Newfound appreciation for GE

[TongaToast21]

While I think GE is beautifully done and impressively built, I still thought it felt somewhat stale as (its been said a million times) Batuu is not in the original trilogy (or any of the canon movies) and there was no real connection to the land.

However, after watching the Mandalorian, I think GE is awesome now as IMO it looks nearly identical the city and landscapes in the show. Does anyone else think this? Or that imagineering/ producers had Mando in mind while developing GE?

 

[LandoBlanco]

I finally got to see it a couple of days ago and have been on board from the beginning as far as the land being a new location. The Falcon still gives the nostalgia, and the rest of the land has Star Wars in it’s DNA. Hopefully the fans that haven’t watched the animated shows will be tuning into the Mandalorian and start to see the connections to the architectural design of the land. They did an amazing job.

 

[Jonfw2]

I understand the frustration of the "new land" decision. Versus, say, what they did with Harry Potter, using two extremely well known actual locations from the catalog.

Here's my take: unlike HP, the Star Wars universe and lore is always expanding. Each core movie and each stand alone movie/show/story has introduced new characters, locations, and history. Batuu is now part of all of that. It's not an homage, it's an evolution.

 

[siren0119]

when we were watching the first episode of Mandalorian, my kids and I ALL jumped up when he walked through the town to meet with Greef Carga, and every time they show that particular setting My kids keep saying "It's totally Batuu! We were there!!". Just adds to the enjoyment of the show for us, and they're already talking about when we can go back to WDW and visit Black Spire again.

 

[Farro]

Yep. Mandalorian sealed the deal.

 

[AngiTN]

If that didn't, the book Black Spire Outpost will.
It explains it all and for me, I prefer this new location, timed after the time of all the movies vs. us going back in time to a past point in one of the movies. After all, how would you pick which to go to? Going past is always troubling. Future was the only way to make a land.

 

[Mome Rath]

The Imagineering Story (especially the last episode; beware RotR and Smuggler's Run spoilers) and Mandalorian both have helped me enjoy Batuu more, I'm looking forward to my next stop at Black Spire outpost, and my first ride on RoR.

 

[rstevens333]

Everybody who wishes they built Mos Eisley would complain about being taken out of the magic during every Florida downpour. Batuu was the right idea!

 

[SirBill]

While I think GE is beautifully done and impressively built, I still thought it felt somewhat stale as (its been said a million times) Batuu is not in the original trilogy (or any of the canon movies) and there was no real connection to the land.

To me I always really liked GE and thought it had a strong connection... but I've also read a lot of the other books and things and so to me GE was a place credibly set in the Star Wars universe.

However, after watching the Mandalorian, I think GE is awesome now as IMO it looks nearly identical the city and landscapes in the show. Does anyone else think this? Or that imagineering/ producers had Mando in mind while developing GE?

I don't think it's so much they had the Mandolorian in mind building Galaxy's Edge, as they both had the same kind of background looking at what outer rim settlements would be like.

I loved GE right from the start specifically because it was out of place from the movies, so parts of the movies could pass through it, but GE itself was not tied to any particular movie.

I think you are totally right that watching the Mandalorian helps really tie a place like GE into the Star Wars universe people have a strong admiration of... Now in addition to a blue milk stand, I really want to be able to order bone broth somewhere.

 

[rstevens333]

Oh, you are SO right. There needs to be a Broth Booth next Christmas.

 

[LanceQ]

I honestly hope Batuu shows up on "the Mandalorian" at some point.

 

[yulilin3]

It's funny to me because I have read and seen so many people complaining how SWGE doesn't look like SW, and I've always felt it did, watching the Imagineering story you can clearly see how the concept art from Ralph McQuarrie (original SW trilogy) influenced the team when designing Batuu. Now that The Mandalorian is out everyone seemed to have had an "a-ha" moment.

 

[AngiTN]

I honestly hope Batuu shows up on "the Mandalorian" at some point.

It would not surprise me in the slightest.

 

[siren0119]

It would not surprise me in the slightest.

It's not officially confirmed yet, but we're pretty sure that the planet he's on in Ep 1 when he meets up with Greef Carga and the Client is Batuu - not Black Spire outpost specifically, but at least the same planet/region. The construction and signage is way too similar!

 

[LanceQ]

It's not officially confirmed yet, but we're pretty sure that the planet he's on in Ep 1 when he meets up with Greef Carga and the Client is Batuu - not Black Spire outpost specifically, but at least the same planet/region. The construction and signage is way too similar!

It's not. The planet has been named.

 

[LanceQ]

It's funny to me because I have read and seen so many people complaining how SWGE doesn't look like SW, and I've always felt it did, watching the Imagineering story you can clearly see how the concept art from Ralph McQuarrie (original SW trilogy) influenced the team when designing Batuu. Now that The Mandalorian is out everyone seemed to have had an "a-ha" moment.

I've heard tons of people complain that it's not a "familiar" planet, but I haven't heard anyone say it "doesn't look like SW."

It totally does, of course!

 

[siren0119]

It's not. The planet has been named.

Oh dear...this is what happens when I 'm a couple of episodes behind!!!! I haven't watched that one yet!

 

[Nancyg56]

It's funny to me because I have read and seen so many people complaining how SWGE doesn't look like SW, and I've always felt it did, watching the Imagineering story you can clearly see how the concept art from Ralph McQuarrie (original SW trilogy) influenced the team when designing Batuu. Now that The Mandalorian is out everyone seemed to have had an "a-ha" moment.

