News Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Disneyland opening reports/reviews

[wityblack]

Imagineers had to rein the experience back because it was deemed too difficult. Not counting the queue and the IP, this experience is probably at the level of Toy Story Midway Mania for me, maybe a bit higher because my wrist always gets so tired. It won't be worth the hours of waiting, but as a secondary attraction for a land, I think it does its job. It's just unfortunate that they had to open it without their true E-Ticket to put things in perspective. This definitely was not meant to be the main draw of the land, just the weenie.

 

[SuddenStorm]

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.

Wait what?

I hadn't heard this. Very interesting. Perhaps they knew the end product wasn't gonna be the absolute home run they wanted?

 

[wityblack]

Wait what?

I hadn't heard this. Very interesting. Perhaps they knew the end product wasn't gonna be the absolute home run they wanted?

Although the concept art shows more of the village area, but the show building is the same shape and size as Rise.

 

[mickEblu]

Wait what?

I hadn't heard this. Very interesting. Perhaps they knew the end product wasn't gonna be the absolute home run they wanted?

Some would say it’s because more international tourists visit DLP so the teamwork would be harder to pull off. I call BS

 

[truecoat]

Some would say it’s because more international tourists visit DLP so the teamwork would be harder to pull off. I call BS

Disney doesn't want to spend as much money and you might as well have the signature ride instead of the other one.

 

[mickEblu]

Disney doesn't want to spend as much money and you might as well have the signature ride instead of the other one.

Possibly. Just surprising considering how much they will be spending on all of the other planned additions to that park.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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.

I think you did a good job of illustrating the problems with modern designs in Disney parks: too many goals/masters have to be served.

It has to be all ages, generate buzz, and due to their lack of overall park re-investment - needs to be pumped as “new” for 5+ years at a minimum.

But one thing has brought all overall new rides down: they aren’t built for repeatability. Because management doesn’t focus on developing a repeat clientele that they have to WORK for...they over fish the blue ocean now.

So the priorities change. If you’re more focused on one and dones...or DVC that are trapped like lab rats...you can cut some corners. You don’t HAVE to set standards. Flight of passage is an outlier.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Imagineers had to rein the experience back because it was deemed too difficult. Not counting the queue and the IP, this experience is probably at the level of Toy Story Midway Mania for me, maybe a bit higher because my wrist always gets so tired. It won't be worth the hours of waiting, but as a secondary attraction for a land, I think it does its job. It's just unfortunate that they had to open it without their true E-Ticket to put things in perspective. This definitely was not meant to be the main draw of the land, just the weenie.

Wow...below a 30 minute wait at the back of DCA, huh??

Wow...

 

[wityblack]

Wow...below a 30 minute wait at the back of DCA, huh??

Wow...

Definitely not below a 30 minute wait. I'm talking Toy Story Midway Mania when it opened.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Definitely not below a 30 minute wait. I'm talking Toy Story Midway Mania when it opened.

No...I meant lower enjoyment than a ride that sports that now

 

[Hawg G]

I can see Disney changing Falcon’s entire experience next Fall (once it’s been around for a year and RotR is open) due to guest complaints at City Hall.

Gotta figure they will at least move the buttons. There is only so much that can be done if they want to keep it the Falcon. Can't open up the front more. But the ride is just too flawed. I called it long time ago. It was never going to work. Remember when people didn't believe the rumors the interactivity was being toned down?

 

[TP2000]

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.

Agreed. I also think it proves what many analysts and insiders have said for the past few years; most Imagineers today have no idea how a theme park actually works. They've never worked at Disneyland or any customer service job, they went from trendy undergrad design major to summer intern in an office to a job at Imagineering and a monthly Tesla payment, they don't know how the place ticks or how the customers think, they certainly don't know how to operate a ride for 30,000 customers per day, and when they now go to Disneyland for free they expect to have a Fastpass and avoid the Standby line altogether.

The operation and execution of Millennium Falcon: Target Run proves that theory is apparently correct. And that's not flattering for WDI, but they probably don't care. They have a Tesla payment to make, after all.

