How to Design a Theme Park (To Take Tons of Your Money) 

I think being able to charge $55 for something that is no more complicated to make than a 12" disposable pencil by calling it a 'Wand' is something out of a marketing agencies wettest dream.

I'm looking forward to when Sam inevitably uses this knowledge to create his own theme park, Half as Amusing.

It's funny that I'm just now watching this, because my friends and I went down to Universal 7 years ago on vacation specifically to go to Harry Potter World. Our hotel package had breakfast reservations at the park, we made an entire day out of it, the whole nine. It's also funny that you talk about how they only serve Butterbeer. For our first breakfast reservation, the waitress asked us what we wanted to drink with our meals. My friend said, "Can I just get a Coke?" to which she replied, "Sorry, but we don't serve Muggle drinks." The level of dedication to staying in character is staggering.

As a current cast member, i am in awe at how accurate rise was covered, even showing the return paths for the vehicles and the maintenance bay on the map. The only thing that was missing was the back stage paths but most people wont ever see those

Wendover making theme park content is the kind of gift I was not expecting today

I'll be honest, this is probably the best ad for this ride. I'm not particularly deep into Star Wars but I want to see what this ride is all about

The crowds 100% ruin the immersion of the Star Wars park. I've been there 3 times now. One of which was late at night for a dinner date when it was closed to people without reservations. It was nearly completely empty. That was the only time I felt immersed in the area and also the only time I felt like I could soak in the sights.

FYI - the "cocktail party" metaphor wasn't necessarily just about "a lot going on", but rather hearing bits and pieces of a conversation here and there without needing to hear the whole story. The context of this came out of Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion where you would flow in and out of rooms and only hear partial dialogue. Those types of attractions don't have a specific "clock" or interval as it's more difficult to have a controlled exposition of narrative beats as you might find on other dark rides such as Indiana Jones, Spiderman, and Forbidden Journey that can dispatch vehicles more consistently and reliably trigger show elements

I went to both wizarding worlds and black spire a little over a month ago. My impression is that the design of wiz world was rooted in love for the source material, galaxy’s edge was designed for the exclusive purpose of parting me from my wallet contents, and a strong disdain for its source material.

Note that the complexity of "Rise of the Resistance" means it can break down a LOT. My daughter spent 90 minutes in line before giving up, during which the ride broke down twice. She talked with cast members; they said it breaks down an average of 3 times a day, and the best times to try riding it are first thing in the morning and late at night, when it's less likely to be shut down. We tried again that night and after 60 minutes of waiting, most of it standing in the rain, were finally able to board the attraction-which was AMAZING

Wendover: “my family wants to go to universal and Disney. How do I write this off as a business expense… 😅” But seriously, great video as always. Thank you!

I went to Diagon Alley and Galaxy’s edge back to back days. Diagon alley was by far the most immersive experience I have ever seen, I truly forgot I was in a theme park. Galaxy’s edge was okay, but I always knew I was in a theme park. I think part of it is that Galaxy’s edge should have aliens walking around, and I think if they added alien cast members it would be way more immersive. Diagon alley doesn’t have this problem as half the people were walking around in their own robes, and you can expect muggle clothes there.

Honestly I think “Project Stardust” is what is really killing the appeal of Galaxy’s Edge over Hogwarts. Disney is currently renovating walkways and spaces to encourage guests to walk more and only stop to sit inside restaurants or gift shops. Star Wars land got the brunt of this. The whole area is wide open with no coverage, no places to pause or take in the sights. You just walk through, ride two simulations, and get spat out in the hideous Toy Story Land 3 hours later.

Me an eastern european that never even saw a theme park before: Yes, this video is what I've been looking for..

Let's be honest, the real reason Disney is losing to Universal is because of the price increases, the way it treats its employees, the excessive pre-planning, etc. If I spend hundreds of dollars to go to a theme park (which is something I can afford but no small price tag), I want to be able to immerse myself in it instead of having to constantly stare at my phone like my life depends on it just to be able to get some food or ride anything.

The crazy part is that Galaxy’s Edge uses everything Disney learned from The Wizarding World and Pandora And uses it to make the most monetized and exploitative theme part area of all time almost entirely missing the point.

I think this is something that VR games need to capitalize on. The idea of experiencing a story is something that ive only seen half life Alyx do well, and I think that if the industry is ever going to blow up, it needs to be able to offer that.

