It's About Star Wars Time!

Disney has done something I thought they would never do: Admit changes needed to be made to their Star Wars themed lands. The home of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the new location Batuu, is a very well done planet, but it is lacking. And the suits and Imagineers are fixing that- at least at Disneyland. They're not about to touch the mega- "E Ticket" attraction, but instead, smaller projects will bring more of the original film trilogy into the park. 

John Williams iconic score will play inside the land, bringing an important piece of atmosphere long missing. Those much loved original trilogy characters Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Princess Lea get into the mix of existing, mostly newly introduced citizens.  

Updates the to land itself include additional decor which reflects the first three George Lucas blockbuster films.

It's about Star Wars time.

(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Trip Report September 2019: Hollywood Studios Wins Over the Kids and Adults

As a fairly well seasoned Walt Disney World guest, you can only imagine my surprise to discover that Disney's Hollywood Studios would be the park my daughter's family would most enjoy and want to visit again and again- and so we did!

Due to the joy of park hopping, we left Epcot fairly early in the late afternoon and after a stop at the Pop Century Resort went back out for an evening at the Studios. The father of three had one condition: Due to the anticipated crowds, we would not visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge that evening. We would do the other portions of the park including Toy Story Land. With the kids in agreement, off we went.

In my mind, the Disney-MGM Studios as it was named at opening, has always been an odd park. Even with much development early on and then a longer period of neglect, it has always felt like a half-day offering. (If you want a great look at the history of the park at 30 years with concept art, vintage photos from opening year and more, check out my mega blog post here.) The stage shows have been old and stale for years, and aside from the stunning original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the once epic Great Movie Ride, nothing else was all that compelling. If there ever was a Florida Disney park that needed a heavy dose of Star Wars and so much more, this was surely the one.

No Guardians of the Galaxy takeover- yet.

Walking into the little park I've seen change since 1989 was pure pleasure. Glancing at the beautifully unobstructed view of the Chinese Theater, I couldn't help but smile as I realized how much better it all looked with that Hat gone. Thank God! Someone in charge finally figured out going back to the original intent made sense. 

Certainly, a different group had to be in charge in order for 1- The Great Movie Ride to be taken down for good, 2- Toy Story Land to be built with so little shade, and 3- The offerings of Batuu to fall so far short. 

To be truthful, Toy Story Land looks great at night (as do most parks- even the dismal and cheap California Adventure 1.0 had its charms under the moonlight). With the coming hurricane keeping the crowds low, Slinky Dog Dash was a mere 20 minute wait. Barely themed, deceptively higher than it looks, and exposed to all, this is no kiddie coaster! Rocking harder than I expected, I barely noticed the blue hue of the Galaxy right in view from the top of one of the hills. 

A beautiful Florida night!

On the scale of the World's coasters, it's up there with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Not in charm or theme or beauty, but in thrills alone. This little park needs rides the whole family can enjoy together. There's still a height restriction here keeping the youngest guests unable to ride, but the ride's a lot of fun for those who can. Short lines led to two rides in a row, then it was time to move on. Both my wife and I were ready to let our stomachs settle.

Taken on our third visit to the park.

Well, at least she did. Taking our young granddaughter to shop since she wasn't tall enough, the rest of us took a ride on that wild limo with Aerosmith. Still smooth as glass! Dad and the boys were unsure of it all, but my daughter and I loved Rock 'n' Rollercoaster as we always have. When we regrouped, nightfall conquered the sun. It was time for the original and the best Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. My son-in-law was not told about the 5th Dimension experience, and I gather it took him by surprise. He, his boys, and my wife were not fans. I find it to be a peak of Imagineering in that season for the then struggling park. Can the views from the top be any better?

Toy Story Mania capped off the night as no one in our group was all that interested in taking in stage shows. We had two more visits here to go, so we were quite ready to let everyone rest up for the next day. A late night visit to Woody's Lunchbox helped us regroup. The sandwiches were particularly good, but I found the pop tarts rather ordinary. Don't believe everything you read- even here. Go test it out yourself. Things change so fast.

The frown indicates coolness.

He's really a very sweet kid!

Our next visit to the Studios placed Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and visiting Batuu at the top of the to do list. (We did not let them ride Star Tours before this one.) There was little wait to walk right into Galaxy's Edge, and the kids were so excited, I thought they were not going to be able to stand still. The response? Underwhelmed is the best word I can use to describe it. The approach to the land triggered a different response, and it was only the final sighting of the Falcon that raised their interest. The adults felt the same way.

