ToyStory land/Star Wars land opening

[rteetz]

Well, Toy Story land is a smaller land, plus The entrance to Toy Story Midway Mania will be in that land too (so 3 rides but 2 new ones)

Pandora was originally supposed to have 3 rides but one got cut for budget reasons (still an expansion spot so can add on to the land) - plus the land itself it like an attraction with all the details (though I feel they under-delivered in the promised level of interactiveness of the land)

Star Wars Land will be similar - 2 major attractions and then the land itself and its inhabitants will be like an attraction

I hear you though, I think adding in a few smaller things would be nice

Star Wars was originally going to have 3 attractions as well but budgets get in the way.

Star Wars will be unlike anything else though.

 

[Planogirl]

What is it with the cutbacks? I don't understand why budgets always have to be slashed. I am still looking forward to Star Wars though.

Which reminds me, what is the deal with Star Tours? Will it remain somehow? I see others mentioning what could be put in its place and the location is off too.

 

[andyw715]

The entire land of SWL will be a ride.

 

[jknezek]

I don't think you could make SWL big enough. Frankly, if you wanted a 5th gate, SW probably could have filled it. And yes, I understand that one IP isn't the way Disney does gates, and with good reason, but you could have made a DHS sized park completely SW if you wanted. You will never run out of stories, you could have themed the lands chronologically or by planet. The character universe is almost infinite. Food and drink options are only limited by imagination. The ride possibilities are endless, both thrill and dark rides.

That being said, I'm happy Disney has an expansion pad ready, even if I know that is pretty much standard operating procedure. I do believe they are the only company that can do the SW Universe justice, but they are going to have to want to keep working at it. This isn't a fairy tale with a finite beginning and end, this is a universe with no end to the possible stories or direction it can take.

For example, I think one of the best SW stories can be found in the Knights of the Old Republic (original) video game. It has nothing to do with the movies or cartoons or any of the popular media that most people know, but the genius and detail of that story, and the many worlds and nuances it encompassed, show how large the universe could be.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What is it with the cutbacks? I don't understand why budgets always have to be slashed. I am still looking forward to Star Wars though.

Which reminds me, what is the deal with Star Tours? Will it remain somehow? I see others mentioning what could be put in its place and the location is off too.

There have always been cut backs. When Disneyland first opened half the park was just grassy areas and stuff .... Animal Kingdom was supposed to have Beastly Kingdom (which is now Pandora) - but because of budget concerns they had to pick to have either Beastly Kingdom or Dino Land

Last I heard, Star Tours will be closed/rethemed to something else (if they ever work the rights out it would be easy to put the Ironman ride the Hong Kong Disneyland has, I would imagine)

 

[jknezek]

When you dream, you dream big. When you build, you build to budget. We often hear the dreams, which then get translated as "stage 1, stage 2, stage 3" and think the budget accommodates them all. Then when the bulldozer meets the sand and swamp, we discover what is really possible. For most people, it's no big deal. They don't follow Disney close enough to have discovered the difference between the dream and the reality. It is hard to be disappointed by what you don't know.

 

[Planogirl]

There have always been cut backs. When Disneyland first opened half the park was just grassy areas and stuff .... Animal Kingdom was supposed to have Beastly Kingdom (which is now Pandora) - but because of budget concerns they had to pick to have either Beastly Kingdom or Dino Land

Last I heard, Star Tours will be closed/rethemed to something else (if they ever work the rights out it would be easy to put the Ironman ride the Hong Kong Disneyland has, I would imagine)

I can't imagine them getting the rights to Ironman plus the area wouldn't be themed correctly. I like Star Tours so this is disappointing.

As for budget, I guess that the theme parks area is restricted. It's tempting to say that Disney has plenty of money but if course that is partially in other parts of the company.

 

[maltdizzy]

Last I heard, Star Tours will be closed/rethemed to something else (if they ever work the rights out it would be easy to put the Ironman ride the Hong Kong Disneyland has, I would imagine)

Just to clarify.

The rumor for Disneyland is, since they aren't moving Star Tours, they *might* retheme it. There hasn't been much discussion about what will happen a DHS, but the current Star Tours may be adjacent and kept.

 

[rteetz]

Just to clarify.

The rumor for Disneyland is, since they aren't moving Star Tours, they *might* retheme it. There hasn't been much discussion about what will happen a DHS.

To clarify even further. The Disneyland version has a couple options. One is rethemed to Iron Man, another is to be moved to the new marvel land in DCA.

For DHS that one will not stay as is forever. Around 2020/21 that one will also be rethemed into something else since it is not part of SWL.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

Just curious if there are any rumors for a Toy Story or Star Wars Character meals in the new lands?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I don't think you could make SWL big enough. Frankly, if you wanted a 5th gate, SW probably could have filled it. And yes, I understand that one IP isn't the way Disney does gates, and with good reason, but you could have made a DHS sized park completely SW if you wanted. You will never run out of stories, you could have themed the lands chronologically or by planet. The character universe is almost infinite. Food and drink options are only limited by imagination. The ride possibilities are endless, both thrill and dark rides.

That being said, I'm happy Disney has an expansion pad ready, even if I know that is pretty much standard operating procedure. I do believe they are the only company that can do the SW Universe justice, but they are going to have to want to keep working at it. This isn't a fairy tale with a finite beginning and end, this is a universe with no end to the possible stories or direction it can take.

For example, I think one of the best SW stories can be found in the Knights of the Old Republic (original) video game. It has nothing to do with the movies or cartoons or any of the popular media that most people know, but the genius and detail of that story, and the many worlds and nuances it encompassed, show how large the universe could be.

