Am I the only one that is unimpressed with SWGE - where is the juice?

[disneyseniors]

I respect your opinion, and I agree to an extent; I enjoy rides that don't necessarily require the individual to make work. But that was the whole point of this ride, to make it more interactive than just sitting there, to make it feel like you are actually taking an active part. It's not going to be for everyone.

Having ridden several times, I have yet to encounter someone that actually cared about their score or how the other people in the ride performed. Frankly, I was always more concerned with my own tasks and watching the screen than thinking about how other people performed. The "outcome" really isn't anything; it only affects your score, not the actual operation of the ride. I just really don't think the actions of the other people in the cockpit affects the ride in any sort of way as to make it a lesser of an experience, or alter your enjoyment of the ride. There's enough movement in the cockpit at all times that there's just no way to tell who is or isn't doing something.

But I do respect your feelings, I'm sure you're not alone.

Thanks for that! I have read on here and other sites that people are complaining because they had to ride with kids or others who didn't know how to "do their jobs" and ruined it for them. I guess that's what I am afraid of if I ever ride it. I would not want to ruin the ride for people who have dreamed of being immersed in SW while on this ride by not knowing what a pilot is supposed to do. I do get it
I remember worrying when the new Mission Space opened. I actually thought that I would cause a crash if I didn't do the right thing. Silly, I know,but it's just me.

It's good to hear that maybe others won't 'be upset by a rookie like me
I really think there are a lot of people like me who just think it's a ride and don't know that it is supposed to be immersive.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

RE: Smugglers Run: I don't want to ride an attraction where the outcome of what I do or don't do affects 3 other people. I don't care what you are supposed to do; it's a ride. I want to be able to watch the action on the screen and not worry about someone getting mad because I am just not as into SW as they are. I probably won't bother with it, but I do like Star Tours.
It is probably frustrating for someone who is a SW fanatic and the out come of the ride is very important to them. I get that. But I think there are a lot more like us who just want to be entertained and experience a ride without worrying about what we do or don't do. I think it is Disney's fault for setting it up this way. Maybe they could have made a version for the uber fan and another for those who could care less about doing the right thing and just want to enjoy it. Just MHO.

I'd still say go at least once maybe when you catch a lower wait time-we still liked it (we went on it 3X so that says something) even if we were a bit underwhelmed/confused on the end stats. I wouldn't request Pilot and if you got that I would ask if someone would switch though. we never got Pilot but there's a lot of ride interaction on that position which isn't what you're wanting. The other positions are less overall interactiveness.

Don't let the thought of what others may think deter you! (at least IMO). But I will say I'm the kind of person who if I think I can ride a ride (as in concerns about motion sickness or high drops or inversions) I will at least once.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Intersting take, Disney Seniors. I'd like to think that wouldn't happen. At least not to the point anyone would say anything out loud.

There might be a way for the staff to pair full crews up a little earlier in the queue, but that also sounds a little un-Disney to me.

We used the single rider line on one of our rides. Single rider line always means you are willing to ride with anyone - and the feeling is generally mutual.

I met a very nice couple this past trip while on Test Track. Also on Hagrid's. On TT, I answered their questions. Conversely, on my 1st ride on Hagrid's my companion did the same for me.

Mostly, I feel like the SR line partly alleviates the situation a little.

Some time ago, there was a thread about eating at the German Octoberfest TS which has group tables, and I was surprised how many people felt uncomfortable sharing a table.

 

[disneyseniors]

there are plenty, basically all the rides at WDW and UOR that are like the one you describe. Sit and watch the action. Disney decided to make an intricate ride system where you actually control different aspects of a ride. I think it's innovative in that sense, for the sit down and watch the action, I'll just walk out of SWGE and go to adifferent arrea

Yes, and I think it's Disney's fault for not carrying that farther. If it is for uberfans only, then say so. I still feel most people aren't megafans, but have some idea of star wars, and don't know that they might affect the outcome of a ride. It just sets people up to be frustrated or irritated by others if that's the case. I have read of people being upset at this, even of children who didn't know how to be a pilot. I feel that if someone is so into it that they should get 3 other fans and ride with them. All guests are allowed to experience this ride without restrictions. And, no, I won't just walk away to another ride because others think I/we should if we don't get it. Doesn't that sound ridiculous. I don't know what the answer is do you?
Maybe we should all be a little understanding and patient in this ride and experience it for what it is to each of us. You (the collective you) may want to experience this ride with only those who know how to play the parts because you have been waiting for something like this for a long while, but there are just as many other people who want to experience this ride and have been waiting too(but maybe aren't as in to it as you/others)

 

[Jennasis]

Our first time riding, our pilot was a 7 year old kid. He didn't do very well, but I shrugged it off and had fun regardless. THe kid was sure having fun.

