Star Wars Land announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

Ragetti

Ragetti

Member
DisneyExpert said:
Pandora and Star Wars are more "Experience an area designed to look like an area from a movie." None of the locations are actually from any film, nor are the events that happen in the attractions. This allows you to "create your own adventure" in a way, because you're not tied down by specific things that happened in a movie.

The Harry Potter areas / attractions recreate specific settings and events from the books/films. Which is fine, but Disney seems to be taking a different approach.
Click to expand...

You hit on a point that's been in the back on my mind. Now don't get me wrong, I really like the Wizarding World sections. Well done, IMO. But Harry Potter is an IP very dependent on PLACE. If we're going to experience the Wizarding World, we want to see those places... Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley. AS a consequence, however well they are done, there is always the sense that these are facsimiles. Street shows and performers help, but there are lots of reminders that this isn't the REAL wizarding world, if you get my meaning. Again, I still think those ares are excellent, and I really enjoy them. But by choosing to build a place that COULD exist in that universe, but which we haven't seen yet, there is a lot more freedom, in my view, to build an immersive environment. Star Wars is perfect for that since while there are iconic locations, the films tend to visit new places, so another new place just feels like another story in the GFFA. Star Wars is more about experience than place. To me, it seems like Disney has nailed this... provided finances really let them follow through on the concept. They could raise the bar for everyone.... again.
 
britain

britain

Well-Known Member
Dan deesnee said:
After watching that video, I am convinced that the Millenium Falcon ride is going to be at least partially Virtual Reality. Has this already been talked about or confirmed? I don't see how a giant group of people can all control the falcon together making unique decisions.
Click to expand...

It's a 6 person flight simulator. Not EVERY person in each cockpit will be 'captain'. But if you really want the controls, ask to wait for the next available captain's chair and they'll hook you up.
 
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
bclane said:
Yah me too. I love Star Tours. If I had my way, they would take out the muppets and expand Star Wars land to include that entire area, and also expand the Star Tours ride capacity and transform it into a space port that transports us into the new land. Or just keep Star Tours and keep updating it with each movie. It's always been one of my favorite rides and is actually quite thrilling if you sit in one of the rear corners of the ride vehicle.
Click to expand...

I'd be fine with making the Echo lake area into a separate additional Star Wars land (different setting than the one being built) with ST being one of the attractions and Indy being knocked down for additional SW stuff.
 
Last edited:
tribbleorlfl

tribbleorlfl

Well-Known Member
Tony the Tigger said:
I guess it's great you guys are all on board with that. I'm super bummed.

The reason Harry Potter is amazing is because you can walk through the movie (hmmm..."ride the movie," where did I hear that before?)

That experience via Star Wars would have been mind blowing. They could have easily done 3 different areas/planets to answer all the questions above.

Our annual passes end in September, and we're going out with a bang (splurgy trip, really looking forward to it.) We had already planned to do a Disney Cruise (our first) next, probably in 2018 or 19.

My priority before going to see SWL will be to finally see Potter. That sounds much more exciting to me, and like I said, I am a huge SW fan since 20 years before Potter borrowed so much from it.

I'll get to it eventually, and I'm sure it will be fine. But I'm in no hurry to see a fake Star Wars land that has no relation to the movies except the characters pop up in them.

Maybe it's better Uni got Potter after all.
Click to expand...
I get what you're saying and perfect world, we would have gotten a SW 5th gate with each land depicting a different iconic planet/time period instead of a single land.

But since we're not, I think it makes sense to create a new (but familiar) immersive setting and story rather than picking a single iconic location (thereby leaving out all of the others) or a jumbled mishmash of "greatest hits.". Plus, who's to say this new planet won't be featured in a new movie like Ep. IX?

