News Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Historical Construction/Impressions

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I'd never seen a POV video of the Hogwarts Express, so I just took a look and it's exactly as you described.

Yeah, it's not. POV videos do not capture an attraction experience in the slightest. The only similarity between the monorail and Hogwarts Express is that they move you from one place to another. One has a show and in cabin effects, and the other smells like rotting corpses and packs you in with dozens of double wide strollers and few places to sit.

 

[Curious Constance]

I feel so dumb sometimes when I'm looking at the construction pics.

Hahaha poor Hans. If it makes you feel any better I thought the same thing, lol

 

[dweezil78]

I really only saw The Hogwarts Express as a fancy shuttle.

Well sure.. at the end of the day, that's kind of what it is. I'm not saying it's a huge E-ticket attraction. I'm just saying, for what it is and the role it serves, it really delivers as a total immerrsive fan experience if you are into Harry Potter. We're obviously comparing a huge E-ticket caliber attraction to a mode of transportation though.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

POV videos do not capture an attraction experience in the slightest.

I'm certain that what I saw was close enough to the actual experience to get the gist of it. It's a fancy shuttle with a cute story, but not something I would need to do more than once unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Professortango1]

Yeah, it's not. POV videos do not capture an attraction experience in the slightest. The only similarity between the monorail and Hogwarts Express is that they move you from one place to another. One has a show and in cabin effects, and the other smells like rotting corpses and packs you in with dozens of double wide strollers and few places to sit.

Hogwarts Express packs you in too. It's cute, but its just watching flat screens through a window instead of watching scenery through a window.

Its cute and I appreciate the effort, but its just a themed monorail service. I always tell people not to buy a park hopper only to ride it. YouTube videos give you same basic experience and the Platform 9 3/4 is is more interesting to see than to do, and usually the line is back up through it so you don't even see people running through. You just see a line slowly fading into a wall.

The Millennium Falcon attraction is quite different. I mean, yes, both are based off of iconic fictional transportation devices, but one's barely above functional while the other is an actual ride experience. I'm also sure we're not going to exit the highly themed attraction and see a giant rollercoaster track right against the unloading area.

 

[BrianLo]

The Hogwarts express is a B/C ticket transport ride that got the E ticket makeover. It's truly wonderful (especially for Potter fans). For the people who don't 'get it': It's not about the ride itself. It's about the feeling of standing in Kings Cross as the full size replica pulls in and the steam bellows. Watching the departures board switch. Seeing the small shop selling typical train fare in the queue. It's truly magic and transformational. Nothing a POV video will convey.

The Falcon will be that D/E simulator that gets a similar treatment.

At the end of the day one is just a transit ride and the other just a simulator. But it's going to be the truely seamless nature of the two that delivers exactly what you'd expect, true disbelief that it seems real. Neither ride will be ground breaking, it's the experience. The Battle Escape attraction is the one we'll be talking about though. Hopefully not in the Gringotts terms.

 

[britain]

Looks like these rocks are all going to be southwestern / big thunder red rock. This surprises me - it makes it a little less Rivers of America and more like Paris' Rivers of the Far West.

I understand why they did this though. I was trying to figure out how they were going to manage the transition from gray stone to red rock and make it look natural. I guess avoiding the transition altogether is a legitimate solution. Definitely increases Frontierland's "ownership" of the river, in the balance of Frontierland / New Orleans / Critter Country.

Will the Star Wars mountains also be reddish? Or more gray as seen in the older concept art? I love all sorts of rockwork, but after Carsland I was hoping for a little more variety in minerals.

 

[VJ]

I'm curious how faithfully they will recreate the cockpit. The actual cockpit only seats 4 people. I assume they will stretch and add more capacity per cockpit, but I don't know how they'd explain that.

"Make it a super-stretch!" -Han Solo, via leaked on-ride audio

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Definitely increases Frontierland's "ownership" of the river, in the balance of Frontierland / New Orleans / Critter Country.

For sure. For comparison here's TDL's Railroad passing along the river in Critter Country. It's distinctively Splash Mountain.

 

[Curious Constance]

Looks like these rocks are all going to be southwestern / big thunder red rock. This surprises me - it makes it a little less Rivers of America and more like Paris' Rivers of the Far West.

