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

[SSG]

[B]MousePlanet[/B]‏ @[B]MousePlanet[/B] :


"Confirmed: Jedi Training Academy to end run @DisneylandToday on 11/4/18. Seems WDW version is safe for now. No announced plans for an updated version when Galaxy’s Edge opens."

 

[VJ]

[B]MousePlanet[/B]‏ @[B]MousePlanet[/B] :


"Confirmed: Jedi Training Academy to end run @DisneylandToday on 11/4/18. Seems WDW version is safe for now. No announced plans for an updated version when Galaxy’s Edge opens."

I debated posting about it here because it's not that related to SW:GE, so I decided to make a new thread located here.

 

[Rich T]

My expectations for the interactivity of this experience are very low, so I'm all set to be very pleasantly surprised. Frankly, I'll be happy if it's as interactive and multi-pathed as World 1 of Nintendo's Starfox 64; that'd be about the right length and openness for a decent theme park flight sim/video game ride.

For all my joking and skepticism, I'm genuinely looking forward to trying this.

 

[TP2000]

[B]MousePlanet[/B]‏ @[B]MousePlanet[/B] :


"Confirmed: Jedi Training Academy to end run @DisneylandToday on 11/4/18. Seems WDW version is safe for now. No announced plans for an updated version when Galaxy’s Edge opens."

Interesting. They obviously need to begin scaling back the presence of Star Wars elsewhere in the park before next summer. At some point they're also going to need to stop selling the BB8 balloons, the wacky Star Wars t-shirts, etc. None of that stuff works in their ultra-serious Star Wars Land. Even the Jedi Training Academy would seem to be "off brand".

The glaring error here is Star Tours, in both parks. It's even a bit worse in DHS as it sits almost directly across from the land entrance and is in a park that only has six other rides. At least in Disneyland Star Tours is on the other side of the park and is in a park with 40 other rides.

 

[nevol]

Interesting. They obviously need to begin scaling back the presence of Star Wars elsewhere in the park before next summer. At some point they're also going to need to stop selling the BB8 balloons, the wacky Star Wars t-shirts, etc. None of that stuff works in their ultra-serious Star Wars Land. Even the Jedi Training Academy would seem to be "off brand".

The glaring error here is Star Tours, in both parks. It's even a bit worse in DHS as it sits almost directly across from the land entrance and is in a park that only has six other rides. At least in Disneyland Star Tours is on the other side of the park and is in a park with 40 other rides.

I hear/d the speculation/argument that in the short/medium term, they don't want to close star tours or completely eradicate the rest of the star wars presence from those parks, because they want to keep all of that stuff. It wouldn't be diegetic to star wars: galaxy's edge, so they have to keep star traders open in order to sell star wars branded merchandise not found on batuu. I believe universal does something similar? Their entrance is almost fully dedicated to selling harry potter merch while the shops in the land sell candy, wands, what have you.

 

[BrianLo]

I hear/d the speculation/argument that in the short/medium term, they don't want to close star tours or completely eradicate the rest of the star wars presence from those parks, because they want to keep all of that stuff. It wouldn't be diegetic to star wars: galaxy's edge, so they have to keep star traders open in order to sell star wars branded merchandise not found on batuu. I believe universal does something similar? Their entrance is almost fully dedicated to selling harry potter merch while the shops in the land sell candy, wands, what have you.

The front shops at Universal largely just sell a distilled version of the lands hits. It's not unique merch, it's just a "oh you forgot to buy this back in the land, here it is pick it up".

I really don't like that frankly. If Disney wants to sell merch outside the land it's ok if it's unique. I.e. the more chintzy Disneyland branded shirts and toys, etc. Keep the land merch unique.

However, that clearly won't last forever.

 

[bshah365]

I've heard that merch at Tokyo Disney is very land specific.. you will only find specialty items in the themed land that best represents that character. They apparently also don't sell any Duffy & Friends merch anywhere in Tokyo Disneyland, only Disney Sea... Although there is Cars merch everywhere on Buena Vista St., you cant find any specialty Cars Land Labeled merch anywhere outside of the land itself.. I think that's how Disney will approach GE.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I've heard that merch at Tokyo Disney is very land specific.. you will only find specialty items in the themed land that best represents that character. They apparently also don't sell any Duffy & Friends merch anywhere in Tokyo Disneyland, only Disney Sea... Although there is Cars merch everywhere on Buena Vista St., you cant find any specialty Cars Land Labeled merch anywhere outside of the land itself.. I think that's how Disney will approach GE.