We went to Galaxy’s Edge a few months ago. While the feeling of every penny being picked out of my pocket wasn’t great, the theming was amazing. Even functional things like the Dyson hand dryers in the bathrooms, or things required by code like fire extinguisher cabinets, or things most people will never see like a ceiling speaker tucked up in a dark corner, had been refinished to look like equipment from the Star Wars universe. It was really amazing.

The final thing Galaxy’s Edge is missing, is the fact that it’s still full of Disney guests with strollers and Mickey Mouse ears. It’s the guests that kill the immersion.

My biggest issue with Galaxy's Edge is that it doesn't push the experience the way the Harry Potter lands do. Experiences are limited to paid "events" or rides while at Universal you're encouraged to dress like in universe characters and role play. The wands interact with elements around the park. You can essentially become a student or faculty member. Disney limits your ability to actually assume a role with their outdated restrictions on dress and props. The saddest thing about it is that they originally tried to sell the land on a focus for role playing and almost every aspect they originally advertised got dropped in favor of restricting it to the Starcruiser. Any success it has over the Harry Potter lands these days is more due to Harry Potter losing steam thanks to the various controversies around the franchise and its author, not because Disney offered a better experience.

Huge theme park and Disney fan AND Wendover fan, avoided RU-vid spoilers for years so as not to ruin the first ride experience, got to Galaxy’s Edge for the first time YESTERDAY, got to enjoy the full new Wendover video on the day of its publication today :D

And the existing land is the scaled down version. Initially Imagineers played around with the idea of recreating existing planets like Tatooine and Endor but dropped it for the sake of creative liberties and tying it into the sequels, and Black Spire was going to be designed around a transportation motion simulator riding a large Batuu creature as well as some experiences they dropped to put in the Star Wars hotel. Even the sit down dining experience at Oga's cantina hasn't been built yet.

I just went to both Harry Potter areas at Universal and spent a grand total of 30 bucks for 2 days worth of food there. The next day I went to Galaxys Edge and ended up spending 1,000+ bucks on clothes, board games, food and souvenirs in one day.

Let me just start by saying I love rise of the resistance! It's probably my favorite theme park ride of all time. With that said I find guest experience will vary depending on how the cast members play their roles. The first time I went on it the cast members were intense yelling at people ordering them around constantly being rather aggressive and making people kind of uncomfortable. It was perfect! When I had written it most recently the cast members ushered you on to the ride and invaded your ship and essentially the same way as any other ride attendant would much less impactful.

This is probably the best wendover video yet. Not just because I’m a huge theme park geek but also because it follows a story so well and brings so many topics into one video. I would however like to point out that galactica is not rated top 50 in the world and never really was

Rise of the Resistance is the single most entertaining theme park experience I've ever had. He's right when he says the video or descriptions can't sum it up, you really do have to experience it to understand the INSANE scale and awe of the ride.

Sam you should look into Puy du Fou, it’s one of the best theme parks in the world, and it’s located in France. They push the boundaries of what’s done in theater, one of their latest attractions features a 2500 seat auditorium that rotates between 4 different stages while using projection mapping to disguise the movement. In another show they have hundred of trained birds fly in a choreographed display, and in another one they have a ship emerge out of the water complete with actors walking around on the deck.

Having just been to Disney a month ago, this is 100% correct. I'm an old roller coaster and "ride" guy. I found that there aren't that many "rides" at the four Disney parks. Most of them are "experiences". I found the Star Wars area fantastic, but at the same time, I wanted a thrilling ride and it wasn't there.

Having been to both Disney and Universal, Harry Potter World is the only only theme park I would go back too, partially because I'm a huge fan and as of today that's the closest you can get to experiencing the world. Even waiting in line was a wonderful experience and part of the ride itself. I for one hope more theme parks are built so well so that other people can have the same joy I had with whatever worlds defined their childhood.

"How do I make a trip to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge into a business expense I can write off?" -Sam probably, several months ago

I had a great time at Galaxy's Edge and it was really the main draw for me going to Disneyland. Having said that, I spent very little in terms of shopping there. I just really enjoyed the atmosphere, the details and the characters.

I keep saying this, but whoever is first to create a Pokemon Land is gonna win so much. Popular IP, still massively selling, tons of recognizable characters, lots of ride opportunities, and most importantly: each guest can become the "main character". Unlike Star Wars where supposedly there's only like 3 Jedi left, anyone can become a Pokemon trainer & get their own Pikachu, and that doesn't feel artificial.