I understand why they did this though. I was trying to figure out how they were going to manage the transition from gray stone to red rock and make it look natural. I guess avoiding the transition altogether is a legitimate solution. Definitely increases Frontierland's "ownership" of the river, in the balance of Frontierland / New Orleans / Critter Country.

Will the Star Wars mountains also be reddish? Or more gray as seen in the older concept art? I love all sorts of rockwork, but after Carsland I was hoping for a little more variety in minerals.


View attachment 198985

I feel like if they just hurry a bit, they can start filling the river before too long! I wonder if it would help if I put a one pound bonus in their pay buckets?

 

[VJ]

I wonder if it would help if I put a one pound bonus in their pay buckets?

Not sure pounds mean anything to them...

 

[Kiwiduck]

I feel like if they just hurry a bit, they can start filling the river before too long! I wonder if it would help if I put a one pound bonus in their pay buckets?

An entire pound? You must really want that river finished quickly!

 

[Curious Constance]

 

[Deleted member 107043]

If you consider that clearing and construction started near Toontown and progressed its way west to Critter Country I guess it makes sense that the train trestle just north of The Hungry Bear Restaurant would be one of the final ROA features to get underway.

 

[The Mur]

If you consider that clearing and construction started near Toontown and progressed its way west to Critter Country I guess it makes sense that the train trestle just north of The Hungry Bear Restaurant would be one of the final ROA features to get underway.

I think that also means that they don't require any more large equipment into the river area.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

Great post. Can you tell us a little more about the chefs special? The one I'm definitely more excited for as I have no idea what to expect.

Expect to be blown away.

You know how all of us like to imagine what it would be like if the Imagineers got the time and budget to do something special? Well, Alcatraz is going to be the result. This is finally Imagineering's retort to Universal's Spider-Man and Forbidden Journey. It's like a checklist of everything you've wanted in an attraction (LPS based RVs, BIG sets, good ride length using multiple floors, projections, animatronics), special effects, elaborate queue, etc.).

I've taken to calling it the "kitchen sink" ride as it has had everything thrown at it.

Internally, the goal of this project is to make the best attraction that can be made with modern technology.

I'm sure that once it opens their will still be those prefer Universal's offerings (I'm still partial to Spider-Man as it more seamlessly blends the technology together over Forbidden Journey), some will still like Mystic Manor for it's modern take on a classic Disney dark ride, and some will like Sunken Treasure for the water based RV (I have yet to get to MM or the new Pirates). Regardless of what attraction you might prefer, Alcatraz will be technically a technical marvel in its scope.

While I don't mind sharing specifics about Big Bird, I think it's best to keep as much of Alcatraz a surprise and cloaked in mystery for now. I'm hoping Disney does the same. It should be a real treat once it opens and shouldn't disappoint.

 

[mickEblu]

Expect to be blown away.

You know how all of us like to imagine what it would be like if the Imagineers got the time and budget to do something special? Well, Alcatraz is going to be the result. This is finally Imagineering's retort to Universal's Spider-Man and Forbidden Journey. It's like a checklist of everything you've wanted in an attraction (LPS based RVs, BIG sets, good ride length using multiple floors, projections, animatronics), special effects, elaborate queue, etc.).

I've taken to calling it the "kitchen sink" ride as it has had everything thrown at it.

Internally, the goal of this project is to make the best attraction that can be made with modern technology.

I'm sure that once it opens their will still be those prefer Universal's offerings (I'm still partial to Spider-Man as it more seamlessly blends the technology together over Forbidden Journey), some will still like Mystic Manor for it's modern take on a classic Disney dark ride, and some will like Sunken Treasure for the water based RV (I have yet to get to MM or the new Pirates). Regardless of what attraction you might prefer, Alcatraz will be technically a technical marvel in its scope.

While I don't mind sharing specifics about Big Bird, I think it's best to keep as much of Alcatraz a surprise and cloaked in mystery for now. I'm hoping Disney does the same. It should be a real treat once it opens and shouldn't disappoint.

Thanks! It sounds friggin mind blowing!

 

[Curious Constance]

Expect to be blown away.

