Star Wars Land vs Wizarding World

[UNCgolf]

To certain people they are not. I found Be Our Guest Restaurant to be a slap in the face compared to the concept art we were shown in 2009. I'm just pointing out how Disney and other theme parks don't let you walk through fully realized locations like Hogwarts either.

That's fair. I just think Hogwarts is a more integral part of Harry Potter than any specific locations are to Disney. I know a significant number of HP fans (I'd guess the majority) would care more about the experience of going to Hogwarts than anything related to Harry Potter himself. Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley do scratch that itch to an extent, but nowhere near the level of Hogwarts itself.

 

[General Mayhem]

That's fair. I just think Hogwarts is a more integral part of Harry Potter than any specific locations are to Disney. I know a significant number of HP fans (I'd guess the majority) would care more about the experience of going to Hogwarts than anything related to Harry Potter himself. Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley do scratch that itch to an extent, but nowhere near the level of Hogwarts itself.

Well in the Queue for Forbidden Journey you do get to see Dumbledore's office, (a mini portrait stairway), The Defense Against the Dark Arts class room, the Gryffindor common room, and the Room of requirement. The only real main location you don't get to see much of is the Great Hall which is featured at the end of the ride. I think their interpretations of these rooms are quite spot on, and recreating a full sized Hogwarts would be difficult with the current amount of space Universal has at each of it's parks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Also, they did add the nostalgia aspects to GE, I can imagine people get emotional being inside THE millennium falcon and with Oga's cantina reminding guests of the cantina scenes in the movies.

The area is pretty well done...

But there’s too much water under the IP bridge for “emotional”

Anything Star Wars...including this land...is a reminder of the IP mistakes made 1995 - present.

It’s “paradise lost” in many ways.

And no...return of the Jedi was never “terrible”...it wasn’t. Nobody said “boy...that Jedi had dumb characters and loose ends and awful effects”
...it just had ewoks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I mean, I don't know if it is a fair comparison, from what I have heard the main attraction (in terms of new technology being applied), just like FOP was for Pandora, will be the resistance ride so it remains to be seen if guests would wait 4+ hours for it.

Yeah, I’ve heard it’s going to be amazing, but I’ve also heard it’s not going to open till December. And I guarantee until then, SR will reach wait times that long.

After just visiting...it’s clear the problem is that they built attached to bad movies.

You are over estimating what a trackless with the same bad movie tie ins is gonna do.

The problem with the land is the very poor slate of Disney Star Wars movies to this point.

It’s not the design or the execution...it lacks heart and that mystical attachment that the classic movies had. No antidote to that.

 

[bryanfze55]

The area is pretty well done...

But there’s too much water under the IP bridge for “emotional”

Anything Star Wars...including this land...is a reminder of the IP mistakes made 1995 - present.

It’s “paradise lost” in many ways.

And no...return of the Jedi was never “terrible”...it wasn’t. Nobody said “boy...that Jedi had dumb characters and loose ends and awful effects”
...it just had ewoks.

Revenge of the Sith > Return of the Jedi. I don't care what anybody says, Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan was my favorite character between the OT, PT, and ST.

 

[HongKongFu]

I think counting out SW:GE before it's had a chance to grow and accumulate more rides,

No.

It had every significant source available to ensure a full experience opening: money(billion), time(7 years) and creative personnel (teams of imagineers on staff). There are no more excuse left.

 

[HongKongFu]

; I haven't been since 2011 and everyone I've spoken to says it's only improved since opening.

Ya,
I can see how adding a fully themed out train, Diagon Alley with its 11 next generation life like animatronics and a highly sophisticated, immersive lenthly rollercoaster could improve Wizardly World.

 

[Scrungo]

Wizarding World did better as it has locations known and recognizable to the franchise where as Galaxy's Edge is a random new planet with a just a few character in it, and only current survivors from the sequel trilogy. The entrance of Star Tours evokes more for me than Galaxy's Edge because of how iconic that scene is in the original trilogy.

