Kevin's take on Galaxy's Edge

ChrisFL

Disney/Universal Fan and MALE
Joined
Aug 8, 2000
Though I am a Star Wars fan, Kevin's comments seemed to be spot-on from what I've heard so far. There is IMO a limit to how much "theming" you need to put into different things. Sometimes a restroom is just a restroom and some guest issues need to have straightforward answers without delving into silly questions. I had the same issue in Pandora where the CM's try IMO too hard to keep things in theme.

Also, the Oga's cantina situation will probably be a lot worse in WDW if I was to guess.
 
I wonder if it is the level of theming or the theme that is the bigger issue ... Like if it was The Greatest Showman Land would Kevin be better with a high level of theming?

I do think the best CMs would be able to see/react to the guest and if they are not into the immersion then back off it and give them a straight answer ... But we love Disney for being a theme park not just an amusement park and personally I would rather they lean a little too heavy into the theming than avoid it
 
I wonder if it is the level of theming or the theme that is the bigger issue ... Like if it was The Greatest Showman Land would Kevin be better with a high level of theming?

I do think the best CMs would be able to see/react to the guest and if they are not into the immersion then back off it and give them a straight answer ... But we love Disney for being a theme park not just an amusement park and personally I would rather they lean a little too heavy into the theming than avoid it
Agreed all around. Theme parks are all in on the immersive experiences right now and this is part of that. It certainly isn’t for everyone but it’s just where theme parks are at the moment.
 
I do think the best CMs would be able to see/react to the guest and if they are not into the immersion then back off it and give them a straight answer
This.

If you were building a stand-alone Star Wars themed experience and the only people coming in would likely be huge Star Wars fans, that's one thing, but Galaxy's Edge isn't that. It's just one section of a complex with 2 (or in Florida 4) entire parks that are visited by millions and millions of people each year from all over the world. You really need to start with the assumption that most guests aren't major fans. Most are probably generally familiar with Star Wars but won't know a bunch of specialized lingo and such. You can have an immersive themed experience without going as far as renaming bathrooms. And if you do rename them and someone comes up to you and asks where the bathroom is, you should just point it out, not correct them for not using the proper themed term.
 


I also don't think the average guest is going to take up saying "waste disposal" blah blah name. They'll say the proper names of the ships, the species, etc. but not the more obscure stuff. I'm fine with putting up signage that shows the in-universe names for things, but still need to have signs people will recognize, like the symbol for men's room/women's room.

I feel like this doesn't happen as much in the Wizarding World at Universal, though that is something on earth and not a different planet like SW:GE and Pandora :confused3
 
I'm not a huge Star Wars fan but I think it's odd that they didn't theme the lands after the movies, and instead made it its own thing. I 100% understand it for Pandora, but people didn't have any emotional attachment to the characters and specific places on Pandora in the movie. Star Wars is maybe (probably?) the most beloved movie franchise of all time. People want to be immersed in that story and with those characters, not - as Kevin put it - the neighborhood down the road.

For me, Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones/ASOIAF is my "Star Wars"; my nerd-fanboy thing. And if a theme park land was was being created based on one of those IPS but it will take place in some made-up kingdom that I never heard of, I wouldn't be nearly as excited.

As much as I don't like them, Universal clearly did it right with Harry Potter. They didn't get cute and try to make their own thing, they gave the people what they wanted - a chance to hang out in their beloved fantasy world.

I also think it's weird that the big headliner attraction ISN'T the ride based on the original trilogy, but rather the new trilogy that no one seems that passionate about. I get that these are Disney's movies, but the original trilogy is why people love Star Wars. People have been dreaming about piloting the Millennium Falcon for decades... how do you NOT make that the headliner???
 
Last edited:
Kevin and John's opinion on the land is more in line with what I've been thinking about it from watching vlogs (I've never been). Those two guys are hilarious.
Hopefully Rise Of The Resistance will deliver. I would be so much more excited if it were themed around episodes IV, V, and VI. Heck even episodes I, II and III would have been fun. The cantina is something that "original" fans would appreciate, but the reality of it sounds like a hassle. I u understand that's it's still new.
 


The bar thing is strange, too. You must stay in your seat. Sorry but it’s brand new and packed with details and things to look at. I want to wander around and see it all and take pictures. And maybe I’m there with a group of people and we’re not all seated together. I hope they handle that differently in Florida.
 
The bar thing is strange, too. You must stay in your seat. Sorry but it’s brand new and packed with details and things to look at. I want to wander around and see it all and take pictures. And maybe I’m there with a group of people and we’re not all seated together. I hope they handle that differently in Florida.
It is strange but I think its a capacity thing. They don't want everyone just wandering around too much. They have a huge amount of people that want to get in so they want people to spend their 45 minutes and get out basically. I don't think WDW will be too much different in that respect.
 
The bar thing is strange, too. You must stay in your seat. Sorry but it’s brand new and packed with details and things to look at. I want to wander around and see it all and take pictures. And maybe I’m there with a group of people and we’re not all seated together. I hope they handle that differently in Florida.

I don't think it is as much not allowed to wander around and see things - I've seen tons of people sharing photos and videos up by DJ Rex for example, but I think they are (at last for now) strick about what seating/standing area you are assigned to as they don't want people to move to other areas as otherwise people would try to take over a table if they see someone leave when they were put at a standing table, etc. and they are trying to cycle in as many people as possible

I am sure they could handle it better and be nicer about it but I do get what they are trying to accomplish
 
I'm not a huge Star Wars fan but I think it's odd that they didn't theme the lands after the movies, and instead made it its own thing. I 100% understand it for Pandora, but people didn't have any emotional attachment to the characters and specific places on Pandora in the movie. Star Wars is maybe (probably?) the most beloved movie franchise of all time. People want to be immersed in that story and with those characters, not - as Kevin put it - the neighborhood down the road.

