Star Wars themed land announced for Disneyland

[Donaldfan1934]

Can you describe "un Walt like" and how SW fits?

@Virtual Insanity said it best.

The point is Star Wars land represents a drastic departure from how the other lands interact with each other. It is purposeful and my thinking is that part of the reason is that the designers realize it doesn't fit physically, philosophically, and stylistically with the rest of the park so the best alternative is to separate it.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

1. rock work fits in with Frontierland as long as it doesn't have an X-wing sitting on top. We don't know if and how much will be seen anyway. It's speculation. MiceChat said they were sinking the land down so the new berm may block any intrusion.
2. exactly which is why the transition works

The point is Star Wars land represents a drastic departure from how the other lands interact with each other. It is purposeful and my thinking is that part of the reason is that the designers realize it doesn't fit physically, philosophically, and stylistically with the rest of the park so the best alternative is to separate it.

Sorry for #2. I was initially confused by the Splash/Haunted Mansion comparison by the way that you wrote it. Anyway, those Tree trunks look a little too other worldly for them to be seen in Frontierland.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Too late. The precedent was set years ago.

Really? In what Magic Kingdom style park aside from Toy Story Land in Hong Kong (which was a last minute decision by the way)?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

@Virtual Insanity said it best.

But... but Walt's lands didn't always fit either. Walt made changes and additions to the physical layout of DL that were awkward (ie: the Matterhorn straddling two lands, the Grand Canyon between Tomorrowland and Main Street instead of Frontierland, etc) and subsequent additions like Toontown and Bear (Critter) Country are dead ends that don't fit or align physically, philosophically or stylistically with the rest of the park. All things taken into consideration SW Land isn't as much of a departure from Disneyland's design principles as you keep saying it is.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Really? In what Magic Kingdom style park aside from Toy Story Land in Hong Kong (which was a last minute decision by the way)?

I meant as a driving philosophy going forward. The highly detailed Pirates area based on the Johnny Depp film series in SDL's magic kingdom is a good example. I would expect more of this at all the castle parks, including DL, in the future.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I meant as a driving philosophy going forward. The highly detail Pirates area based on the Johnny Depp film series in SDL's magic kingdom is a good example. I would expect more of this at all the castle parks, including DL, in the future.

That's true, Shanghai seems to be that kind of a park overall. They threw away so many conventions, that the park's just barely seems to be a true MK. Most of the conventional changes weren't even cultural adaptations and were istead Iger trying to push product under the guise of cultural adaptations. Say what you will about Eisner near the end, most of his shortcomings in the theme parks were out of sheer cheapness which I can't believe that I'm saying is a better strategy than Iger's new soulless franchising methods that are being implemented 2016 onward. You can always undo cheapness, but you probably won't be able to undo Iger's toy machines. If every new addition to a Magic Kingdom park is like this, then they will eventually be destroyed beyond repair. Its moves like this that make me question if I'll ever have to boycott the company at some point if they start destroying essential parts of the parks.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Its moves like this that make me question if I'll ever have to boycott the company at some point if they start destroying essential parts of the park's.

It's not my place to encourage you to boycott or support the parks, but someone like you, with such strong viewpoints on how Disneyland should be run, has a lot to consider for sure. Maybe you don't realize it (or just disagree), but the Disneyland in your head is in many ways opposed to the one that exists in reality. Much of the park's classic spirit has already been "destroyed" (your word not mine) over the years, and SW Land represents the current paradigm for IP based attractions at Disney theme parks. Get used to it.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

But... but Walt's lands didn't always fit either. Walt made changes and additions to the physical layout of DL that were awkward (ie: the Matterhorn straddling two lands, the Grand Canyon between Tomorrowland and Main Street instead of Frontierland, etc) and subsequent additions like Toontown and Bear (Critter) Country are dead ends that don't fit or align physically, philosophically or stylistically with the rest of the park. All things taken into consideration SW Land isn't as much of a departure from Disneyland's design principles as you keep saying it is.

Sure the terms philosophically or stylistically are loose but they do mean something. While Toontown and Critter Country fit these to varying extents despite being beyond the train tracks. Critter/Bear Country was always a natural extension of the ROA area and Walt had an appreciation and/or fondness for the Winnie the Pooh and Uncle Remus stories. Toontown, while stylistically more cartoony by nature, is based around a medium that Walt started in and characters that he created. Not only that, but both lands are in scale with the rest of the park which I something that Star Wars Land won't be. Even with eight different themed lands now, they all seem to flow nicely despite places of relative awkwardness. There's a reason why they're trying to hide it as well as they can from the rest of the park.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

It's not my place to encourage you to boycott or support the parks, but someone like you, with such strong viewpoints on how Disneyland should be run, has a lot to consider for sure. Maybe you don't realize it (or just disagree), but the Disneyland in your head is in many ways opposed to the one that exists in reality. Much of the park's classic spirit has already been "destroyed" (your word not mine) over the years, and SW Land represents the current paradigm for IP based attractions at Disney theme parks. Get used to it.

Just because some things changed doesn't mean that I thought the park's spirit saw any destruction. In fact, I agree with most changes made over the years to the park up until this one. I'm not boycotting the company currently and won't plan to unless something integral is completely destroyed. It's just with this change, I think it seems more likely than ever that it could one day happen. The parks that exist in my mind have been parks that have maintained their identity. Obviously, I know the reality of that is maintained is a balancing act between creatives and suits and sometimes the suits win. When the suits start winning to big and to much, I can't help but get a little peeved. The spirit of Disney is something that many people like Roy E. Disney have tried to protect over the years. In fact, I think that he might've started a third Save Disney campaign if he were still alive.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

You cry during Let it Go?

