Less Immersion Improves Galaxy's Edge

[Rich T]

A close friend tweeted me pics from Galaxy's Edge last night, and in just a few shots changed my mind quite a bit about Disneyland's newest land. I haven't been able to see it in person yet, but all the shots I'd seen up to that point--both from family, friends and various media sources--made GE look dull, colorless, junky and unappealing as a theme park destination.

But my friend's pics from last night showed Galaxy's Edge during one of its first more guest-packed afternoons, full of your typical, average Disneyland guests. And, viola, the land came alive with all those Disneyland hats and Mickey Mouse t-shirts providing the missing color and the amused, chatty guests providing the much-needed real-world humanity. NOW it looks less like a monotone movie set and much more like a sci-fi themed land in DISNEYLAND. The marketplace area in particular looks much more appealing when it's crammed with Southern CA tourists and locals.

And, among all the masses, no one was wearing silly Jedi robes or wielding light sabers. It just looked like a typical theme park crowd. And it improved Galaxy's Edge 100%.

Now it looks like Disneyland. Now it looks fun. Now it looks like a place for everyone. Because I'm like most of the people who visit Disneyland. I don't go there to take part in Ren Fair play acting. I go to Disneyland because it's Disneyland.

BTW, my friend's answer when I asked him how he liked GE: He said it was great to walk through, and the Falcon ride was, "Fun, basically a big video game." He also mentioned that it felt far too big for what was actually there to see, and that you could tell they'd opened it with something missing. Thumbs up, overall.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

It needs music.

 

[mickEblu]

A close friend tweeted me picks from Galaxy's Edge last night, and in just a few shots changed my mind quite a bit about Disneyland's newest land. I haven't been able to see it in person yet, but all the shots I'd seen up to that point--both from family, friends and various media sources--made GE look dull, colorless, junky and unappealing as a theme park destination.

But my friend's pics from last night showed Galaxy's Edge during one of its first more guest-packed afternoons, full of your typical, average Disneyland guests. And, viola, the land came alive with all those Disneyland hats and Mickey Mouse t-shirts providing the missing color and the amused, chatty guests providing the much-needed real-world humanity. NOW it looks less like a monotone movie set and much more like a sci-fi themed land in DISNEYLAND. The marketplace area in particular looks much more appealing when it's crammed with Southern CA tourists and locals.

And, among all the masses, no one was wearing silly Jedi robes or wielding light sabers. It just looked like a typical theme park crowd. And it improved Galaxy's Edge 100%.

Now it looks like Disneyland. Now it looks fun. Now it looks like a place for everyone. Because I'm like most of the people who visit Disneyland. I don't go there to take part in Ren Fair play acting. I go to Disneyland because it's Disneyland.

BTW, my friend's answer when I asked him how he liked GE: He said it was great to walk through, and the Falcon ride was, "Fun, basically a big video game." He also mentioned that it felt far too big for what was actually there to see, and that you could tell they'd opened it with something missing. Thumbs up, overall.

Not be a downer but I was there and the guests in Mickey hats ain’t gunna cut it. Everything is static. Maybe they thought they could make up for this with good sound design? Maybe more streetmosphere will help? It needs music. It’s needs droids and creatures roaming around (or at least the ones that are around to be moving). It needs a water feature or 2 or 3. It need color. Its needs vines/ moss. It’s needs Jesus.

 

[mickEblu]

It’s like they were so busy trying to check every box and so focused on this immersion thing that they never stopped and asked themselves “is this a place people want to visit?”

 

[Rich T]

Not be a downer but I was there and the guests in Mickey hats ain’t gunna cut it. Everything is static. Maybe they thought they could make up for this with good sound design? Maybe more streetmosphere will help? It needs music. It’s needs droids and creatures roaming around (or at least the ones that are around to be moving). It needs a water feature or 2 or 3. It need color. Its needs vines/ moss. It’s needs Jesus.

When Star Tours first opened and the queue was crazy-long, CMs in space suits came out and and yelled, "LOOK OUT! SPACE URCHINS!" and then they tossed Koosh balls into the crowd. No one had seen Koosh balls before, and everyone went nuts trying to hold one for a few seconds before tossing it to someone else. Maybe GE needs more nuttiness.

