Wookies, & Rebels, & Droids... OH WHY?! The Anti-SWL in Disneyland Thread

[SuddenStorm]

Let’s do a thought experiment: Imagine if Disneyland existed for 60 years without Adventureland. And then one day they open Adventureland. Walking through it, you very well may say “I don’t feel like I’m in Disneyland at all! I feel like I’m in a faraway jungle village!”

Now the super-IP-ness of Galaxy’s Edge is definitely something Disneyland hasn’t seen before, and that is something this Adventureland analogy can’t recreate. But I do think that in a few years time a trip to Black Spire Outpost will feel as much like Disneyland as Temple of the Forbidden Eye does.

I like this Adventureland comparison... let's run with it. What does Adventureland do that makes it fit better in Disneyland than Galaxy's Edge?

It's an abstract theme- "adventure", that WDI has been able to reinterpret over the decades to keep the land relevant and exciting. The one IP that's utilized in the land- Indiana Jones Adventure- is utilized because Indiana Jones is as pure "adventure" as you can get, and to do the ride without or with any other property would work, but it'd be a lesser attraction.

It's scale is intimate and charming- it fits with the rest of the park in terms of building size, walkway width, etc.- which is far more than Galaxy's Edge can say.

It's able to immediately transition into the New Orleans and Frontier areas almost seamlessly- the transition is so wonderfully done that you almost don't notice it happening.

It's a natural part of Disneyland's cardinal realms- it'd almost feel like there's something missing if there wasn't an adventure section at the park.

Whether Black Spire Outpost ever feels as much a part of Disneyland as IJA partly depends on how Disneyland treats the land. If they always require a virtual reservation to enter, it will always feel fragmented and separate from the rest of the park. If it's allowed to be free flowing with the rest of the park, than yes- it will become synonymous with Disneyland, though I do think it will always feel a bit separate emotionally.

Edit to add- isn't the fact Galaxy's Edge is IP based as a critical part of the equation that shouldn't be downplayed? The fact it's IP based provides significant limitations on what they can and can't do to the land in the future to adapt to changing consumer tastes.

 

[SuddenStorm]

What is “classic” Disneyland and what makes you think Tomorrowland won’t be? Just because Star Wars Land? Curious about long term effects when it’s still 2 weeks away from the official general public opening. I think you’re way too pessimistic. Having more immersive theming at all Disney theme parks is a good thing, but it just doesn’t happen.

There are certain design elements that have been present throughout Disneyland's history that Imagineering has tried to follow. Size and scale play a huge part in preserving the park's sense of charm. It's why Big Thunder and Splash Mountain are sculpted differently than their Florida counterparts. It's why they sunk Space Mountain and Splash Mountain underground.

Galaxy's Edge has chosen to ignore much of what Disneyland has done throughout it's history- it's immersive, yes- but it's not Disneyland immersive. It works to operate as it's own place with it's own rules (heck, even it's own language). Good, immersive themed design is important- it's what Disneyland is built on- but not all themed design works everywhere. You have to design the attraction, the land to work within the context of the park it's built in.

Is it really that pessimistic to wonder if WDI will use the Tomorrowland redo that's rumored to be coming in the next decade (albeit by Fab... so we probably have nothing to worry about) to further alter the park away from it's roots?

 

[shambolicdefending]

The park is built in a specific scale to match the castle. I’ll be damned if they ever destroy SBC and rebuild it bigger. Disneyland isn’t a big park, it’s intimate. That’s part of its identity.

Unless crowds start shrinking and humans start getting smaller, it's only a matter of time. Today they re-design walkways and build new construction to full scale.

When 2050 rolls around and that's not good enough anymore...?

 

[VJ]

I want my horrible Coca Cola, but I don't want it to LOOK like my horrible Coca Cola!

leave coke outta this!

 

[networkpro]

Unless crowds start shrinking and humans start getting smaller, it's only a matter of time. Today they re-design walkways and build new construction to full scale.

When 2050 rolls around and that's not good enough anymore...?

Or floats, are the paths wide enough for these ?

 

[lazyboy97o]

You're not looking hard enough then

Point still is, GE doesn't even want you to think that you're in Disneyland which is a huge departure from the principles that exist everywhere else.

The lands of Disneyland were originally conceived of as isolated places, so I’m not sure that’s the best argument. The Hub was the neutral space from which each land was entered.

I'd say there's a really good possibility the rest of Disneyland slowly "up-scales," instead. If most of Tomorrowland gets the bulldozer in the next five years, I would not expect new buildings to adhere to the 1955 scale. Fantasyland, probably even Main Street would eventually follow with time (maybe a long time, but still only time).

This may well happen, but it won’t be an intentional design decision. Disney has had a lot of trouble maintaining scale and massing for some time, even at Walt Disney World and Shanghai Disneyland where the default scale is larger.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Size and scale play a huge part in preserving the park's sense of charm. It's why Big Thunder and Splash Mountain are sculpted differently than their Florida counterparts. It's why they sunk Space Mountain and Splash Mountain underground.

