November 19, 2020

Does Evermore Succeed Where Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Failed?

Utah's Evermore Park promises times of exploration and interaction with all of the residents. There's not a ride to be found aside from the Evermore Express, a train that circles and bisects the park. What it does promise is an adventure of your own choice. Does it live up to its lofty goals?


Think if the park as a live action, always there, Renaissance Festival of sorts mixed with theming learned from Disney Imagineering. Separate lands, themed eating and drinking and shopping: and street performers in character. All set in a lovely and lively English village of years past.

They say it best on their own introduction page on the website:  "Greetings to you, brave explorers! Or as we refer to you here at Evermore, "World Walkers". Our land is filled with beauty and discovery. This ancient township was built eras ago upon a body of mysterious energy. Tales of old spoke of heroes, warriors, royalty, elves, goblins, dragons and more coming to this hamlet through magical gateways. Doorways to other lands, worlds, and/or dimensional planes.

Then... those gateways were sealed shut. Centuries passed by and Evermore became stuck in time without a place. Eventually, the common ways of life in this wondrous land gave way to only the belief in tall tales, myths and legends.

Recently, the keys to unlocking the magic of these gateways were rediscovered, and the locks placed on the portals were lifted. The places and personalities once again began to step forth into Evermore. To them, Evermore was also regarded as lost for all those years. The reuniting of vanished cultures has been reason to celebrate. Though all have to wonder exactly why those gateways had at one point... been closed?

We welcome you at Evermore and encourage you to Enter the Story!"

Does this all sound familiar? It should. Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge promise a similar interactive experience albeit in a vastly different setting. 

My two visits to Galaxy's Edge (one on each coast) did not deliver on the promise of interactivity. Perhaps that has changed, but my hunch is that COVID-19 has put an even further damper on those plans. Was my time there enjoyable? Absolutely! From the standpoint of themed design, it's hard to argue anything less than Disney accomplishing a home run. But with the Disney hype machine in full operation prior to opening, I expected to interact with droids and not just have them available for purchase. Most of those interactions are available but with an additional and hefty fee. The same could be said for the classic cantina experience every Star Wars fan wants.

My plans to visit Evermore Park have never materialized. I'd love to hear from those of you who have gone! Please fill us in on what you discovered.

(Map images copyright Evermore Park.)



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