For me, Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones/ASOIAF is my "Star Wars"; my nerd-fanboy thing. And if a theme park land was was being created based on one of those IPS but it will take place in some made-up kingdom that I never heard of, I wouldn't be nearly as excited.

As much as I don't like them, Universal clearly did it right with Harry Potter. They didn't get cute and try to make their own thing, they gave the people what they wanted - a chance to hang out in their beloved fantasy world.

I also think it's weird that the big headliner attraction ISN'T the ride based on the original trilogy, but rather the new trilogy that no one seems that passionate about. I get that these are Disney's movies, but the original trilogy is why people love Star Wars. People have been dreaming about piloting the Millennium Falcon for decades... how do you NOT make that the headliner???
Kevin and John's opinion on the land is more in line with what I've been thinking about it from watching vlogs (I've never been). Those two guys are hilarious.
Hopefully Rise Of The Resistance will deliver. I would be so much more excited if it were themed around episodes IV, V, and VI. Heck even episodes I, II and III would have been fun. The cantina is something that "original" fans would appreciate, but the reality of it sounds like a hassle. I u understand that's it's still new.

I see both sides to what they did - I tihnk one big issue is there isn't one main setting for the Star Wars movies - it isn't like Harry Potter where it is obvious that you would do Hogwart's Castle. What would you do for Star Wars? I get people wanting to visit the Cantina on Tattoine, but the rest of that planet is pretty desolate, you can't just have the Cantina. Do you do Hoth? Endor? Couresant? If there is any one location that is featured the most it is probably the Millenium Falcon which *is* in the land

Now, if they had done a whole separate park or like a much larger thing that had multiple lands and you could do sort of "greatest hits" I could see that, but with just one location, there isn't that one spot for Star Wars

It might not be the land that everyone wanted (though I am fairly confident no matter what they decided to do people would complain if it wasn't very specifically what they pictured in their head) but I think they tried to make something fresh to add to the Star Wars story, maybe it approachable to people that aren't ultra fans but get the concept of Star Wars but then also put in a *ton* of little details that the ultra fan can spend hours looking for (Including a lot of references to the original trilogy).

I just think people nowadays are so quick to condemn and complain that it is what we hear more of rather than what is good about htings
 
You really have to gauge guests on how much they want to sink to the land. Miles vary as they say. It's a fine line to walk. But yes when you ask a question you can answer directly and should.

I am dispeased to hear that you are not allowed to explore the cantina. May put it off for a little bit when I go.
 
You really have to gauge guests on how much they want to sink to the land. Miles vary as they say. It's a fine line to walk. But yes when you ask a question you can answer directly and should.

I am dispeased to hear that you are not allowed to explore the cantina. May put it off for a little bit when I go.

but you absolutely can expore the cantina - I am just reading another review of it that states "Make sure to take a good look around when you're visiting and take in all of the incredible tiny details that the Imagineers put into the Cantina, you'll be amazed. " ... what you can't do is go to a seating or table that is not where you were assigned. There are only so many seating booths and they don't want people that were assigned to a standing table to then shift to a booth when they see people leave it.
 
but you absolutely can expore the cantina - I am just reading another review of it that states "Make sure to take a good look around when you're visiting and take in all of the incredible tiny details that the Imagineers put into the Cantina, you'll be amazed. " ... what you can't do is go to a seating or table that is not where you were assigned. There are only so many seating booths and they don't want people that were assigned to a standing table to then shift to a booth when they see people leave it.

Okay that's good to hear. Cause it's sounds cool.
 
I hate the themed coke and water bottles. I recently visited Universal and saw the World of Harry Potter for the first time. I've read all the books and really understand the IP. I loved it overall, but on a 90+ degree day I don't want a small $5.50 bottle of Gilly Water. I want an ice cold Dasani or whatever Universal sells. I only walked through Star Wars GE, so maybe you can get it somewhere in the land, but I didn't see it walking through.
 
It's almost as if WDW heard Pete's recent complaints about their slipping commitment to theming and decided to cram it all into a 2 ride "land". Asking where the bathroom is does not fall under the heading "themed experience" for me. Thank goodness there's not a Chipotle in Black Spire Outpost.
 
but you absolutely can expore the cantina - I am just reading another review of it that states "Make sure to take a good look around when you're visiting and take in all of the incredible tiny details that the Imagineers put into the Cantina, you'll be amazed. " ... what you can't do is go to a seating or table that is not where you were assigned. There are only so many seating booths and they don't want people that were assigned to a standing table to then shift to a booth when they see people leave it.
That's good. You should definitely be able to wander around and check the place out. It makes sense not to switch tables because it makes it hard for them to track occupancy.
 
That's good. You should definitely be able to wander around and check the place out. It makes sense not to switch tables because it makes it hard for them to track occupancy.

exactly! I also hear it seems hit or miss with the CMs working there (and possible for how long their shift has been/just where they are at mentally, emotionally, and physcially) .... but sometimes they are super immersive and pleasant and other times just very matter of fact and more regimented.
 
exactly! I also hear it seems hit or miss with the CMs working there (and possible for how long their shift has been/just where they are at mentally, emotionally, and physcially) .... but sometimes they are super immersive and pleasant and other times just very matter of fact and more regimented.
No surprise there. I'm sure the same will be true of the hotel when it opens.
 
I completely understand having guests pay for drinks in advance at the Cantina, since it would be very easy for them to sneak away and not pay for their $40+ drink
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top