,opening on May 31 in Disneyland and August 29 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, has long been described as an immersive experience. Guests who venture to Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu will be stepping into the Star Wars universe, not just into a land in a theme park. And newly released information promises some serious guest immersion experiences we haven’t seen before.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Blooloop.com shares insights from Imagineers and Disney executives that show just how many different methods of immersion have been packed into Galaxy’s Edge.
Galaxy’s Edge Character Interaction Will Follow You From Visit to Visit
Disney has gone to great lengths to enhance the guest experience by creating personalized character interactions, and in Black Spire Outpost, cast members are called “citizens of Batuu” to really drive home that experience. In fact, Chairman of Disney parks and experiences, Bob Chapek, purports that guests will have “persistent interaction” that may not last just the length of one visit but is designed to follow guests from visit to visit.
Galaxy’s Edge Concept Art
And with whom will guests be interacting? Just about anyone in the Star Wars universe who needs to stay out of the spotlight: smugglers, rogue agents, adventurers, and scoundrels! Executive Scott Trowbridge describes the land’s characters as “interesting people” with rich backstories that will come into play as they interact with guests.
Galaxy’s Edge Marketplace
Guests Become Players in Galaxy’s Edge
In Galaxy’s Edge, guests become players on the metaphorical Star Wars stage, with citizens of Batuu engaging them in their adventures. Built yourself a droid of your own in Mubo’s workshop? Expect the “chatty astromech droids” next door to chat with it! And if you’re “brave enough to haggle over prices” with Dok-Ondar, he’ll barter with you as only he can! Crash the Millennium Falcon into a spire in Black Spire Outpost? You might get heat for it throughout the rest of your visit in the land.
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities ©Disney
In fact, your performance on Millennium Falcon will create a bevvy of possible experiences for you after you ride, so that the “responsive” Black Spire Outpost will engage with you in a unique-to-you way! In other words, your ride on the Millennium Falcon will be a “consequential act.” So consequential that you may even owe some money when you wind up in Oga’s Cantina…and if you don’t have enough in your wallet on the Disney Parks Play App, there could be…issues.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ©Disney
Next Level Meet and Greets in Galaxy’s Edge
Scott Trowbridge also indicates that traditional meet and greets with characters will take a secondary position to more authentic interactions where guests meet and interact with characters “doing the things those characters would do versus a more static meet-and-greet experience.”
Resistance Supply in Galaxy’s Edge
According to Towbridge, “If we were to see a Resistance spy, they might come up to us and say, ‘Will you help me? I have a friend I need to get to his ship. I need help making sure the First Order doesn’t know about it.’” And maybe that friend that you’re helping just happens to be Chewbacca! But instead of a wait-in-line-to-hug-chewie situation, you actually help him get to his ship (and maybe then get a hug).
And remember: all of this personal immersion is supplemented by the Play Disney Parks app, which will allow visitors to use their “datapads” (a/k/a their smartphones!) to scan text, translate transmissions heard throughout the land, and more! Click here to see a sneak peek of the Play Disney Parks Galaxy’s Edge datapad!
So much cool stuff to share…we can’t wait!
And we know this is just the tip of the iceberg! Here at DFB, we’re scheming and planning RIGHT NOW for how we’re going to get you all of the critical info you need as soon as we land on Batuu before its opening day. Sign up for our newsletter, subscribe to our popular youtube channel, follow us on instagram, twitter, and facebook to get the most up-to-date secrets and tips from Black Spire Outpost!
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Which part of the immersive experience are you most looking forward to experiencing first hand? Let us know in the comments!
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Honestly, as much fun as this all sounds, the more I read about the interactivity, the more I dread going on the Falcon attraction and having to work with a bunch of strangers.
That “marketplace” art looks suspiciously like Fort Tarsis from Anthem. That’s a little unsettling.
I agree with Andrew: doesn’t seem fair to “punish” a guest because of a group effort. Not to mention, I expect to hear stories of guest altercations as to who actually gets to pilot the Falcon, and you’ll have “mature” adults pushing children out of the way.
Additionally, while the “immersive” elements sound fun on paper, what is the actual likelihood of that experience feeling immersive in person? When I visited Diagon Alley at Universal Studios recently, and for the first time, it was hard to feel immersed in the magic watching a line accumulate to trigger a spell’s effect.
I’m sorry but not this not new – but dated information, some of it up to 2 years old. The source you’re quoting may have published a recent article, but it’s actually a synopsis of years of information.
Why all the negativity? Worried that your ride on the Falcon is going to turn into a negative experience? Get a grip, it’s in the name of fun. Adults pushing children to pilot the Falcon, this is what you think of when you think of Disney. Maybe you should find a nice secluded area for your next vacation instead of the horrors of human interaction found at Disney.