You know how all of us like to imagine what it would be like if the Imagineers got the time and budget to do something special? Well, Alcatraz is going to be the result. This is finally Imagineering's retort to Universal's Spider-Man and Forbidden Journey. It's like a checklist of everything you've wanted in an attraction (LPS based RVs, BIG sets, good ride length using multiple floors, projections, animatronics), special effects, elaborate queue, etc.).

I've taken to calling it the "kitchen sink" ride as it has had everything thrown at it.

Internally, the goal of this project is to make the best attraction that can be made with modern technology.

I'm sure that once it opens their will still be those prefer Universal's offerings (I'm still partial to Spider-Man as it more seamlessly blends the technology together over Forbidden Journey), some will still like Mystic Manor for it's modern take on a classic Disney dark ride, and some will like Sunken Treasure for the water based RV (I have yet to get to MM or the new Pirates). Regardless of what attraction you might prefer, Alcatraz will be technically a technical marvel in its scope.

While I don't mind sharing specifics about Big Bird, I think it's best to keep as much of Alcatraz a surprise and cloaked in mystery for now. I'm hoping Disney does the same. It should be a real treat once it opens and shouldn't disappoint.

 

[mickEblu]

Expect to be blown away.

You know how all of us like to imagine what it would be like if the Imagineers got the time and budget to do something special? Well, Alcatraz is going to be the result. This is finally Imagineering's retort to Universal's Spider-Man and Forbidden Journey. It's like a checklist of everything you've wanted in an attraction (LPS based RVs, BIG sets, good ride length using multiple floors, projections, animatronics), special effects, elaborate queue, etc.).

I've taken to calling it the "kitchen sink" ride as it has had everything thrown at it.

Internally, the goal of this project is to make the best attraction that can be made with modern technology.

I'm sure that once it opens their will still be those prefer Universal's offerings (I'm still partial to Spider-Man as it more seamlessly blends the technology together over Forbidden Journey), some will still like Mystic Manor for it's modern take on a classic Disney dark ride, and some will like Sunken Treasure for the water based RV (I have yet to get to MM or the new Pirates). Regardless of what attraction you might prefer, Alcatraz will be technically a technical marvel in its scope.

While I don't mind sharing specifics about Big Bird, I think it's best to keep as much of Alcatraz a surprise and cloaked in mystery for now. I'm hoping Disney does the same. It should be a real treat once it opens and shouldn't disappoint.

I forgot to mention in my last post ... the laundry list of things WDI is throwing at this attraction sound great. I just hope they all integrate seamlessly and that the sum ( ride experience) is greater than all its parts.

I think that internationally, WDI has already responded to Potter with Shanghais POTC. Not that I feel like they needed to though. Am i the only one that thinks Forbidden Journey is overrated? Maybe I had just heard too much praise for it to live up to the hype by the time I finally rode it at USH. Maybe it was the fact that the 3D sucked and the screens were so blurry but I was a little underwhelmed. I have rode it again since they removed the 3D And while better it's still kind of blurry. The physical sets are cool (especially the whomping Willow and that bridge) but being so close to the rubber spiders and dementors on sticks kind of kills it. Queue is great but being that i am not a huge Potter fan I guess I can't appreciate it the way others can. I don't get off the ride feeling like I was transported somewhere in the way that even Soarin Over California did for me. ( Not Soarin Around the World).

Anyway to your point, combining all the fancy new technology with the Star Wars IP stateside should blow folks away.

 

[britain]

I have one wish regarding Battle Escape: Whilst the Falcon is clearly going to recreate the "flying in space" aspect of Star Wars, I do hope Battle Escape will not stay in just one location. If I was going to dream big, I'd have your vehicle loaded into a transport which then jumps to hyperspace and you unload on some other planet. If we could do that a couple times, excellent! If we could do that a couple times and the sets change from ride to ride so that you aren't sure where you'll be taken, then mind = blown. Like a real physical set version of the randomized Star Tours destinations.

It's hard not to let expectations get so high. I remember when Indy was being built, and they promoted the "no two rides exactly alike" aspect to it. I was imagining some sort of complex multi-chambered temple with dozens of switch tracks! Then it turned out to be multiple bump profiles programmed into the jeeps. A little disappointing. The attraction is so great as it was, they needn't have promoted the "no two rides" aspect to it. Hopefully there won't be any similar over-blown aspect to the marketing of these SWL attractions.