Pretty, and pretty empty overall.

The standby line registered 40 minutes, but in reality it was happily only over 25. (We timed it.) The kids but not the adults knew Hondo Ohnaka, so the preshow kept their attention. Since we were a party of seven, we insisted their young family enjoy this all together as it was the one attraction they were all looking forward to more than anything else on the property. My wife and I were given the pilot's role, which we gave to a young boy and his dad instead. 

In spite of what could have or maybe even should have been, the journey is quite fun! Everyone exited with big smiles. I expected a request to ride again, but it didn't happen. I assumed this meant they wanted to explore Batuu. Opting to stop for some blue and green milk, we enjoyed the blue, but found the green to be lacking. 

Day two visit meant an encounter with Rey.

The kids were thrilled!

I was positive that everyone wanted to explore the land, and I was happy that we had one of those hard to get reservations for Oga's Cantina on our third day visiting Batuu. Surprisingly, the family was not interested in exploring. They wanted rides. I walked us through the Morocco inspired space themed bazaar, and the only interest was in using the restroom. A stop in the pet store wasn't of interest to even the youngest visitor in our group. The adults agreed to release our Cantina reservations and let someone else enjoy them. Particularly when we calculated the expense for seven of us. As it stands, it is a big splurge, even when the whole trip is as expensive as it can be.

I mentioned Star Tours, and the group lit up. Star Wars wins the day once again! Following directly after the newest simulator, you'd think this older attraction would feel stale and unneeded. Not so! The pacing and thrill factor was still there, and seeing some familiar droids in action just felt right. Are the suits themselves not a fan of the original trilogy? How could they bypass such an essential piece of what made those films beloved? Perhaps there's something in the yet-to-open Rise of the Resistance to pull it all together. Maybe there's some new plans to help the guests really connect with Batuu. This I know: Something has to change.

What was next? Muppets? No interest. Frozen show? Nope. Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast? Not a chance. Going through the list of shows offered led to a lack of interest. I was getting the message. What rides hadn't we done? Swirling Mater's. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway can't come soon enough. What else was there to toss out as an idea? Nothing. We walked out of the area to their requested location and back to Slinky Dog Dash. 

The Eastern Batuu has more deeply saturated colors

than the Western edition. Good call!

When your group wants rides and not stage shows, not shopping, or even character interactions (for the most part), Disney's Hollywood Studios falls flat. Even the second and third parks have many more physical rides to keep people happy. The suits and the Imagineers need to get on a "Phase Two" expansion. If for no other reason than to balance out the park. The Indy stunt show could be fun, but if you've seen it more than a few times (we have), it's not worth the time. 

A perfect place to take the kids!

Happy kids and equally happy adults.

This was the day resort management decided to shut the Studios down at 2pm due to the pending hurricane. After Slinky Dog, it was time for our lunch at Sci-Fi Dine In, one of my very favorite Walt Disney World locations for lunch. I had not been able to get a reservation there since a trip back in 1992. I was pretty excited! 

Hi there, Walt!

Our lunch here was our very first waiter service restaurant stop of the trip. The kids were fantastic as they happily munched and drank while watching one movie clip after another in the front of the convertible. Mom and Dad sat behind them as we were seated in the last row. Everyone was happy. Even happier because we had the Disney Dining Plan, as this place is not inexpensive. But the food was excellent and the service thoughtful and engaging without excess. In order to really get your money's worth on the plan, you've got to order one of the highest priced entrees each time. No problem! My steak ($37) was better than what I've eaten at some higher priced restaurants outside the world, and my alcohol injected refreshment was just what I needed to start the meal. Great onion rings as well, by the way.

I first captured this in 1989.

I did not remember it until years later 

after I had already started the blog!

Even the lettering is similar 

to the style I chose. 

We finished just after 2pm, so we exited the park. As usual, I took my time to walk around Echo Lake, taking photos of Dinosaur Gertie and the surrounding area. It's a beautiful little park when you stop to take in the details. It'd be a perfect spot to stop and sip that Starbucks latte and take it all in.

Where is it headed? Can Batuu succeed? 

It will be the most exciting journey

for the executives to pull it off!

