Star Wars Land announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Disney Analyst]

It’s so interesting these minor changes. Ship placement. Building paint colour.. bench. Just enough to be the same but slightly differentiate.

 

[Nunu]

Honestly, I don't know if I'd like backround music playing everywhere at all times in Batuu.
Some areas could be enhanced by John Williams' score for the land, though.
To me, it doesn't have to be all or nothing in that regard.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I m with you. I want a soaring John Williams score playing throughout the land.

They can do like Universal does and just play the main thematic lick over and over again...

 

[Mickeyboof]

Because a real place would have real sounds, and not it's own them song.

Batuu isn't a real place.

Star Wars isn't real.

I couldn't imagine watching the films with the score removed as equally as I can't imagine a Star Wars land without area music.

Also, the music doesn't have to be from the film scores. It could be Batuu-specific instruments playing familiar themes.

Then again, the world "familiar" is the enemy to each and every imagineer tasked to this land.

 

[Incomudro]

Batuu isn't a real place.

Star Wars isn't real.

I couldn't imagine watching the films with the score removed as equally as I can't imagine a Star Wars land without area music.

Also, the music doesn't have to be from the film scores. It could be Batuu-specific instruments playing familiar themes.

Then again, the world "familiar" is the enemy to each and every imagineer tasked to this land.

I responded to why they didn't.
I can't tell you if that's successful.
They can always add music.

 

[IMDREW]

Honestly, I don't know if I'd like backround music playing everywhere at all times in Batuu.
Some areas could be enhanced by John Williams' score for the land, though.
To me, it doesn't have to be all or nothing in that regard.

Exactly!

 

[Mickeyboof]

I responded to why they didn't.
I can't tell you if that's successful.
They can always add music.

I know! I’m just grumpy with the imagineers!

 

[TJJohn12]

Also, the music doesn't have to be from the film scores. It could be Batuu-specific instruments playing familiar themes.

Not just “doesn’t have to” but definitely should not. Williams’ music is structured around the presence of specific characters on screen being accompanied by their themes. The classic Death Star lick wasn’t used as the theme for Starkiller Base (though it obviously helped inform it). Similarly, if a character isn’t present in SW:GE their theme shouldn’t be there.

So if they did use an orchestral area music track, I’d hope it’s devoid of Binary Sunset, Leia’s Theme, and any other character elements.

EDIT: Though we can argue about Binary Sunset as it’s interchangeably “Luke’s Theme” and “The Force Theme.”

 

[RobWDW1971]

Similarly, if a character isn’t present in SW:GE their theme shouldn’t be there.

Again shows the ridiculous, confining, and fundamentally poor creative choice they made that we have to debate whether they can use all of the iconic Star Wars themes vs how John Williams scores were used in Star Tours, Harry Potter lands, Jaws:The Ride, Indiana Jones ride and stunt show, Jurrasic Park, E.T. Adventure, etc.

Yup, another great decision, WDI.

Step 1: Limit the land to only one location and one time period so you ensure you can't represent all fan favorite eras, locations, and characters

Step 2: Choose an unknown location so you ensure nothing is memorable from any movie

Step 3: Be sure to eliminate the most famous characters of the brand from the land

Step 4: Since all iconic characters are not present, be sure not to play their corresponding iconic theme music

Step 5: Ensure the unknown land is completely deserted so you are forced to create unknown, complicated backstories for every shop and attraction tied to the few remaining residents (Hondo, Dok-Ondar, and the unseen Oga and Savi).

Step 6: Ensure time period/backstory of land is such to outlaw must important Star Wars concepts of Jedis and public use of the Force and light sabers.

Step 7: Ensure there is no music, activity, aliens, bounty hunters, moving droids, Jedi, etc.

Step 8: Pat self on back for redefining the theme park experience.

 

[LSLS]

I get your point and maybe they will change that later. But you are not supposed to be on a movie set or on a generic star wars adventure. You are supposed to be on Batuu, a "real" place. Do they blast star wars music on Batuu?

It could. Besides, i mean, if authenticity is that important, I doubt I could walk into this world with my American money and purchase a light sabre either.

 

[Mickeyboof]

Not just “doesn’t have to” but definitely should not. Williams’ music is structured around the presence of specific characters on screen being accompanied by their themes. The classic Death Star lick wasn’t used as the theme for Starkiller Base (though it obviously helped inform it). Similarly, if a character isn’t present in SW:GE their theme shouldn’t be there.

