News Round Up 2019

[TheMaxRebo]

I had the same feeling. It was definitely bigger than I expected. I also think it will end up feeling even bigger, possibly, when Rise of the Resistance opens since that whole front area just feels pretty empty right now (although, that might actually contribute to how big it feels because of all that open area).

I had my doubts, still do in some ways, along the lines of it not being themed to anything we're familiar with (and the reality that the Star Wars universe is not really "set" anywhere (at least not any one place(, in the sense that it's less the settings than the story, and that a lot of it is in space - which would be a difficult choice for a land).

I enjoyed it though - one morning (only had 3 full days at WDW - long weekend without the kids) my wife slept in after getting up early the two previous mornings for Extra Extra Magic Hours. I woke up early still, so I just went back to DHS and got there about 7:15. After walking on to Tower of Terror and Rock'n' Roller Coaster, I got a cup of coffee and a pastry and just went and wandered around a bit and sat on the stone bench area by Oga's and drank my coffee and ate the pastry. It was pretty cool. Of course, they started announcing that Oga's was open for walk-ins, so I went in to check it out when I was done (about 8:00 am), only to discover I could have had decent coffee there. Wah Wah. I also enjoyed Oga's much more in the morning (had reservations that night and went in then) - I think people were still more subdued and it may have been a touch less crowded, so it wasn't quite as loud as it was at night. The bartenders were more involved and you could hear them better whooping it up and kind of being in character.

Last thing I'd include here - I was saying the whole weekend that I wished they had some more characters, not major ones, to make the land a bit more immersive. Not along the lines of Stormtroopers, Vi, Rey, etc., but more like street-people - people in character just walking around, perhaps bartering, just being in character of people of Batuu - I think it would really add character and feel to the land.

Thanks for your thoughts!

To your last point - I am wondering if it would have been better to split the CM role types there. So rather than everyone being a resident of Batuu and having to create their own backstory, but also having to play the role of "Disney cast member", maybe have like 1/3 or so be really in depth characters and like citizens of Batuu and really given back stories and be the ones that if you want to engage in character and have that immersion you could. But then the rest of the CMs ease off of that and be more like regular CMs (maybe sort of act like those in Pandora do) so that for the people that don't want immersion they can talk with them like CMs in any other land do and answer questions directly.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

NEWS

Mandelorian magic band and tees available at WDW now!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1191432840300417026

 

[TheMaxRebo]

NEWS

Disney confirms “Mickey’s Happy Holidays” Cavalcade and more coming to Disney California Adventure this Holiday Season

https://twitter.com/x/status/1191437268814352385

 

[Anthony Vito]

Althought knowing Disney IT, more likely all of us will try to download the app at the same time, their system crashes, and a bunch of threads get started related to the app not downloading

This is exactly what I've been thinking. Also, even if it's not Disney's fault, but the fault of the various app stores, when they're all overloaded with people trying to download it that day (and thinking they'd be able to do so and start watching immediately) only to have delays, slow downloads, errors, etc. - I guarantee most of the negative reactions will be directed at Disney. Perhaps rightfully so - Disney should anticipate the demand and work to minimize the issues.

I'm wondering why they don't release the app early to spread out the downloads. They could also have some trailers/teasers, etc. for people to watch. This would be a good ad essentially for people who haven't signed up to take a look, and it would also be a bit of a "soft opening" to test some degree of people using it.

Sadly, I'm honestly anticipating issues trying to download and watch the first day. I hope I'm wrong (but will be less disappointed this way - Tuesday's also not a heavy TV-watching day for us - wife works later).

 

[Anthony Vito]

Thanks for your thoughts!

To your last point - I am wondering if it would have been better to split the CM role types there. So rather than everyone being a resident of Batuu and having to create their own backstory, but also having to play the role of "Disney cast member", maybe have like 1/3 or so be really in depth characters and like citizens of Batuu and really given back stories and be the ones that if you want to engage in character and have that immersion you could. But then the rest of the CMs ease off of that and be more like regular CMs (maybe sort of act like those in Pandora do) so that for the people that don't want immersion they can talk with them like CMs in any other land do and answer questions directly.

I think that's an interesting idea. I think something along those lines would have the benefit of both - increased immersion with the in-depth characters/citizens of Batuu while also having CMs that those who are less worried about immersion could go to and feel more comfortable with.

Having different levels also makes sense since some of the CMs having varying degrees of being "in-character" as it is. We had some of those conversations with some CMs in which they were all in on the not-knowing-Earth/off-planet/etc. Then there were some who were not quite so fully into it - which was particularly helpful for one conversation: I was asking one CM about where I could go to see about shipping merchandise, and she was very helpful in showing me on the map which stores, and we had a somewhat normal conversation about purchasing something as a Christmas gift for my son that was too big to fit in a carry-on, and we didn't do checked bags this trip. Given the context of the conversation, it was helpful to not have to dance around the niceties of being "on" Batuu and just being able to briefly discuss airline travel/real-world shipping. I was actually worried while discussing it with her that she'd go too into character for my questions, but she was helpful (I was being careful how to ask them anyway to tried to avoid that, but probably wasn't necessary that time). We weren't avoiding those type of conversations either, other times we fully played along - it was enjoyable.

