[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Disney has just released a new piece of concept art for Star Wars Land, which expresses as much wonderment and mystery as what we’ve previously seen, from a slightly different perspective.
This appears to be Disneyland Anaheim’s version, evidenced by the Rivers of America and the trellis at the bottom of the artwork.
I’m intrigued by the layout of the new land, which has a distinctly different philosophy from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. With Hogsmeade, guests are essentially funneled into the world, walk to the end, hit a dead end, then have to turn around go back the way they came.
On especially crowded days, Hogsmeade, then, is not unlike a pinball machine, the guests are the balls, and everyone is moving to and from, bouncing around each other. It can get unnerving. There’s no real reprieve.
Universal’s Diagon Alley expansion is similar – with guests pushed into the alley, and unless they are taking the Hogwarts Express out, they stay bottlenecked in the area until they exit the way they came in.
Star Wars Land is going to have massive crowds. How do you deal with all of them?
First, there is going to be more than one entry point. Right now, I count two. The hub on the lower left of the artwork will be an entry point from Critter Country near where Splash Mountain resides. Following the path along the Rivers of America to the lower right, there appears to be an entry point from Frontierland. I’ve also heard there may be a third way of accessing the land – through Mickey’s ToonTown, perhaps available at launch, perhaps being saved for a later expansion.
Crowd flow, then, is going to be much easier to manage. If you enter through Critter Country, you’ll naturally meander through until you exit into Frontierland, and vice versa. You won’t necessarily be bumping into the same people over and over again.
The layout marks a departure from the previously typical land construction. What do Frontierland, Cars Land, and the Wizarding World all have in common? These are largely outdoor experiences, where you enter a show building for a ride, or a shop if you want to shop.
Star Wars Land has indoor and outdoor walking sections to pass through. It’s a great way of adding theme and dimension to the experience, and it’s also a fantastic way to cleverly disguise the massive onslaught of guests that will converge here. No doubt, it’s going to feel crowded. But with corridors and marketplaces, with interior and exterior hubs, with shops to explore and rides to go on, and with characters to interact with, perhaps we won’t feel as bottlenecked as we do at the Wizarding World.
There isn’t anything particularly revealing that is different from earlier concept art. It’s just further confirmation of the pure awesomeness to come.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]