 

[mickEblu]

I can see the imagineers now saying, “it needs to be the opposite of DL proper, if they want music, color and water they can go to Disneyland.” Instead of drawing upon the design principles of DL and adding a Star Wars twist.

 

[mickEblu]

When Star Tours first opened and the queue was crazy-long, CM in space suits came out and and yelled, "LOOK OUT! SPACE URCHINS!" and then they tossed Koosh balls into the crowd. No one had seen Koosh balls before, and everyone went nuts trying to hold one for a few seconds before tossing it to someone else. Maybe GE needs more nuttiness.

Maybe but it wouldn’t fix the core issues IMO. Just to try to be solution oriented here’s a few things that are doable that I think would go a long way.

1. Moss all over the rock work
2. Moving droids
3. A creature or two meandering through the land
4. A waterfall in the middle of the land along the ROA retaining wall or whatever that huge gray concrete wall is.
5. MUSIC!
6. More Streetmosphere. At the moment NOS and Main Street feel like much more of a lived in place.
7. If possible have those static’s ships move. If not at least a droid or something around it moving.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say they probably shouldn't have created a gigantic land for just one franchise. I'm not a fan of simulators so maybe they could've just brought Battle Escape to the table and used the other part of the land for a continuation of Frontier land.. or something

 

[mickEblu]

I was just in Palm Springs the weekend before I went to SWL and when I was walking into the land from the ROTR side I looked at my wife and sarcastically said “Palm Springs.” I’m exaggerating a bit but the color scheme, landscaping and the rock work are reminiscent of Palm Springs and those jagged rocky mountains that are the backdrop to all the hotels along highway 111.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

No fences on that side. It's weird.

 

[Rich T]

...A creature or two meandering through the land

It blows my mind that they aren't doing that right now. You'd think it would've been a top-tier must-do on their list when imagining the land.

 

[mickEblu]

Good sound design can only go so far. At DL proper we hear and see trains, boats, canoes, ships, buses, fire trucks and horse drawn street cars move in front of our very eyes.

 

[mickEblu]

It blows my mind that they aren't doing that right now. You'd think it would've been a top-tier must-do on their list when imagining the land.

Yeah I know like at least one of those snuffaluffagus looking ones.

But first... Chapek!

 

[DanielBB8]

It needs an occasional airblast as when a spacecraft takes off into the air or a landspeeder escapes another encounter with a Stormtrooper.

 

[Phroobar]

It blows my mind that they aren't doing that right now. You'd think it would've been a top-tier must-do on their list when imagining the land.

Chapek axed it from the budget so they can buy more merchandise. There was suppose to be a stunt show going on randomly during the day too.

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

It needs droids and creatures roaming around (or at least the ones that are around to be moving).

2. Moving droids
3. A creature or two meandering through the land

7. If possible have those static’s ships move. If not at least a droid or something around it moving.

I'm almost certain Martin was quoted as saying there were droids, but they were cut for the initial opening due to issues with overcrowding and guests bumping into them. Additionally, he hinted at flying drones/space-ships in the sky above for some extra atmosphere, though this seems to be delayed until DHS' opening.

 

[Phroobar]

Yeah I know like at least one of those snuffaluffagus looking ones.

But first... Chapek!

like this?

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Chapek axed it from the budget so they can buy more merchandise. There was suppose to be a stunt show going on randomly during the day too.

I remember there being some debate over the creatures being cut due to budget or crowds... I can't speak on the stunt show though.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

If they can have cars and things driving through the crowded cramped walkways of DLR, I think they can have some guy driving a landspeeder around the extremely wide desolate walkways of GE.

 

[mickEblu]

I'm almost certain Martin was quoted as saying there were droids, but they were cut for the initial opening due to issues with overcrowding and guests bumping into them. Additionally, he hinted at flying drones/space-ships in the sky above for some extra atmosphere, though this seems to be delayed until DHS' opening.

Yeah I believe that some of this stuff may have been cut or on the way. As far as the droids I would just settle for some in nooks and crannies moving their heads and arms. They don’t even have to be roaming around the land, although it would help.