Star Wars Land announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

[RobWDW1971]

But - as many have tried to say - the land is NOT complete yet. The headliner attraction isn't open. The bugs weren't all worked out (of the app or the land). Let the new attraction open.

Honest question, in what way do you expect ROTR (assuming it is great as we all hope) to change Batuu and MFSR? It will obviously bring more crowds of tourists to the land, but explain to me how that will address any of the countless criticisms in this thread of Batuu and MFSR?

 

[RSoxNo1]

Agree on many points. However, my hot take is that they were foolish to build a land around a premise that calls for a lot of roaming entertainment. I don’t care if they were promised the funds initially, we all know that that kind of stuff gets cut very easily, and the land should still be solid without it. Just as Pandora, Diagon Alley, etc. are. Unlike those, Galaxy’s Edge’s premise falls apart without citizens of Batuu selling the story, because otherwise it’s an old dirty war-torn city that comes off as depressing rather than optimistic. For a billion dollars, they should’ve built something that stands more on its own. A good start would’ve been a better storyline for Smugglers Run. In my opinion.

It's a great point, but we also need to wait until Thursday to see how the land is once complete. If the choice was a 3rd attraction that added kinetics or the entertainment components that also added kinetics we got neither.

 

[RobWDW1971]

Pandora’s appeal is in the beauty of its natural world. It doesn’t need a large ops budget for characters. The problem with Galaxy’s Edge’s premise is that it’s a war-ravaged place carried in spirit by poor but optimistic citizens. Without said citizens, it’s just a war-ravaged place.

Succinctly and beautifully said.

 

[erasure fan1]

Do I think Iger and Co. botched the opening of the land in ways that should have cost them their jobs? Absolutely. But - as many have tried to say - the land is NOT complete yet. The headliner attraction isn't open. The bugs weren't all worked out (of the app or the land). Let the new attraction open.

I agree, you can't judge the the land as a whole yet. I agree as well that Disney did botch the opening. I do think it is fair game to judge the parts that are open now though. I would say I have been critical of the land thus far, and I stand by it. But I also understand the signature ride isn't there. This is why I hate when they do these split openings. I do find that both sides are mostly right on the pros and cons of the land. Now how BOTH sides go about debating it can be troublesome.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Honest question, in what way do you expect ROTR (assuming it is great as we all hope) to change Batuu and MFSR? It will obviously bring more crowds of tourists to the land, but explain to me how that will address any of the countless criticisms in this thread of Batuu and MFSR?

You edited out half of what I said - which included "let them live with the land" and "let them make tweaks". Do I think there should be more random roaming aliens/citizens? Sure. Easy fix. Battles on the raised catwalks? Also an easy fix. The lack of those still don't make the land a failure. The more time that goes by though, the more I can understand keeping background music limited to certain moments/spots in the land. Can't touch the MF? Oh well...that's what happens when people in general lack any type of moral compass...not Disney's fault. And as much as I want random aliens and citizens walking around, I'm smart enough to know that it isn't a realistic expectation on days that the land is crowded, and that guests in general can be problematic, to say the least.

One thing I think you're failing to take into account is that this land has to please MORE than just hard-core Star Wars fans. It has to please casual fans and people who don't give two hoots about Star Wars as well.

 

[erasure fan1]

Honest question, in what way do you expect ROTR (assuming it is great as we all hope) to change Batuu and MFSR? It will obviously bring more crowds of tourists to the land, but explain to me how that will address any of the countless criticisms in this thread of Batuu and MFSR?

The realistic answer is, it won't. I've said it many times before. A great ride will cover up a lot of flaws. The only thing that fill fix the complaints, is Disney. Now will they? I think that depends on if rise is a huge success. If we start seeing the same tepid reviews as the falcon, you might see them pivot sooner rather than later.

