Monsters Unchained is a return to form for theme park attractions

[Disstevefan1]

You said you have not been to Epic, so how can you compare? (it's Epic, not EPIC!)

Throughout Epic Universe, you can see a ton of stuff you should not see. You cannot see stuff you shouldn't see in Galaxy's Edge, or if you can you have to try very hard as opposed to having it blatantly visible. So, kinetic energy or not, music or no music, I don't see dumpsters, utility vehicles, and water treatment plants that aren't even on the property while in Galaxy's Edge. But you can see all of these things as you traverse around Epic Universe without having to look for them.

OK, I haven't been to Epic, but I have been at Diagon Alley at Universal and in my opinion the immersion of Diagon Alley beats Galaxy's Edge.

Your are right Galaxy's Edge does not have a water treatment plant in view, the water treatment plant that serves the Moana splash pad is ON STAGE in EPCOT. To be fair, the tried to cover it will shrubs.

I do like Pandora at AK.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Keep hearing on vlogs that some of the animatronics are down quite a bit.

I guess they used the same subcontractors as Disney does

 

[Tom Morrow]

Galaxy's Edge more impressive than wizarding Paris is wild.

Galaxy's Edge is so big and ambitious in scope and scale that it has different themed "zones" within it. They block out the outside world with canyons, trees, and shrubs in a way that looks natural and feels real. They also completed a new world completely from scratch and used little to no source material in its creation.

Paris is the third Universal land where you're just surrounded by tall themed walls on all four sides as the method of blocking out the outside world., with the previous two being Diagon Alley and SNW. It still does not look like a real city because all of the buildings are clearly just one long segment of wall. They also basically just recreated a Paris intersection and stuck Potter references here and there. From the standpoint of how much creative juices had to flow for their creation, Galaxy's Edge being entirely original and not a recreation of a real world location is objectively the more creative and ambitious land.

Galaxy's Edge has one S-tier ride and one okay ride. Paris has one okay ride and one not so great show.

Both are lacking in kinetic visuals.

OK, I haven't been to Epic, but I have been at Diagon Alley at Universal and in my opinion the immersion of Diagon Alley beats Galaxy's Edge.

Your are right Galaxy's Edge does not have a water treatment plant in view, the water treatment plant that serves the Moana splash pad is ON STAGE in EPCOT. To be fair, the tried to cover it will shrubs.

I do like Pandora at AK.

How would you say Diagon Alley is more immersive than Galaxy's Edge?

You're again comparing one of Disney's worst recent efforts, the Future World makeover, with Universal's best. You can't see the Moana equipment from ground level from what I can recall, but you can see the water treatment plant, something that is completely outside of Universal's property, from ground level at Epic.

Beyond that, Epic has views you shouldn't be able to see all over it. Disney's parks are still, overall, the best in the business in sightlines.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I guess they used the same subcontractors as Disney does

"but Disney!!!"

 

[Disstevefan1]

How would you say Diagon Alley is more immersive than Galaxy's Edge?

Because, in my opinion, Diagon Alley is more immersive than Galaxy's Edge.
Its OK for us to disagree. I am happy you like Galaxy's Edge.

You're again comparing one of Disney's worst recent efforts, the Future World makeover, with Universal's best.

You are correct. My mistake was to expect the best from Disney in the Future World makeover.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Because, in my opinion, Diagon Alley is more immersive than Galaxy's Edge.
Its OK for us to disagree. I am happy you like Galaxy's Edge.

But in what way? What aspects do you feel make it more immersive?

To be clear I like both Diagon and Paris, but Diagon does feel a little bit like a highly themed outdoor mall food court with the cramped quarters and tall walls on four sides. Paris feels a little bit like the city street facades of USF and formerly Streets of America at DHS. Actually, out of all the newer themed lands, Paris feels the most like a movie set, and I think this is because it looks so "real world" that it feels like there should be cars on the streets and life in the buildings. But there isn't. So it feels like Streets of America (RIP).