Our last visit to the park was brief as it was also our day to return home. After our second and last ride on the Falcon (again, 25 minutes), I was pretty excited to talk them into stopping in at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. No reaction. But there was a winning moment ahead. The kids had saved their allowance for months, earning money to build a droid. Of course, they fell a bit short, so Grandma and Grandpa came to the rescue and filled in the rest! 

It was soon time for our Fast Pass for Toy Story Mania. Slinky Dog's wait was short as was the queue for Alien Swirling Saucers. Within 40 minutes, we rode again and walked on to Mania. Yes, it's a fun little attraction, but it is certainly no "E Ticket". With this being perhaps Pixar's most beloved film series, you'd think they'd do something a bit more special with this land and what it offers.

A nice diversion, nothing more.

Remembering we had not gone to see the brand new Lightning McQueen Racing Academy show, we slid into a quarter full theater. Aside from the great Audio-Animatronic racer, it was nothing all that special or interesting. Oh well. We were absolutely melting under the heat of the sun, and deciding we wanted to eat indoors, we began to search for the right place. I couldn't think of a quick service location here. asking a cast member, they directed us to the Commissary. Great call!

One of the few indoor quick service offerings

in this little park.

I was quite surprised to find this place as nice as it was! The food was very good and the recently refurbished dining room was just what we needed to regain some sanity after a long day in the sun. having difficulty finding an indoor venue, I began to wonder if the suits really had a long term plan for this park or if they were flying by the seat of their pants, making additions without long range goals. Certainly, killing off the Great Movie Ride was a mistake in a park with so little epic rides, and creating a Toy Story Land with so little shade and a great indoor place to eat was a mistake. Don't get me started on the ups and downs of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge or the rather abandoned other side of the park. Even a desk jockey wanna be Imagineer could think this one through and come up with better ideas. But it was another great lunch at least.

Wouldn't be a trip report without Gertie!

I don't know why I like her, I just do!

You'll never guess what happened next. My daughter's family decided they wanted to go to Epcot and ride Test Track and check out some of the Food and Wine Festival booths. Leaving the park, we took a nice scenic, relaxing boat ride over to the International Gateway. The Skyliner was still in testing. That would have to wait for another trip. 

So, with that, I leave you waiting for the next installment- a look at our time at my beloved Epcot... and my very long winded words about what the suits and Imagineers are doing and what should be done to this once groundbreaking theme park. Until then, thanks for reading this far!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Hollywood Studios Gets Stars Wars: Did Disney Learn From the Galaxy's Edge Disaster in California?

Will the Disney's Hollywood Studios version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge be better received than it was at it's older California sibling? We're about to find out! Without its star attraction, Rise of the Resistance, its anyone's guess. Certainly, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run was not desired to anchor the land. It seems as if the suits have learned some lessons from the past. A little humility is always a good thing!

I'll find out soon as to how this new land compares as our long planned Walt Disney World trip takes place very soon. In the meantime  my take on Disneyland's version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge here.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Unexpected Batuu: Galaxy's Edge Review

Let me state an important fact up front: I am not a Star Wars fan, but I am a huge fan of Disney Imagineering. It's not that the movies aren't enjoyable. They are just not important to me nor have I seen more than two or three of them. There's no right or wrong way to approach the series from my perspective, just give me a satisfying experience. There you go.

Maybe because of the above stated facts, I had already decided I would not visit Disneyland's version as we were headed out to Walt Disney World in late August, shortly after opening. This wasn't our plan when we booked the trip with our daughter and son-in-law and kids back in January, as Galaxy's Edge wasn't scheduled to be open. (Similarly, we had missed Toy Story Land's opening by just days last year.) Disney marketing team announced the opening date in late Spring, so we will be there to see it- an unexpected surprise. (Honestly, I was more disappointed that Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway wouldn't be open! As much as I hate its replacement of The Great Movie Ride, this looks like a classic and very fun attraction.)

One big unexpected surprise came my way a couple of weeks ago. I ended up sliding in a one day SW:GE day during a necessary family visit to California. This was not on my plan for many reasons, but it happened. Even the day my youngest son and I ended up visiting Disneyland was a surprise- a last minute decision that took place shortly before noon. I've never done that before!

Guest reviews of Disneyland's Star Wars land and previews of the same at Disney's Hollywood Studios are thoroughly a mixed bag. Those who are loyal fans of differing films of the series have their own strong opinions on what should have been built versus what was finally was. I had no opinion on that part of it at all, but one thing seems certain: It seems most everyone feels Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge should be more than it is... and I agree.