I have to say that I have not seen a Star Wars movie since my kids were old enough to see them without me. So my memory of the Galaxy is fuzzy at best. (My "baby" is 40!) This past week I was on a mission to get a popcorn bucket for my son in law, so my sister and I trekked to GE while th eteens we had with us were in queues for the two thrill rides. I honestly wished I had more time to just take in all the details, because I felt transported to a Land Far Far Away, and went back in time to when I was waiting for hours to get into the theater with my kids.

I never can keep up with the back stories that are part of the creations of the lands, but for me, this one was a winner. I could enjoy the Land even though I have never seen one of the newer movies, and I believe this was part of the Imagineers plan.

Will those who are very much invested in having the details true to newer storylines be happy? No ide. But I was, and cannot wait to stroll through with my son in law when he gets back to WDW. His face will be worth it for me.

 

[Alynw]

While I think GE is beautifully done and impressively built, I still thought it felt somewhat stale as (its been said a million times) Batuu is not in the original trilogy (or any of the canon movies) and there was no real connection to the land.

However, after watching the Mandalorian, I think GE is awesome now as IMO it looks nearly identical the city and landscapes in the show. Does anyone else think this? Or that imagineering/ producers had Mando in mind while developing GE?

We just saw GE for first time and although it was very detailed and impressive, I also thought it was kinda boring and stale and once I read this, u nailed it. I'm not a huge star wars fan but I'm a huge scifi fan so I love anything scifi but as impressed as I was with the land and all its details, I just didn't get it, it was not like walking into star wars I knew at all. To me it felt more like a mad max movie. But then again, I haven't seen the new star wars movies or mandalorian. I think alot of people are having this same feeling, us older generation was expecting to walk in and see what we knew as star wars and that's just not the generation Disney decided to go with and u know what, I agree. The old star wars was and is great but it's just that, old. Disney made a choice to go after the newer and fresher star wars that the younger generation knows and will be around for a very long time. It's easier to get older generation to watch and like the newer movies than it is to get the younger generation to watch and love old outdated movies, they just dont have the nostalgia for em like we do. Yea, the original star wars theme would've probably been really nice and maybe even a little more popular at first but for long term, they got it rite. Disney cant please everyone nor do they try, they go after the sweet spot and that's the majority and the majority for Disney is with the younger generation not the original baby boomer star wars. So with all that said, I think they done great job with GE and although us older star wars fans have a hard time connecting with it, I see alot of little ones running around in all their glory loving every min of it and that there is what its really about. I think maybe I'll try to watch all the new stuff and see if I can get into it.
PS
Dosent change the fact that ROR is by far the best ride out there, absolutely amazing.

 

[kylenne]

We just saw GE for first time and although it was very detailed and impressive, I also thought it was kinda boring and stale and once I read this, u nailed it. I'm not a huge star wars fan but I'm a huge scifi fan so I love anything scifi but as impressed as I was with the land and all its details, I just didn't get it, it was not like walking into star wars I knew at all. To me it felt more like a mad max movie. But then again, I haven't seen the new star wars movies or mandalorian. I think alot of people are having this same feeling, us older generation was expecting to walk in and see what we knew as star wars and that's just not the generation Disney decided to go with and u know what, I agree. The old star wars was and is great but it's just that, old. Disney made a choice to go after the newer and fresher star wars that the younger generation knows and will be around for a very long time. It's easier to get older generation to watch and like the newer movies than it is to get the younger generation to watch and love old outdated movies, they just dont have the nostalgia for em like we do. Yea, the original star wars theme would've probably been really nice and maybe even a little more popular at first but for long term, they got it rite. Disney cant please everyone nor do they try, they go after the sweet spot and that's the majority and the majority for Disney is with the younger generation not the original baby boomer star wars. So with all that said, I think they done great job with GE and although us older star wars fans have a hard time connecting with it, I see alot of little ones running around in all their glory loving every min of it and that there is what its really about. I think maybe I'll try to watch all the new stuff and see if I can get into it.
PS
Dosent change the fact that ROR is by far the best ride out there, absolutely amazing.

I don’t think this is a generational issue at all. This is an issue of how familiar with and invested you are in the SW expanded universe as a whole. Almost everyone I’ve seen who says Batuu “didn’t feel like Star Wars” to them come from the not-insignificant demographic for whom “Star Wars” is the original three movies and maybe the prequels. The fans who connect with Batuu generally tend to know and love the expanded universe, or at least the Disney era content, and that’s not an age thing. Cause even if you’ve missed the expanded universe content, Batuu still looks like it would be right out of something like Rogue One. This is why imo you’re seeing all of these lightbulb moments from the former group who have started dipping their toes into the EU via The Mandalorian, to the point where some people erroneously think the show started out in Black Spire Outpost. I mean, Hondo Ohnaka has a starring role on one of the attractions, and if you’ve never seen the cartoons you have no idea who he is, but he’s a hugely popular side character with fans of the cartoons.

For the record, I’m creeping up on 40 and my childhood was all about the OT. I’ve seen every SW movie including ep 9 (which I loved) and have seen the cartoons, read some of the comics, etc. The second I walked out of the tunnel I felt like I had walked into Star Wars. The architecture and design touchstones are very familiar if you’ve seen the cartoons, comics, etc.