Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (Disneyland)

[Honor_Knight]

This is a made up Disney craphole set at the back end of space. You can't just slap the SW label on it and have fans instantly connect with it. You need to bridge the gap from what they've known (Tatooine, Endor, etc) and what is new. Music goes a LONG way in bridging that gap.

 

[Alicia]

Just sound effects for a land might be neat in a vacuum. But reality is, these lands are filled with people... tourists. Instead of enjoying the soundscape of the land, we’re instead hearing the cacophony of humans mingling about.

Music not only sets a tone, but it helps drown out the noise of regular life at theme parks.

 

[Stryker]

Music queues emotion and tells you how to feel. Imagine if it was gone from Port-of-Entry for instance.

They may be trying to create authenticity, but they may be unintentionally creating akwardness

Hence why I said "I think it's perfectly fitting for the land's entrance to play John William's music to set the mood for the rest of the land." Is the lack of music vs. simply ambient sounds within the land a right or wrong move? Depends on your preference I guess. We'll see if they decide to change course after a while.

 

[shiekra38]

Hence why I said "I think it's perfectly fitting for the land's entrance to play John William's music to set the mood for the rest of the land."

So Harry Potter music should play at the entrance to Hogsmede and nowhere else? It's not enough to just set the mood, you have to maintain is as you progress through the land. The mood should also change based on what you're supposed to be feeling.

I get it, it sounds great when Joe Rhode or Scott Trowbridge says it in a meeting, but it's missing a fundamental piece of the puzzle.

This is a made up Disney craphole set at the back end of space. You can't just slap the SW label on it and have fans instantly connect with it. You need to bridge the gap from what they've known (Tatooine, Endor, etc) and what is new. Music goes a LONG way in bridging that gap.

While I wouldn't say 'craphole', this touches on a point.

Batuu was a smart choice, as you really can't do anything with generic desert planet or generic redwood tree planet. In this case, I would say Disney made the best call for the IP

It goes back to what we were saying earlier though, not everything needs a land

 

[Alicia]

So Harry Potter music should play at the entrance to Hogsmede and nowhere else? It's not enough to just set the mood, you have to maintain is as you progress through the land. The mood should also change based on what you're supposed to be feeling.

I get it, it sounds great when Joe Rhode or Scott Trowbridge says it in a meeting, but it's missing a fundamental piece of the puzzle.

Even Pandora has music playing in half the land (the courtyard between the shop and restaurants—as well different music inside the shop and the restaurant,) and in the half the land without music, there are drums. Kids are always playing the drums, which create a unique atmosphere. Plus. every 5 minutes or so, a swelling crescendo of music and sound erupts from the drum circle area. Despite what people may think, that pretty much means that there's at least some musical element to nearly the entire land.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Even Pandora has music playing in half the land (the courtyard between the shop and restaurants—as well different music inside the shop and the restaurant,) and in the half the land without music, there are drums. Kids are always playing the drums, which create a unique atmosphere. Plus. every 5 minutes or so, a swelling crescendo of music and sound erupts from the drum circle area. Despite what people may think, that pretty much means that there at least some musical element to nearly that entire land.

Alicia, no.

 

[Alicia]

Alicia, no.

Better than nothing.

 

[shiekra38]

Even Pandora has music playing in half the land (the courtyard between the shop and restaurants—as well different music inside the shop and the restaurant,) and in the half the land without music, there are drums. Kids are always playing the drums, which create a unique atmosphere. Plus. every 5 minutes or so, a swelling crescendo of music and sound erupts from the drum circle area. Despite what people may think, that pretty much means that there's at least some musical element to nearly the entire land.

Which is fine, and it also plays in the queue lines as well.

Star Wars Land apparently doesn't have any....but perhaps they're just waiting to debut it so people come back see it like Rise of the Resistance

 

[Stryker]

So Harry Potter music should play at the entrance to Hogsmede and nowhere else?

I wasn't comparing this to Hogsmeade. Different lands can evoke different feels. I'm not saying you're wrong to want more music played throughout, but as someone who's experienced the land in person, I'm totally fine with the ambient sounds, especially the sounds of ships occasionally flying overhead. Again, this all boils down to your personal preference.

