mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I was surprised to read that people thought the controls were sensitive. When watching the videos it looks like people are cranking it all the way to left or right to get a reaction.
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News Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Disneyland opening reports/reviews
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
I was surprised to read that people thought the controls were sensitive. When watching the videos it looks like people are cranking it all the way to left or right to get a reaction.
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
Went yesterday. I largely stayed spoiler free up until yesterday. My thoughts are as follows:
- Check in was very smooth
- If you want a Cantina reservation you have to follow a CM in a calm orderly manner as your group enters the land. Passing the CM who is leading the group in puts you at the back of the line (at least that is what the warn everyone will happen.)
- I really liked the Cantina. Good vibe and everyone seemed like they were having fun. I didn't feel it was overcrowded at all. It would have been beneficial if they had two identical rooms to increase capacity. It has lasting power imo. It's a place you want to hang out in. I see this as a long term problem in Disneyland where more locals have the time to just hang. Other than bloggers, most visitors in Florida don't have the time to always be in there so it might not be as bad long term.
Smugglers Run was fun but nothing too innovative. I went twice. Once was the left pilot (horizontal movement) and an engineer. Pilot is a lot of fun. Engineer is just okay. The controls make no sense being on the side. You can't watch what is going on and "do your job" at the same time. The gunner positions are particularly weak.
The pilot jobs are fun, but it is hard to only control either vertical or horizontal movement. It is hard to anticipate what the other pilot is doing so you know how to do your part. It took about half the ride to understand the sensitivity level of it and it doesn't seem like you have as much control as I would have thought. It feels like it is made to be a beginner level game and more or less takes you on a certain path. It doesn't seem like you could just go way off course and not go on the specific mission they put you on. WDI had a difficult job as everyone has different levels of experience with video games. They defaulted to those who have little to no experience and those who play a lot of games will probably be disappointed as it is a dumbed down version.
- The marketplace is well done
- As you walk in from Critter Country the right hand side (facing towards the rest of Disneyland) is bare except for vegetation for most of the land. It feels like a missed opportunity to go on the winding path and for much of it to have nothing. It feels like they could have put more there. Once you hit the main area the left goes towards the marketplace. If you stay on the main path you still don't have much on the right until you get towards the end.
- Someone earlier made a comment about a lack of music and instead having ambient noise. I like this. It feels more authentic. I don't walk through daily life with a soundtrack in the background.
- That being said, it is a stark departure from the rest of Disneyland. I really like the land, but reinforces my opinion that this does not belong in Disneyland. Everything about it is different than the rest of the park. I wonder long term what kind of damage this does as people go back and forth between GE and the other lands.
- This land was made for interactivity and entertainment throughout the land. Concourses above all around are designed for things happening above you to add to the authentic real life environment feel.
- It's Disney's best effort yet at creating a real life looking village instead of feeling like a theme park. It feels large and lived in.
- R2D2 was moving around in the Droid Depot and interacting with guests. I'm sure eventually it will be out in the land.
- If this is the future of new lands, expect it to be filled with up-charge experiences. There is one soon to be two rides, but a lot of the lands appeal is built around shopping, building a lightsaber (extra charge) building a droid (extra charge) and hanging out in the Cantina (extra charge as you have to buy a drink to enter.) It's as if Disney took a look at things like the elaborate meet and greets such as Enchanted Tales with Belle at MK and figured out ways to monetize it. Obviously there are cues taken from Olivanders at Universal as well.
- All in all it is a well crafted expertly done land. It just doesn't feel Disneyland to me.
- Check in was very smooth
- If you want a Cantina reservation you have to follow a CM in a calm orderly manner as your group enters the land. Passing the CM who is leading the group in puts you at the back of the line (at least that is what the warn everyone will happen.)
- I really liked the Cantina. Good vibe and everyone seemed like they were having fun. I didn't feel it was overcrowded at all. It would have been beneficial if they had two identical rooms to increase capacity. It has lasting power imo. It's a place you want to hang out in. I see this as a long term problem in Disneyland where more locals have the time to just hang. Other than bloggers, most visitors in Florida don't have the time to always be in there so it might not be as bad long term.