Perhaps they could even have a few CMs at umbrellas (not blue like the rest of the park, but perhaps brown with "Traveler Experience Team" on them?) who are not at all in character that can help answer a variety of questions for guests? I definitely think something that would allow more characters/streetmosphere in the land would be helpful and would be more than fine with some CMs not being in character if the trade-off was a better and more authentic "space trading post" atmosphere.

 

[adam.adbe]

This is exactly what I've been thinking. Also, even if it's not Disney's fault, but the fault of the various app stores, when they're all overloaded with people trying to download it that day (and thinking they'd be able to do so and start watching immediately) only to have delays, slow downloads, errors, etc. - I guarantee most of the negative reactions will be directed at Disney. Perhaps rightfully so - Disney should anticipate the demand and work to minimize the issues.

A single update to something like Fortnite will be a *way* bigger load on the Apple/Google et al servers than D+. The app size should not be more than a few hundred megabytes, and is in the grand scheme of things, inconsequential. Apple regularly drop ~9GB updates for macOS/iOS/iPadOS + Safari/iTunes/Pages/Numbers/Keynote worldwide all in a single 24 hour window, and both their systems, and those of Akamai, and the various endpoint ISPs cope just fine.

The only place Disney can foul this up is if their registration system chokes when too many people are trying to sign in for the first time.

 

[adam.adbe]

Thanks for your thoughts!

To your last point - I am wondering if it would have been better to split the CM role types there. So rather than everyone being a resident of Batuu and having to create their own backstory, but also having to play the role of "Disney cast member", maybe have like 1/3 or so be really in depth characters and like citizens of Batuu and really given back stories and be the ones that if you want to engage in character and have that immersion you could. But then the rest of the CMs ease off of that and be more like regular CMs (maybe sort of act like those in Pandora do) so that for the people that don't want immersion they can talk with them like CMs in any other land do and answer questions directly.

Alternatively, do hard ticket events that are explicitly promoted as in-character. For people want the full immersion, those are the tickets to buy, otherwise the SWGE experience will be on a par with everywhere else in Disney.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Alternatively, do hard ticket events that are explicitly promoted as in-character. For people want the full immersion, those are the tickets to buy, otherwise the SWGE experience will be on a par with everywhere else in Disney.

well, they are going to do that, in a way - via stays at the Star Wars Hotel

 

[bookbabe626]

Saw on another site that construction walls are up around Path of the Jedi in DHS, so it seems we were right in guessing that was where the new Mickey shorts theatre was going.

 

[Fantasia79]

Frozen 2 tickets purchased.

 

[jade1]

interesting seeing your thoughts as most "rankings lists" I have seen have had Stranger Things at the bottom. Nightingales seems to be most divisive with some having at the bottom and others towards the top

I will say, general consensus is that everything was pretty solid so even the houses at the bottom are viewed pretty positively

It can come down to the characters playing that night. They were very accurate in S Things (as were GB and US though) on our night.

 

[jade1]

NEWS

new Mandalorian teaser trailer!!!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1191406998782386176

Dang, wish she would have said "legen...wait for it...dary".

Ok to many H I Met your Mother reruns.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1191381901124231168

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Universal does the best videos.

 

[ecclescake]

(Very small bit of) *NEWS*

I just got a Touring Plans update for an upcoming trip to say that Epcot isn't opening til 11am on Sunday the 2nd Feb. This feels very late for a weekend day - and I'd planned to be there that day so that's a shame. Would this be for a special event do people think?

Feb. 2, 2020 Sunday

» Epcot Revised Park Hours: 11:00 AM-9:00 PM • Epcot Opening Time changed from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

 

[BorderTenny]

(Very small bit of) *NEWS*

I just got a Touring Plans update for an upcoming trip to say that Epcot isn't opening til 11am on Sunday the 2nd Feb. This feels very late for a weekend day - and I'd planned to be there that day so that's a shame. Would this be for a special event do people think?

Feb. 2, 2020 Sunday

» Epcot Revised Park Hours: 11:00 AM-9:00 PM • Epcot Opening Time changed from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

The calendar on Disney's site still shows 9am opening.

 

[JK World]

The calendar on Disney's site still shows 9am opening.

TP sent me the same change for my trip next week, then changed it back to 9am. I think it's a system error.

 

[ksromack]

Universal does the best videos.

Giggles: "I just want to make toys to make kids happy".....

 

[ecclescake]

TP sent me the same change for my trip next week, then changed it back to 9am. I think it's a system error.

Just got another TP email at my end saying it's back to 9am - panic over!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

NEWS

Impact to Magic Kingdom entertainment schedules due to holiday taping on Nov 9th and 10th:

• Let the Magic Begin Welcome Show will be audio only, no pyrotechnics
• Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire has been canceled
• A Frozen Holiday Wish has been canceled
• Once Upon a Time has been canceled
• Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party has been canceled

https://blogmickey.com/2019/11/magi...e-to-holiday-taping-on-november-9th-and-10th/