One challenge is that Disney is rewriting what is cannon and what isn't ... so positive if they could make up whatever they wanted, downside is there aren't as many ready-to-go stories (like Knights of the Old Republic)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Just curious if there are any rumors for a Toy Story or Star Wars Character meals in the new lands?

I haven't seen anything - I know they haven't had Toy Story character meals as it would be hard for some of those characters to move between the tables. Also, I believe the land will only have a quick service restaurant

For Star Wars Land I believe there will be characters in the Cantina, but it won't be a traditional character meal in that they stop by each table for a hug and photo, but rather would be milling around and you could interact wit them if you chose (though these would be local residents of the planet, and not Luke Skywalker or anyone)

I also recall them saying they definitely won't be having like Mickey Mouse dressed as a Jedi as that would clash with the immersiveness of the new land

 

[jknezek]

One challenge is that Disney is rewriting what is cannon and what isn't ... so positive if they could make up whatever they wanted, downside is there aren't as many ready-to-go stories (like Knights of the Old Republic)

The current Star Wars cartoon, Star Wars Rebels, came very, very close to making Revan canon. Would that make KOTOR canon? No. But it's possible. I'm happy Rebels made Thrawn canon, but they have yet to make Zahn's excellent epilogue canon. So I guess they can make the character but not the story, but I do hope they make KOTOR canon at some point. In my opinion Zahn's epilogue, which could still fit in the post Episode VI, pre Episode VII timeline, and KOTOR are the best of the non-canon SW Legends Universe.

Regardless though, KOTOR shows how much depth the SW Universe has. The history is as fascinating as the future, let alone the popularity of the present.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The current Star Wars cartoon, Star Wars Rebels, came very, very close to making Revan canon. Would that make KOTOR canon? No. But it's possible. I'm happy Rebels made Thrawn canon, but they have yet to make Zahn's excellent epilogue canon. So I guess they can make the character but not the story, but I do hope they make KOTOR canon at some point. In my opinion Zahn's epilogue, which could still fit in the post Episode VI, pre Episode VII timeline, and KOTOR are the best of the non-canon SW Legends Universe.

Regardless though, KOTOR shows how much depth the SW Universe has. The history is as fascinating as the future, let alone the popularity of the present.

Oh yeah, a lot of the stuff in Rebels really expands things - heck just the character of Bendu adds a lot

I agree there is a lot of area that can be covered ... just thinking to do an entire gate of Star Wars would be easier, I think, if they had the entire books and stuff to work with already. But hey, that is why the Imagineers get paid the big bucks and I am just commenting on a message board

 

[jknezek]

Oh yeah, a lot of the stuff in Rebels really expands things - heck just the character of Bendu adds a lot

I agree there is a lot of area that can be covered ... just thinking to do an entire gate of Star Wars would be easier, I think, if they had the entire books and stuff to work with already. But hey, that is why the Imagineers get paid the big bucks and I am just commenting on a message board

Completely agree. But I'm pretty sure a SW 5th gate was never really on the table. Now, maybe a "Heroes" 5th gate, with a whole lot of SW, Marvel, even some of the animated films like Hercules. That had some serious possibilities, but not in Orlando. We can always dream, right?

 

[MandLBee]

Just curious if there are any rumors for a Toy Story or Star Wars Character meals in the new lands?

They screwed up Pizza Planet before, I wish they would do it right and add it to TSL.

 

[tjkraz]

For Star Wars Land I believe there will be characters in the Cantina, but it won't be a traditional character meal in that they stop by each table for a hug and photo, but rather would be milling around and you could interact wit them if you chose (though these would be local residents of the planet, and not Luke Skywalker or anyone)

I don't know if the "milling around" approach is practical for a character meal. Especially when guests are paying the premium rates with the assumption that they are guaranteed some interaction. Families won't be happy if they have to chase characters around the venue and fight for attention...particularly if they have young kids, shy kids, people with certain special needs, etc.

We did a Star Wars breakfast at Sci-Fi a couple years ago. They had Vader and Boba Fett in the entrance for group photos. Then Stormtroopers, Jaws and Greedo were making the rounds inside. I'd expect something similar.

 

[jsrowdon]

The current Star Wars cartoon, Star Wars Rebels, came very, very close to making Revan canon. Would that make KOTOR canon? No. But it's possible. I'm happy Rebels made Thrawn canon, but they have yet to make Zahn's excellent epilogue canon. So I guess they can make the character but not the story, but I do hope they make KOTOR canon at some point. In my opinion Zahn's epilogue, which could still fit in the post Episode VI, pre Episode VII timeline, and KOTOR are the best of the non-canon SW Legends Universe.

Regardless though, KOTOR shows how much depth the SW Universe has. The history is as fascinating as the future, let alone the popularity of the present.

What Zahn epilogue are you referring to? I used to be an avid EU reader, I basically read every post Battle of Yavin book until they announced the EU would no longer be cannon and have not read or keep up with any of the books since then. Maybe it is time to go back and give it another try.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What Zahn epilogue are you referring to? I used to be an avid EU reader, I basically read every post Battle of Yavin book until they announced the EU would no longer be cannon and have not read or keep up with any of the books since then. Maybe it is time to go back and give it another try.

I am assuming he means the Thrawn Trilogy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrawn_trilogy

It introduces a lot of new characters that then have big roles in the expanded universe, including Mara Jade

But a lot of things in it don't fit what has now come out in The Force Awakens (in the Zahn, books Han and Leia have twins, and it is Luke who has a son named Ben, for example)

 

[jsrowdon]

Ahh, I was thinking he was referring to something more recent. Read the original Thrawn trilogy multiple times already. Got my hopes up for something new and good.