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

Hatbox Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
Walt Disney's legacy, as you well know, had a far greater impact on pop culture--and had a stronger identity--than the films Jack Warner or Lionel B. Mayer. And Jack Warner didn't even know which characters his cartoon studio was responsible for.

Disney was unique in the history of entertainment. You already know that.

I, and a lot of others, had the good fortune to grow up with an amazing creative figure on TV every week, who presented amazing stories from his studio in a pre-home-video world where quality animation was rare viewing. He created an amazing, inspiring park with the help of many of the same amazing people who created his animated films. That park became our best summer memory for many years.

We were all lucky it lasted and kept its identity for as long as it did. Nothing lasts forever.

I agree that Walt might have loved Star Wars. But, again, it would have been nice to see DL remain a place that didn't give over so much acreage to an IP that the WD Studio didn't create.
But but...Star Wars could have been a Disney movie! People have said that!
And now that Star Wars IS a Disney made product people love--wait...people HATE it now!

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Rich T

Well-Known Member
However, Star Wars has been part of Disneyland for half of it's existence. Star Wars was considered a "Disney movie" from the day it was released even though Disney never had anything to do with it. It can be argued that Star Wars and George Lucas actually SAVED Disneyland since Disney couldn't come up with a property it owned that people cared enough about to visit the park. It is Star Tours that brought the crowds back to Disneyland and made it relative to older people. Before that, Disneyland was a place parents took their kids because they had to. No one went there without children. Indiana Jones and Star Wars brought investment back to the park. Galaxy Edge fits perfectly with Frontierland and looks completely stupid at DHS. Star Wars at it's core is nothing but a western in space. But this has all been said many times before.
First: "Half its existence". Thanks for making me feel reeeeally old. :D
2nd: "Before that, Disneyland was a place parents took their kids because they had to. No one went there without children." Where did you get that????? That's just completely untrue. Thousands upon thousands of families, went to DL because they loved the park. They went on dates, they went with friends, they had a blast. Space Mtn. had a line going all the way down Main Street when it opened, and it wasn't mostly kids. Kids weren't the ones staying until 1:00 AM every night during the summer. Dude, I was there. My friends were there. And it was mobbed! Always!:D

I agree Star Tours and Indiana helped bring even *more* people in. And SWGE will bring even more. And more. And the overall experience will most likely get more and more unpleasant because of the increasing crowds. Disney really is in danger of killing its Golden Goose.
 

Hatbox Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
However, Star Wars has been part of Disneyland for half of it's existence. Star Wars was considered a "Disney movie" from the day it was released even though Disney never had anything to do with it. It can be argued that Star Wars and George Lucas actually SAVED Disneyland since Disney couldn't come up with a property it owned that people cared enough about to visit the park. It is Star Tours that brought the crowds back to Disneyland and made it relative to older people. Before that, Disneyland was a place parents took their kids because they had to. No one went there without children. Indiana Jones and Star Wars brought investment back to the park. Galaxy Edge fits perfectly with Frontierland and looks completely stupid at DHS. Star Wars at it's core is nothing but a western in space. But this has all been said many times before.
Are we really at the point of hyperbolizing that Disneyland in 2018 exists because of Star Wars???

Right, OK.

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righttrack

Well-Known Member
I agree the corporation is doing the smart corporation thing with its shiny new IP. But I think I speak for a lot of the long-time Disney fans here who will never be 100 % okay with such a huge amount of space being taken up by an IP Disney did not create.

Here's the thing, and I'm sticking with the Tolkien comparison: Stranger Things Land goes into Tolkien Land. Both properties in this imaginary parallel are owned by TOLKIEN (a huge media corporation that has grown from the original Tolkien books). Suddenly Tolkien Land is no longer about J.R.R. Tolkien and his creations; now people--especially the younger generations--are increasingly thinking of the name "Tolkien" as representing the corporation and all its acquisitions (lets pretend they also bought "My Little Pony," Chuck E. Cheese, Lego, Betty Crocker and Dark Horse Comics and had future plans to incorporate it all into Tolkien Land...because they can.) And some younger fans of the corporation don't even believe J.R.R. Tolkien was a real person at this point.

It's a unique situation, where a man's name has become more recognized as a corporate hodgepodge. The Walt Disney company is losing its identity and its heritage... and this huge change to DL really irks a lot of us.

First of all, huge Star Wars lover here. I get it though. I see your point perfectly and thanks for sharing that. I think this was simply the case the WDW missed the Potter boat and they needed to do something quick and big if not bigger to counter it. Potter kind of changed everything. Probably as big of a wakeup call of them actually building Universal itself way back when. It's their "I see your Potterland and raise you Star Wars Galaxy's Edge!"
 

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
It's simply the placement. It's like.. if there was a Tolkien theme park and the suits in charge had bought the rights to Stranger Things and bulldozed half of Lothlorien to build Stranger Things Land. And then the people start saying, "This is going to be so great! I can't wait to go to Tolkien Land to ride Stranger Things!!!!"

That's what it comes down to. The Stranger Things land might be awesome, but it doesn't belong in Tolkien Land.
(EDIT) Even if the same corporation owns the rights to both.