God, that may just be the smoothest sponsor segment transition I've seen so far.

It would be awesome to see a video of the effect of kinetic energy in the parks. Marvel land in Disneyland as well as galaxy’s edge have very little moving scenery causing the lands to feel dead, while UO’s lands (including port of entry) are filled with moving scenery, interactive elements, and just movement in general, leading to a more immersive environment. Would be great to see a video explaining the effects of this.

I love how detailed this video is, but it definitely misses something very important. When Galaxy's Edge opened, people kind of hated it. Nearly everyone saw through the magic and recognized that the land was functionally a shopping mall. Monetizing every aspect of the experience left people feeling exploited, and many of the advertised concepts were either absent or under-delivered. This was never an issue with the Wizarding World at any of the Universal parks.

12:40 Wow, nothing up until this point had sold me on wanting to go to this until this whole Rise of the Resistance thing. That looked like something I would love.

Just seeing that a new Wendover Productions video released already makes my day just a bit better.

Next up: How this one airport changed Disney and Universal forever

Great video dude. Love all your silliness and now you’re tackling some park magic. Epic.

I think the future of theme parks is one of fictional places that guests can explore and, functionally, live in.

My now wife and I visited Hogsmeade / Diagon Alley near when it first opened. It blew us away. Unlike anything we'd ever experienced. The entrance to Diagon Alley was just perfect. Slightly occluded, a little bit of music to set the tone, and then BAM you're in a whole new world. The Hogwarts Express to take you between the two parks and having to pad admission to both was a clear money grab. But we paid it with a smile and would do so again.

As a lifelong Star Wars fan and only a casual Harry Potter fan, it’s no contest as Universal’s Harry Potter World wins by a mile. Galaxy’s Edge feels like the equivalent of Disney making a Harry Potter land that only Included characters and settings from the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

The level of detail and dedication to staying in character by the cast members working in Blackspire Outpost was AMAZING. We were fortunate enough to get fast passed right to the front of both Rise of the Resistance AND Smugglers Run. And the money spent for both my daughter and I to visit Savi's Workshop was well worth the experience in my opinion. (And keep in mind Disney had that money committed from me WAY before we ever arrived at the parks.) Summed up, Galaxys Edge allowed us to suspend reality for a few hours. Watching my 8 year old daughter experience the world of Star Wars come to life was the single most rewarding part of our first family trip to Disney. By the end of the day she was a little expert on all things Star Wars. But the best part, like I said before.... getting to let reality (and all the stresses of the world) melt away for a few short hours and becoming part of the Star Wars universe together. An experience I'll never forget. 🤙🏻

16:12 there's already a phycological effect called the cocktail party effect which is completely different than what Disney says it is. The cocktail party effect, according to phycology, is when you are in a room with a large number of people, in small groups (like a cocktail party). You are completely invested in your own groups conversation, and aren't paying attention to any other conversations, when suddenly you hear your name.

Surprised Sam didn't mention the "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser" 2 night hotel/cruise, which is very much an experiential ride. Guests even go for a day trip to Galaxy's Edge were there's exclusive plot lines that only they experience.

I always thought Universal was more fun than Disney World. Disney seems like its for those who are incredibly into their characters and movies, but if that never did anything for you than you might find the level of production somewhat impressive, but you won't want to wait around for a daily parade, or face Florida's brutally hot and rainy weather all for a fancier (albeit iconic) theme park for it's enormous ticket cost. I do also miss the days when Universal first opened and the attractions were a bit more intense. I can still feel the heat of their Backdraft attraction 25 years ago!

I’m not even a huge fan of Star Wars, but Rise of the Resistance completely blew me away and made me rethink what a theme park ride could be. When the doors opened and I saw the rows of storm troopers, I realized this wasn’t some ordinary theme park ride.

I just got back from Disneyland and I’ve gotta say you nailed this. The immersion, no sight lines, and the huge payoff of the millennium falcon all worked so well. I took pictures of EVERYTHING. all the buildings, droids, ships, locations in the ride. it was hands down the BEST theme park experience ever. so amazing.

Sam’s been watching Defunctland, huh? 😜

Also: the Avatar portion of Disney's Animal Kingdom is similarly immersive. Although built on a less iconic concept.

I somehow had not heard anything about Galaxy's Edge and just stumbled on it yesterday. Next week I'm bringing three generations of my family back to experience what I did yesterday. It was job-dropping. Thank you for explaining why I was so blown away.

