Feb. 21st Star Wars land preview on ABC

[Ignohippo]

I'm sorry but this whole post is a contradiction and grinds my gears....rant coming

The Insiders do this all the time on this site...Lee does it least....

"It's going go to be Amazing, Incredible, Aweome...BUT...it could have been blah blah blah"

We all know that the technology is there to probably have real hoverr boards but we get ones with wheels.....

If it's gonna be Incredible then please just start and end with that!!!!!!!

Ah...rant over...BTW Ingo you are a valued poster and thanks for the info

Let me try to clarify. Just because something is amazing doesn't mean that it does the property or its fans justice.

Star Wars is the type of property that will be causing millions of families to reach into their wallets for thousands of dollars of their hard-earned money for that magical Disney experience.

An IP like Star Wars simply deserves better than a single environment and the attraction lineup they're offering. The attractions (well, at least one) should be amazing, but it simply doesn't do this property justice.

 

[Ignohippo]

Okay, hmm. So I'll start by saying I very much like the name The Star Wars Experience. Couldn't be much simpler and easier to call it by than that. But as much as I wasn't disappointed by the preview, I wasn't completely wowed either.

The first one is most definitely a simulator. I can ride a simulator at my local funplex, and there's this thing at the arcades called a Star Wars battle pod. Also, there's already a ride called Star Tours which looks quite similar, so this ride better really wow me or I'll be disappointed. There needs to be something unique and different about it.

The second one looks better though. It looks to me like a transformers/ spider man ride system, which doesn't mean it has to be all screens, but the second part of that video definitely looks that way. There will be forward movement (yay!), though it's most definitely not an omnimover and I'd be pleasantly surprised if there were a lot of AAs. It looks like all three rides will be heavily screen-based (which could feel redundant), but who knows? After all, the video we saw is so short and all computer-modeled that it's hard to tell what's what. I'm really hoping this second ride is on a Forbidden Journey or Mystic Manor level of quality. That'll be the big winner that draws Potter-level or greater crowds if they pull something off like that. Otherwise I'm seeing The Star Wars Experience having three decent rides but none which are wowing.

Can't base too much opinion off of a two minute preview though, so as always I'll reserve full judge till it opens. The rest of the land looks excellent. I don't see where some people are getting the idea there will be an indoor show though. But the restaurants, streetmosphere, and whole land looks very nice.

Thanks for the video Cantor. And if anyone has or knows where a video of the Shanghai part is, could you please lead me to it?

Perfectly said on all accounts.

 

[doctornick]

I'm sorry but this whole post is a contradiction and grinds my gears....rant coming

The Insiders do this all the time on this site...Lee does it least....

"It's going go to be Amazing, Incredible, Aweome...BUT...it could have been blah blah blah"

We all know that the technology is there to probably have real hoverr boards but we get ones with wheels.....

If it's gonna be Incredible then please just start and end with that!!!!!!!

Ah...rant over...BTW Ingo you are a valued poster and thanks for the info

I'm right there with you. I always take it with a grain of salt over the opinions of the insiders who post here (and elsewhere). I try to focus on the facts of what they reveal, not their interpretation of the quality of it. Any post is going to filter the information through the biases of the poster.

Specific to this, @Ignohippo said the land will feature the two rides, plus a Jedi training academy, plus two restaurants plus atmosphere and... my reaction is "sounds fantastic" and his is "such a disappointment". That doesn't mean he's "wrong" just that his interpretation of what is a disappointment is likely far different than mine.

IMHO when you know more intimate details of stuff, you tend to be more nit-picky and pessimistic. Those of us detached from the process can view it with more wide eyed wonderment and be easier to impress.

Edit: to expand, he clarified his remarks and pointed out that, for example, he'd rather have had a bike coaster zipping around the land as opposed to another simulator. That's a perfectly valid opinion, but I think I'm more excited by the simulator -- I mean, actually riding/controlling the Millennium Falcon (assuming it is well done and really feels like you are in the cockpit) is probably the most iconic experience you could have for a Star Wars based land. YMMV.

 

[twebber55]

Big difference in tempering expectations and bashing the hell out of an announcement.

that happens often around here

 

[jt04]

I've heard what many others have and that there are plans down the road. Some are small, some are absolutely HUGE. Some so large that I have a hard time believing they're anything but Blue Sky. I've heard for a long time that the reason the SoA area expansion hasn't been decided is because they are waffling if it should be more Star Wars. Plans were set that it wouldn't be until somewhat recently.

But, they're ponying up for nearly $2b for the current expansions as is. Just how soon do people think they're going to be opening their wallets again?

