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

[mandelbrot]

Let's just cut to the chase. Are you suggesting the photos posted in that Tweet from this afternoon are faked? Are you suggesting that the information from multiple sources the past 48 hours about 30 minute or less wait times for the Falcon ride are part of a grand conspiracy?

The photos speak for themselves. There are more CM's in those photos than paying visitors.

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But seven years ago in late June 2012 when Cars Land was a few days old, it was impossible to take a photo of the land that didn't include a sea of people.

I can only imagine the level of panic that has swept over TDA's executive suites by midweek here.

It's because Carsland had an exciting ride worth riding. Once ROTR opens GE will be wall-to-wall people. MF:SR was NEVER meant to carry the land.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’m trying to figure out why they are all there. They budget cut actors and puppets.... and they pay clumps of cm’s to lean against the wall and chit chat.

So for each clump of cms couldnt we have one Union actor? It doesn’t take a smart ceo to figure out what’s best for the customers. Ha

 

[mandelbrot]

You can't enjoy the show if the gunner and engineer are facing the wall to push buttons. Everyone should look at the screen, which you can't do right now unless you just skip out of doing the role playing and letting the pilots run the show.

The gunner only has to hold a finger on a button so they can watch all the action no problem. The engineer is SUPPOSED to hit a bunch of buttons and switches during the ride but nothing really happens if they don't.

 

[mandelbrot]

One my biggest pet peeves is when people complain about their jobs in front of customers.

Aside from those two who were obviously just being terrible employees, any chance all of these CMs were told to act bored and uninterested to keep in theme so that’s what they’re doing?

Was that a video? Did you hear them actually complaining about their jobs?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Trust me, what was described was not an isolated event. All throughout the land you’ll see cm’s clumped together chatting with each other. It’s really really strange actually. I’ve never seen it this bad in any Disney park.

Just tonight when I walked into the storm trooper shop 4 cm’s were shouting and laughing at each other about something or another. I mean literally just saying “the first order welcomes you” would be something.

It’s really bizarre.

 

[TP2000]

Trust me, what was described was not an isolated event. All throughout the land you’ll see cm’s clumped together chatting with each other. It’s really really strange actually. I’ve never seen it this bad in any Disney park.

Just tonight when I walked into the storm trooper shop 4 cm’s were shouting and laughing at each other about something or another. I mean literally just saying “the first order welcomes you” would be something.

Don't forget, Mr. Chapek is convinced that "It's the cast!"...



Mr. Chapek says "Each cast member has created their own story, their own problem". I don't think he realizes that their problem is that they got scheduled to work on the 4th of July, and their story involves how Todd was hitting on Stacey at Katie's party last weekend.

The more this land devolves, the more I think Mr. Chapek is in way over his head on this theme park thing.

 

[captveg]

A few years back I read that there was a ride like this planned along the backs of banthas that would go around the entire land but it got cut due to Orlando not wanting it and the lands having to be mirrors of eachother.

I have to think the experience of Toon Town's trolley ride also made them hesitant to keep it.

 

[ThistleMae]

There are lines to get into the gift shops today. I guess that’s good?

For a billion dollars it would have been cool to have a transit ride like the people mover. Views of the land, add some movement and life while you’re walking around...

I will say the land is much better at dusk and at night. I had fun playing the game on the app last night and seeing things light up and respond.

So is it like sorcerers of the MK, where you can make something light up or move? And is that all there is to it?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

So is it like sorcerers of the MK, where you can make something light up or move? And is that all there is to it?

At best. A lot of times you just scan something on your phone and load the “data” - sometimes you hear a sound effect or see a light flash. I didn’t play it for a super long time... maybe there’s a few more animated things? But it makes the Pirates game or Epcot game look pretty advanced to be honest. Ha.

But it is fun. Like I enjoyed it.

 

[JD2000]

So when Smuggler’s Run ends up a total failure; they can replace it with Star Tours.

 

[TP2000]

At best. A lot of times you just scan something on your phone and load the “data” - sometimes you hear a sound effect or see a light flash. I didn’t play it for a super long time... maybe there’s a few more animated things? But it makes the Pirates game or Epcot game look pretty advanced to be honest. Ha.

But it is fun. Like I enjoyed it.

Okay, so when I went last week I just wandered in. I had my iPhone on me all charged up, Disneyland App and Play Disney App both humming along, but I didn't take my phone out because I wanted to look at the land and not my phone. The land was lightly populated and I was expecting to be interacted with after my Falcon ride where the perky moppets from British Columbia kept crashing us into stuff and I sat in the back seat next to the sullen teen and dutifully pushed buttons that had no ability to change our adventure in any meaningful way.

My App was running for the three hours I was in the mostly empty land, I rode the Falcon three times, Disney knew I was there via the App, with lots of CM's standing around talking to each other and ignoring everyone else, and no CM came up to me and said "Hey space pard'ner, there's a price on your head for how bad you pushed those buttons!"

Instead I just overheard Droid Depot CM's talking to each other about their crappy July 4th shifts they were scheduled, and Katie's awesome party last week, and how the girls at the Cantina hostess stand were on the verge of a nervous breakdown because a dozen people with reservations were trying to check in.

