Star Wars and Disney fans around the world are waiting on baited breath for what is to come when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and the new planet, Batuu, opens in both Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
This project will seek to summarize as much of what we know so far (thanks to the wonderful insiders of the forum who will be cited) - and after the research is presented, the rest of the thread will offer an opportunity to make some armchair imagineering predictions based on those findings, as a way to build up anticipation for the lands!
I'd like to sincerely thank some of our forum insiders for their invaluable contributions and insight;
@marni1971, @Magic Feather, @JediMasterMatt - (they'll be cited m71, mf, jmm respectively regarding specific project info they have posted.) As well as anyone else who has shared images, insight, etc
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The Lands - An Overview
Since Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland is a few months ahead of Disney's Hollywood Studios - we'll start with a basic mock up of that land and its 14 acre footprint within Disneyland park. Onto Disney's Hollywood Studios...
A concept sketch based on the D23 model shown off July. (Approx to scale)
Batuu
Located on the edge of wild space, this remote outpost is home to all those who are seeking adventure and opportunity - pilots, smugglers, rogue traders, and bounty hunters traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. This thriving space port is also a convenient safe haven for all others hoping to avoid the expanding reach of the First Order.
- Courtesy of Walt Disney Imagineering
In-Land Content
The lands on each coast are at different angles within their respective parks, and aerial images have led to theories/debates in several outlets of the forum about whether one coast's version is larger than the other - the land content is...identical, aside from the third entry to the land that the Disneyland version has (Hollywood Studios version only has two), and other minor differences such as queue layouts. (m71)
How Will Walking Through The Land Feel?
Galaxy's Edge will feel both large and cramped. The marketplace has enough alleyways and nooks and crannies to feel both huge and small at the same time. (m71) There is a contrast between two sides of the land. On one side, long, winding paths through a wood-ish area, with a small outpost, before continuing into the main civilized/village hub, where almost everything else is located. (mf) On paper, the amount of space being used is very big; but, remember - the land has two big E-tickets and they take up considerable space. The actual guest accessible areas should feel bigger than Pandora as they are more akin to Diagon Alley for the most part with lots of nooks and crevices to get lost in. Galaxy's Edge will feel more vertical than horizontal just from the closer sight-lines. (jmm)
Attractions
Battle Escape (Codename: Alcatraz) - an LPS dark ride attraction
Millennium Falcon (Codename: Big Bird) - simulator attraction
Restaurants
Cantina - Table Service Restaurant (m71)
'Pod Racer Engine' (called that due to concept art) Quick Service Restaurant (mf)
Shopping, Streetmosphere, Entertainment
Build a Light$abre, See and Buy Space Junk Experience (mf) Build a droid. And several other merch locations, from shops to carts in the village. Alcatraz has another two carts. Expect a lot (m71)
The streetmosphere is one of the intriguing things about the project. Scott's group is keen for this to be one of the difference makers between it and his last project (Potter) as his hands were tied by Rowling in some aspects of what they wanted to do (story telling). It's quite ambitious in nature with a steady influx of performers (human, droid, and alien) participating and role playing. The goal is for it serve as the anchor (with other guest's in their Star Wars-y purchased attire helping to augment this) in creating the renaissance fair in space vibe they are going for in the land.
If all this sounds expensive and complex, it will be... and that's why I'm afraid of the long term operational lifespan of this part of the project - especially in Florida. Florida will have an unfortunately easy path out as they can use the climate as an excuse (hot/humid/rainy). (jmm)
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In the next post, we will dive into the details regarding the two main attractions, Alcatraz and Big Bird.
Battle Escape (Codename: Alcatraz) - an LPS dark ride attraction
Millennium Falcon (Codename: Big Bird) - simulator attraction
Restaurants
Cantina - Table Service Restaurant (m71)
'Pod Racer Engine' (called that due to concept art) Quick Service Restaurant (mf)
Shopping, Streetmosphere, Entertainment
Build a Light$abre, See and Buy Space Junk Experience (mf) Build a droid. And several other merch locations, from shops to carts in the village. Alcatraz has another two carts. Expect a lot (m71)
The streetmosphere is one of the intriguing things about the project. Scott's group is keen for this to be one of the difference makers between it and his last project (Potter) as his hands were tied by Rowling in some aspects of what they wanted to do (story telling). It's quite ambitious in nature with a steady influx of performers (human, droid, and alien) participating and role playing. The goal is for it serve as the anchor (with other guest's in their Star Wars-y purchased attire helping to augment this) in creating the renaissance fair in space vibe they are going for in the land.
If all this sounds expensive and complex, it will be... and that's why I'm afraid of the long term operational lifespan of this part of the project - especially in Florida. Florida will have an unfortunately easy path out as they can use the climate as an excuse (hot/humid/rainy). (jmm)
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In the next post, we will dive into the details regarding the two main attractions, Alcatraz and Big Bird.