Spike-in-Berlin said:
Well I already knew that there would be only 2 attractions in SWL so this doesn't come as a surprise but to see this really HUGE area as a model and then remember that they installed only TWO attractions here, makes you wonder what they use the remaining square footage for. I mean how many gift shops, meet and greets and restaurants can you build in one land? Or is one of the attractions of such epic dimensions like e.g. RSR in DL? And it is also a little sad to see WDI actually considers 2 attractions a sufficient standard attraction roster for an entire new land (FLE was only an expansion, but Pandora, SWL, whats next?).
And to concentrate entirely on the new movies is another disappointment, 6 movies Empire against Rebel Alliance respectively Jedi against Sith and they concentrate on First Order against Resistance, that IS a major letdown for any fans of the classic and prequel trilogy.
Click to expand...
Sure, a third ride would have been awesome, but the paradigm with these newer immersive lands seems to be 2 or 3 rides with plenty of dining, retail and themed environments to explore. Hogsmede (the land that arguably started this very paradigm) only added one new ride to 2 existing re-themed rides and Diagon Alley only added 2 rides (1 of which is shared with Hogsmede and is technically transportation); both areas are universally-praised, so I see no reason why SW Land can't be as (if not more) successful with its 2 rides. Besides, @marni1971 says we're getting a third ride in a future expansion.

Regarding the time period, if they had set this during the OT, I imagine most fans would have been perfectly happy. However, it would pigeonhole the land and rides a bit and would restrain the storytelling possibilities more than setting it in the new movies would.

As a fan of all-things SW (I literally grew up on the OT), I am not at all disappointed by this. In fact, after 40 years of the Empire vs Rebellion on screen and 30 years of it in the parks, I'm personally excited for something new. Just because you don't like the post-RotJ setting, doesn't mean "any fans of the classic or prequel trilogy" are, as well.
 
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
While all the locations in Potter are familier, FJ, Gringott's, and even the Hogwats Express are your own journey. The closest to actually reliving the movie is that you cross paths with the trio during a specific moment during Deathly Hallows 2. But you aren't really tagging along on their adventure.
Click to expand...

Both Gringotts and HE feel a lot like you are simple within the existing stories/movies of Harry Potter. Yes, stuff is happening to you I suppose but it stuff that the rider already (potentially) is familiar with. That's a different phenomena as exploring a completely different part the Wizarding World that is otherwise unknown.

FJ is a more unique experience detached from the existing stories, but basically has a "greatest hits" feel -- to be fair, that's exactly what Star Tours is as well.

I don't think there is anything wrong about how HP is executed at Uni. In fact, it's awesome. But it's very clearly done in a method of "experience in person the stuff you already know" where both Pandora and Star Wars are veering more into "experience new things in the world of this IP that you already know". There is an upside and downside to each approach, but I think the decisions made for all of them make sense given the specifics of the IP.

I do think that "generic" star wars land will make it slightly less accessible to casual Star Wars fans. But the more rabid fans will see it as basically getting a new movie you can live.
Click to expand...

I absolutely think the first "issue" with the land when it opens will be all the casual people asking "which planet is this?" and being kinda confused. But if it is executed well, I think in the long run it will actually win over people more than just going to the known Cantina and drinking blue milk.

And I definitely think that a new location will end up getting less criticism from the die-hards because it won't have to live up to unreasonable standards (that probably wouldn't work in a theme park setting). I'd kind of like to see the name of the location actually show up in a canonical movie or TV show -- just as an Easter egg like being mentioned or on a list of planets -- to validate it being a "real" Star Wars location without creating expectations of what it "needs to have".
 
HauntedMansionFLA

HauntedMansionFLA

Well-Known Member
doctornick said:
I'd be fine with making the Echo lake area into a separate additional Star Wars land (different setting than the one being built) with ST being one of the attractions and Indy being knocked down for other stuff.
Click to expand...
I would second that. Disney has announced more Indiana Jones movies coming up.an Indiana Jones Kandahar would be fun. I always smile when the John Williams IJ theme starts up. Another favorite IP that I've enjoyed through the years and a lot they could do with it.
 
W

Wishing Star

Well-Known Member
SW designer Doug Chiang talks SW Land!
http://www.starwars.com/news/d23-doug-chiang-interview-star-wars-themed-land-disney-parks

Inside the Magic‏ @InsideTheMagic now32 seconds ago
Bob Iger says Star Wars Land will open before the next D23 Expo in 2019, so before the halfway point of that year.