 

[NickMaio]

Wizarding World did better as it has locations known and recognizable to the franchise where as Galaxy's Edge is a random new planet with a just a few character in it, and only current survivors from the sequel trilogy. The entrance of Star Tours evokes more for me than Galaxy's Edge because of how iconic that scene is in the original trilogy.

You nailed it.....they should have split up the new additions into worlds we already know. Hoth Tatoine....ect

 

[SteamboatJoe]

After just visiting...it’s clear the problem is that they built attached to bad movies.

You are over estimating what a trackless with the same bad movie tie ins is gonna do.

The problem with the land is the very poor slate of Disney Star Wars movies to this point.

It’s not the design or the execution...it lacks heart and that mystical attachment that the classic movies had. No antidote to that.

I haven't experienced any of it but this has been my assessment from afar.

I mean, who would you rather meet in an immersive environment......Vader or Kylo? Luke or Rey? Han or Poe? Obi-Wan or Fin?

Every one I know who has done the BB-8 M&G at WDW, myself included, has noted it just feels awkward. That one, in particular, is clearly meant for children.

 

[rkleinlein]

Though I much prefer Star Wars to Harry Potter I think Wizarding World beats Galaxy's Edge, hands down. In all respects--theming/atmosphere, shops, restaurants, and attractions--Universal surpasses expectations and Disney, once again, disappoints.

Even if Rise of Resistance lives up to its hype--and why on earth would they unveil the new land without it's flagship attraction?--I don't think it will be enough to compensate for an otherwise lackluster addition. What the heck happened?

 

[erasure fan1]

Even if Rise of Resistance lives up to its hype--and why on earth would they unveil the new land without it's flagship attraction?--I don't think it will be enough to compensate for an otherwise lackluster addition. What the heck happened?

It's simple really. Disney decided the focus on the land should be retail, and not attractions. They also figured, hey, it's star wars, people will come just because we built it.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

They can easily have a fake Harrison Ford. They have been using fake Harrison Ford for years on the Indy stunt show.

Of course they could but would most people want to meet new trilogy Han, who is now dad, or original trilogy Han? I tend to think it's the latter.

In fact, new idea, I want to see entertainment re-enact Han frying Greedo in the cantina. Now that's immersion. I kid....I kid.....sort of.

 

[rkleinlein]

Also, they did add the nostalgia aspects to GE, I can imagine people get emotional being inside THE millennium falcon and with Oga's cantina reminding guests of the cantina scenes in the movies.

Yes, but this is the problem with Galaxy's Edge: People ARE nostalgic for the Millennium Falcon so we get all excited to get in it and go with who? Han Solo and Chewbacca? No, with Honda what's-his-name and a phone in from Chewie. And it's an exciting mission to do what? Destroy the Death Star, evade Darth Vader's tie fighter, or deliver stolen plans to the rebels? No, it's mission to harpoon what's it called? Coaxial? There is simply no way Disney's new--and I'd say silly--storylines can compete with what we all know, love, and expect from Star Wars.

Likewise with the cantina. . . Olga's?. . Uggo's? It pales in comparison to the iconic cantina we so fondly remember from Mos Eisley. Could they have made a Batuu cantina that was different yet still as good as or better than Mos Eisley's? Yes, of course. But they didn't.

So that sense of nostalgia, rather than ADDING to the experience of Galaxy's Edge, makes it disappointing.

 

[MisterT800]

Let's all face it. This is what we wanted! This is what Walt would have bet the farm on. Disney gave us a faux Star Wars land.

 

[Mark IV Fan]

I really think they should have just done something on Tatoonie, considering it has the most importance in Star Wars films.