Galaxy's Edge, on the other hand, feels like a real place with real world scope and scale and barriers that look natural. Theme park nerds tend to be more critical of Galaxy's Edge for all the things it was promised to have but doesn't, but if we're strictly talking about the level of detail, immersion, and care of what was actually built, I feel that it is superior.

You are correct. My mistake was to expect the best from Disney in the Future World makeover.

I wish they had done a better job too. Celestial Park is a better version of the Future World makeover.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Agree to disagree about Galaxy's Edge VS EPIC.

EPIC's lands are much more immersive and much more impressive than Galaxy's Edge in my opinion.

The first time I walked into Galaxy's Edge when it first opened, I wondered to myself, where is the music? Where is the kinetic energy? As I walked in initially through the themeless walkway, I already thought to myself, there should be all sorts of space critters moving through the woods there.

I am happy you like Galaxy's Edge.

Frankly, Ide rather have the seasonal Osborne lights.

My husband and I had the same reaction to Galaxy's Edge. It looked barren, deserted, with no theme music. The buildings all looked the same. We just walked through and out, not impressed, but I admit we didn't go into the buildings. Just not for us, but I guess others love it. We are big Star Wars fans of the original movies.

 

[Tom Morrow]

My husband and I had the same reaction to Galaxy's Edge. It looked barren, deserted, with no theme music. The buildings all looked the same. We just walked through and out, not impressed, but I admit we didn't go into the buildings. Just not for us, but I guess others love it. We are big Star Wars fans of the original movies.

So you didn't ride Rise of the Resistance, an absolute top tier dark ride, because you walked in and didn't hear John Williams music?

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

So you didn't ride Rise of the Resistance, an absolute top tier dark ride, because you walked in and didn't hear John Williams music?

I don't even remember ROR at all. We went shortly after it opened. I guess the ambience wasn't for us at all. It's good that we all don't like the same thing or we would all be at Galaxies Edge, lol.

 

[Disstevefan1]

So you didn't ride Rise of the Resistance, an absolute top tier dark ride, because you walked in and didn't hear John Williams music?

Our first visit was during previews, we go through the tunnel and It looked barren, deserted, with no theme music, we expected something, anything. They were out of both blue and green milk. Both attractions had queues that were way too long, did not try them that day. I did get the colored popcorn, but there was no actual pop corn in it, just shells, very disappointing! That day it was pretty most a walk through..

We went during Jollywood nights, the one and only time I rode Rise, Kylo Ren was broke The cannons broke way before we rode it. It seems you gotta ride it a bunch to actually see all elements working at once? I suspect the cannons will never get fixed at DHS ?

 

[Tom Morrow]

Our first visit was during previews, we go through the tunnel and It looked barren, deserted, with no theme music, we expected something, anything. They were out of both blue and green milk. Both attractions had queues that were way too long, did not try them that day. I did get the colored popcorn, but there was no actual pop corn in it, just shells, very disappointing! That day it was pretty most a walk through..

We went during Jollywood nights, the one and only time I rode Rise, Kylo Ren was broke The cannons broke way before we rode it. It seems you gotta ride it a bunch to actually see all elements working at once? I suspect the cannons will never get fixed at DHS ?

Rode it last week and everything was working but the cannons. I hope they fix them at some point as well, it's odd that they could figure out a fix in Disneyland but not WDW.

But like, beyond that, how is Rise not impressive? It's by far the biggest scope of any dark ride anywhere, the entire thing is themed from floor to ceiling completely.

Like, I love Monsters Unchained, but you can see an awful lot of stuff you shouldn't be able to while riding. It's not nearly at the level of complete immersion of Rise.

 

[Andrew C]

But in what way? What aspects do you feel make it more immersive?

It every way. Detail. Energy. Scale. Interactivity. It feels alive. Galaxy’s edge is a wasteland of nothingness.