But all that interactive banter was what they said was going to happen at the last two D23 Expos and in all the Parks Blog blather for the past three years. And that has devolved into a video game I'm supposed to play on my phone instead of enjoying the actual land?

I'm confused.

 

[captveg]

Why would that have any comparison to a people-mover type attraction?

I was under the impression that the Bantha-type inspired ride seenin early concept art would have been on tracks on the ground, trolley or Main Street vehicle style.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I was under the impression that the Bantha-type inspired ride seenin early concept art would have been on tracks on the ground, trolley or Main Street vehicle style.

Oh! Well yeah that would make sense then. I was thinking peoplemover above the walkways and through the buildings and such.

But I was just imagining it myself, I didn’t see the concept art for it.

 

[TROR]

I'm of the belief the Bantha ride rumor began based on a piece of concept art that was never intended to be anything more than a photo op.

 

[Disneyfanman]

Employees playing roles to create a background story and interactions is working in other parks to a very high level. Knots is doing it with their Ghost Town Alive. We have a park in UT called Evermore that does it full time. I was SURE that Disney was trying to create that kind of experience. How they miss so badly? I’m stunned at the wave of OK to poor trip reports. This is a multi-billion dollar investment. I keep reading about poor design but beautifully built immersion. No fun or whimsy. No shade. No music. One ride and the other experiences are all high end. Are people being crazy critical? I’m comparing these TRs to what I have read about Pandora (mostly raves). Do we really have a 2 billion dollar stumble?

 

[TROR]

Employees playing roles to create a background story and interactions is working in other parks to a very high level. Knots is doing it with their Ghost Town Alive. We have a park in UT called Evermore that does it full time. I was SURE that Disney was trying to create that kind of experience. How they miss so badly? I’m stunned at the wave of OK to poor trip reports. This is a multi-billion dollar investment. I keep reading about poor design but beautifully built immersion. No fun or whimsy. No shade. No music. One ride and the other experiences are all high end. Are people being crazy critical? I’m comparing these TRs to what I have read about Pandora (mostly raves). Do we really have a 2 billion dollar stumble?

I'm known for being overly critical as I love studying how theme park storytelling works. Galaxy's Edge's flaws are so apparent it doesn't take any intense love for theme parks to see them, just a pair of eyes and something beyond a high school education. Galaxy's Edge is evidence that Walt Disney Imagineering has no idea what they're doing and the problems we see with Pixar Pier, Mission Breakout, and all these other massive changes are not the fault of Bob Chapek or Bob Iger, but rather the designers behind them. No matter how terrible a mandate WDI is given, they somehow manage to take that mandate and make it even worse. There needs to be a complete sweep of the department and replace everyone with people who can actually break down what makes people enjoy Disneyland.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I'm known for being overly critical

Really...

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Employees playing roles to create a background story and interactions is working in other parks to a very high level. Knots is doing it with their Ghost Town Alive. We have a park in UT called Evermore that does it full time. I was SURE that Disney was trying to create that kind of experience. How they miss so badly? I’m stunned at the wave of OK to poor trip reports. This is a multi-billion dollar investment. I keep reading about poor design but beautifully built immersion. No fun or whimsy. No shade. No music. One ride and the other experiences are all high end. Are people being crazy critical? I’m comparing these TRs to what I have read about Pandora (mostly raves). Do we really have a 2 billion dollar stumble?

YMMV.

I find the land very baffling in many ways. I like the MF ride as pilot, but that's pretty much it at this point. It's worth redoing and interesting obviously as a brand new E Ticket in Disneyland. The last one was Rocket Rods? It is sort of underwhelming, though. I was getting very skeptical when the land opened and vlogger "Look at me!" videos started to flood YouTube showing what appeared to be a boring sparsely populated area that didn't seem to be fun.

 

[mickEblu]

I'm known for being overly critical as I love studying how theme park storytelling works. Galaxy's Edge's flaws are so apparent it doesn't take any intense love for theme parks to see them, just a pair of eyes and something beyond a high school education. Galaxy's Edge is evidence that Walt Disney Imagineering has no idea what they're doing and the problems we see with Pixar Pier, Mission Breakout, and all these other massive changes are not the fault of Bob Chapek or Bob Iger, but rather the designers behind them. No matter how terrible a mandate WDI is given, they somehow manage to take that mandate and make it even worse. There needs to be a complete sweep of the department and replace everyone with people who can actually break down what makes people enjoy Disneyland.

I’d say they re both to blame. With SWL I’d place most of the blame on the imagineers. With Pixar Pier and GOTG:MB I’d place most of the blame on Chapek.

 

[lifeisgoodboy]

I went to Galaxy Edge last Friday and Saturday. I rode the MF four times. I was the gunner twice. The engineer twice. When I was in the ride, some people were just riding the ride and not pressing the buttons. I also build the lightsaber. I got the elemental nature. I also eat at the cantina where rex is. I had a drink there. I go some merchandise. I got the crystals blue and red no holocron. I ask to buy the crystals and they said this is going to be the only time doing it the cast member said. I also got the Jedi gear kit. My experience was 8/10. The problem was I had a hard time with the reservations for both the cantina and build a lightsaber. It feels like it's a maze in Batuu the first day you go there that's my second problem. Next time I want to do the make your own droid.