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.)

Disney's Hollywood Studios- The Worst Disney Park in Florida?

From one of the best days of our trip to one of the worst: The mess that is Disney's Hollywood Studios. "Wait!" you say in protest. "It's got Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock n Rollercoaster!" Yes, that's true. And in response to you, I say, "1- Down for the day. 2-Still great and 3- Closed for Refurbishment." That was our day in a nutshell when it came to our favorite attractions in the park. Ddi we have fun? Sure, but it was "different".

Since we couldn't get virtual queue for Rise, took our own sweet time getting there. Even at almost an hour before official opening, it was a pretty light morning. When we entered the park, we headed straight for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Immediate 40 minute wait. What? So the problems began. The dang park is just under built, and it shows. More on that later.

I do not get the complaints on Runaway Railway aside from the Great Movie Ride question. That is one I totally get and really wished the suits would have upgraded the opening day classic and put Mickey and Minnie in the old Animation Courtyard where it belongs. 

Cute, Classic Disney, and full of charm. Imagineering at its best. It's a near perfect family friendly ride that hits all the right elements. Had it been around during Walt Disney's day, I'm guessing he would have been very proud of it. Sweet, funny, and something everyone young and old can ride together. No height restriction, a massive people eater, and it is all much more reliable than that other big trackless ride in a galaxy far far away. What a great ride to start our day!

Checked the Disney Parks app. Rise was still down. Off to Star Tours. Why is it the older ride can pull you into the story and seems to have more action and energy than an entire land just a few steps away? Like Mickey and Minnie's, we walked off with a smile on our faces. 

Now that we'd been bitten by the Star Wars bug, we walked over to Batuu. Slowing down, we checked out a few shops more than the previous trip, took some photographs, and decided it was time for a Ronto Wrap. I love these things! Yes sir, mine was cold and it did not have a fresh flavor. It wouldn't be the worst meal on our trip, but it was close to the bottom.

What should we do next? Walking by, Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run had a decent wait, so that was our sign. It may not be the star of the land, but I have to admit, this one is growing on me. Perhaps the working together as a team aspect is the one repeatable thing that never tires. We had a blast, and Hondo Onaka is one incredible Audio-Animatronic. 

App check. Nope, still closed.

This is the part where the park shows its weaknesses. We are not stage show people. Rubberheads are not our thing, nor are sing a longs. We have carnival rides at home, so that eliminated Alien Swirling Saucers. The line at Toy Story Mania was over an hour wait. Even longer for Slinky Dog Dash. The coaster is more fun than you'd think, but no and no. 

We'd seen Vacation Fun Madness or whatever it is called, and that was a bust. How could they pass off as an attraction a splicing of Mickey cartoon segments we'd all seen multiple times? Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy is awful- but we're not its audience.

My wife was happy to sit down for a bit, so my son and I decided to bite the bullet and embrace the wait for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. We are never disappointed. It's just all over so fast. Then, it was back to looking for something else to do.

By now, it was hot. Really hot and muggy. Time for a Mickey bar and a short visit to Dinosaur Gertie for some photos. Why? Because it's my tradition! Next, with a 5 minute wait because we timed it just right, we gladly took in Muppets 3D. Hadn't seen it in years. Hadn't missed much. The gimmick of 3D no longer plays well and neither do the Muppets, regardless of how much Disney tries to reboot the franchise. Time for it all to go. There, I said it.

One more ride in Star Tours. New scenes, new destinations, still fun.

 

We regrouped by grabbing a seat inside the BaseLine Tap House. A wise stop. There's no meal to be found here, just some trendy bar snacks to go with the beer. Nice environment but nothing too themed or special. People watching was the order of the day there. I spied with my little eyes something fun. You'll have to look for the Disneyland reference yourself. I might save it for a Design Detail post, though.

App check (again). Rise was still down. The waits for Slinky Dog and Toy Story Mania were even longer than before. We had a 35 minute wait for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. 

In an instant, our decision unanimously made. No debate, no second thoughts. Booking a late afternoon reservation for La Hacienda de San Angel restaurant, we walked out of the park and hopped right on the Skyliner to Epcot. Our day instantly was 100% better. 

Disney's Animal Kingdom would be tomorrow. Given the day's events, I was more than a bit nervous.

I'm calling it now. Disney's Hollywood Studios better get their act together. As it currently stands, unless we are traveling with others who insist differently, this will be the Disney park we skip over in order to go to Epic Universe. 

The latest hot rumor mill says Universal is demanding guests buy a three day park ticket in order to get into the newest park once it opens- but the catch is you can only go to that park one day. That leaves the other two days of a vacation on their property for Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios and City Walk. If you're adding it up, that's a total of three days out of a week's vacation spent at Universal vs. Disney. Throw in two days for travel, and watch out. Things are about to change big time. People were initially mad to have to buy a two park ticket in order to ride the Hogwart's Express. But they got used to it. Now, Universal is a two day experience, Soon enough, they will get used to three days at the Universal Orlando Resort as well.

Come 2025, long after D23 has come and gone and plans change or get cancelled once again, people will start saying what our son is saying now: "Going forward, I can't imagine a trip to Central Florida without spending days at Universal Orlando." 

Rare Star Tours 30th Anniversary Attraction Poster

When Star Tours opened at Disneyland in 1987, I was there. What a phenomenal weekend! The iconic Star Wars attraction has been a hit ever since. Next, it premiered at Walt Disney World's then named Disney-MGM Studios, Tokyo Disneyland, and EuroDisney aka Disneyland Paris. 

Back in 2017 at Disneyland, Imagineering celebrated the beloved, groundbreaking thrill ride with this special anniversary attraction poster. 

I wondered what would happen to Star Tours when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened, but it stayed put. Good thing! It is an entirely different experience than Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run and some folks would say the original movie attraction is equal to if not better than the newer flight simulator ride. What do you think?

Want more Disneyland attraction posters? Look here for the full collection, beginning with Main Street U.S.A.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

 

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge from the Air

I'll tell you in tomorrow's article what Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge really needs to round out the experience and turn it into something that can do battle with Harry Potter's world at Universal Orlando, but for now, take a look at this great photo of the land found in Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's a beautiful shot! You get a great view of Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run as well as all the shops and restaurants in the main portion of the land. In the outback, the entrance to Rise of the Resistance is slightly hidden, only to be easily found by the very long line of visitors who head to Walt Disney World to get the ultimate Star Wars adventure. 

(Photograph by Bioreconstruct.)

Star Wars:Galaxy's Edge Traveler's Guide

After missing the opening of Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios by a matter of days, our next trip would not be subject to missing out! A year and a few months later- long story - we'd find ourselves back at Walt Disney World with a different daughter and her family. And this time, it meant an opportunity to experience Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge for ourselves!

What you're looking at is the Traveler's Guide that they gave out at the gate. A little waterlogged, but nonetheless, still quite an enjoyable souvenir. Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run was a big hit for everyone but especially the littlest passengers. Oga's Cantina was not to be visited, and we didn't build our own light sabers at Savi's Workshop, but a visit to Droid Depot was a must. The little boys saved their hard earned money to buy one (with a very tiny bit of help.

Rise of the Resistance wasn't open- but it is waiting for us this trip. By God's grace and a dash of pixie dust, here's hoping it happens this coming trip. Based on recent wait times, it may be a reality!

Piloting the Millennium Falcon: Birthday Edition

Our youngest son is the theme park lover- and an unexpected trip to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019 gave us the chance to pilot the craft on Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, Disneyland's second Star Wars adventure. What a great day together! And I'm looking forward to our Florida trip in September to experience even more of the land- and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with my Harry Potter fan!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Collection

Continuing the series of Disneyland attraction posters, here are three from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Now admittedly getting highest quality attraction posters of any kind is always an adventure of sorts. But finding new ones for Disneyland's latest major attractions is a challenge. A big challenge- and you won't find them in the Galaxy's Edge itself. That would break the entire theme that you're on a distant and relatively undiscovered planet.

This is the epic attraction!

It's too bad it is so difficult to ride!

What a mistake in engineering...

Taken as a whole, it is not a bad ride.

But compared to the headliner, it falls short.

The Star Wars land is pretty rich and detailed, much like the attraction posters you can see here (and the Black Spire Outpost tourist travel poster which you can purchase on site). There's lots of shops to explore and pay to play upgraded experiences. But there should be so much more in the land! I mean, at least move Star Tours over, right?

As for attraction posters, this is absolutely as good as it gets for both Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. For now. Keep your eyes open. I know I will. All the other Disneyland attraction posters can be found on the blog. Some are quite hard to find. Enjoy your search!

Speeder Bike Concept Art for Galaxy's Edge Revealed

Here it is: The long lost and never built Speeder Bike attraction concept art that was proposed for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at both Disneyland and at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It would have been a great complement to Rise of the Resistance and Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. Is it time to gear up for phase two?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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.)

Ranking My 2019 Most Anticipated Disney Experiences

Looking back on what I first wrote in January of 2019, I'm going to go back to my most anticipated Disney offerings for the year and give each a rating. This will be like school grades as opposed to the A to E Ticket ratings I did earlier on each park attraction over the last decade. Was I disappointed or delighted? Here we go!

Phantom Manor refaire. Photographer unknown.

The Re-Imagining of the Phantom Manor:  B+

When I read that Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald was refreshing Paris' elaborately original take on the Haunted Mansion, I was skeptical. He's a lover of screens, and I imagined something far worse than the end result. Granted, building on the work of Walt era Imagineers allows a foundation of excellence, but you can also screw up a classic. The end result: I like it much better than I thought- some of it is just stunning- but I wish the storyline wasn't spelled out for me. Turning Melanie into a villain was a mistake. 

This is a must see.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A

Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run is the only attraction I've ridden in the land- but I've been to versions on each coast. Does it feel lifeless at times? Yes. Does it need its headliner attraction, Rise of the Resistance to fully show what the Imagineers were trying to accomplish absolutely. Could it have been better? Yes, but even without a complete package, I was not disappointed.

A disappointment.

Toy Story 4: C 

Buzz Lightyear and Woody are the most likable of buddies and the Toy Story series some of the best buddy movies of all time. It was wasted here.  They should have stopped at 3. Enough said. 

Meh.

Frozen 2: Pass

I've chosen to wait for home release on Disney+. The reviews from my own relatives were mixed, leaving me less than pressed to pay movie theater prices for a film I wasn't sure about to begin with.

Great idea in a very wrong location- but worth the wait.

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway: Delayed 

To quote myself: "Other than giving the boot to The Great Movie Ride, what isn't there to like about an E Ticket attraction focused on Mickey and Minnie? Absolutely nothing!" I was very, very disappointed the opening was delayed. It will now be a few years before I'm back at the World. Still smells like a hit to me!

Ka-plunk not Ka-chow!

Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy: D

This little show is pure filler and not worth a repeat viewing unless you've got first time little visitors that need a diversion when they can't ride Twilight Zone or Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. 

I guess there's always 2021.

D23 2019: C-

One disappointment after another. Why waste Dick Van Dyke in announcing a Mary Poppins attraction without wowing us with details? Why announce an Epcot renovation without something to amaze us? Why did they even hold this event?

Unexpected and incredible.

The Imagineering Story: A

I did not know about this series coming to Disney+, but aside from the last episode when it falls into a puff piece, this could be my very favorite of all Disney experiences for the year. Respectful of the greatness that once was, honest about recent failures, and hopeful for the future. Just a wonderful series that I wish would continue. 

How did your Disney year shape up?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)