Second ride, our pilot was a woman our age who wasn't even trying...which was kind of hilarious as we bounced around the cockpit. I made up for it by just shooting everything LOL.

On our final ride, DH and I were pilots, and I'm kind of glad we rode it first NOT as pilots so we could watch the show. While piloting we had to concentrate on the "game" aspect quite a bit instead of the story. However, I SWEAR we made it further into the game when we flew. Is that possible? Were our first two pilots so lousy that the game "timed out" and had us head back to Batuu early, and when we flew, we managed to pilot "further" into the game before it timed out? I swear we saw a whole entire section of the show as pilots that we didn't see on our first 2 trips.

Or maybe it was an adrenaline rush induced fantasy.

 

[tiggerunner]

Been twice, once during the “hurricane” and last week. Waited under 15 minutes. The building is cool, but nothing interactive or fun to look at while waiting in line. They gave us a card both times and I was a pilot and a gunner. I was having issues steering and laughed a lot and it annoyed the other people on the ship- should have been more serious. No problem, their issue because there is no real control. As a gunner I just pushed a button the whole time. It was underwhelming and I’ll stay away and hope that helps the lines stay shorter. The actual park is also a bit confusing and many people were asking where places were, not user friendly.

 

[pcannizzaro76]

Am I the only one that is unimpressed (so far) with SWGE - where is the juice?

This thing cost $1 billion (with a "B") and covers 14 acres and does not have anywhere near the charm/wonder/fantasy/Disney of Main Street or Fantasyland or Cars Land or shoot even the Monorail for that matter (all far smaller and less expensive). I mean, so far the only ride is a big video game embedded in a movie set.

I get it, there is a tremendous fandom of 20somethings to 50somethings but I get the feeling that there is a lot of vlogging and show-the-internet-food of it all without anyone asking if this thing fits.

Honestly, the theming is awesome, but the ride is truly underwhelming. I actually still enjoy star tours more. I think they made a mistake by making the land not an actual location from the movies. Also, the rise of the resistance needs to be unbelievable or this land will be a flop. I have no desire to ride smugglers run again. I think they will have to do some retheming of this ride in the near future. If you are not the pilot, you spend most of the ride looking to the side to either fire the guns or perform your duties as engineer. Oga’s cantina was fun, but how much time can you spend at a bar?

 

[ChrisFL]

I'm not going to say a whole lot, but I also think it's definitely missing a few key ingredients.

But the #1 on my list right now that the land needs.......................MUSIC!!!

Seriously, a very odd creative decision to have a whole land devoid of music (besides Oga's). You have the greatest movie composer of our time, John Willams, making a soundtrack and we don't even hear it?? I guess ROTR will have it, but still....that's a BIG part of what connects us with any movie.

I don't know if anyone else posted this yet, but here's someone who added a Star Wars score to a walkthrough of the land:

 

[BadPinkTink]

I'm not going to say a whole lot, but I also think it's definitely missing a few key ingredients.

But the #1 on my list right now that the land needs.......................MUSIC!!!

Seriously, a very odd creative decision to have a whole land devoid of music (besides Oga's). You have the greatest movie composer of our time, John Willams, making a soundtrack and we don't even hear it?? I guess ROTR will have it, but still....that's a BIG part of what connects us with any movie.

I don't know if anyone else posted this yet, but here's someone who added a Star Wars score to a walkthrough of the land:

aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnd response number 100000000000 to this question in this thread.

