Am I the only one that is unimpressed with SWGE - where is the juice?

I bet Scott Trowbridge appreciated not having the budget slashed halfway through the WWOHP project...
SWGE didn’t have a major budget cut. It had smaller cuts like entertainment but not huge things to attractions or anything like that. There was an early concept for a third attraction but I don’t consider that a budget cut because it was never certain.
 
I am a huge SW fan who was not initially super excited for SWGE but I can tell you that after being in the land I have completely changed my thinking on the matter. It was so incredibly detailed and immersive. I actually think that by not trying to recreate something that is known (Mos Eisley's, Hoth, etc.) it allows you to be able to feel like you are in the Star Wars universe without trying to compare what you are experiencing with what you know from the books or the movies. It allows you to observe and feel Star Wars without any restrictions or preconceived notions, and in that regard they have hit a home run. I think it might be helpful to wait to visit the land before forming an opinion, because being there provides you with an experience that no amount of blogs or vlogs can give you.
 
Forgive me because I love toy trends and have no one to talk to IRL about them aside from when corporate comes calling! :D Toy sales are my forte' and I hate to break it to you but ALL Star Wars toys really kinda went into the clearance bins. I'm not talking Solo, we all know how that went down. I'm talking even black series classic figures. Han, Chewie, Luke. I'm the toy expert, I've been working toy and video game retail for ten years now. None of it sold well. I'd get the occasional collector in but I've seen a steady decline for the last six years in any of the SW toy lines. I still the occasional lightsaber to a child that just wants an excuse to smack their sibling with a plastic tube, but that's about it. Been seeing a rise in gross toys that I think will bottom out soon as parents tire of the slime trends, board games are going up, Marvel is as popular as ever, but if you want to use toy sales to say what's not working then kids really aren't into the classic movies either. You can't use it to disparage the new movies then ignore the clearance wookies and R2D2s, that would just be unfair. Now if only people will stop buying those pop vinyls that stare into my soul...
I really have to disagree with this. I don’t think you can base what’s in the clearance bins on what works and what doesn’t. The original trilogy is now 40 years old, so obviously the OT toys aren’t going to be flying off the shelves. As a person with kids shopping for SW toys, I can tell you this... with the exception of BB-8, my kids want the OT toys. They just don’t care as much about the new characters. They want Darth Vader, Chewie, Ewoks etc. They have a Kylo Ren mask that they get a big kick out of, but they ask me what his name is constantly.
 
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I really have to disagree with this. I don’t think you can base what’s in the clearance bins on what works and what doesn’t. The original trilogy is now 40 years old, so obviously the OT toys aren’t going to be flying off the shelves. As a person with kids shopping for SW toys, I can tell you this... with the exception of BB-8, my kids want the OT toys. They just don’t care at as much about the new characters. They want Darth Vader, Chewie, Ewoks etc. They have a Kylo Ren mask that they get a big kick out of, but they ask me what his name is constantly.

No worries as that was the opposite of what I was trying to do, I was just responding (And quoting) to someone that was making that claim about the newer movie toys and was just pointing out that all the toys seem to be shelfwarming overall so to make the assumption that the newer movies were a flop using toy sales as an indicator was a bit of a stretch. I like toy trends overall and like to look up our nationwide item performance for line sales and the Star Wars section overall has been shrinking for sales-based reasons for four years now while other sections have been expanding. Your kids have good taste! :D
 


This entire discussion on toys and movie discussion got me thinking. First let me give a bit of a background. I am a pretty decent fan of the original Star Wars movie. I remember seeing the originals when I was a kid. The first one I saw on a laser disk (remember those huge things) at a friend's video store when I was a kid. I saw Empire Strikes Back on VHS when they would pop up out of the top of the player. I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater. I remember hearing Darth Vader's breathing through the exit door of the small theater in Stockton CA. I absolutely loved those movies.

When I was in college I remember them re-releasing the original trilogy and I saw those while in college in San Diego. I still loved them! Then came the second set of movies. I still loved them but they didn't hold that special place in my heart like the first three. Yeah I can see how some people thought they were really lame or poorly done but I still liked them and thought the special effects were decent. Now with the last set coming out I just haven't gotten into them as much. Yeah we saw them and I own them at home but we just don't watch them like we still watch the original trilogy. I was just thinking why that is?

Anyway I now have 3 kids. They are all absolutely in love with Marvel Cinematic Universe. My teen who is in high school is just talking constantly about Sony and the Spiderman thing. She also begged to go see End Game and wasn't going to let me get by with not taking her the first weekend. She also likes Star Wars but not to the insane talk about every minute like she does MCU and if you ask her she'll say she likes the OT Star Wars the best. Why is this? Star Wars is still amazing in my book but I really think the problem is the characters in the later films. I feel like people can't relate to them as much. Rey seems so distant. Kylo is the classic villian but I think he just isn't as compelling as Vadar in the OT. Other than that the other characters seem more shallow and there isn't enough for people of different personalities to latch onto. It is difficult to pick your favorite so to speak. I think people don't latch onto the new characters like they did Solo, Luke, C3P0, R2D2, etc... Even the droids just lack that love from the characters. I am hoping shows like the Mandelorian (sp?) really start to fix that. Give us some characters we can bond with Disney! I think that is why younger kids are latching onto MCU more than Star Wars. There are so many characters with so many different personalities it is easy to find one you can relate with in the MCU. Is it Captain America, Spider-Man, Loki, Chris Pratt (yes his character is a space version of himself), etc... I even think this has to do with the popularity of Harry Potter. There are so many characters and there is one you are going to relate to. I think that is why it is a very successful franchise...

Now let's talk about SWGE vs Hogsmede or Diagon Alley. I feel they both don't have characters for the most part. JK Rawling didn't want her characters in the parks so that removed the best part of those movies. When we went last year I really feel like it was missing something. Yeah it was cool and my kids had a great time with the wands but the lands felt like they didn't have 'life' to them. Plus on a side note it was really strange sweating to death with no shade in Hogsmede with snow everywhere. It just felt weird. Don't get me wrong I think the are amazing but the are a one and done for me. For SWGE I am not sure what to think because I haven't been there. I really appreciate what they have done. I really think it is a good idea to not do the locations we all care about but at the same time I think we need some aspect of the OT in there. I do like that Chewy is there but I don't relate to the other new characters. I am excited to see it and will determine if it is a one and done or not for me. I will have to go 2x because my wife and I booked a F&W trip as a couple and then the opening was announced during our trip and I can't stay away. So we'll probably plan a trip to DL to see SWGE there since I am about done with FL in the summer (we have to go when the kids are out of school).

Anyway one thing to think about is once we do the crazy expensive activities I am not sure what the land has to offer. I really wish SWGE was the 5th gate at WDW so they could have had different lands like Endor etc... I feel like they painted themselves into a corner when it comes to expansion by attaching it to another park.
 
Anyway one thing to think about is once we do the crazy expensive activities I am not sure what the land has to offer. I really wish SWGE was the 5th gate at WDW so they could have had different lands like Endor etc... I feel like they painted themselves into a corner when it comes to expansion by attaching it to another park.
You can apply that to the HP stuff as well. Once you do the wand stuff or the ride, that's all there is. Of course you have the gift shops and restaurants, but you can only look around them so many times. The Star Wars land has the atmosphere and the Star Wars rides. Once you do that, that's it. But that's ok. I don't think they painted themselves into a corner at all. It is just a land that's part of the overall HS theme park. It was never meant to be a huge thing to keep you going all day. Same with the HP stuff at Universal; you can't spend all day there once you've done the stuff there is. But that's why you go to the other parts of the park. The 5th gate stuff has been discussed before. And while I personally would like an all Star Wars theme park, I don't think it would have been a smart move.
 
You can apply that to the HP stuff as well. Once you do the wand stuff or the ride, that's all there is. Of course you have the gift shops and restaurants, but you can only look around them so many times. The Star Wars land has the atmosphere and the Star Wars rides. Once you do that, that's it. But that's ok. I don't think they painted themselves into a corner at all. It is just a land that's part of the overall HS theme park. It was never meant to be a huge thing to keep you going all day. Same with the HP stuff at Universal; you can't spend all day there once you've done the stuff there is. But that's why you go to the other parts of the park. The 5th gate stuff has been discussed before. And while I personally would like an all Star Wars theme park, I don't think it would have been a smart move.

I can see where you are coming from. The only part I disagree with is for me personally I don't see much more they could do with Harry Potter as far as a theme park goes as far as different lands. For Star Wars the possibilities are endless. Another side point for me is Hollywood Studios is my least favorite park. We spend less and less time there every year and I probably wouldn't have even gone into the park on our F&W trip if it wasn't for SWGE. So I think for future visits it will be a morning park only and then we'll park hop somewhere else. Where we can spent all day and evening at the other parks no problem. I get fizzled out at Hollywood studios. I know that is a very personal opinion.
 


Now let's talk about SWGE vs Hogsmede or Diagon Alley. I feel they both don't have characters for the most part. JK Rawling didn't want her characters in the parks so that removed the best part of those movies. When we went last year I really feel like it was missing something. Yeah it was cool and my kids had a great time with the wands but the lands felt like they didn't have 'life' to them. Plus on a side note it was really strange sweating to death with no shade in Hogsmede with snow everywhere. It just felt weird. Don't get me wrong I think the are amazing but the are a one and done for me.

Let me guess! You aren't a HP fan? Because true fans LOVE Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and want to go again and again. Its amazing! The level of details and immersion, especially in Diagon Alley are breathtaking! If you take the time to honestly walk through and go into each shop and take in what's around you , there is "life" everywhere! You can hear Moaning Myrtle, the voices of the reporters for the Daily Prophet, the snake in the pet store speaks to you in parcel tongue. Every shop has some little hidden or not so hidden treasure. They don't need characters! You can almost feel them just out of your sight, or behind the door or on the other side of the bush. I highly stand behind JK not wanting the characters in the parks. I think it would have cheapened it.


Now, back to SWGE, from what I have seen in videos and pictures and everything, it looks amazing! I am not a huge SW fan but it is something of my youth (the first 3) so would like to see it. I would love to know that there is the attention to detail that there is in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and that the shops and such have little hidden treasures in them like the ones in HP.
 
You're kind of glossing over the fact that Diagon Alley, while cool, is also almost entirely shops. There's the one ride, albiet a cool ride, and that's it. The rest is just shops meant to make you buy the same types of things you could have gotten at Hogsmeade, just more of it. You do have the interactive wands you can use to maybe see a somewhat cool effect at various places if you can get it to work. The queue for Gringott's bank is well done, but it's really just a big bank room. You have the goblins at their desks, but I really don't think it's as impressive as you're making it out to be. It's ultimately just a big room to stand in.
My point is that while you think SWGE is very boring and uninteresting, I can kind of apply the same logic to Diagon Alley. It's personal taste and opinion. To say nobody cares about it is, once again, ignorant.

Not even remotely close to what is there.

First off, the shops do not offer the same merchandise. The shops in Diagon Alley are the shops in the books and they sell what they are described to sell. The candy store and the other shops in Hogsmeade sell their own things or things that were talked about in the books. You have the shop in Knockturn Alley that is totally its own too. Every time I go, I find things that I later decide I want to buy the next time. And every one of these things have been for sale ONLY in particular shop (I ask the TMs)

Two, all of the shops have special things going on in them. A Vanishing cabinet with the sound of the bird. A mirror that talk to you. A snake speaking to you in parcel tongue. Each shop is an experience all its own. Walking around outside the shops is an experience too with special things to see and hear. You have a full size dragon animatronic that is pretty dang impressive by itself.

The queue for Gringott's is right out of the books/movie. Gringott's IS a bank. In the movies you see the big room with the goblins and then the part where all the vaults are---where the ride is. What else would you think would be in a bank?

I doubt SWGE is unimpressive but no need to put down one of the best theme park areas that exists to compare.
 
Not even remotely close to what is there.

First off, the shops do not offer the same merchandise. The shops in Diagon Alley are the shops in the books and they sell what they are described to sell. The candy store and the other shops in Hogsmeade sell their own things or things that were talked about in the books. You have the shop in Knockturn Alley that is totally its own too. Every time I go, I find things that I later decide I want to buy the next time. And every one of these things have been for sale ONLY in particular shop (I ask the TMs)

Two, all of the shops have special things going on in them. A Vanishing cabinet with the sound of the bird. A mirror that talk to you. A snake speaking to you in parcel tongue. Each shop is an experience all its own. Walking around outside the shops is an experience too with special things to see and hear. You have a full size dragon animatronic that is pretty dang impressive by itself.

The queue for Gringott's is right out of the books/movie. Gringott's IS a bank. In the movies you see the big room with the goblins and then the part where all the vaults are---where the ride is. What else would you think would be in a bank?

I doubt SWGE is unimpressive but no need to put down one of the best theme park areas that exists to compare.
Wow, you took far more offense to what I was saying than anyone should. I'm not putting it down. I enjoy Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. But at the end of the day, they ARE shops meant to sell you merchandise. Many of them do offer the same merchandise, as I saw some of the same things in Diagon Alley that I saw in Hogsmeade. Not everything, no, but some things. That's fact.
Yeah, sure, Knockturn Alley has the vanishing cabinet. But it's just a cabinet that makes noise. It doesn't do much. You look at it, say that's neat, and move on. You're making all of these things to be far more than they are. You're right, Gringott's is a bank. But the fact that it replicates the bank from the movies doesn't automatically make it a really awesome line queue.
I never said the Wizarding World at Universal doesn't do a good job of recreating the world of Harry Potter. It recreates it extremely well. But that doesn't mean I don't find aspects of it lackluster or uninteresting. Again, opinions.

You're getting far too worked up and taking it personally.
 
Wow, you took far more offense to what I was saying than anyone should. I'm not putting it down. I enjoy Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. But at the end of the day, they ARE shops meant to sell you merchandise. Many of them do offer the same merchandise, as I saw some of the same things in Diagon Alley that I saw in Hogsmeade. Not everything, no, but some things. That's fact.
Yeah, sure, Knockturn Alley has the vanishing cabinet. But it's just a cabinet that makes noise. It doesn't do much. You look at it, say that's neat, and move on. You're making all of these things to be far more than they are. You're right, Gringott's is a bank. But the fact that it replicates the bank from the movies doesn't automatically make it a really awesome line queue.
I never said the Wizarding World at Universal doesn't do a good job of recreating the world of Harry Potter. It recreates it extremely well. But that doesn't mean I don't find aspects of it lackluster or uninteresting. Again, opinions.

You're getting far too worked up and taking it personally.

LOL Not worked up in the least. Haven't even thought too much about what you or I posted until I just logged back in.

The difference, in your opinion of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and that of others is you aren't a fan of the books, apparently. There is so much included in so many of those shops that are little details from the movies. Take the vanishing cabinet for instance. It is a prop from the movies that played a HUGE part in one of the books/movies. There is also a necklace that was in the same book/movie. And a hand that will move just like in the shop in the movie. For a big fan, all of these things aren't just "look at it and move on". People spend HOURS in these shops. I am not making them anything. But as a huge fan, we see what is special about all of it. And the best part isn't shopping but window shopping or just looking around the shops at stuff that isn't for sale. Finding the details and little extras that show the magic. You say they have the same stuff and yet Hogsmeade only has one regular shop, one wand shop and one candy shop. The pet shop, the joke shop, the ice cream shop, and more don't have anything the same in Hogsmeade. I had to back track to Hogsmeade to get a beer stein that I wanted. I assumed they would have in Diagon Alley, no they don't. Only in Hogsmeade.

As a HP fan, seeing the inside of Gringotts brought to life is amazing. Gringotts was the first real experience Harry had with the Wizarding World. And it is like walking into that same story.


I would hope that SWGE gives Star Wars fans these same feelings when they enter the area and when they shop and when they eat. I hope there is so much more to it than the two rides. Because, imho, THAT is what will make the place popular and in turn make it a success.
 
Let me guess! You aren't a HP fan? Because true fans LOVE Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and want to go again and again. Its amazing!

I actually loved the books. I read all of them through a couple times. While I loved the books and the movies to me a lot of the reason I love the books is because of the character development and to me they are mainly missing from those parks. While I think it is cool that there are a lot of nifty things in Hogsmede and Diagon Alley and it was executed well me thinking something is missing doesn’t neglect I am a TRUE fan.
 
Have you been or just making a judgement off pics and video. I have not seen one person that has been there that has not been blown away. Some are not 100% in on MFSR but still enjoyed it. If the rumors of the Rise of the Resistance are true, that ride will be far and away the most technologically advanced and immersive experience in any theme park.
Now you've met one person who wasn't blown away--I've been to the Disneyland one several times and just don't get the hype.
 
Now you've met one person who wasn't blown away--I've been to the Disneyland one several times and just don't get the hype.

Make that 2. I have also been several times and its just a whole lotta "meh" from me. Best thing I can say is it LOOKS great. It's just boring. I mostly keep going back for the Ronto wraps...
 
Make that 2. I have also been several times and its just a whole lotta "meh" from me. Best thing I can say is it LOOKS great. It's just boring. I mostly keep going back for the Ronto wraps...
I've only had part of one that I shared with friends. I'll have to try a whole one on my own sometimes. I was underwhelmed with the other food at SWGE.
 
Now you've met one person who wasn't blown away--I've been to the Disneyland one several times and just don't get the hype.
Make that 2. I have also been several times and its just a whole lotta "meh" from me. Best thing I can say is it LOOKS great. It's just boring. I mostly keep going back for the Ronto wraps...
It sounds to me like SWGE is your personal New Year's Eve. Let me explain.

I've been celebrating New Year's Eve going on five decades now. EVERY YEAR I build it up in my mind to be the most amazing night ever, and EVERY YEAR it falls short. I have a good time, sometimes a great time, but nowhere near what I thought it would be. I went into SWGE with zero expectations and was actually blown away. Maybe if my expectations were high I would have been disappointed. Not saying this is what happened to you, but you mentioned "hype" and sometimes I think hype can be dangerous because it could possibly set an unreasonable expectation. Regardless, sorry it wasn't what you were hoping for.
 
It sounds to me like SWGE is your personal New Year's Eve. Let me explain.

I've been celebrating New Year's Eve going on five decades now. EVERY YEAR I build it up in my mind to be the most amazing night ever, and EVERY YEAR it falls short. I have a good time, sometimes a great time, but nowhere near what I thought it would be. I went into SWGE with zero expectations and was actually blown away. Maybe if my expectations were high I would have been disappointed. Not saying this is what happened to you, but you mentioned "hype" and sometimes I think hype can be dangerous because it could possibly set an unreasonable expectation. Regardless, sorry it wasn't what you were hoping for.

I get what you are saying, but that's not really how it is for me. I didn't really hype anything up in my mind. I am not overthinking it, really. The land just doesn't do it for me. Once the second ride opens, I'm sure it will be an awesome RIDE, but I still won't be compelled to "hang out" in the land. Already, I am at that point. I go in, get a Ronto wrap or head straight to the GR kiosk to get a return time for MFSR if my son wants to ride, and then leave, returning when it's time to ride, then leaving again. Luckily, at Disneyland, the land is easy to access for quick in/out visits. We even used the land as a short cut to get from Splash Mtn to Big Thunder when we didn't want to deal with the crowds around the Rivers of America.

I had a similar reaction to Pandora. Just not for me. I don't understand how people can spend a long time in that land outside of riding the rides.

To contrast, my friend and I spent 4 hours in Diagon Alley on our first visit, and 2 hours in Hogsmeade, and we went back the next day for more.
 
I get what you are saying, but that's not really how it is for me. I didn't really hype anything up in my mind. I am not overthinking it, really. The land just doesn't do it for me. Once the second ride opens, I'm sure it will be an awesome RIDE, but I still won't be compelled to "hang out" in the land. Already, I am at that point. I go in, get a Ronto wrap or head straight to the GR kiosk to get a return time for MFSR if my son wants to ride, and then leave, returning when it's time to ride, then leaving again. Luckily, at Disneyland, the land is easy to access for quick in/out visits. We even used the land as a short cut to get from Splash Mtn to Big Thunder when we didn't want to deal with the crowds around the Rivers of America.

I had a similar reaction to Pandora. Just not for me. I don't understand how people can spend a long time in that land outside of riding the rides.

To contrast, my friend and I spent 4 hours in Diagon Alley on our first visit, and 2 hours in Hogsmeade, and we went back the next day for more.
Fair points all around. I love both SWGE and both Harry Potter lands as well. I think the big difference is that the Harry Potter lands draw you in with all of their elements and they're a little more up front. SWGE on the other hand is a little more subtle and you have to work a little to be intrigued. But I can see your point, at first glance SWGE can appear to be just a bunch of rocks. Maybe it's hard for some people to move past that.

I got a laugh hearing you say that you cut through SWGE to avoid crowds in DL. Sort of contrary to what I would expect.
 
Also everyone keep in mind SW:GE is one park within a park. Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are two separate parks within a park. To be more accurate one should compare SW:GE to just Hogsmeade or just Diagon Alley. I know that won't change people's opinions (i'm not trying to), but lumping together Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley is of course going to seem more impressive than just one park dedicated to Star Wars.
 

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