 

[RobWDW1971]

You edited out half of what I said - which included "let them live with the land" and "let them make tweaks". Do I think there should be more random roaming aliens/citizens? Sure. Easy fix. Battles on the raised catwalks? Also an easy fix. The lack of those still don't make the land a failure. The more time that goes by though, the more I can understand keeping background music limited to certain moments/spots in the land. Can't touch the MF? Oh well...that's what happens when people in general lack any type of moral compass...not Disney's fault. And as much as I want random aliens and citizens walking around, I'm smart enough to know that it isn't a realistic expectation on days that the land is crowded, and that guests in general can be problematic, to say the least.

One thing I think you're failing to take into account is that this land has to please MORE than just hard-core Star Wars fans. It has to please casual fans and people who don't give two hoots about Star Wars as well.

Sounds like our opinions of the multiple inherent issues with the land aren’t very different, you are just judging the land for what you hope it will be someday and I am judging what it actually is today, fair enough.

And of course It has to please both Star Wars fans and general theme park fans to generate a return on a hundreds of million dollar investment. Unfortunately, unlike the Harry Potter lands and Pandora, they have failed to excite either.

The land doesn’t have the activity, energy, fun, humor, and excitement to please a general theme park audience and due to the countless issues outlined by many on the boards, it also lets down its core brand audience. Hence, the tepid “meh” response and lack of FOMO to Batuu and MFSR on both coasts.

As for non-Star Wars fans, the majority of people I’ve visited the land with wouldn’t know Yoda from Kenobi and found it boring, lifeless, and couldn’t wait to get back to the rest of the park. They just wanted an entertaining and fun Disney theme park experience, which SWGE didn’t provide.

 

[RobWDW1971]

The realistic answer is, it won't. I've said it many times before. A great ride will cover up a lot of flaws. The only thing that fill fix the complaints, is Disney. Now will they? I think that depends on if rise is a huge success. If we start seeing the same tepid reviews as the falcon, you might see them pivot sooner rather than later.

History would indicate that ROTR will be a hit (as we all assume) and then they will just rationalize away the Batuu and MFSR response and just move on to the next project not realizing the huge missed opportunity.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I've visited 6 times and never noticed the damage marks on the buildings. It's not a bombed out war-torn wasteland. It's "scuffed up".

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Sounds like our opinions of the multiple inherent issues with the land aren’t very different, you are just judging the land for what you hope it will be someday and I am judging what it actually is today, fair enough.

And of course It has to please both Star Wars fans and general theme park fans to generate a return on a hundreds of million dollar investment. Unfortunately, unlike the Harry Potter lands and Pandora, they have failed to excite either.

The land doesn’t have the activity, energy, fun, humor, and excitement to please a general theme park audience and due to the countless issues outlined by many on the boards, it also lets down its core brand audience. Hence, the tepid “meh” response and lack of FOMO to Batuu and MFSR on both coasts.

As for non-Star Wars fans, the majority of people I’ve visited the land with wouldn’t know Yoda from Kenobi and found it boring, lifeless, and couldn’t wait to get back to the rest of the park. They just wanted an entertaining and fun Disney theme park experience, which SWGE didn’t provide.

Actually, I'm not. I'm judging the land based on what's there and on the reviews of those who have realistic opinions.

 

[Movielover]

I've visited 6 times and never noticed the damage marks on the buildings. It's not a bombed out war-torn wasteland. It's "scuffed up".

The same people on here complaining about it being "bombed out" would be complaining that the place didn't look "lived in" enough to match Star Wars if they had made the place pristine and shiny...

 

[Mike S]

It may not make sense to some but the reason this happens is precisely because they’re fans. The more of a fan you are of something the more you’ll critique it when you perceive problems.

 

[Movielover]

It may not make sense to some but the reason this happens is precisely because they’re fans. The more of a fan you are of something the more you’ll critique it when you perceive problems.

Which in itself becomes a problem when those critiques are not about actual problems but misconceptions...

For example, "Why does this planet in a war torn universe called Star Wars have signs of war in it".

 

[Mike S]

Which in itself becomes a problem when those critiques are not about actual problems but misconceptions...

For example, "Why does this planet in a war torn universe called Star Wars have signs of war in it".