Blueprint!
star-wars-land-blueprints-1.jpg

star-wars-land-blueprints-2.jpg

star-wars-land-blueprints-3.jpg
 
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
DarthFiscus75 said:
I would second that. Disney has announced more Indiana Jones movies coming up.an Indiana Jones Kandahar would be fun. I always smile when the John Williams IJ theme starts up. Another favorite IP that I've enjoyed through the years and a lot they could do with it.
Click to expand...

There definitely should be an Indiana Jones area with a proper ride (at least something like River Delta for a land). I'd to see something like that come to DHS.

IIRC, it seems like Indiana Jones was going to be the main draw for the Blue Sky "fourth land" for the DHS makeover (with Toy Story, Monsters Inc/other Pixar and Star Wars being the first three lands in the original plans) and was going to potentially go over where the Animation Building/Launch Bay is.
 
A

arliss289418

New Member
If the expansion in Hollywood Studios is 14 acres , what percentage of the park is that? It seems like 14 acres will contain everything shown model-wise at D23. Same thing with Tron. I have seen overlays at MK between Space Mtn and Goofy doesn't seem like that's large enough either.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
*Q* said:
Same.

My ideal scenario would be that they'd build a brand new version of Star Tours from the ground up in Star Wars Land, using the latest in simulator technology. I feel like Star Tours is such a beloved brand on its own and such an important park of Disney park history that it'd be a shame to lose it altogether. Keeping a version of Star Tours would allow them the perfect venue for promoting the latest movie the way they have been with adding new planets to the ride. I don't really see that potential out of all of the information released about the land so far. My gut tells me that the Millennium Falcon ride isn't going to be randomized in that way.
Click to expand...
Isn't the Falcon supposed to be better than random? Like Mission: Space but with consequences?
 
Robbiem

Robbiem

Well-Known Member
doctornick said:
There definitely should be an Indiana Jones area with a proper ride (at least something like River Delta for a land). I'd to see something like that come to DHS.

IIRC, it seems like Indiana Jones was going to be the main draw for the Blue Sky "fourth land" for the DHS makeover (with Toy Story, Monsters Inc/other Pixar and Star Wars being the first three lands in the original plans) and was going to potentially go over where the Animation Building/Launch Bay is.
Click to expand...
Indy has such potential for a fully immersive land which will work well as DHS I really hope that we end up with something after Star Wars land opens, a copy of the lost river delta from Tokyo would be a good addition to the park but there is so much more that you could do if you wanted to, maybe it will depend on how well a new movie does?
 
Ragetti

Ragetti

Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
While all the locations in Potter are familier, FJ, Gringott's, and even the Hogwats Express are your own journey. The closest to actually reliving the movie is that you cross paths with the trio during a specific moment during Deathly Hallows 2. But you aren't really tagging along on their adventure.

I do think that "generic" star wars land will make it slightly less accessible to casual Star Wars fans. But the more rabid fans will see it as basically getting a new movie you can live.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. Most casual fans aren't really familiar with specific settings to the level that it forms an important part of their conception of Star Wars. I say this as an active member of the 501st and the Rebel Legion. Most casuals are most familiars with the CHARACTERS. They know Darth Vader, they know R2-D2, they know Stormtroopers, and they are familiar with lightsabers (even if they call them laser swords). If there are stormtroopers, droids, and a villain in black who wields a lightsaber, it will be Star Wars to the casuals. Just my particular experience.
 
Ragetti

Ragetti

Member
Robbiem said:
Indy has such potential for a fully immersive land which will work well as DHS I really hope that we end up with something after Star Wars land opens, a copy of the lost river delta from Tokyo would be a good addition to the park but there is so much more that you could do if you wanted to, maybe it will depend on how well a new movie does?
Click to expand...

The Indy ride in Anaheim is one of my favorites. I think a land, or a mini-land anyway would be great fun. One thing I love about the Anaheim ride is that it tells it's own adventure, instead of being a "ride the movie" ride, which always rings more false to me.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom