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

[StageTek]

I'm with ya, BabybetterDisney!

I've tried the same thing with my "casual" SW fans - they all know the Original Trilogy characters but don't know the new ones. What I got to my "Who is General Organa?" wuestion was, "Someone in the new Star Wars?" It's because they have seen the new films once or twice and the original many times. As you point out; not an iconic American figure.

Your point is a good one. It (of course) doesn't apply to every single person but that doesn't make your point invalid. My big Star Wars fans know the current movie characters and my hard core SW fans even know all about Batuu.

I fall into the middle group, big fan, grew up with the original films. Galaxy's Edge doesn't move me at all. Other than seeing the Falcon life-size the entire land doesn't give me that Star Wars feel that Wizarding World gives Harry Potter fans. It's not "Star Wars" land to this old school SW fan.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

I'm with ya, BabybetterDisney!

I've tried the same thing with my "casual" SW fans - they all know the Original Trilogy characters but don't know the new ones. What I got to my "Who is General Organa?" wuestion was, "Someone in the new Star Wars?" It's because they have seen the new films once or twice and the original many times. As you point out; not an iconic American figure.

Your point is a good one. It (of course) doesn't apply to every single person but that doesn't make your point invalid. My big Star Wars fans know the current movie characters and my hard core SW fans even know all about Batuu.

Actually her implication is that it does apply to everyone. Otherwise why encourage to ask it with such confidence? I'm just curious how either of you know this is the majority and not just your respective friends?

 

[Bahamontes]

I love the original trilogy. My mother let me stay in the theatre to see Empire twice in a row, and only now am I repaying her with a trip to GE for RotR opening.

But I realize that sticking yourself into a timeline that’s already been explored - exhaustively - is no way to manage a land or an extremely expensive franchise.

Tough to sustain when your only living character is Chewie. The current setting allows the park to grow and be dynamic along with the franchise. We all cherish the Skywalker saga, but that very affection can be limiting.

 

[fiasco32]

To this day, Disney have not admitted that they screwed up Star Wars Land big time by forgetting to put Star Wars in it.

There are a dozen reasons why SWGE isn't going over as planned, but this is definitely not one of them.

 

[yulilin3]

....it has no Star Wars in it!

If you read any description of RotR, it will tell you something about General Organa, Rey, and Kylo Ren. Here's the problem: Nobody knows who they are. If you don't believe me, just ask people around you who General Organa is, then ask them who Princess Leia is. I tried it on my husband and kids, and nobody but me knows who General Organa is, and we even watched Episodes 7 and 8! I didn't know it either until I read it once by accident. Princess Leia is an iconic American figure. General Organa is a minor character in a couple of forgettable movies among the zillion forgettable movies made every year.

And RotR is about a Star Wars battle that nobody has ever heard of. It will be popular because it's fun to move around in a cart, but not near as popular as it should be, just like Smuggler's Run. My kids liked Smuggler's Run (they always got the pilot role, for some reason), but they didn't recognize any of the characters or scenes in there besides the falcon itself, so they liked it no more than Star Tours. RotR is a trackless ride, which is new and interesting, but so is the Mickey Minnie Railroad ride and the Ratatouille ride. I am waiting to see Mickey and Ratatouille beat out RotR in wait time and popularity. (I will be spending my fastpasses on them rather than RotR, for sure.) For one thing, they will be more popular with kids. For another, they are more Disney.

To this day, Disney have not admitted that they screwed up Star Wars Land big time by forgetting to put Star Wars in it. But one thing they cannot deny forever, and that's their profit margin. Come December when It's a Small World beats out RotR, Disney will have to face the truth. (You think I'm exaggerating? When I was at WDW last week, not even a month after SWGE's opening, Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise both had a longer wait (55min) than Smuggler's Run (45min). FoP had 135 minutes wait.)

For those people who claim that GE has the Falcon, and therefore it has Star Wars in it, here is my answer: I have the 5000-piece Lego Millennium Falcon set in my basement. I also have various Darth Vader and Storm Trooper masks, blasters, light sabers, the X-Wing, and various other SW junk scattered around the house, like any family with boys. Doesn't make my house Star Wars Land, does it?

Ok, just for the sake of clarification: when you say "it has no Star Wars in it" are you talking about Star Wars the Movie, original one that later got to be called Episode IV A New Hope? because if that's the case then sure, I'll grant you that RotR has no SW in it (even though Leia is mentioned and Nien Nunb is in it.

Now, as I think you are talking about SW in general. SW is NOT only the original trilogy, it is an expansive universe of hundreds of planets and thousands of characters. Just because YOU are not a fan of the rest of SW and only the original trilogy doesn't mean EVERYBODY feels the same.

Saying that NOBODY knows who General Organa, Rey, Kylo are is false, no other way around it.

Saying that Princess Leia is an iconic American figure goes to show you are not that well versed in the SW Universe, Leia is not American, she's from Alderaan, she even says it in her first line of the same original trilogy you love.

RotR is about the battle between the First Order and the Resistance. The Resistance again is mentioned in the original SW, the same trilogy you love
Disney doesn't need to admit if they screwed up or not, sorry to disappoint you there

The wait times already have been already explained at length. You can't compare an attraction without FP like MFSR to an attraction with fp

To your last statement, I'm sorry but it's ridiculous. Also anyone calling SW items in their house junk is not really that big of a fan and btw, my family of girls loves SW, it's not just for boys.

But in the end none of it will matter because as you stated in another post you hate SWGE and therefore I'm assuming you won't be visiting again

 

[SaintsManiac]

Ok honestly, I just do not care about in depth analysis of a theme park land. I had zero idea about Avatar and I continue to be blown away by Pandora.

I am always going to be excited to experience something new at Disney.

 

[rteetz]

I understand people don’t like the new trilogy. People also didn’t like the prequels. Sure the original trilogy likely had the most impact and really created a cultural phenomenon but that original trilogy brought us to today.

I don’t understand the argument that there isn’t any “Star Wars” in SWGE. There is... it’s just not the Star Wars aspects you wanted to see.

There are millions who love the new trilogy as well and I’m guessing see a ton of Star Wars in SWGE.

Rise of the Resistance will have the most Star Wars character in terms of anything in the land. It’s a thrilling experience with things we’ve never seen before.

 

[Jennasis]

Nobody knows the name of ANY of the characters from Avatar and yet somehow that waste of space in AK is doing well...because they built a ride that people seem to love (barf).

If RotR is the epic ride they claim, it won't matter about the characters.

Heck, over at WWoHP most people can't name the characters in the preshow or in the ride either.

This continues to be more whining that "Disney-didn't-built-it-MY-way".

 

[fiasco32]

Isn't there already an "I'm soooo unimpressed by SWGE" thread here people can vent in?

 

[Lumpy1106]

OK, I'm going to say no to the OP too. Disney is struggling with the SWGE's on both coasts but not for the reasons you have listed. It's so much simpler than that; just FOLLOW THE MONEY! The fact is not everyone loves Star Wars. In my case I would be totally into it, my son wants to go for the ride only, my daughters would have to be convinced to go on the ride, and my wife might just skip it all together no matter what. OK, so now how do you now convince my typical family to not only ride the ride, but also spend HUNDREDS of dollars on light sabers, droids, or even a trip into Og's? The fact is you can't - it's just awful design on Disney's part. You would think they would have learned form the brilliant success that is Cars Land in DCA, Pandora, or even TSL, but no. I don't want to say they got greedy, but if it walks and talks like a duck...

 

[nancipants]

These posts are my favorite. I love when people decide what is "Star Wars" and what is not.

 

[yulilin3]

Transferring this whole thread to the "juice" thread

 

[Morieris]

But I realize that sticking yourself into a timeline that’s already been explored - exhaustively - is no way to manage a land or an extremely expensive franchise.

Right. If there's anything Disney has loved to do, it's beat the dead horse that is the OT. They're retold it about 5 times across different mediums (Droid Tales, something with a new art style for the kids, comics, novels, novels AGAIN).

Batuu may be something totally new, and I see how that doesn't jive with people. Frankly, I wish they payed more attention to the PT than just Clone Wars and 2 books because Padme is my favorite character in the SWverse.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Harry Potter takes place in the same place every time. Who knew, Harry Potter and Star Wars were actually different!

Maybe someone should have told this to the geniuses that decided to directly compete with Harry Potter by making a Star Wars land in the first place. Blue milk instead of butterbeer! Light sabers instead of wands! It’s going to be so good that we’ll only have to tweet “it’s open!” and wait for the hordes to descend!

This was supposed to be a no-brainer.

