Star Wars 'Land' in MGM?

[KISSman]

So what do you think about a Star Wars 'land' built within the walls of MGM?

Inspired by the news of a Harry Potter area coming to Universal's Islands of Adventure, I just don't understand why George Lucas and Disney can't agree to go whole hog and make a bigger splash within the Disney resorts with the Star Wars franchise.

With Jedi Training becoming an everyday occurance at Disneyland and Star Wars Weekends turning out big crowds at MGM, shouldn't they capitalize on the possibilities of this brand?

I remember the lines to get a picture with Darth Vader and Jedi Mickey last spring were at least 45 minutes or longer. A fully devoted area to Star Wars could feature full-time Jedi Training, Darth Vader (and other character) photo ops, and new attractions as well.

Imagine a restaraunt loosely styled after the Mos Eisley Cantina where animatronic aliens play their signature song (and others) every so often while female waitresses serve you donning Princess Leia-style hairdos. Ok, maybe it's a little underdeveloped, but that's the fun of armchair imagineering.

Maybe even a Star Wars themed stunt show or possibly a more interactive experience in the vein of The Islands of Adventure's Poseiden's Fury where guests could actually experience familiar settings of a galaxy far, far away and see live action characters and effects as well.

I just see MGM as the least interesting park in DW and it just seems like SO much more could be done with the most popular movie franchise ever.

I'm really excited about what Universal is doing with Harry Potter, but I believe that a significant Star Wars investment in MGM would even trump the Harry Potter addition.

So do you think a Star Wars area in MGM would be a good idea? What kinds of things would you envision in such an area?

[aimster]

I'm a Star Wars nerd so anything like that sounds good to me! LOL!

[Phonedave]

I think its great! As long as they play this video on a continous loop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A0rwG39Jzk

-dave

[goofgeek]

If Star Wars Weekends alone are any indicator, there is clearly a large market for it. As long as I get me a Boba Fett photo op, Ill be happy.

[Doopey1]

This idea has being thrown about in other threads as well, but yes, Disney definitely needs to expand the Star Wars presence at Disney-MGM.

At a bare minimum, Star Tours needs to be updated with digital projection, new digital sound, and new and alternating ride films. A highly-themed, fully immersive environment for the Jedi Training Academy should be created. They must have other ideas they're kicking around too. WDI and ILM together should be able to come up with some really impressive stuff. Star Tours was pretty cutting edge when it was first created.

It really is the most popular movie franchise in the world, so its silly to just have only one stale ride with one month of "add-on" activities and photo-ops every year.

Expanding it benefits Lucas too as Lucasfilm has been working aggresively since the release of Episode III to position Star Wars as an evergreen franchise that will continue on and on even though the films are over.

[TDLFAN]

I doubt Disney will ever build a Star wars land. I personally would prefer they didn't. It's bad enough the franchise was not Disney produced and distributed, and I feel it should not be in a "disney" park. Just the same way I feel about the muppets.

[kcnole]

This is one area where I disagree with you TDLFan. I would love to see a major Star Wars area built up. Its a direction I'd like to see the Studios go to. Instead of giving us this facade about watching movies take place just give us major interactive lands where we can feel like we're a part of the movies. We could have Pixar avenue with Midway Mania anchoring that portion.

We could possibly have a Lucasland where we get in depth Star Wars and Indy areas, etc...

[svickersart]

I think a Star Wars land area at MGM/Pixar Studios would be great. (I have read several articles on the new Harry Potter land at Universal and in one they made the comment theres Cinderellas castle and soon Hogwarts castle, how about Jabas castle?) I dont think HP has the longgevity of Star Wars, I think 10-15 years down the line they will be retheming everything.

I would like to see a new updated version of Star Tours, I have heard rumors something is in the works. The cantina is a grea idea for a themed restraunt, Jedi Acadamy for the kids, a couple of new attractions and a show. I think if Disney can get right on this and open before HP they can really stay ahead of the game. Yes people will go to Univ to see HP, and they talk about international guests, but people who come to the US for weeks are not going to spend all their time at Univ. They will spend a few days at univ then head to WDW for a majority of the time, theres just more to do at WDW.

I also thing all these 15 year olds they are talking to now that think its great will have out grown HP for the most part by the time its all finished, they still may be fans and want to give it a try, but they are not going to stick with it and want to spend all their time there. The Star Wars Universe is vast and there is so much that can be done with it, there are generations of fans that will pass it on to their children and Star Wars and Disney are a great mix.

Steve

[Coheteboy]

While more Star Wars would be great, how would you guys want to see this? There are TOO many worlds in Star Wars that it could be laid out like another Disneyland with various planets occupying themed lands. Having one massive hodgepodge of a land at MGM Studios wouldn't seem right either.

Star Wars is far more extensive than building a "hogwarts" and calling it a day.

So what world of Star Wars would you want to see? MGM Studios currently makes use of Endor and Tatooine.

Endor: forest
Tatooine: desert
Hoth: snow
Coruscant: city
Dagobah: swamp
Mustafar: lava
Yavin: rain forest
Naboo: kinda everything
Kamino: water
Utapau: craters and what not
Geonosis: big thunder mountain

[aimster]

I think its great! As long as they play this video on a continous loop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A0rwG39Jzk

-dave

[Space Junk]

id like to see a Star Wars expansion of some kind, and a themed land seems good to me. Yes, it wouldnt be so much about Disney, but it has that broad appeal, and at MGM i think the focus is those movies that we all love, not all Disney. I say do it!! Look how busy SWW is!!

[Phonedave]

I love the detention block scene "Oh lordy, what to do when the romance is gone" - bring in the interragation droid of course.

-dave

[aimster]

I just love the fact that James Earl Jones was actually involved in making that. Beautiful!

[KISSman]

While more Star Wars would be great, how would you guys want to see this? There are TOO many worlds in Star Wars that it could be laid out like another Disneyland with various planets occupying themed lands. Having one massive hodgepodge of a land at MGM Studios wouldn't seem right either.

Star Wars is far more extensive than building a "hogwarts" and calling it a day.

So what world of Star Wars would you want to see? MGM Studios currently makes use of Endor and Tatooine.

Endor: forest
Tatooine: desert
Hoth: snow
Coruscant: city
Dagobah: swamp
Mustafar: lava
Yavin: rain forest
Naboo: kinda everything
Kamino: water
Utapau: craters and what not
Geonosis: big thunder mountain

Hmm... that's interesting! I initially pondered what a Star Wars area would look like and settling on which area IS 'Star Wars' is quite difficult.

I think it'd be cool if they sectioned some of the 'land' into sections so that they could encompass a few of these uniquely different planets. I think I'd look for around 3 distinct areas within this proposed Star Wars 'land'.

Tatooine is a must! I could envision some shops, stands and my restaraunt idea in that area.

I think a consideration of what the attractions would be might dictate some of the other planets.

I think there would have to be Endor or Dagobah, but ultimately Endor would probably have more to feature in it where you could have some Ewoks to have photo ops with and such. In Dagobah, there's just Yoda, some reptiles and a large unseen creature in the swamp water.

Even though many of the settings within Star Wars are rather Earth-y, I think it might seem like something was missing if it didn't have a spacey, futuristic part to it as well. So I think the look of Coruscant would be something I'd like to see incorporated into this area as well.

Well, that's my take on it. Great question, Coheteboy!

[Ghostbuster626]

yes I dont understand why disney doesn't have a star wars land!

I would go more frequently if they had a Star Wars land or even an Indiana Jones land.