I’m so glad you pointed this out. When Disney used to clone attractions, they always took into account the distinct differences between each park even if an attraction was being brought over from one MK style park to another. With Galaxy’s Edge, they built two nearly identical lands with no concern whatsoever of the blatant differences between DHS and DL. The utter disregard shown here for considerations that were once standard in the process of cloning attractions speaks volumes about how TWDC’s current leadership is willing to completely sacrifice the indivdual identities their theme parks have maintained for decades in the name of synergy.

 

[TROR]

The lands of Disneyland were originally conceived of as isolated places, so I’m not sure that’s the best argument. The Hub was the neutral space from which each land was entered.

But it was all still Disneyland. If you wanted to know how to get to Adventureland from Frontierland, you can follow the signs. If you want to know where character would be it, you could just ask. That’s kind of the problem here. It’s not that Star Wars is an individual land, it’s that it’s an individual world.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Anyone else like Tab?

 

[disneyC97]

Did I read that they use regular Disneyland shopping bags in GE? If so that’s really funny considering all the other things they’ve altered and it’s prob one of the cheapest things they could make land-specific and there is past precedent with NoS and Liberty Square having their own shopping bags many years ago.

 

[BrianLo]

I’m so glad you pointed this out. When Disney used to clone attractions, they always took into account the distinct differences between each park even if an attraction was being brought over from one MK style park to another. With Galaxy’s Edge, they built two nearly identical lands with no concern whatsoever of the blatant differences between DHS and DL. The utter disregard shown here for considerations that were once standard in the process of cloning attractions speaks volumes about how TWDC’s current leadership is willing to completely sacrifice the indivdual identities their theme parks have maintained for decades in the name of synergy.

Now I totally agree with you, but the land was designed for DL, not DHS.

So the problem is with DHS technically, the extrinsic design differences were not motivated by Florida cloning whatsoever.

Florida should have upscaled the shops and built a third attraction.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Why exactly does the MGM version of GE need to be different than the DL version?

 

[Mac Tonight]

The lands of Disneyland were originally conceived of as isolated places, so I’m not sure that’s the best argument. The Hub was the neutral space from which each land was entered.


This may well happen, but it won’t be an intentional design decision. Disney has had a lot of trouble maintaining scale and massing for some time, even at Walt Disney World and Shanghai Disneyland where the default scale is larger.

I guess the “argument” I was trying to make is that all the original lands of Disneyland (though perhaps conceived as individual places) are all interconnected via the hub and other obvious paths. They blend together so well that you don’t even care that you can stand at the end of Main St, see the Matterhorn, Tomorrowland, the Fronteirland and Adventureland entrances and even parts of Fantasyland all at once depending on which way you’re standing.

Once again, GE is trying to create distance between itself and the rest of Disneyland and act like it’s own mini-park within a park.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland is like Luke in The Last Jedi. Not necessarily horrible but completely out of place from what has come before.

 

[socalifornian]

Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland is like Luke in The Last Jedi. Not necessarily horrible but completely out of place from what has come before.

Nearly four years after sitting through that D23 panel, I finally made it today. First off: special thanks to all the insiders I’ve been keeping up with for the past 6 years. I’ll be honest and say that’s why I kept checking up on all these sites, but this place feels like a nice little family now

I nearly had the same feeling I get from leaving wizarding world at USH, except the epiphany concluded with me realizing I'm at a real theme park. "Woah, I'm just at USH?"

As a Star Wars fan: Something that hit me after riding MF:SR three times is that strangers are allowed to pilot the falcon while the resistance is in shambles. Unless something drastic happens with their personnel and ship count by episode 9 it doesn't make too much sense to me. I’d also like it if they reworked the blaster controls, tho it’s probably too late for that. What they actually built for the land itself is good

Except, as a Disneyland fan: what they didn’t build. There’s a lot of dead space unlike the rest of the park. It feels like a wdw land. Today I rode more Star Wars rides in Tomorrowland than I did in a dedicated Star Wars land. I realize those numbers will change, but if Hyperspace stays for a while they’ll just be tied lol

 

[TROR]

There’s a lot I don’t like about this land in Disneyland... I just wish RotR was open so I could experience that when I go.

 

[mickEblu]

I don’t like that I get a dessert chaparral vibe from the ROTR side of Galaxies Edge. I get enough of that living in So Cal. I wish they would have went with a more forested look with pines etc. and just more mature trees in general. Maybe I’m just not seeing them in the pics/ videos?

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I got more of a jungle vibe from the artwork but the land is more desert-like in execution.

 

[mickEblu]

It’s becoming pretty clear that I would have preferred the the first Star Wars Land concept with an Endor Forrest coaster. There’s no reason they couldn’t have went with that concept in its current location. It didn’t have to be in TL.

I’m also upset that we don’t have one Ewok in SWL.

 

[TROR]

The desperately needs more familiar for the casual fans. Hondo on the Falcon ride is still one of the dumbest things about it.