The First Order dominates the area.

By the time we finally entered the park, it was about 12:30pm. Main Street was pleasantly empty and the newly refreshed castle looked great. The roof sparkled almost white as the sunlight hit it. Since Rise of the Resistance wasn't open, we decided to enter the area through Frontierland, using the entrance you first find after walking past Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I chuckled to myself seeing the special sign stating that the land was open without restrictions. 

Rounding the bend, we walked into the tunnel. The geeky Imagineer wanna be in me noticed the great transition in rock work and lighting between the two areas. Very nice beginning! My son surprised me by commenting on that. For better or worse, I seem to have rubbed off on him- although I will freely admit that he refers to Universal Orlando as "his parks" (vs. Disney Parks being mine). This led us into inevitable comparisons with Harry Potter themed lands and the whole issue of immersion. One day, I'll visit Uni Orlando with him to see it from his perspective, and let him ramble on and on as I do about design choices, Easter eggs, and the like. I can't wait to do that. Again, not a big fan of the books and movies, but I am a big fan of theme park design.

Disney Imagineers are masters at rock work!

The first time visiting a new Disney park or newly designed area is a powerful experience for me. It's like the first listen of a new album by your favorite artist. You can only do that once. I happily absorbed in as much as I could, stopping for quick photos along our walking route toward Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. 

The scale and scope is unexpectedly huge- much, much, bigger than I expected. Batuu is drier, grayer, grittier, and more foreboding as well. As this is an area ruled by the First Order, the Disney Imagineers were successful in creating a sense of being unwelcome. Yes, the land feels like a place you shouldn't be there visiting, it's somewhere you may have stumbled upon. Quite unexpected as well. It's not charming. It's even a bit intimidating. This is brand new territory for a Disney theme park or its individual lands. 

In this regard, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is very out of place being found within "Walt's park", and I'm sure it will be a much better fit for the movie themed park in Florida. Life and activity are lacking, however. The suits don't need to wait until Halloween to play up the drama. Perhaps they should go full bore and do something similar (but obviously with a different tone and intent) to the Muslim call to prayer you find in nations where Islam rules: Provide a steady stream of instruction or harsh warning over loud speakers. Play up the foreboding angle even more. Opt for a darker, droning, robotic "Bright Suns" by its citizens. Increase the presence of Storm Troopers. Throughout the majority of the land, there are upper walkways throughout which provide the perfect opportunity to let them overlook it all and complete the prison yard feel. Use the upper windows and even doors to allow its alien citizens to occasionally peek out, similar to the Wicked Queen at Snow White's Scary Adventures down the road. Bring out the bad guys in force- even from different eras. Don't worry about the littler kids- most of them understand (or should) that it's all make believe. 

Stopped for interrogation.

The reveal of the Millennium Falcon surprised me. It packed quite the punch, even if it doesn't mean much to me. It is just that well designed! It didn't illicit a gaping mouth response as it does for the actors in the commercials, but I was very impressed and instantly reminded of entering Cars Land via the back entrance through the Pacific Wharf area at Disney California Adventure. 

After snapping a few shots in front of it, it was time to fly the Falcon for ourselves. Not knowing what we would find later in the day, we opted for the single rider line with its 25 minute wait. The wait turned out to be much less, and my son and I were assigned the engineering positions and placed into the same hunk of junk.

Father and son play day.

Wished all my other sons were here too!

Not being a gamer, I wasn't disinterested in pushing buttons to make things work, but I was more focused on the ride itself and seeing if it felt fresh or really was Star Tours 3.0. The verdict? This supporting role attraction was quite fun! The system seems to react to your commands flawlessly and immediately. The small cockpit area is an intimate experience, giving it a different vibe than the original Star Wars attraction. If it were the stand alone draw for the land, I would expect more, but being it was designed to be different than Rise of the Resistance, I'm fine with it being exactly what it is.

By this time, we were pretty hungry as we'd left the house so fast we hadn't eaten. Oga's Cantina was out of the question. Even with the Disney app, we couldn't get a reservation until 11pm at night. We hesitated for one minute, it was then gone. Ronto's Roasters it was.

The tasty pita wrapped sausage and slaw / sauce combination was everything the Disney marketers and bloggers had made it out to be. Very flavorful and a fairly good portion for the price. We each ordered different drinks. Both were good if a bit pricey. It was hard to find a place to sit, so we opted to stand up next to the droid turning the meat. 