 

[SailwiththeTide]

I wasn't comparing this to Hogsmeade. Different lands can evoke different feels. I'm not saying you're wrong to want more music played throughout, but as someone who's experienced the land in person, I'm totally fine with the ambient sounds, especially the sounds of ships occasionally flying overhead. Again, this all boils down to your personal preference.

Yeah I would say experience it yourself to see how it effects your visit. I've been twice and still think they made the right decision with ambient noise.

 

[Clive]

I went on Saturday, as well. Park was dead until noon or so, but still much quieter than usual for this time of year. Star Wars Land, as far I saw, did not ever switch to virtual queue.

Smugglers Run peaked at 90 minutes but hovered around 50 for most of the day - that looked roughly accurate? We rode 4 times - 3 via single riders, 1 via regular queue at the end of the night. Becoming disappointing with just how scripted the ride is, something you realize as you ride it several times consecutively - the "interaction" is actually frustratingly minimal. This thing needs additional missions yesterday, because right now, I'm already tiring of it. Did get to see the ADA pod, which was cool and not immersion-breaking in the slightest.

Most cast members seem 100% over it. Only cast engaging in the "bright suns" bit were the two I encountered in the Docking Bay restaurant, both seated in AC. Probably not a coincidence.

That said - Docking Bay - the food was good! I had the crispy chicken tips - really delicious, but portion felt 30% too small. Others in party had the veggie loaf and liked it, as well as the mousse desert, which she loved. Theming of the restaurant is a little too generic... feels like an old MGM restaurant, that Backlot one, maybe...? But I did love the outdoor patio.

We got Cantina reservations after some finagling with the buggy website. Everyone needs to understand you're waiting a minimum of 20 minutes after your check-in time, possibly more - they're getting super backed up. VIPs taking up entire booths is also not helping capacity. The entire staff looked to be at their wit's end. Luckily, we ended up right in front of R3X. Just a gorgeous animatronic. Love the soundtrack and caught a few new Star Tours in-jokes. The entire restaurant "shutting down" was amusing, and the one time I saw the whole cast really get into it (very Trader Sam's like). Tried two new drinks this time - the Bespin Fizz (huge hit!) and the Dagobah Slug Slinger (just fine). From now on, our order will probably be two Fuzzy Tauntauns, an Outer Rim, and a Fizz.

The land desperately needs music. The eerie bugs and robotic chirps are fun, but it's too bizarrely quiet most of the time - it makes you feel like you're somewhere you aren't supposed to be. I don't care about the immersion arguments - it's a nice idea that results in poor design execution.

They also need more performers. They have two Stormtroopers when they should have a dozen. I'm hearing some changes/additions are in the works, but they may end up being timed with the Rise of the Resistance opening.

Final observation: land felt less crowded in general. Barely a wait for Blue & Green Milk, PhotoPass Photographers, Den of Antiquities, Soda Stand, etc. (They did have healthy crowds, just no runaway queues of beyond 5 minutes).

 

[Scott W.]

Packaging lands together goes back to Disneyland

It’s not new. I know you did end up mentioning that, but you seemed to be contradicting yourself by saying it’s both new and something that goes back to DL/MK.

It is a different way of doing it by having IPs attached and being more focused. Tomorrowland is a lose fit for the rides attached in DL.

Packaging lands together goes back to Disneyland

It’s not new. I know you did end up mentioning that, but you seemed to be contradicting yourself by saying it’s both new and something that goes back to DL/MK.

I've always thought of the lands in DL and MK as being a lose fit, anything goes. Tomorrowland has Space Mountain and Astro Orbiters which is fine but Star Tours, Monsters Inc, Buzz Lightyear, Nemo is a lose fit.

Avatar, Toy Story Land, Wizarding World, Carsland and Galaxy's Edge was the new thing and involved going all on a single IP.

With what Universal are planning with FW, it feels more like what Islands of Adventure did and is far more concise than what DL and MK have done.

So yeah, having lands with multiple IPs has been done since the 50s but it feels like what's coming is a blend of the two with a more concentrated aim.

 

[shiekra38]

It is a different way of doing it by having IPs attached and being more focused. Tomorrowland is a lose fit for the rides attached in DL.