Its NOT meant to be a generic theme park land with music. I has been designed specifically to be like visiting a different country / planet. When you visit Paris / Rome / Munich/ St Petersburg / Hong Kong/ Auckland/ Johannesburg / Rio / Quebec you don't hear a rousing musical score as you walk down the street. You hear the local traffic noise, the hustle and bustle of random sounds, the locals speaking a "foreign" language etc etc.

THATS what you are experiencing in Batuu, you hear local traffic noise (aircraft landing and taking off) the hustle and bustle of random sounds and the citizens of Batuu using different words than you are used to hearing in the rest of the park..

 

[ChrisFL]

aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnd response number 100000000000 to this question in this thread.

Its NOT meant to be a generic theme park land with music. I has been designed specifically to be like visiting a different country / planet. When you visit Paris / Rome / Munich/ St Petersburg / Hong Kong/ Auckland/ Johannesburg / Rio / Quebec you don't hear a rousing musical score as you walk down the street. You hear the local traffic noise, the hustle and bustle of random sounds, the locals speaking a "foreign" language etc etc.

THATS what you are experiencing in Batuu, you hear local traffic noise (aircraft landing and taking off) the hustle and bustle of random sounds and the citizens of Batuu using different words than you are used to hearing in the rest of the park..

I understand that...that doesn't mean it's better for it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnd response number 100000000000 to this question in this thread.

Its NOT meant to be a generic theme park land with music. I has been designed specifically to be like visiting a different country / planet. When you visit Paris / Rome / Munich/ St Petersburg / Hong Kong/ Auckland/ Johannesburg / Rio / Quebec you don't hear a rousing musical score as you walk down the street. You hear the local traffic noise, the hustle and bustle of random sounds, the locals speaking a "foreign" language etc etc.

THATS what you are experiencing in Batuu, you hear local traffic noise (aircraft landing and taking off) the hustle and bustle of random sounds and the citizens of Batuu using different words than you are used to hearing in the rest of the park..

I actually get both points on the music.

Here's what I said on the News Thread about that:
"I'm kinda 50/50 on whether pumping the actual music that we all know throughout the land would have thematically worked. Honestly I think there's too much open space for it to have truly worked for me. Yes the sounds of the busy port-style place got old after a while but I'm not sure hearing the main score throughout the whole land would have worked either given the design of the space. I do think there could have found a place for that music somewhere. Maybe as you get closer to the front of the queue for Smuggler's Run? (maybe they'll do something for that for Rise of the Resistence who knows).

In terms of theming there's less dead-space IMO in both Pandora and Harry Potter that it feels so much different. That's purely opinion based."

To your point about the different countries--is that really apples to apples comparison? We're talking about a made up land and a made up world but with highly recognizable music. I don't think people go to England and expect to hear Harry Potter music that said there is Harry Potter music at Universal in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter--the land created off of this made up society of wizards and the like.

 

[Turksmom]

aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnd response number 100000000000 to this question in this thread.

Its NOT meant to be a generic theme park land with music. I has been designed specifically to be like visiting a different country / planet. When you visit Paris / Rome / Munich/ St Petersburg / Hong Kong/ Auckland/ Johannesburg / Rio / Quebec you don't hear a rousing musical score as you walk down the street. You hear the local traffic noise, the hustle and bustle of random sounds, the locals speaking a "foreign" language etc etc.

THATS what you are experiencing in Batuu, you hear local traffic noise (aircraft landing and taking off) the hustle and bustle of random sounds and the citizens of Batuu using different words than you are used to hearing in the rest of the park..

But that is something you hear when visiting other countries- street performers, music in the market place and spilling out from the restaurants and taverns, etc. Granted, the background soundtrack playing throughout the whole land wouldn't fit the immersive theming, but Batuuans seem like a fun people (when they aren't being oppressed by the First Order)- give them some music!

 

[fatmanatee]

aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnd response number 100000000000 to this question in this thread.

Its NOT meant to be a generic theme park land with music. I has been designed specifically to be like visiting a different country / planet. When you visit Paris / Rome / Munich/ St Petersburg / Hong Kong/ Auckland/ Johannesburg / Rio / Quebec you don't hear a rousing musical score as you walk down the street. You hear the local traffic noise, the hustle and bustle of random sounds, the locals speaking a "foreign" language etc etc.

