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

[Little Green Men]

Isn't it great?!? And that's the entrance area that most folks are assuming DHS management will set up as the designated entry path to Star Wars Land.

So at DHS you will walk past circa 1990 Star Tours and fake Ewok village, then immediately enter "present-day downtown Los Angeles" Grand Avenue featuring a hipster brewpub and the 1990 MuppetVision 3D show with a statue of Miss Piggy in a Los Angeles public park, and then you walk through a tunnel and you are in Star Wars Land! Try to keep up kids!

Again, so many folks felt the transitions to the ultra-themed Star Wars Land would be the most problematic at Disneyland and DHS would be the most natural feeling. That appears to not be the case. And honestly, in 2019 Star Tours just needs to go away for both parks.

It's pretty well know the Star Tours will be going away at DHS just like it will in Tomorrowland at DL. We are getting a grand reveal into SWland from the city street. It's no more of a stretch than being in a town in the Wild West and ending up in the world of Star Wars. The Muppet area will have a wall and it's already transitioning to look more appropriate in the setting. I doubt the Miss Piggy Statue will be visible.

 

[Little Green Men]

I don't see that at all. From the aerial images we have been able to see thus far, the exact opposite appears to be the case. The DHS version seems to have been trimmed on all sides, particularly on the "left" side around the Alcatraz ride. But also in the village area in front of the Falcon ride.



They may not make a difference at all. But in the past so many folks have been claiming that the Disneyland version was being forced into a park that doesn't have the room for it. And yet now that construction is well underway, it appears as though the Disneyland version has the "blessing of size" and sprawling transition spaces, while the DHS version is wedged in next to MuppetVision and other warehouse buildings with noticeably less transition space. That's very interesting how that's working out.

Again, once we are able to get matching identically scaled Google Earth images of each land, we should know just how much has been trimmed from the the DHS version and where. My hunch is quite a bit has been trimmed from around the Alcatraz ride and its queue, and lesser amounts of trimming and squeezing around the Falcon ride and village facilities in front of it.

Actually DHS's Star Wars Land already has a designated expansion area, the whole buffer to Pixar Place.

 

[TROR]

It's pretty well know the Star Tours will be going away at DHS just like it will in Tomorrowland at DL. We are getting a grand reveal into SWland from the city street. It's no more of a stretch than being in a town in the Wild West and ending up in the world of Star Wars. The Muppet area will have a wall and it's already transitioning to look more appropriate in the setting. I doubt the Miss Piggy Statue will be visible.

Going from the frontiers of the United States to the frontiers of outer space is a much smoother transition, in my opinion. The rock spires of Big Thunder and the trees of Rivers of America just match up better with Galaxy's Edge than the brick buildings of Grand Ave.

 

[Little Green Men]

Going from the frontiers of the United States to the frontiers of outer space is a much smoother transition, in my opinion. The rock spires of Big Thunder and the trees of Rivers of America just match up better with Galaxy's Edge than the brick buildings of Grand Ave.

Well it's supposed to be a long snaking tunnel with a grand reveal in DHS.

 

[Exomonia]

Going from the frontiers of the United States to the frontiers of outer space is a much smoother transition, in my opinion. The rock spires of Big Thunder and the trees of Rivers of America just match up better with Galaxy's Edge than the brick buildings of Grand Ave.

Interestingly, I seem to change opinions on this every second day! I am not sure which I will ultimately prefer - but they are surely polar opposite in DL and DHS! It is true that DL will have the most natural (and therefore the least jarring) transition, however I do wonder whether that jarring transition will end up working in DHS's favour. It will make SW: GE feel even more "alien" and other-worldly compared to the previous environment displayed. Either way, I am very interested to see which I prefer when they are both open

 

[TP2000]

It's pretty well know the Star Tours will be going away at DHS just like it will in Tomorrowland at DL. We are getting a grand reveal into SWland from the city street. It's no more of a stretch than being in a town in the Wild West and ending up in the world of Star Wars. The Muppet area will have a wall and it's already transitioning to look more appropriate in the setting. I doubt the Miss Piggy Statue will be visible.

Well it's supposed to be a long snaking tunnel with a grand reveal in DHS.

Here's a recent photo of DHS construction, with the entry tunnel seen at left at the end of the street. (The statue of Miss Piggy can be seen in the little green planter just over the construction wall in front of MuppetVision). Even before we get a Google Earth identical comparison to look at, it's obvious there's just not much room there for a long snaking tunnel. Although obviously you will go through a tunnel under the berm, and the tunnel will have an S-curve to it to build suspense and shield the view from Grand Avenue.

It appears they are building a structure on the Grand Avenue side of the berm, as if you are walking into a building. Which would be really clever if that building was a movie theater showing Star Wars on the marquee!

But on the Star Wars side of the DHS berm there really does appear to be a huge chunk of land missing between the exact same ride/queue facility in Disneyland and the scene below in DHS.

I'm sorry, but I'm just not seeing that there's a bunch of extra space here in DHS. It looks smaller to me.

Actually DHS's Star Wars Land already has a designated expansion area, the whole buffer to Pixar Place.

Here's a closer look at that area. In 2019 it will be the forested berm and the exit corridor from Midway Mania that leads back into Toy Story Land. I can't imagine what WDI could use that small piece of land for aside from the planned berm and Midway Mania exit. Can you?