I agree and think this is going to be SWGE’s undoing because Disney insists on pushing their version of Star Wars down everyone’s throats instead of doing what most people want with the classic OT

 

[Mark IV Fan]

Wizarding World works because they are based on things people actually like about the Harry Potter franchise. Galaxy's Edge is failing to connect with audiences because it's "Just kind of Star Wars and not actually Star Wars." With the exception of the Millennium Falcon there is nothing there for fans of classic Star Wars, or even modern Star Wars for that matter. What is the point of making a Star Wars land if it's a place no one cares about or knows? "Making your own adventure" sounds like a nice excuse people are trying to give, but that's not what the fans want. Fans do not care about roleplaying in some unknown location that has no emotional or relevant ties to what they care about in the franchise. Especially when the franchise had a massive amount of inspired locations they could have pulled from. GE is failing in California big time, and while I have no doubt Florida's will do better I think it's going to disappoint a lot of fans, and not remain a busy location for long.

I could not agree more. I just returned from Florida and I have to admit that, even though I’m not a Potterhead by any means, I was blown away by TWWOHP. The care and attention that was given to recreate the elements of the books/films, from the architecture, rides, food, stores and even the bathrooms for crying out loud, is truly astounding. I mean it is literally the closest thing there is to actually being in the stories. Diagon Alley in particular was astounding and I could spend hours just walking around there alone.
OTOH, Star Wars GE really seems like just some generic half assed recreation of the Star Wars universe. I’m sure the actual physical detail is astounding, but it has almost no tangible connections to the films, specifically the original triology. It’s as if Disney thought they could just build some Star Wars kinda like place, plop a recreation of the Millennium Falcon in the middle of it, call it good and people will flock to see it. But you can only stare at a MF replica for so long before you want to do other things that are in the films and GE seems to have very little of that.
Also Disney seems absolutely hell bent on shoving the new triology down everyone’s throats, even the Falcon replica is the NT one despite the fact it just doesn’t have the same attraction as the OTHER the fans have declared that’s the stuff they want to see come alive.
I really believe SWGE is going to be a bust. The new films aren’t attracting fans like the old ones did so there won’t be nearly the number of kids who want to see it like Harry Potter. And many of the older fans are going to be turned off by it having very few actual things of the OT so they won’t be flocking in droves either because there’s no emotional connection.
Maybe Disney thought they were being cutting edge or something with the design, but to me it just screams lazy and they did just enough to get people interested and then assumed they’d just automatically drop big bucks on food and souvenirs.
We may be seeing a redesign of the lands a lot sooner than Disney planned on.

 

[Mark IV Fan]

Let's all face it. This is what we wanted! This is what Walt would have bet the farm on. Disney gave us a faux Star Wars land.

Oh god yes.....

 

[Mark IV Fan]

People will come to anything new that Disney does. But I think Disney was expecting the enormous masses to show up like they did to Universal when Harry Potter opened. If you've ever seen the pictures from when those lands opened, it was a huge blob of humanity that was willing to stand in line for hours upon hours just to get into the land... and not just for opening day either. I was there several weeks after Diagon Alley opened and if you weren't at the park turnstiles an hour before the park opened, then you were going to wait a couple of hours just to get into the land so you could wait another 3 hours to ride Gringotts... not to mention people were lined up to hand over cash for Gringots' notes. Universal literally had people trading real money for Wizarding money... And of course Butterbeers success is well documented.

Nothing like that is happening for Star Wars, and won't IMO. Disney was planning on having the kind of turnout that Harry Potter had. When it's been built up to be the great answer to Harry Potterville, and that doesn't happen, then yes it is a flop

Exactly. Let’s not kid ourselves and rewrite expectations. From the moment Disney announced SWGE it was billed as this absolute can’t miss home run that would go toe to toe with Potter and bring hordes of people to see it over and over. We’re not talking about Toy Story here, this was supposed to be THE biggest thing in the US parks since at least AK was opened.
If it turns out to be just a fun little area where people kill a few hours before moving on and most don’t feel inclined to visit it repeatedly, then it is an absolute flop by the expectations it has.

 

[rkleinlein]

GE is failing in California big time.

What makes you say this? I think I've seen others say the same thing. I'm not at all disagreeing; just curious about why you think it's failing. Thanks.