But Disneyland has had Star Wars for decades. Its like being upset if Tolkein Theme Park added a land devoted to The Father Christmas Letters in a new part of the park rather than adding it where the Father Christmas shop was earlier.
 

nevol

Well-Known Member
I agree the corporation is doing the smart corporation thing with its shiny new IP. But I think I speak for a lot of the long-time Disney fans here who will never be 100 % okay with such a huge amount of space being taken up by an IP Disney did not create.

Here's the thing, and I'm sticking with the Tolkien comparison: Stranger Things Land goes into Tolkien Land. Both properties in this imaginary parallel are owned by TOLKIEN (a huge media corporation that has grown from the original Tolkien books). Suddenly Tolkien Land is no longer about J.R.R. Tolkien and his creations; now people--especially the younger generations--are increasingly thinking of the name "Tolkien" as representing the corporation and all its acquisitions (lets pretend they also bought "My Little Pony," Chuck E. Cheese, Lego, Betty Crocker and Dark Horse Comics and had future plans to incorporate it all into Tolkien Land...because they can.) And some younger fans of the corporation don't even believe J.R.R. Tolkien was a real person at this point.

It's a unique situation, where a man's name has become more recognized as a corporate hodgepodge. The Walt Disney company is losing its identity and its heritage... and this huge change to DL really irks a lot of us.
Tony Baxter didn't care when he brought in Star Tours and Indiana Jones, and he heard the same criticisms 30 years ago.
If it would help, you should watch the TEA panel with Joe Rohde, Scott Trowbridge, and Thierry Coup (the head of universal creative) talking about IP for an hour. Scott says some things that really inspire confidence with this project. Namely, that while Disney owns Disneyland, it belongs to the public. They can't just do whatever they want to the place. Disney is just the steward of the place. This is coming from the guy in charge of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Does that not give you a moment to take a deep breath? It seems to me like you are really concerned that your concerns were either never thought of by a clueless company, or not taken seriously, and I doubt that the truth really looks that way.

Battle of IPs: Walt Disney Imagineering & Universal Creative designers at IAAPA 2017 Legends Panel
 

nevol

Well-Known Member
Can we please stop using Star Tours as a justification for SWL? They're not in the same league.

One is a harmless motion-simulator located (appropriately) in Tomorrowland.

The other is a 14-acre land monstrosity that is quite literally, forcing the rest of the park to be re-adjusted just to accomodate it.
Tomorrowland had nothing to do with star tours. They just share some manifestation themes of outer space.

You're right. Disneyland should not deliver to its audience things they actually want. That way, the park can remain empty and pleasant for those who remain hooked.
 

Hatbox Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
Tony Baxter didn't care when he brought in Star Tours and Indiana Jones, and he heard the same criticisms 30 years ago.
If it would help, you should watch the TEA panel with Joe Rohde, Scott Trowbridge, and Thierry Coup (the head of universal creative) talking about IP for an hour. Scott says some things that really inspire confidence with this project. Namely, that while Disney owns Disneyland, it belongs to the public. They can't just do whatever they want to the place. Disney is just the steward of the place. This is coming from the guy in charge of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Does that not give you a moment to take a deep breath? It seems to me like you are really concerned that your concerns were either never thought of by a clueless company, or not taken seriously, and I doubt that the truth really looks that way.

Battle of IPs: Walt Disney Imagineering & Universal Creative designers at IAAPA 2017 Legends Panel
That's an ironic statement because it seems that that is EXACTLY what they are doing to the place. Who would tell them no?
 

nevol

Well-Known Member
That's an ironic statement because it seems that that is EXACTLY what they are doing to the place. Who would tell them no?
Is it possible that the people on the project are very passionate about its outcome? And also passionate about preserving Disneyland? It seems like everyone here unanimously wishes for an inferior imagineering project, where we walk into a queue for a new star wars attraction in the carousel building and out through a gift shop, left to wonder what imagineering is really capable of, if only that ride was in a building as spectacular as mysterious island at disneysea. Sorry, not jumping on that train. Am I happy that everything is IP now? No. But for once they are actually spending money and innovating not only with technology but storytelling. The definition of imagineering. Sorry that this will be the best domestic Imagineering project of our lifetimes without a major upheaval in burbank/glendale.
 

Hatbox Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
Tomorrowland had nothing to do with star tours. They just share some manifestation themes of outer space.

You're right. Disneyland should not deliver to its audience things they actually want. That way, the park can remain empty and pleasant for those who remain hooked.
Tomorrowland has more to do with Star Wars than Fronteirland does.

As for that second statement...lol, u mad bro?
A) Never said anything like that, but thanks for putting words in my mouth.
B) SWL isn't open and Disneyland is FAR from "empty". In fact, its busier now than its ever been.
C) People love to say that SWL is "giving the people what they wanted" as if a mass conglomerate of fans were asking for SWL to be built and management finally gave in. Uh...no. No one was asking for SWL. It's a shrine to Iger's massive ego. That's not to say people don't want SWL, but that's a far cry from it delivering on what people want.
 