THATS what you are experiencing in Batuu, you hear local traffic noise (aircraft landing and taking off) the hustle and bustle of random sounds and the citizens of Batuu using different words than you are used to hearing in the rest of the park..

I sorta get both sides but there's been enough noise (sorry) on this that I wouldn't be surprised if they make a change. People want to feel like they're in a movie, and they associate the soundtracks with that feeling.

I'll be there in two weeks so we'll see how I feel about the current situation at that point but I've been leaning more and more towards pro-music. And definitely pro-adding more characters.

 

[Jennasis]

Does Pandora have bush music? (That's what I call the ambient music in other lands at WDW)

 

[DLgal]

They could at LEAST play some swelling orchestral SW music in the EXIT walkthrough of Smuggler's Run! They do this for Star Tours and it's amazing. And they literally do it for almost every other Disney ride.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Does Pandora have bush music? (That's what I call the ambient music in other lands at WDW)

Yes, at least whenever someone is playing in the drum area.

I daresay...a number of us are kinda poking around and saying, "Something is missing...I can't quite put my finger on what exactly would give it that POP! but it needs something more."

Earlier I said I thought the land could use a little more greenery of some kind. Music would also give it some POP. The rest of WDW saturates our senses. Maybe a scent? Okay, maybe not a scent....

The characters are fun...but we kinda need more interaction with them, and we kneed a way to know that is what we're doing.

I noticed on our most recent visit: character meals are far from new, and the concept seems pretty basic to me, but the staff still explained how character meals work, and exactly how the characters would tour the room.

Maybe everyone entering the new land should get to create a character at a kiosk, like we create a car on Test Track. Who are we?

 

[ChrisFL]

Yes, at least whenever someone is playing in the drum area.

I daresay...a number of us are kinda poking around and saying, "Something is missing...I can't quite put my finger on what exactly would give it that POP! but it needs something more."

Earlier I said I thought the land could use a little more greenery of some kind. Music would also give it some POP. The rest of WDW saturates our senses. Maybe a scent? Okay, maybe not a scent....

The characters are fun...but we kinda need more interaction with them, and we kneed a way to know that is what we're doing.

I noticed on our most recent visit: character meals are far from new, and the concept seems pretty basic to me, but the staff still explained how character meals work, and exactly how the characters would tour the room.

Maybe everyone entering the new land should get to create a character at a kiosk, like we create a car on Test Track. Who are we?

Well, it's all of the senses, sights, smells, sounds that make visiting Disney so special....all imagineered (mostly) to perfection.

I think having an unknown planet, in the new trilogy, with almost no walk around characters DOES need other familiar things to tie it into Star Wars. I mean, let's say there's no Millennium Falcon sitting there....what else REALLY points to it being Star Wars, instead of generic planet X? Chewie is there sometimes walking around, but why not C3PO and R2D2? Why isn't Lando the pilot of the Falcon that you're helping out instead of some mostly unknown guy from a TV series?

 

[Jennasis]

Yes, at least whenever someone is playing in the drum area.

I daresay...a number of us are kinda poking around and saying, "Something is missing...I can't quite put my finger on what exactly would give it that POP! but it needs something more."

Earlier I said I thought the land could use a little more greenery of some kind. Music would also give it some POP. The rest of WDW saturates our senses. Maybe a scent? Okay, maybe not a scent....

The characters are fun...but we kinda need more interaction with them, and we kneed a way to know that is what we're doing.

I noticed on our most recent visit: character meals are far from new, and the concept seems pretty basic to me, but the staff still explained how character meals work, and exactly how the characters would tour the room.

Maybe everyone entering the new land should get to create a character at a kiosk, like we create a car on Test Track. Who are we?

No...not when the drummers are out doing their show. Constant ambient music throughout the land...I don't recall there being any.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

B O R I N G
We were there opening day. Lots of ways to spend money. Lots of old props strewn about. 30 minutes is more than enough time to walk through unless you are going on the ride.

 

[LanceQ]

Maybe everyone entering the new land should get to create a character at a kiosk, like we create a car on Test Track. Who are we?

That's an AWESOME idea! You could get a print out of a little Batuuan ID card or passport or something.