Smugglers Run was fun but nothing too innovative. I went twice. Once was the left pilot (horizontal movement) and an engineer. Pilot is a lot of fun. Engineer is just okay. The controls make no sense being on the side. You can't watch what is going on and "do your job" at the same time. The gunner positions are particularly weak.
The pilot jobs are fun, but it is hard to only control either vertical or horizontal movement. It is hard to anticipate what the other pilot is doing so you know how to do your part. It took about half the ride to understand the sensitivity level of it and it doesn't seem like you have as much control as I would have thought. It feels like it is made to be a beginner level game and more or less takes you on a certain path. It doesn't seem like you could just go way off course and not go on the specific mission they put you on. WDI had a difficult job as everyone has different levels of experience with video games. They defaulted to those who have little to no experience and those who play a lot of games will probably be disappointed as it is a dumbed down version.
- The marketplace is well done
- As you walk in from Critter Country the right hand side (facing towards the rest of Disneyland) is bare except for vegetation for most of the land. It feels like a missed opportunity to go on the winding path and for much of it to have nothing. It feels like they could have put more there. Once you hit the main area the left goes towards the marketplace. If you stay on the main path you still don't have much on the right until you get towards the end.
- Someone earlier made a comment about a lack of music and instead having ambient noise. I like this. It feels more authentic. I don't walk through daily life with a soundtrack in the background.
- That being said, it is a stark departure from the rest of Disneyland. I really like the land, but reinforces my opinion that this does not belong in Disneyland. Everything about it is different than the rest of the park. I wonder long term what kind of damage this does as people go back and forth between GE and the other lands.
- This land was made for interactivity and entertainment throughout the land. Concourses above all around are designed for things happening above you to add to the authentic real life environment feel.
- It's Disney's best effort yet at creating a real life looking village instead of feeling like a theme park. It feels large and lived in.
- R2D2 was moving around in the Droid Depot and interacting with guests. I'm sure eventually it will be out in the land.
- If this is the future of new lands, expect it to be filled with up-charge experiences. There is one soon to be two rides, but a lot of the lands appeal is built around shopping, building a lightsaber (extra charge) building a droid (extra charge) and hanging out in the Cantina (extra charge as you have to buy a drink to enter.) It's as if Disney took a look at things like the elaborate meet and greets such as Enchanted Tales with Belle at MK and figured out ways to monetize it. Obviously there are cues taken from Olivanders at Universal as well.
- All in all it is a well crafted expertly done land. It just doesn't feel Disneyland to me.
- In the Parks
- No
That is the whole point you are supposed to be on Batuu not in a Theme Park, so if it feels like you have left/not in Disneyland I would say that's job done.
Oh. The Speedway method of steering!
Macro
Well-Known Member
I totally prepped ahead of time and read lots of reviews and watched videos. Spontaneity: it's fun if you plan ahead enough.
I did well flying it and I didn't move the control that much. I didn't know the right pilot but he seemed to know exactly what to do and he also wasn't pushing his stick very far. We didn't hit very much and we lined up behind the train well.
When I heard that they split the horizontal and vertical controls between the left and right pilot I thought it was idiotic. But it's a corridor shooter. The left pilot controls the X axis and the right pilot controls the Y axis and the pilots act independently of each other. If you had to decide where to go, then the split controls would be ridiculous. But all you do as left pilot is line up horizontally behind the target and the right pilot does the same thing vertically. Or you avoid smashing into things. Either way you just handle your axis and the other pilot deals with theirs.