I've always thought of the lands in DL and MK as being a lose fit, anything goes. Tomorrowland has Space Mountain and Astro Orbiters which is fine but Star Tours, Monsters Inc, Buzz Lightyear, Nemo is a lose fit.

Avatar, Toy Story Land, Wizarding World, Carsland and Galaxy's Edge was the new thing and involved going all on a single IP.

With what Universal are planning with FW, it feels more like what Islands of Adventure did and is far more concise than what DL and MK have done.

So yeah, having lands with multiple IPs has been done since the 50s but it feels like what's coming is a blend of the two with a more concentrated aim.

Good thoughts, I think there is something to the 'worlds' vs 'lands' approach

For instance, SNW will have Mushroom Kingdom, DK, and Yoshi(?), possibly Pokemon

All of these lands work within their respective worlds

 

[JaySalahi]

 

[shiekra38]

My least favorite future on SSE

 

[smoaT]

One observation. GE seems reactionary to Universal and Hogsmeade. Disney for years let their parks fall behind on investment. Once Hogsmeade opened and it was huge for Universal, Disney took notice since attendance declined sharply for them but soared for Universal. They started investing in the parks and tried to replicate the Wizarding World, but the fact is that I think Star Wars was never primed for a fully immersive land like Harry Potter. Harry Potter has a whole universe built within the books. You know what they eat, where they go, how they dress. They have many little things of every day life that fill a land and it feels like an actual place. Star Wars is more about the plot and not really about how people inhabited this world (yes, I know Star Wars has book which are no longer canon but still, no immersion like JK). When they tried, they failed (did we really need to know where green milk was extracted?). All the world building JK did can be extrapolated beyond the books because she really created an alternate reality, so much that Hagrid's is not canon in the books and yet feels like it's a part of the Wizarding World we never got to see. Maybe I am reading much into it, but the GE has a design problem. I can't really put my finger on it. It's the music and the fact that the E Ticket ride is closed at the moment. It's also the fact that it's Disneyland's biggest expansion and it has two rides!! Even Critter Country has that ride count and it's like 1/3 the size of GE. It feels to me like a glorified shopping mall made for you to spend money. Too much space wasted.

 

[Scott W.]

One observation. GE seems reactionary to Universal and Hogsmeade. Disney for years let their parks fall behind on investment. Once Hogsmeade opened and it was huge for Universal, Disney took notice since attendance declined sharply for them but soared for Universal. They started investing in the parks and tried to replicate the Wizarding World, but the fact is that I think Star Wars was never primed for a fully immersive land like Harry Potter. Harry Potter has a whole universe built within the books. You know what they eat, where they go, how they dress. They have many little things of every day life that fill a land and it feels like an actual place. Star Wars is more about the plot and not really about how people inhabited this world (yes, I know Star Wars has book which are no longer canon but still, no immersion like JK). When they tried, they failed (did we really need to know where green milk was extracted?). All the world building JK did can be extrapolated beyond the books because she really created an alternate reality, so much that Hagrid's is not canon in the books and yet feels like it's a part of the Wizarding World we never got to see. Maybe I am reading much into it, but the GE has a design problem. I can't really put my finger on it. It's the music and the fact that the E Ticket ride is closed at the moment. It's also the fact that it's Disneyland's biggest expansion and it has two rides!! Even Critter Country has that ride count and it's like 1/3 the size of GE. It feels to me like a glorified shopping mall made for you to spend money. Too much space wasted.

I think that Potter and GE share a lot of parallels but Potter translates better into a theme park environment. Take Butterbeer and Green/Blue Milk as the prime example.

 

[Ryan]

This is a made up Disney craphole set at the back end of space. You can't just slap the SW label on it and have fans instantly connect with it. You need to bridge the gap from what they've known (Tatooine, Endor, etc) and what is new. Music goes a LONG way in bridging that gap.

How do I like half a post?

 

[Scott W.]

How do I like half a post?

:thumbsup:>:O or vice versa.

 

[Ryan]

The music in SWGE is such a toss-up issue with me. I think areas need music more than others. The marketplace has some atmospheric music, but the Falcon area really needs that John Williams score. However I also don't think it needs to dominate, only when something needs your attention to be captured. The soundscape is truly incredible, like the ships that zoom over your head. I'd be remiss if we lost that. The Resistance Forest 100% needs music, though.