They have been fighting this battle since early in the Eisner years. I remember David Mumford describing this to me when they first made every location justify its existence on the bottom line. Merchandise managers started filling their shelves with Disney character merchandise, regardless of local theme. There was an adjustment with the advisement that it still needed to be "good show", but it has declined ever since.

 

[Little Green Men]

The glaring error here is Star Tours, in both parks. It's even a bit worse in DHS as it sits almost directly across from the land entrance and is in a park that only has six other rides. At least in Disneyland Star Tours is on the other side of the park and is in a park with 40 other rides.

I would consider it worse being on the otherside of the park. Atleast being in close proximity it ties the experience together.

 

[PB Watermelon]

I would consider it worse being on the otherside of the park. Atleast being in close proximity it ties the experience together.

Like my rug. It ties the room together. The Dude abides.

 

[TP2000]

I would consider it worse being on the otherside of the park. Atleast being in close proximity it ties the experience together.

I don't know about that at DHS. Star Tours at DHS is not even supposed to be a real spaceport, it's a fake movie set "See How Clever We Are?!?" thing. A complete 180 degree experience from what Galaxy's Edge is supposed to be and do. At least at Disneyland the plotline is a real spaceport in Tomorrowland run by the Star Tours company.

 

[BrianLo]

I've heard that merch at Tokyo Disney is very land specific.. you will only find specialty items in the themed land that best represents that character. They apparently also don't sell any Duffy & Friends merch anywhere in Tokyo Disneyland, only Disney Sea... Although there is Cars merch everywhere on Buena Vista St., you cant find any specialty Cars Land Labeled merch anywhere outside of the land itself.. I think that's how Disney will approach GE.

You heard very incorrectly.

The merch in Tokyo is god-awful. It's mostly tins full of small treats with Mickey and Co slapped on the front, trinkets, pens, phone bobbles, stuffed plush. Gaudy Mickey and friend t-shirts. Whatever celebration they happen to be doing that year slapped onto all of the above.

Tokyo is a lot of things, a lot of wonderful things, but a beacon of merch purity it is not. In fact that's the one element I'd say Tokyo comes into dead last for.

Take a very close look at the above merch shelves. See all the crap I'm talking about? Somewhere on Main Street you say? Must be a Fantasyland shop?

Spoiler

That's the tower of terror exit gift shop. You can actually spot the ONE on theme shirt in black in the back by the guy with the shopping basket. That's literally the only thing I bought in the entirety of Disney Sea, because it was slightly on point unique... but it's still Mickey and Co screaming on ToT.

 

[Phroobar]

You heard very incorrectly.

The merch in Tokyo is god-awful. It's mostly tins full of small treats with Mickey and Co slapped on the front, trinkets, pens, phone bobbles, stuffed plush. Gaudy Mickey and friend t-shirts. Whatever celebration they happen to be doing that year slapped onto all of the above.

Tokyo is a lot of things, a lot of wonderful things, but a beacon of merch purity it is not. In fact that's the one element I'd say Tokyo comes into dead last for.

Take a very close look at the above merch shelves. See all the crap I'm talking about? Somewhere on Main Street you say? Must be a Fantasyland shop?

Spoiler

That's the tower of terror exit gift shop. You can actually spot the ONE on theme shirt in black in the back by the guy with the shopping basket. That's literally the only thing I bought in the entirety of Disney Sea, because it was slightly on point unique... but it's still Mickey and Co screaming on ToT.

The merch is tailored to the Japanese. It is a cultural thing to buy small gifts for people you meet. That is where Sanjo's Hello Kitty came from.

 

[MisterPenguin]

At least at Disneyland the plotline is a real spaceport in Tomorrowland run by the Star Tours company.

Is that because Luke once visited Disneyland as a child?

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

You heard very incorrectly.

The merch in Tokyo is god-awful. It's mostly tins full of small treats with Mickey and Co slapped on the front, trinkets, pens, phone bobbles, stuffed plush. Gaudy Mickey and friend t-shirts. Whatever celebration they happen to be doing that year slapped onto all of the above.

Yeah I'd have to agree, I've never been impressed with the merch at TDR. Something that has to be understood about Disney in Japan is that Disney characters and Disney branding are ungodly popular, especially among young women. So most of the merch is marketed towards young women who are obsessed with Disney IP (not exactly the target market of this site I would imagine).

 

[brb1006]

The merch is tailored to the Japanese. It is a cultural thing to buy small gifts for people you meet. That is where Sanjo's Hello Kitty came from.