 

[Darth Snips]

The same people on here complaining about it being "bombed out" would be complaining that the place didn't look "lived in" enough to match Star Wars if they had made the place pristine and shiny...

In fact, didn't that happen already? Wasn't one of the complaints about the prequels that they felt too "un-Star Wars" because the planets (Coruscant, Naboo, Kamino) and ships (Nubian starship, N-1 starfighter, various Trade Federation ships) were too polished and traditionally "sci-fi"?

 

[Movielover]

 

[RobWDW1971]

It may not make sense to some but the reason this happens is precisely because they’re fans. The more of a fan you are of something the more you’ll critique it when you perceive problems.

What’s always strange to me is the need for cheerleading and personal defense of these topics. It’s as if people must be all-in on Disney, Universal, one way or another and not just evaluate things on their own merits.

It’s OK to say Flight of Passage is a great, classic attraction while Navi River is a joke that I wouldn’t wait five minutes to ride. Or Cars Land is a wonderful land and great execution of a Pixar brand while Pixar Pier is an embarrassment and shockingly bad execution of Pixar brands. Or Hogsmeade is a magical land with an amazing world-class attraction, while Fast and Furious is an abomination to mankind.

It’s not “pro or con” Disney, it’s just evaluating what they actually build. So far, Batuu is a creative disaster and MFSR is a huge disappointment. I’m hoping ROTR is the greatest ride of all time. It’s possible to hold both thoughts at the same time.

 

[Jones14]

What’s always strange to me is the need for cheerleading and personal defense of these topics. It’s as if people must be all-in on Disney, Universal, one way or another and not just evaluate things on their own merits.

It’s OK to say Flight of Passage is a great, classic attraction while Navi River is a joke that I wouldn’t wait five minutes to ride. Or Cars Land is a wonderful land and great execution of a Pixar brand while Pixar Pier is an embarrassment and shockingly bad execution of Pixar brands. Or Hogsmeade is a magical land with an amazing world-class attraction, while Fast and Furious is an abomination to mankind.

It’s not “pro or con” Disney, it’s just evaluating what they actually build. So far, Batuu is a creative disaster and MFSR is a huge disappointment. I’m hoping ROTR is the greatest ride of all time. It’s possible to hold both thoughts at the same time.

You’re absolutely right in that people shouldn’t blindly defend something that they themselves don’t like, but I don’t feel that Batuu *is* a creative disaster, or that MFSR is a huge disappointment. We (me and my friends who went with me) really enjoyed it.

Should they have opened the land without Rise, or without the stunt shows and walkaround aliens? No, but there’s a big difference between wanting more and thinking that what’s already there is bad. You fall into the latter camp, which is totally valid, but it doesn’t mean everyone shares that opinion.

 

[peter11435]

This thread proves just how right Bingbong was about people mixing up facts and opinions.

 

[...it's a yungle]

Its a fact, this is my opinion:

MFSR C ticket, ROTR appears to be solid E ticket. Rather typical for a land. However, with both being indoors, guests see no evidence of them while touring the land. The land is static because of that and other reasons. The original, MK: from the gate to west, north and east...Every land has movement. Train, trolley, jungle skiffs, log flume, paddle boat, rafts, carousel, spinners, mine train, speedway, people mover, rockets. Most lands also have some water feature, small or big. Sounds of every kind (not speaking of guest sounds).
Every land feels active, alive.

Batu lacks that. Start with water. Maybe a Pandora waterfall. Vendors with local “tv” in some stalls, local “radio stations” in others. Sounds of ships flying overhead nearby, loud mechanical sounds from repair bays. Simple flashing, or chasing lights scattered about. Droid parts on a “clothes line” crossing the land. Spinning satellite dishes. A “paddy wagon” escorted by troopers through the land every hour. Local street musicians scattered about, Jaminators in droid costumes. Batu looks fantastic, but it needs a FEEL of what it’s supposed to be, a thriving outpost. If a 3rd attraction is added, make some or all of it visible.

Someone once said something like...”That’s great, now plus it!”