting ambitious things that imagineers come up with. Disney needs a grand slam with this one, and I really hope its the greatest thing ever. But I can't just give them the benefit of the doubt.

Just my hunch, but I don't think so. I think that may have been the way they thought until Potter opened, but not anymore. I think they realize they need to do it right for the long term sake of DHS/AK and WDW in general. I think all three of these WDW expansions (budget "issues" aside) seem to be designed with the knowledge that they need to match Universal's, both in terms of attractions and in making entire lands that are immersive and grand -- places you want to spend a lot of time and money in, by day and night.

That is why I said I hope they prove me wrong on this one. If Disney feels the need to match Uni than how did we end up with new fantasyland or frozen in Norway?

why would you want to rush the development? i'd rather it take longer and be better.. we all know what happens when you rush a park open (DHS)

They are taking time because of the fact that it is the most popular IP. they dont wanna mess this one up.

I'm sorry but star wars has a vast universe of ideas to pull from and in no way needs 3yrs to come up with a plan in my eyes. Of course we all want better but taking longer, and better, don't coincide with Disney. Look no further than new fantasyland. For as long as that took, it should be one of the greatest things ever done.

 

[Mike S]

Time will tell if it is ambitious enough. History would show the opposite, higher ups usually cutting ambitious things that imagineers come up with. Disney needs a grand slam with this one, and I really hope its the greatest thing ever. But I can't just give them the benefit of the doubt.


That is why I said I hope they prove me wrong on this one. If Disney feels the need to match Uni than how did we end up with new fantasyland or frozen in Norway?


I'm sorry but star wars has a vast universe of ideas to pull from and in no way needs 3yrs to come up with a plan in my eyes. Of course we all want better but taking longer, and better, don't coincide with Disney. Look no further than new fantasyland. For as long as that took, it should be one of the greatest things ever done.

Considering the higher ups turned down the first SWL pitch for not being ambitious enough, I have faith.

 

[Andrew C]

I wonder if the outside of Star Tours will receive any type of refurb to blend it in and match the new land...

 

[danlb_2000]

I wonder if the outside of Star Tours will receive any type of refurb to blend it in and match the new land...

I am pretty sure it will. There is no attempt to hide the fact that the AT-AT is just a set and that just doesn't fit in with the new direction of the land and the park as a whole.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I am pretty sure it will. There is no attempt to hide the fact that the AT-AT is just a set and that just doesn't fit in with the new direction of the land and the park as a whole.

I wonder if they will keep it as the same, odd, mish-mash of scenes it currently is, or try to be more canon and go for a "ST 3.0"

 

[danlb_2000]

I wonder if they will keep it as the same, odd, mish-mash of scenes it currently is, or try to be more canon and go for a "ST 3.0"

It think it will also depend if it's directly adjacent to SWL. If SWL does go in the Echo lake area, the Star Tours will be right next to it and they will really have to theme it to fit into the land. If it goes in the LMA area, then Muppets will separate it from the rest of the land.

 

[doctornick]

Let me remind you I'm not 100% sure that is totally accurate. It's a real minefield.

Understood, but I think that what you posted would be the easiest/most logical location for Star Wars at DHS. It provides the proper amount of space while also allowing for the ideal "show" by keeping it more isolated from Hollywood Blvd. And I think that DHS is really going to need to have additional food offerings to support increased crowds rather than just replacing existing establishments (though Backlot Express is surely a goner).

 

[marni1971]

Understood, but I think that what you posted would be the easiest/most logical location for Star Wars at DHS. It provides the proper amount of space while also allowing for the ideal "show" by keeping it more isolated from Hollywood Blvd. And I think that DHS is really going to need to have additional food offerings to support increased crowds rather than just replacing existing establishments (though Backlot Express is surely a goner).

Oh, I agree.

Other things just don't completely add up at the moment.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Oh, I agree.

Other things just don't completely add up at the moment.

Just to confirm, Star Tours is definitely staying, right?

 

[olie64]

Oh, I agree.

Other things just don't completely add up at the moment.

What are the chances they just end up doing the unannounced phase three and it opens the year between TSL and SWL. I know it be a ton of constructions going on but I would think when they are done with Avatar tha opens up a huge amount of work force which in theory might be able to build three parks at the same time. If they are building SWL in Disneyland first would that mean the one at DHS should be done quicker since it be a clone?

 

[marni1971]

What are the chances they just end up doing the unannounced phase three and it opens the year between TSL and SWL. I know it be a ton of constructions going on but I would think when they are done with Avatar tha opens up a huge amount of work force which in theory might be able to build three parks at the same time. If they are building SWL in Disneyland first would that mean the one at DHS should be done quicker since it be a clone?

Chances? Virtually zero.

I expect SWL west to open before SWL east.

 

[olie64]

Chances? Virtually zero.

I expect SWL west to open before SWL east.

 

[olie64]

Chances? Virtually zero.

I expect SWL west to open before SWL east.

That what figured about the unannounced land opening before SWL. I was just throwing an idea out there to bounce of the people in the thread.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Just to confirm, Star Tours is definitely staying, right?

You have a higher chance of getting attacked by a shark then they completely get rid of Star Tours. More than likely what will happen in Anaheim is they will use the current Star Tours for possibly Iron Man like in Hong Kong, and just build a new Star Tours for the Star Wars land, but I could be wrong. In Hollywood Studios though., I guess they could relocate it, but its highly unlikely, and either way we would still have it.

 

[Next Big Thing]

You have a higher chance of getting attacked by a shark then they completely get rid of Star Tours. More than likely what will happen in Anaheim is they will use the current Star Tours for possibly Iron Man like in Hong Kong, and just build a new Star Tours for the Star Wars land, but I could be wrong. In Hollywood Studios though., I guess they could relocate it, but its highly unlikely, and either way we would still have it.

I live on the Florida coast so I wouldn't take that bet.

 

[JohnD]

You have a higher chance of getting attacked by a shark then they completely get rid of Star Tours. More than likely what will happen in Anaheim is they will use the current Star Tours for possibly Iron Man like in Hong Kong, and just build a new Star Tours for the Star Wars land, but I could be wrong. In Hollywood Studios though., I guess they could relocate it, but its highly unlikely, and either way we would still have it.

ST in DHS will probably stay where it is. DL poses a problem with SW Land behind Frontierland on one side and ST in Tomorrowland on the other. If I were to guess, I'd say they would keep ST running in Tomorrowland until a new on is built in SW Land.

 

[BrianLo]

More than likely what will happen in Anaheim is they will use the current Star Tours for possibly Iron Man like in Hong Kong, and just build a new Star Tours for the Star Wars land, but I could be wrong.

No. It's staying put in DL. (At least until a big tomorrow land redo - currently scheduled for post-pigs learning to fly and Epcot getting fixed).

It most certainly is never becoming a clone of Ironman from HKDL.