They made the pilots job challenging by making the Millennium Falcon sluggish. Sometimes you have to stay lined up behind something as it moves around. Other times you have to avoid smashing into things. The Millennium Falcon's reaction is very slow. For the avoiding hitting things part I guess you could slam the control to extremes. But for the lining up behind the train part you have to maintain a position directly behind it. It didn't take much control movement to accomplish it. The pilots who weren't so great at the lining up part were moving the controls too much and overshooting because of the sluggish response. Then they would try to fix that by pushing the control too far the other way and end up overshooting in the other direction. Back and forth and back and forth. It wasn't that hard to line up by moving it gently. I was only pilot once but gently worked fine and I think that's the easiest way to go. I would think pushing the stick farther would make it more difficult in the lining up behind the train part but I didn't try that.
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Just a reminder.
THE 1HAPPY HAUNT
Well-Known Member
Then is it ok if I create a thread called "GENERAL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ON STAR WARS TOWN EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE LAND"? That is open to anyone who has a valid, educated opinion based on what they have seen of the land.
Don't see why not? No one is stopping you.
Go right ahead.
BubbaQuest
Well-Known Member
My friend went to GE Sunday night. 15 minutes after being let into the land (8pm), Oga's had already stopped taking reservations and Savi's Workshop had run out of parts.
Oga's being full didn't surprise me, but that's the first I've heard of Savi's being closed.
Oga's being full didn't surprise me, but that's the first I've heard of Savi's being closed.
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DLR>WDW
Well-Known Member
I was there Saturday and the droid backpacks were out of stock the entire day. It's very odd that Disney is losing money spending oppurtunies left and right with GE. Tiny cantina, very limited capacity light saber building experience, shortage on sought after merchandise, etc.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Thanks for the honesty
I hope I enjoy it more than you...but I have to admit that I never trust a simulator to deliver. If they don’t go crazy like flight of passage...they tend to be dull and have little longterm appeal.
I’m trying to get “non-sycophant” and non “hater” reviews of the land and it’s elements
So far it’s not giving off the avatar vibe
Old Mouseketeer
Well-Known Member
Great review! It's a little more critical than I would be--I found the ride experience more satisfying, yet still somewhat overhyped, much like Indy was when it opened. But it's a very descriptive review that captures the wonder of approaching the Falcon and the immersive queue. Thanks for the link.
DeletedAccount55555
Well-Known Member
Having now ridden it myself, I can assure you the execution is indeed not great and should serve as a warning for future ride concepts that try to emulate video games. It all sounds good in theory, but the demands of a theme park -- like making sure all guests have a ride experience that is roughly the same amount of time and enjoyable -- make it seem almost impossible to deliver anything better than what everyone can already get at home or the arcade.
Maybe this is nitpicking, but the best parts of the whole ride relate to the fact that it's the Falcon. Strip away the IP from it, and the ride system doesn't seem all that enjoyable.
That said, the queue is amazing and piloting is pretty fun. But if I had been waiting hours for this and could only ride once as a gunner or engineer.....ho boy, I'd be pretty mad.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Not nitpicking at all. They were banking on this, hoping the Falcon prop and Q would be enough to make up for the lackluster ride experience. It is enough for some people. Although those people haven’t waited in line for 2 hours yet. With that said, if what we re saying is true, than lines will eventually self regulate. I wouldn’t be shocked if we eventually see an average wait time of 45 minutes for Falcon after the hype has died down. ROTR I can see averaging three hour waits for a long time... especially because the Falcon isn’t all that.
ThistleMae
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that review, although I have yet to ride, this is about what I expect. None of my family members feel it will be as awesome as FOP. The idea that it's really cool because it's the falcon and the land sounds amazing, could be enough for me to say it's great. But once the other ride is opened, I'm hoping it will blow my mind. Does anyone else have hope that ROTR to be awesome?
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
I would not be surprised if WDI pitched and sold the ride concept before thinking it through. We have such a difference in skill between expert video game players and those with little to no experience. Add in those who want an interactive vs passive ride experience and other theme park demands such as capacity and there is a recipe for disaster. All told, I think they did a good job with all things considered and I appreciate the ambition, but this was not the best road to take with the ride.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I also find it interesting that the Falcon won’t be a part of SWL in Paris considering it’s probably the much cheaper of the two attractions to clone.