Hatbox Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
Is it possible that the people on the project are very passionate about its outcome? And also passionate about preserving Disneyland? It seems like everyone here unanimously wishes for an inferior imagineering project, where we walk into a queue for a new star wars attraction in the carousel building and out through a gift shop, left to wonder what imagineering is really capable of, if only that ride was in a building as spectacular as mysterious island at disneysea. Sorry, not jumping on that train. Am I happy that everything is IP now? No. But for once they are actually spending money and innovating not only with technology but storytelling. The definition of imagineering. Sorry that this will be the best domestic Imagineering project of our lifetimes without a major upheaval in burbank/glendale.
We don't have to wish for an inferior WDI project. Right across the esplanade they handed us tripe like M:BO and Pixar Pier.

I can almost guarantee you one thing...this was a decision largely born out of 2 things.
1) Disney finally getting their hands on SW IP and deciding to go bat-$hit crazy with it
2) Iger's knee-jerk reaction to Potterland.

Disney could likely have licensed a new SW attraction at ANY POINT since opening Star Tours. But they didn't.
 

SSG

Well-Known Member
From Slashfilm

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Millennium Falcon Ride Details Revealed on Target-Exclusive ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Blu-Ray
Posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2018 by Hoai-Tran Bui

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One of the most highly anticipated attractions at the soon-to-be-opened Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney theme parks is the Millennium Falcon ride, which takes fans on a interactive motion-simulator attraction of the most iconic Star Wars starship. And while we’ve seen a few pieces of concept art from the still-untitled ride, we have just received a slew of new details about the Millennium Falcon ride from — where else — the Solo: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray.

A bonus feature on the Target-exclusive Solo: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray release (via Laughing Place) offers a special 13-minute bonus feature titled “The Millennium Falcon: From Page to Park,” which unveils new details about the ride set to be opened at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge next year. The ride, which is currently being tweaked by Disney, will consist of seven pods carrying six seats each and allow riders to interact with the environment around them.
The executive creative director of the Millennium Falcon Attraction, Asa Kalama, elaborates on what else the ride will offer on the Blu-ray:

“You’re truly in control of the fastest and most iconic ship in the entire galaxy. And Hondo, he’s gone ahead and added a couple extra seats so he can get as many of those flight crews through as possible. There are 200 some odd buttons, knobs and switches on the inside of the cockpit and they all do stuff. If you’re the gunners in the center there and you don’t fire back on those TIE Fighters fast enough they’re going to riddle the hull with laser bolts, the engineers in back, it’s really up to them to keep the whole Falcon in working order so they’re back there furiously working away at their various systems.”​
The ride will allow you to turn 360 degrees, with every detail around you rendered immaculately, Kalama added.
The ride sends you on a quest for Hondo Ohnaka, the Weequay pirate from Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels (who deserves some more attention from fans and Lucasfilm), Disney Imagineering executive Scott Trowbridge reveals. True to the space pirate’s nature, your mission is to bring back a bunch of loot.

“If you bring back all the loot and there’s not a scratch on the ship and Hondo is really happy when you bring it back, you might find yourself with some extra Galactic Credits in your account, but do a poor job, you lose the cargo, you smash up the ship, you might come back owing more money than you started with, the bossman might not be too happy and when you roll across to the local cantina the bartender might lean over and say ‘hey, word on the street is your name’s been put on the list of a local bounty hunter, I’d watch out if I were you’ so how well you do on this mission really does have an impact on your overall, land-wide story.”​
In addition, you can explore the main chess room of the Falcon, which we saw a glimpse of in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and be “really be immersed in that environment, you can actually push buttons and just kind of soak it all in,” says VP and Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm Story Group Doug Chiang in the bonus feature.

The Target exclusive Solo: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray release can be ordered here.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in summer 2019 at Disneyland and fall 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.
 

nevol

Well-Known Member
We don't have to wish for an inferior WDI project. Right across the esplanade they handed us tripe like M:BO and Pixar Pier.

I can almost guarantee you one thing...this was a decision largely born out of 2 things.
1) Disney finally getting their hands on SW IP and deciding to go bat-$hit crazy with it
2) Iger's knee-jerk reaction to Potterland.

Disney could likely have licensed a new SW attraction at ANY POINT since opening Star Tours. But they didn't.
To many people, lands/environments are just as, if not more, important than ride experiences. SW:GE will deliver on that in ways putting a star wars ride in an existing tomorrowland wont. And I'm thirsty for a passionate land project in the wake of DCA.
 

Rich T

Well-Known Member
But Disneyland has had Star Wars for decades. Its like being upset if Tolkein Theme Park added a land devoted to The Father Christmas Letters in a new part of the park rather than adding it where the Father Christmas shop was earlier.
It's all about the balance; SWGE is a huge, HUGE glop of aquired IP being shoehorned (creatively shoehorned, I must admit) into a nearly-entirely Disney-created-IP park that previously had incorporated a *dash* of Lucasfilm in a way that didn't seem disruptive. But you get 1,000 bonus points for bringing up the Father Christmas Letters! :)
 

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