Where are the alien citizens of Batuu?

Although there would be no $200 light saber for us, the exploration of the marketplace was worth the time we spent. It seems the Imagineers paid close attention to the fact that guests love exploring the back streets of Disneyland's New Orleans Square, Epcot's World Showcase nations, and the winding paths of Animal Kingdom. In this area, there were no encounters with the locals. Not even a moving droid to be found.

In wide open spaces, it was different but still lacking. Aside from a slight show starring Kylo Ren, some woman with blue hair, (proof I really don't know the films at all), and a total of three Stormtroopers, there were no interactions in this section of the land. Only one cast member we encountered tried to stay in character, making the overall experience awkward at best.

He's alive!

The Den of Antiqities perhaps showcased the intent of the land even better than the opening day attraction. It was oddly beautiful, and I could have explored it all for much longer than I would have first thought. In fact, I spent a chunk of time up close to the shop's alien proprietor watching his every move. Even the patrons felt more alert and invested here. The vibrant space and the interactive response were much more like what I expected from the park's new expansion. 

Although I found the First Order section of the land very well done, the Resistance area was puzzling to me. The space felt as incomplete as it was and entirely misimagineered. Full size vehicle models with no one around them created a dead, lifeless area. The "forest" was lacking in every way possible, including a scant number of trees  (much like the Fantasyland Forest in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World). Although the sounds of the area were interesting and certainly well done, they did not compensate for the absence of the film's heroes. We did see a quite lovely Rey, who caught the eye of my single son, but she seemed to hurry by. Must have been break time. I'm sure the intent was to divide the land into "Heroes" and "Villains", but as it stands, it is a missed opportunity and a waste of a very large amount of acreage. 

The whole land needs its mega ticket to open.

We left the area and caught some of our favorite adventures: Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Indy, the Jungle Cruise (Where is the water in the world famous Schweitzer Falls?), two rides on Space Mountain, one on the Matterhorn Bobsleds (Too rough! Too old!), three on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and we even rode with Mr. Toad and took off to Pleasure Island with Pinocchio. Midway, we took a short break at the overrated and overhyped Tropical Hideaway. 

Yes, we really did like the Blue Milk!

Returning in the early evening, we decided to take the standby line for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run so that we could see the preshow as well as walk through the queue. It was 40 minutes, but with the hot late afternoon sun and a view of the Falcon from up above it, this was a good decision to be in the shade. The Hondo Audio-Animatronic ranks up there as one of Disney's best! The movement is fluid and clean, and use of it during the preshow adds to the overall attraction experience. We need some of these robotics in Pandora to complete the Na'vi experience. 

For this ride, we were flying with three very young pilots and their father. I'd say 4, 5, and 6 years old. They were clearly out of touch with the buttons and warnings and the whole idea of participation. Their youthful excitement and inexperience created a random, haphazard flight path as we bounced and shook from one interaction to the next. It was easily the most fun ride of the three we took! Don't be worried if you are partnered with younger riders- we saw an entirely different show and had a great time laughing through the whole flight. Isn't that the real measure of a ride's success?

Batuu at night feels like a different planet.

By this point in time, we were pretty tired, but my son wanted to make a last minute stop to build a droid. The whole process was much faster than it should have been for the price. No matter, he enjoyed it. Choosing a black and silver color scheme, he named it R2FU. (Figure it out. I love his warped sense of humor!) 

We departed Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge via Critter Country and hopped aboard the Disneyland Railroad to Main Street U.S.A. before departing. He offered to ride It's A Small World with me- one of my guilty pleasures- but I passed as it was time to go home.

How can I sum it all up? There's so much potential there! I hope the Disney's Hollywood Studio's version- which I will see soon- takes advantage of the much more humid climate and being farther away from where fireworks are shot to add more plants and greenery. It would add much more of a welcome feel to the area. I also hope they learn from Disneyland's mistakes and bring as many Star Wars experiences into the land as possible. March of the First Order is a good beginning, but there are still too many spaces where smaller stages were obviously built but left unused.  

Perhaps Disney Imagineering has more tricks up its sleeves when its star attraction finally opens. Robert Iger has admitted the area has been less of a success than they hoped. Maybe Disney's ego has finally shown its fruit. Time to go back to the drawing board and the board room to make a very good expansion even better.

(Photos copyright Mark Taft.)