So if they did use an orchestral area music track, I’d hope it’s devoid of Binary Sunset, Leia’s Theme, and any other character elements.

EDIT: Though we can argue about Binary Sunset as it’s interchangeably “Luke’s Theme” and “The Force Theme.”

But music works as subconscious key to unlock memories and subtleties. Leia’s Theme, in my mind, would be welcome. Because it reminds us, the guests, of the world we are in. The adventures that have taken place in such a world, and that maybe we too can partake in the fantasy.

If there shouldn’t be musical themes to characters that are missing, then WDI needs to turn off the sound effects for the aircrafts that are also missing.

 

[TP2000]

Yes but don’t you know Californians have a more discerning palate than Florida’s ignorant hillbilly vacationer population?

I’m being facetious but I do think the response in DHS will be different. Rum in the blue milk will help.

Also, happy birth month!

View attachment 395110

I want to make a more important comment, but all I can say is...

75 Minutes for the Saucers/Mater's ride?!?! In Anaheim right now at 3:00pm Pacific time, the Mater's ride is listed as a 10 minute wait and Radiator Springs Racers down Route 66 is listed at 70 minutes. This perfectly sums up what the biggest difference of all is between Star Wars Land at DHS and Disneyland. Even in the park it's in, the wait times at Disneyland right now at 3:00pm are 50 minutes for Millennium Falcon and 10 minutes for Davy Crockett Canoes, which is the equivalent minor attraction to Saucers near the entry portal to Star Wars Land.

But my more important comment is, the irony is that Walt thought the East Coast audiences might be too high brow for a Disneyland. So he went in big at the 1964 New York World's Fair to test the waters on whether or not his form of amusement rides might play well to the more sophisticated East Coast audiences. Funny how things change after 50 years.

 

[TP2000]

Because a real place would have real sounds, and not it's own theme song.

Yup, the DHS version sounds exactly like the Disneyland version. Deathly quiet with some bird/animal noises from some of the planters.

If Batuu was real it also wouldn't have what we saw in the first two minutes walk of this video;

• A half dozen theme park managers in modern Business Ultra Casual dress clothes, shiny WDW nametags, jangling keys and company ID's and iPhones on their belts, waving at you and bringing more attention to themselves and their obvious 2019 Earth personas
• Two fully uniformed WDW Security Guards in bright blue, with WDW branded patches and and shiny white WDW nametags

I didn't see any Guest Relations CM's in their bright plaid uniforms, but since those CM's are inside Disneyland's Star Wars Land all the time and have been photographed repeatedly, I can't imagine it will be different at DHS.

In short, the whole WDI attempt at making Batuu "real" instead of a land in a theme park was a noble one, but the reality of many of those design and creative decisions aren't working in the actual theme parks. The reality is that Batuu is just a theme park land and there will be uniformed security guards and dorky managers wearing Earthling Business Casual and snotty Guest Relations tour guides in plaid leading their groups around, etc., etc.

WDI did some over-thinking on this one. Or else the Imagineers behind those decisions had no idea how an actual theme park works and how the theme park employees were going to have to wander around ruining the purity of their pretend Batuu environment. My hunch is that it's a combination of those two things; the Imagineers in charge of Star Wars Land overthought a lot of this stuff and also had no working knowledge of how a theme park operates. The end result is a land that feels dead and lifeless compared to the rest of the park.

 

[andre85]

Interesting changes. The rounded Bench in the market area is not in this version.

Are you talking about the circular bench in the atrium? It's there, just a different design.
View attachment 395234

Is there a pic of the DL one for comparison? I wonder why the change?

 

[gerarar]

Is there a pic of the DL one for comparison? I wonder why the change?

DHS on left, DL on right;

 

[andre85]

DHS on left, DL on right;
View attachment 395266

Huh, what an odd thing to change. I wonder what the reasoning was Thanks!

 

[gerarar]

Huh, what an odd thing to change. I wonder what the reasoning was Thanks!

The only thing I can think of is that the more people/crowds == more walking space, lol

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Why does this look way bigger than DLR in videos? I had always heard DLR was minimally bigger than DHS, what am I missing?

 

[sedati]

Huh, what an odd thing to change. I wonder what the reasoning was Thanks!

Seems another example of Cali actually changing what was planned initially. Does it have a water feature? Way back I referred to it as a fountain based on one of Bio's aerials.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

DHS on left, DL on right;
View attachment 395266

DHS is so much better