 

[Tom Morrow]

It every way. Detail. Energy. Scale. Interactivity. It feels alive. Galaxy’s edge is a wasteland of nothingness.

I honestly think it's the lack of music and kinetic visuals that makes people feel this, and I agree it definitely needs those things. But like its hard not to stand in the canyon where the full scale Millennium Falcon is parked, see the spires towering above you, the other ship docked high above you, and feel really small compared to all of it and not be wowed by the scope.

Also Galaxy's Edge looks a lot more alive and less like a desert at night.

 

[Disstevefan1]

But like, beyond that, how is Rise not impressive? It's by far the biggest scope of any dark ride anywhere, the entire thing is themed from floor to ceiling completely.

You must have gotten my post mixed up with someone else. I never said Rise was not impressive. Its very impressive, I hope to ride it one day to see everything working.

I hope in DHS they change Galaxy's Edge to the OT Star Wars and add music and some kinetic energy to the place.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Just go to Disneyland. Galaxy's Edge over there is popping!

 

[Disstevefan1]

I wish they had done a better job too. Celestial Park is a better version of the Future World makeover.

It’s a shame about the Future World makeover. They took way too long and it seems it the end of construction they were then rushing to finish whatever they were trying to do?

The cement mounds where the light posts were, I knew the moment I saw them were going to be trip hazards, they had to go in and fix that.

Moana splash pad had problems initially, they had to go in and fix that.

The tables and chairs everywhere, if feels like they just wanted to put something, anything in the space.

I hate that rust “finish” everywhere.

No more fountain, just that stupid planter and the forever broken ground lighting; the selection of that hardware really feels like a last minute selection with NO PRIOR TESTING back stage when they had YEARS to install and test backstage.

The worst thing is we are stuck with this now for decades. I wish the walls were back up and they work on something great.

 

[Purduevian]

IMHO... Galaxy's edge vs Paris/Diagon alley vs Burke

Galaxy's edge does a better job at making me forget I am in a theme park and have been transported to a different world.

Paris/Diagon block out the outside world and feel more "alive" then Galaxy's edge... but don't quite feel like I've left a theme park... not sure why. However, I think both are a more enjoyable place to just take in atmosphere than SWGE.

Burke... I clearly know I am in a theme park. It doesn't hide from it, but also is the most fun environment. There are goofy characters, large animatronics, lots of ride kinetic movement... very ALIVE, even though clearly a theme park.

Personally Burke was my favorite of the 4 IP lands to be in> Dark Universe> HP> SNW.

Regarding Rise vs Monsters unchained:

Rise is an incredible experience with full theming from the queue through the end of the ride. However, I think second for second... Monsters throws a bigger punch in impressiveness with the scale, number and movement of the AAs.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I can get on board with all of that. For me:

Galaxy's Edge feels the most like a real world, or off world civilization... including the depressing aspects.

Paris feels more like a theme park movie set land than a real place. Too much like DHS's former Streets of America.

Diagon Alley feels less like a theme park land and more like a highly themed shopping plaza that has a ride in it too.

Hogsmeade feels the most distinctively like a highly themed theme park land.

In short, I actually do like all of these areas, and total realism isn't the only important aspect to a highly themed theme park land. But I do believe theme park enthusiasts are overly dismissive of Galaxy's Edge.

 

[Andrew C]

But I do believe theme park enthusiasts are overly dismissive of Galaxy's Edge.

I mean...for good reason. When you build something grand and add no kenetics, you are going to get called out for it.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I mean...for good reason. When you build something grand and add no kenetics, you are going to get called out for it.

There are also no kinetics on Paris Ministry of Magic, and very little in Diagon Alley, and most of the kinetics in Hogsmeade come from the coasters... yet Universal is not being called out for these.

It's the lack of music that makes Galaxy's Edge feel more dead than the Potter lands, seriously.