 

[yulilin3]

Maybe someone should have told this to the geniuses that decided to directly compete with Harry Potter by making a Star Wars land in the first place. Blue milk instead of butterbeer! Light sabers instead of wands! It’s going to be so good that we’ll only have to tweet “it’s open!” and wait for the hordes to descend!

This was supposed to be a no-brainer.

You do know that Scott Trowbridge, lead imagineer on SWGE, was the lead creative director of both WWoHP?
they are different and should not be compared. It's like comparing fantasyland to Seuss Landing

 

[monkyby87]

Then you haven't been to Universal. HP did fine without EP for many years. And I don't think anyone associated that with not as popular. It has stayed popular many years later...

I have been to Universal, quite a bit actually. It's hard to compare Universal and Disney, even though they clearly are by everyone. Universal just doesn't see the foot traffic Disney does, and frankly they probably never will. Express Pass isn't necessary at Universal as something like FP is at Disney. That's why it's an extra perk you purchase, not something given to you for free.

 

[monkyby87]

OK, I'm going to say no to the OP too. Disney is struggling with the SWGE's on both coasts but not for the reasons you have listed. It's so much simpler than that; just FOLLOW THE MONEY! The fact is not everyone loves Star Wars. In my case I would be totally into it, my son wants to go for the ride only, my daughters would have to be convinced to go on the ride, and my wife might just skip it all together no matter what. OK, so now how do you now convince my typical family to not only ride the ride, but also spend HUNDREDS of dollars on light sabers, droids, or even a trip into Og's? The fact is you can't - it's just awful design on Disney's part. You would think they would have learned form the brilliant success that is Cars Land in DCA, Pandora, or even TSL, but no. I don't want to say they got greedy, but if it walks and talks like a duck...

It may be an awful design to you, but the fact is people ARE buying those things. Maybe not you, and maybe not your friends. But people are.

 

[glocon]

So I just watched the video from post # 658 and had to quit halfway thru. Oh my gosh, if I was around someone so negative I’d have to let people between us in line. She is so glass half full and seemed to go in with negative a negative view before even getting in! I cannot stand to be around people like that. It is what it is and let’s try and enjoy it all!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have been to Universal, quite a bit actually. It's hard to compare Universal and Disney, even though they clearly are by everyone. Universal just doesn't see the foot traffic Disney does, and frankly they probably never will. Express Pass isn't necessary at Universal as something like FP is at Disney. That's why it's an extra perk you purchase, not something given to you for free.

I was speaking directly to not having a 'front of the line' pass style thing. Smuggler's Run is not the first big ticket attraction to not have a 'front of the line' pass. Universal didn't have it for 7 years for HP. No one doubted that HP was popular.

I'm not going to get into a debate on EP vs FP because they actually function differently but neither are necessary (necessary means you have to have it can't do without it there's no other way to ride it kinda of thing). Anyways with EP you can stay at 3 of Universal's upper resorts and EP is included for check in day and check out day. It's a common advice for folks looking at EP to book those resorts (which are at a way different price point than Disney) rather than buy EP because you get it for check in and check out date.

In any case you're talking about things I wasn't even talking about. What I was saying is I think there is some truth to people looking at the wait times for Smuggler's Run just not in the way you phrased it. Many on the Boards expected more consistently higher waits--lower waits than if it had FP but still higher consistently than what we are seeing. That means something to me and I can see it meaning something to others looking at wait times and drawing conclusions from it such as Smuggler's Run isn't as well received as originally thought and/or drawing in the crowds as originally thought.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I am not a Star Wars fan (or hater). I know I’ve seen the original trilogy but couldn’t really explain the plots to you. I definitely saw episode 1 in theatres, not sure on 2+3. I’ve seen 7 and 8 once each. Enjoyed them, but again don’t really remember what happened. I still know who General Organa, Rey, and Kylo Ren are. The last two at least are pretty basic Star Wars knowledge. The first I might just know from hanging around here too much lol.

The land needs mass appeal. And IMO for Disney fans (not the Star Wars mega fans that may or may not come) that doesn’t hinge on what characters are included and which aren’t, what planet it is, it means really strong attractions that can appeal to people past “oh hey I get that reference”. I am optimistic ROTR does this.

I do think they overestimated the crazed Star Wars fans (who do not overlap with crazed Disney fans) and their willingness to mob the parks, but I think SWGE will be fine just like Pandora is. That hotel on the other hand? That will be really interesting.