 

[RandomPrincess]

You cry during Let it Go?

I do get teary eyed sometimes. When I first watched the movie I really connected with all the pressure that was put on Elsa by her parents to keep things hidden and to present a perfect facade to the world. Being in a Disney park ups the emotional impact for me as well. I also get teary eyed during Disney fireworks and certain parades. The opening of MSEP gets me.

 

[Phroobar]

The spirit of Disney is something that many people like Roy E. Disney have tried to protect over the years. In fact, I thi that he might've started a third Save Disney campaign if he were still alive.

A Save Disney campaign would go absolutely no where considering the stock price of the company. You may have had a slight chance if TFA had bombed at the theater. On Wall Street, Iger is a hero and you can expect a lot more to come and there isn't anything you can do about it short of being a high up executive over the parks. You can boycott all you want but that will not change the fact that Hyperspace Mountain and Star Tours have the longest wait lines since they opened.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Obviously, I know the reality of that is maintained is a balancing act between creatives and suits and sometimes the suits win. When the suits start winning to big and to much, I can't help but get a little peeved.

You don't seem to understand how a multi billion dollar global media corporation works. The "suits" always win.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

A Save Disney campaign would go absolutely no where considering the stock price of the company.

No kidding. The Force Awakens is nearing the $2 billion mark at the box office. O.O

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-episode-7-closing-in-on-2-billion-at-wor/1100-6434363/

 

[Travel Junkie]

The matternhorn is RIGHT NEXT TO IT.. I sure hope they considered one vs the other.. *rolleyes*

I've not said they didn't take other areas into account - I've said they've punted on many problems as just practical and guests have accepted it because its all they've ever known.

Adventureland was taken as just a generic placeholder... take your pick of sightlines in the park.



IMO - this is more 'its how we've always known it' kicking in. NOS is rather confusingly done.. as is the whole Bear Country.. and the 'funnel' between adventureland and NOS/Frontierland.

There is nothing yet to support your premise that SW will somehow 'not fit' compared to these other examples. We have what.. two pieces of art that show nothing about the land will be approached or really the transitions or boundaries of it. A visual of a screened ROA setting really doesn't tell us anything about how the SW views will be experienced.

You're the one who mentioned Matterhorn from Adventureland so you should roll eyes at yourself for bringing in an example that doesn't work.

The MiceChat article shows a map of the land and even if they turn out to be not 100% accurate, it's going to very close.

Fantasyland to Frontierland is going to be the closest in terms of land transition to Star Wars land and the rest of the park. Every entrance is a long meandering path with obstructions like the Pacific Warf Carsland entrance that shield it from the rest of the park. The berm that Disney confirmed also shows the great length Disney is going to essentially cut off Star Wars from everything else. It is basically a Diagon Alley, hidden away. If you cannot put those pieces together then I can't help you.

All I'm saying is this land will have a different approach, different look, and different feel than the other lands in Disneyland. You may think it is a good thing or a bad thing, but it will be unique to this park.

 

[Travel Junkie]

But... but Walt's lands didn't always fit either. Walt made changes and additions to the physical layout of DL that were awkward (ie: the Matterhorn straddling two lands, the Grand Canyon between Tomorrowland and Main Street instead of Frontierland, etc) and subsequent additions like Toontown and Bear (Critter) Country are dead ends that don't fit or align physically, philosophically or stylistically with the rest of the park. All things taken into consideration SW Land isn't as much of a departure from Disneyland's design principles as you keep saying it is.

The point is they similar. You come to expect walking past an invisible line from Frontierland to NO Square because it happens pretty much everywhere. You begin with seeing a Fantasy castle at the end of a turn of the century Main St and it continues throughout the rest of your day. They made a certain set of rules and kept to it. Star Wars land breaks this rule and it will draw attention to itself. You may think that's great or you may not but it will be different.

 

[dweezil78]

The point is they similar. You come to expect walking past an invisible line from Frontierland to NO Square because it happens pretty much everywhere. You begin with seeing a Fantasy castle at the end of a turn of the century Main St and it continues throughout the rest of your day. They made a certain set of rules and kept to it. Star Wars land breaks this rule and it will draw attention to itself. You may think that's great or you may not but it will be different.

Isn't SWL essentially taking the same approach as Toontown as far as being cut off from the rest of the park though? And if we're being totally honest here, Toontown is essentially Roger Rabbit Land with a different name + some more Disney-centric kiddie attractions that give it an identity crisis.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Isn't SWL essentially taking the same approach as Toontown as far as being cut off from the rest of the park though? And if we're being totally honest here, Toontown is essentially Roger Rabbit Land with a different name + some more Disney-centric kiddie attractions that give it an identity crisis.

I think referring to Toontown as "Roger Rabbit Land" is far-fetched. The only blatant reference to Roger Rabbit is Car Toon Spin and the title of the land.

 

[Travel Junkie]

Isn't SWL essentially taking the same approach as Toontown as far as being cut off from the rest of the park though? And if we're being totally honest here, Toontown is essentially Roger Rabbit Land with a different name + some more Disney-centric kiddie attractions that give it an identity crisis.

to some degree yes with a small obstruction being the railroad. You could argue this takes the principle and puts it on steroids. I would argue that it is different.

Toontown is a lot more than Roger Rabbit.

 

[dweezil78]

I think referring to Toontown as "Roger Rabbit Land" is far-fetched. The only blatant reference to Roger Rabbit is Car Toon Spin and the title of the land.

Seriously? The entire aesthetic of Toontown is based on Roger Rabbit with some elements of Mickey's Birthdayland from WDW wedged in. Other than the RR ride front and center, it's a few meet and greets, a playground, and a basic 30 sec kiddie coaster all tucked away in the back.