 

[TP2000]

Here's a thought;

The Millennium Falcon has been averaging a 15 to 20 minute wait for the last two weeks, thanks to the very restrictive land reservation process.

At around 1,600 riders per hour, that low wait time is not because of high capacity, it's because Disneyland management won't let most of its customers even have access to the ride. Right now on the Disneyland App the 1,600 riders per hour brand new Falcon ride with a 38 inch height requirement has a 15 minute wait, while a few hundred yards away the 2,100 riders per hour and 40 year old Thunder Mountain ride with a taller 40 inch height requirement has a 50 minute wait. So, yeah... that's not a sustainable operation.

But obviously they built a Falcon ride Standby queue longer than 20 minutes, and it likely has at least 90 minutes of Standby queue space inside that facility. Plus, insiders on this board and another website have said they will be using extra queue space in the paved parking lot next door that was supposed to be used for the supper club restaurant that Chapek cut from the budget a couple years ago, dressed up with cargo containers and gauzy shade structures to hide that it's just a parking lot.

Then what? People are waiting 90 minutes to two hours for this ride. At least. Will the reviews still be coming in as modestly fun and acceptable, but the Engineer position kinda stinks? Or will people be less likely to put up with the little annoyances when they've waited two hours for this? Wait three hours in line and get assigned to be the Engineer in back?

Not to mention how an exponentially larger crowd in the land impacts the operation of the already stressed Cantina, Savi's Workshop, the various snack bars and shop stalls, etc. It could get ugly.

Or do they use their virtual queue land entry process to keep crowds artificially low inside the land through the summer and fall until they can get the Resistance ride open in October or November? Seems like a risky proposition, but they may be forced into that.

 

[mickEblu]

Gotta figure they will at least move the buttons. There is only so much that can be done if they want to keep it the Falcon. Can't open up the front more. But the ride is just too flawed. I called it long time ago. It was never going to work. Remember when people didn't believe the rumors the interactivity was being toned down?

I’m guessing the ride system is capable of providing a little more movement too. Maybe they’re starting this thing on training wheels?

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

I can see Disney changing Falcon’s entire experience next Fall (once it’s been around for a year and RotR is open) due to guest complaints at City Hall.

Good, they can start with the ramp

 

[DeletedAccount55555]

Gotta figure they will at least move the buttons. There is only so much that can be done if they want to keep it the Falcon. Can't open up the front more. But the ride is just too flawed. I called it long time ago. It was never going to work. Remember when people didn't believe the rumors the interactivity was being toned down?

“Too flawed” is way too harsh.

And you don’t know that the interactivity was ever “toned down.” That’s why it’s called a rumor.

I agree that it’s a disappointment, but let’s not jump to hyperbole.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Agreed. I also think it proves what many analysts and insiders have said for the past few years; most Imagineers today have no idea how a theme park actually works. They've never worked at Disneyland or any customer service job, they went from trendy undergrad design major to summer intern in an office to a job at Imagineering and a monthly Tesla payment, they don't know how the place ticks or how the customers think, they certainly don't know how to operate a ride for 30,000 customers per day, and when they now go to Disneyland for free they expect to have a Fastpass and avoid the Standby line altogether.

The operation and execution of Millennium Falcon: Target Run proves that theory is apparently correct. And that's not flattering for WDI, but they probably don't care. They have a Tesla payment to make, after all.

Time to start a Change.org petition and Twitter campaign #BringBackBaxter

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

let’s not jump to hyperbole.

Or hyperspeed

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m guessing the ride system is capable of providing a little more movement too. Maybe they’re starting this thing on training wheels?

Nope...I see no way this thing is running in some kind of “test” mode. It is what it is...and they took 4 years to build it.

And the big test is hiding 2800 miles east in the swamp

 

[drod1985]

Or do they use their virtual queue land entry process to keep crowds artificially low inside the land through the summer and fall until they can get the Resistance ride open in October or November? Seems like a risky proposition, but they may be forced into that.

This seems like the play to me. Without ROTR the land can’t support the crowds we anticipate it will draw. Hell, even with ROTR it’ll be a challenge. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw virtual queue into 2020.