Staags will be just coming into his cushy new job with many of the expenditures behind him. He can sit back and look amazing by benefitting from these current expansions. I don't see him opening up the wallet again after this current round is done for a long, long time, if ever under his reign. At least as far as DHS, MK and AK are concerned.

I doubt they have made a final decision. But in any case, the profit that will be piling up will make it impossible to not continue to grow WDW. The competition needs to start investing soon. IMO.

 

[Mike S]

I doubt they have made a final decision. But in any case, the profit that will be piling up will make it impossible to not continue to grow WDW. The competition needs to start investing soon. IMO.

What are you talking about? They have been and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

 

[Ignohippo]

I'm right there with you. I always take it with a grain of salt over the opinions of the insiders who post here (and elsewhere). I try to focus on the facts of what they reveal, not their interpretation of the quality of it. Any post is going to filter the information through the biases of the poster.

Specific to this, @Ignohippo said the land will feature the two rides, plus a Jedi training academy, plus two restaurants plus atmosphere and... my reaction is "sounds fantastic" and his is "such a disappointment". That doesn't mean he's "wrong" just that he's interpretation of what is a disappointment is likely far different than mine.

IMHO when you know more intimate details of stuff, you tend to be more nit-picky and pessimistic. Those of us detached from the process can view it with more wide eyed wonderment and be easier to impress.

Thanks for putting it that way. I think it's very valid to a point.

I also know you have to temper expectations. This is the real world, after all.

I just always expected, if there'd ever be a SW land, to be able to ride in an X-wing, zoom around in a speeder bike, etc.

These plans just seem to be so completely like the other attractions Imagineering has come up with recently (the major attraction sounds like some kind of Spider-Man/Forbidden Journey hybrid to me). Nothing about this knocks my socks off in any way.

 

[rioriz]

I'm right there with you. I always take it with a grain of salt over the opinions of the insiders who post here (and elsewhere). I try to focus on the facts of what they reveal, not their interpretation of the quality of it. Any post is going to filter the information through the biases of the poster.

Specific to this, @Ignohippo said the land will feature the two rides, plus a Jedi training academy, plus two restaurants plus atmosphere and... my reaction is "sounds fantastic" and his is "such a disappointment". That doesn't mean he's "wrong" just that his interpretation of what is a disappointment is likely far different than mine.

IMHO when you know more intimate details of stuff, you tend to be more nit-picky and pessimistic. Those of us detached from the process can view it with more wide eyed wonderment and be easier to impress.

I was in the middle of typing almost exactly what you wrote...saved me time!

Getting a peek behind the curtain makes you fairly biased and jaded sometimes...

I guess that's why the American electorate like to pretend there are good and bad people in Washington depending on the letter behind their name. A look behind the curtain you realize they are all just the same.

 

[doctornick]

I just always expected, if there'd ever be a SW land, to be able to ride in an X-wing, zoom around in a speeder bike, etc.

Or pilot, I dunno, the Millennium Falcon?

These plans just seem to be so completely like the other attractions Imagineering has come up with recently (the major attraction sounds like some kind of Spider-Man/Forbidden Journey hybrid to me). Nothing about this knocks my socks off in any way.

Understood. For me, Spider-Man is probably my favorite ride that I've experienced, so doing something like that for Star Wars is kinda a dream come true. If it has a lot of physical sets as a part of it, all the better.

So, again, I'm not disputing your pessimism as it's valid. But nothing you have expressed in your concerns has limited my enthusiasm for this project I'm happy to say.

 

[Ignohippo]

So, again, I'm not disputing your pessimism as it's valid. But nothing you have expressed in your concerns has limited my enthusiasm for this project I'm happy to say.

And I'm glad for that, as it's only my unattainable expectations.

I also know I'll be one of the first in line for this new land and will love the hell out of it for what it is.

 

[doctornick]

The first one is most definitely a simulator. I can ride a simulator at my local funplex, and there's this thing at the arcades called a Star Wars battle pod. Also, there's already a ride called Star Tours which looks quite similar, so this ride better really wow me or I'll be disappointed. There needs to be something unique and different about it.

I'm hoping/thinking that the "wow" factor will be that you will actually control the movement and be able to shoot the enemy so it would be a hybrid of a simulator ride and a shooter ride. That, to me, sounds promising if that's the actual execution. I'd be curious if any insiders could confirm that the plans are for true control of the vehicle as opposed to a M:S style fake interaction.

On top of that, I'd guess that the queue for the ride will at least partially take you through the bowels of the Millennium Falcon itself which would be pretty cool to set the scene/mood. Not to the same degree, but kinda how FJ takes you through Hogwarts as a build up.