It's actually spelled "Sanrio"

 

[brb1006]

You heard very incorrectly.

The merch in Tokyo is god-awful. It's mostly tins full of small treats with Mickey and Co slapped on the front, trinkets, pens, phone bobbles, stuffed plush. Gaudy Mickey and friend t-shirts. Whatever celebration they happen to be doing that year slapped onto all of the above.

Tokyo is a lot of things, a lot of wonderful things, but a beacon of merch purity it is not. In fact that's the one element I'd say Tokyo comes into dead last for.

Take a very close look at the above merch shelves. See all the crap I'm talking about? Somewhere on Main Street you say? Must be a Fantasyland shop?

Spoiler

That's the tower of terror exit gift shop. You can actually spot the ONE on theme shirt in black in the back by the guy with the shopping basket. That's literally the only thing I bought in the entirety of Disney Sea, because it was slightly on point unique... but it's still Mickey and Co screaming on ToT.

Yeah I'd have to agree, I've never been impressed with the merch at TDR. Something that has to be understood about Disney in Japan is that Disney characters and Disney branding are ungodly popular, especially among young women. So most of the merch is marketed towards young women who are obsessed with Disney IP (not exactly the target market of this site I would imagine).

Blame the Japanese Kawaii culture for this. The culture has a long history with cuteness since the 1970's.

 

[Little Green Men]

I don't know about that at DHS. Star Tours at DHS is not even supposed to be a real spaceport, it's a fake movie set "See How Clever We Are?!?" thing. A complete 180 degree experience from what Galaxy's Edge is supposed to be and do. At least at Disneyland the plotline is a real spaceport in Tomorrowland run by the Star Tours company.

They abandoned that once the 3D version started. Now you’re in the world of the movie which to me makes more sense than a movie taking place a long time ago being in “Tomorrowland” but that’s just me.

 

[TP2000]

You heard very incorrectly.

The merch in Tokyo is god-awful. It's mostly tins full of small treats with Mickey and Co slapped on the front, trinkets, pens, phone bobbles, stuffed plush. Gaudy Mickey and friend t-shirts. Whatever celebration they happen to be doing that year slapped onto all of the above.

Tokyo is a lot of things, a lot of wonderful things, but a beacon of merch purity it is not. In fact that's the one element I'd say Tokyo comes into dead last for.

Take a very close look at the above merch shelves. See all the crap I'm talking about? Somewhere on Main Street you say? Must be a Fantasyland shop?

Spoiler

That's the tower of terror exit gift shop. You can actually spot the ONE on theme shirt in black in the back by the guy with the shopping basket. That's literally the only thing I bought in the entirety of Disney Sea, because it was slightly on point unique... but it's still Mickey and Co screaming on ToT.

Thank you! I have been to Tokyo Disneyland many times now, sometimes just for a day and sometimes for four days straight, and you nailed their merchandise strategy on the head. This isn't a recent development either, it was this way in the 2000's too.

And you forgot to mention that of those endless tins of little snack crackers and cookies, all being sold in the same tins in every land and shop and park across the resort... many of the treats inside are seaweed flavored.

 

[TP2000]

They abandoned that once the 3D version started. Now you’re in the world of the movie which to me makes more sense than a movie taking place a long time ago being in “Tomorrowland” but that’s just me.

Okay, but I was in DHS a few years ago (after the 3D thing started) and I didn't ride Star Tours (I was passing through Orlando in only 36 hours en route to Europe and as a Disneyland AP'er, why bother?) but walked by and distinctly remember pausing in front and looking at it. The fake Kleig lights are still there, because HOLLYWOOD!. And the At-At is still a giant "Look How Clever We Are!" movie prop with no backside and more Kleig lights hanging from it to illuminate the Jedi Training Academy show, the redwood trees are cut off at the 20 foot height and the ride warehouse is still covered in vinyl graphics that give the movie set queue depth because HOLLYWOOD!, etc., etc.

If they abandoned the movie set plotline for the queue and attraction, they've done a really bad job of covering that up.

But honestly the Star Tours conundrum is something both parks will need to deal with in 2019 and beyond. Personally, I think it helps that it's on the other side of the park at Disneyland and in a setup that tries to be an actual spaceport instead of a movie set. But when Galaxy's Edge opens, both versions of this late 1980's E Ticket are going to seem hokey and pointless in each park they are in.

Which reminds me, this bolsters this thread I'm going to create soon entitled "Pixar Pier Is Awful and Why I'm Worried About Star Wars Land".