 

[TP2000]

Speaking of aerial photography, I just stumbled across a disneygeek blog post from last week. Did we all see these photos taken on August 20th? Or was I the only one who missed them? https://blog.disneygeek.com/2017/08/20/disneyland-star-wars-galaxys-edge-aerial-photos-82017/

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

World Dr landlocks the park. Are they ditching that road? I don't think this mattered back in the day because it wasn't designed as a full day park. Having spent a full day there, I can confirm this. It's still very strange to see a WDW park landlocked when one of their advantages is that they have so much land.

 

[JoFu]

World Dr landlocks the park. Are they ditching that road? I don't think this mattered back in the day because it wasn't designed as a full day park. Having spent a full day there, I can confirm this. It's still very strange to see a WDW park landlocked when one of their advantages is that they have so much land.

They're going to build on the other side of World Dr. and use an unthemed bridge that once had moving walkways as part of it's design, but doesn't now.

 

[Curious Constance]

Speaking of aerial photography, I just stumbled across a disneygeek blog post from last week. Did we all see these photos taken on August 20th? Or was I the only one who missed them? https://blog.disneygeek.com/2017/08/20/disneyland-star-wars-galaxys-edge-aerial-photos-82017/

I saw them last week, but I was on my phone so I couldn't post them, so I sent them in a text to Hans and he posted them for me

 

[Phroobar]

They're going to build on the other side of World Dr. and use an unthemed bridge that once had moving walkways as part of it's design, but doesn't now.

Isn't the other side of World Dr ear marked for the Star Wars themed hotel?

 

[SSG]

So my wife gives me a funny look last night. We were talking about what we were planning to do in the parks this weekend. We got a schedule pretty well worked up; She then asked if there was anything else we had to do.

ME: 'Yeah, I want to go out to Mickey and Friends and get a firsthand look at the the SW:GE construction, and I want to go out to Harbor and try to visualize how the Eastern Gateway and Bridge might come together, and...why are you shaking your head like that?"

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Speaking of aerial photography, I just stumbled across a disneygeek blog post from last week. Did we all see these photos taken on August 20th? Or was I the only one who missed them? https://blog.disneygeek.com/2017/08/20/disneyland-star-wars-galaxys-edge-aerial-photos-82017/

Yes I posted them after @Curious Constance alerted me. I'm devistated that you don't follow each and every thing I share in these forms.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

At MGM, they're plopping a Toy Story land next to an uber themed Star Wars land. One seems to attempt to recreate the universe for guest visitation as accurately as they can, the other has an unthemed roller coaster track that makes absolutely no sense. It's like a non-Disney roller coaster ride with scenery around it and custom cars. The apple has fallen and rolled and been swept away in a river so far from the tree. The Matterhorn has a nonsensical but necessary track, but you're supposed to be focused on everything else. The track on Big Thunder makes sense. Space Mountain is dark so you don't see the track. Toy Story Roller Coaster is just a roller coaster with a slinky car.

 

[DisneyRoy]

At MGM, they're plopping a Toy Story land next to an uber themed Star Wars land. One seems to attempt to recreate the universe for guest visitation as accurately as they can, the other has an unthemed roller coaster track that makes absolutely no sense. It's like a non-Disney roller coaster ride with scenery around it and custom cars. The apple has fallen and rolled and been swept away in a river so far from the tree. The Matterhorn has a nonsensical but necessary track, but you're supposed to be focused on everything else. The track on Big Thunder makes sense. Space Mountain is dark so you don't see the track. Toy Story Roller Coaster is just a roller coaster with a slinky car.

As would be seen and built by a kid in his backyard.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Kids have Intamin roller coaster in their back yard now? It looks like Superman: Ride of Steel with a Slinky dog on it.

 

[Ismael Flores]

Kids have Intamin roller coaster in their back yard now? It looks like Superman: Ride of Steel with a Slinky dog on it.

You know that K'nex does sell roller coaster models that kids and adults can build and play with not only in their backyard but the family room?

https://www.knex.com/knex-thrill-ri...mij7-vxdb_1qiv1xybch2dugwneaqyasabegkaevd_bwe

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I do know that. Let's say this is Andy at age 35 with a bad haircut:

This looks like a toy because it is one. Does this look anything like what they built, which is a generic roller coaster with no theming or embellishment aside from a Slinky dog head? It's the Goofy Barnstormer/Indiana Jones and Temple of Didn't I Ride This at Paramount Kings Island approach to making a roller coaster at Disney. It could be a ride anywhere, but they vaguely theme it to something, when really it's just a generic roller coaster. This is what Six Flags does. There's a time and place for Big Thunder Mountain and Batman: The Ride.

 

[No Name]

I don't see that at all. From the aerial images we have been able to see thus far, the exact opposite appears to be the case. The DHS version seems to have been trimmed on all sides, particularly on the "left" side around the Alcatraz ride. But also in the village area in front of the Falcon ride.

Notice that the area is physically too thin in DL for Alcatraz to be much closer Critter Country. It's a space constraint on DL's part. They didn't shorten a river for kicks and giggles.

I think we've gone down this road before. All other evidence and information points against what you're saying. Martin explicitly said you are wrong. For my own sanity, I'm not going to argue it further. I'll just say, if you cannot believe it today, you'll see for yourself in a year or two.

You know that K'nex does sell roller coaster models that kids and adults can build and play with not only in their backyard but the family room?

https://www.knex.com/knex-thrill-ri...mij7-vxdb_1qiv1xybch2dugwneaqyasabegkaevd_bwe

Problem is you really have to stretch your imagination to picture that as a toy. It looks like something you'd find at any amusement park, compete with real-sized nuts and bolts, complicated hydraulics, safety railings, etc.

 

[jocarol]

Is this better?