 

[Mike S]

Let's all agree on one thing. No matter how disappointed some here are with SWL, it's nowhere near the disappointment level of Frostrom

 

[DarthMileZ]

people moaning, this is what i was talking earlier about negativity

guys, count ourselves lucky we are even getting a star wars land and that disney bought the franchise and saved it from doom.

we haven't seen everything yet, your forgetting all the small additions that will be really neat.

 

[doctornick]

I'll just say this. The new attraction is going where Indy is now. The Queue line (at least according to the VERY similar plans at DL) snakes directly in front of it, just behind what is now Echo Lake. The X-wings, etc. will be going around the area of where the Indy store is now.

On the DL plans, the area where 50's Prime and Hollywood & Vine are is trees. IF the new attraction plans are basically the same (and given that Echo Lake is almost EXACTLY where they have the body of water in the DL plans), then what do you think would happen to that building? It certainly wouldn't remain with the architecture they have now.

I'm under the impression that the DHS and DL versions of the land will be oriented differently accounting for the specifics of the locations. That said, even if the plans were identical, I don't see what you are describing. Here are the DL plans (per Mouseage):

If we were to superimpose that to DHS onto part of Echo Lake and into the parking lot, my guess is that we'd lose the entrance path from Critter Country and just have two -- the one from Frontierland would be (in DHS) from Echo Lake and the one from Fantasyland would be (in DHS) from the Muppets. Star Tours would roughly be on the "Future Expansion" area on this map. The Millennium Falcon attraction would be behind the current Backlot Express. The Battle Escape attraction would be from Indy and into the parking lot.

I think such a setup would enable the land to be relatively secluded from the rest of the park (depending on what they do with the Sounds Dangerous building, but that was not part of Star Wars per @marni1971 map) and would put the show buildings along the perimeter, which you'd expect and want.

 

[Mickey5150]

Love everything about the announcement. Love the expansion to DHS. Can't wait to see things opening up around the World.

 

[Ignohippo]

I'm under the impression that the DHS and DL versions of the land will be oriented differently accounting for the specifics of the locations. That said, even if the plans were identical, I don't see what you are describing. Here are the DL plans (per Mouseage):

If we were to superimpose that to DHS onto part of Echo Lake and into the parking lot, my guess is that we'd lose the entrance path from Critter Country and just have two -- the one from Frontierland would be (in DHS) from Echo Lake and the one from Fantasyland would be (in DHS) from the Muppets. Star Tours would roughly be on the "Future Expansion" area on this map. The Millennium Falcon attraction would be behind the current Backlot Express. The Battle Escape attraction would be from Indy and into the parking lot.

I think such a setup would enable the land to be relatively secluded from the rest of the park (depending on what they do with the Sounds Dangerous building, but that was not part of Star Wars per @marni1971 map) and would put the show buildings along the perimeter, which you'd expect and want.

No. Just put Echo Lake where the body of water is in the picture.

The route from Critter Country is the current path on the left side of the lake, right in front of 50s Prime Time and Hollywood & Vine.

The Battle Escape Attraction is where Indy is now and the area that has the words for the queue is basically right in front of what is the Indy store now.

The Falcon ride is where the plans will differ. That is basically where Jedi Training is now and the Falcon ride will go back into the parking lot. That is, unless they get rid of Star Tours and put the Falcon ride in its place. Personally, I don't think that's the case but I'm not sure.

The area marked as Falcon Preshow and future expansion is where Star Tours is at DHS.

Village Dining is where Sounds Dangerous is now and I believe that building and the ABC Theater (Frozen) will be where Jedi Academy is moving to from what I understand. The dining for the DHS version will be where 50s and H & V are now instead.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

Well...I didn't get excrement out of that "announcement" except that there will be more places to eat that I can't afford and maybe a new ride or two that's based on motion simulation? I'm sure they're being horribly vague on purpose as to keep from committing to having to build anything in case their budget should suddenly dry up…

 

[HMF]

guys, count ourselves lucky we are even getting a star wars land and that disney bought the franchise and saved it from doom.

The franchise was doing just fine before the purchase.

 

[DarthMileZ]

The franchise was doing just fine before the purchase.

i disagree, there was no new trilogy planned, lucas said so himself, it was Disney's plan to buy it and reboot it. the series was in the dumps with the prequels and George's love of Jar Jar Binks. there was no star wars rebels...

 

[FigmentJedi]

i disagree, there was no new trilogy planned, lucas said so himself, it was Disney's plan to buy it and reboot it. the series was in the dumps with the prequels and George's love of Jar Jar Binks. there was no star wars rebels...

So you're just gonna ignore how great The Clone Wars show was at redeeming the prequels and even to some degree Jar Jar?