The "cocktail party effect" refers to our ability to listen to a single voice in a room full of voices, so pretty much the opposite of how Disney is said to have used it to describe the attractions. 16:10

WOW!! Universal Studios and Disney outdid themselves creating these new attractions... and Sam outdid himself showing and telling us about it. WELL DONE!!!

I have my thoughts about disney star wars, but the concept of a theme park existing in-universe is genius

I came across this video and your channel and for a non theme park channel the depth and accuracy of this analysis blew me away earned a sub🙌

Wonderful. Well researched. Fascinating. Thanks for producing such great content!

Except Galaxy’s Edge did not increase attendance. In fact the opening at Disneyland led to lower crowd levels throughout the resort.

I went to both Universal and Disney Florida last December. The Harry Potter theme park was amazing, it was like you were really at Hogsmeade. The Hogwarts Express was on the next level as well. The same thing could also be said to Star Wars theme park. Rise of the Resistance was definitely the best ride. The line was excruciatingly long that it took us 2hrs of waiting. The ride was very worth it though. My inner Star Wars nerd got unleashed while on the ride.

I usually describe Rise of the Resistance as being in a movie for 30 minutes. From the moment you step into the briefing room thru being captured and finally rescued and welcomed back to the rebel outpost, you are in the story. The most fun is improvisational acting with the First Order cast members. I adore the Harry Potter worlds too but they both suffer from something Pandora does and Galaxy's Edge doesn't: their signature rides are inaccessible.

Not exactly in the same vein, the Puy du Fou park in France plays on immersion in various time periods. Like, there is a spectacle set in the Middle Ages and next to it a medieval village where artisans are making and selling traditional crafts. I remember going there as a kid, it was like traveling to the past

I work at Universal Orlando and I was also part of the Opening Team for Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and I cannot begin to describe how great a video this is! I would love more of this kind of stuff, even with all the other topics that this channel covers! I fully appreciate what Universal has done for me and then some and I’m so much happier here and for that alone, it’s already better than Disney but then throw in what Galaxy’s Edge is vs say Diagon Alley or any of the world’s Hogsmeade’s at Universal’s sister parks, it’s no comparison to what you get out of an experience without feeling like you had to keep buying things to feel you were part of the full story and experience. Keep up the great work as always!! And thank you for a great video!

Making it experiential rather than fitting a mold isn't new, per-se, but the depth with which they hid it here is. Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO used to do a very good job of integrating live acting, traditional track rides (both dark and not), and extending the themes well beyond the rides themselves to make a few key rides strongly stand out. Like with this, the "city" is a maze of interconnecting paths, some over "rickety" themed bridges through the woods, some through theme-consistent shopping areas, some through areas with live craftwork being done. The walkups to the rides themselves are also winding through faux-rock, woods, and other structures that make the walkup an experience itself, and fit with the expectation of the ride. They went through a period of reducing the live actor participation, reducing the actual craftwork being done, and selling more and more things you could get just as easily outside the park, and I stopped going for a while. They have brought back the emphasis on live actor participation but many of the shops are about half modern paperback books and other things that are distinctly not in theme. Live craftwork is better than the low point, but it's become more like the Santa Claus experience with a sign saying they'll be there to repeat the same routine at a given time for several of them. Theirs does rely heavily on humor, but it's more the situational rather than verbal humor that is repeatable. The repeated jokes intentionally fall flat (eg. the train robber yelling "this is a stick-up" while holding up a literal stick) so it's not relying on the joke, but on the humor of a live actor comically failing. Or the "rattle-headed copper moccasin" that has "grabbed a passenger off the train last week" for at least 40 years that isn't about the joke but is theming the experience of the intentionally less-than-threatening warning of the "dangerous" part of the ride. Admittedly, that last one has taken on a life of its own and is a pre-internet meme for fans of the park. And they knowingly theme it so it's not grating for the parents who have to sit through the ride 25 times that day for their kid who really likes it. I have to give them credit for some of their adaptations over time as well. One of the ones they cut back the acting on that really sold it was a dark ride called "the flooded mine" with VERY minimal animation and lighting gags that didn't really hold up very well without the human element. But it had a lot of nostalgia, so they kept it...adding targets and plastic guns with LED counters on them. The LED counter and targets were relatively simple thematic additions (not sure how simple technology-wise given how long ago they did it) and it made it perennially fun just from that small participatory aspect. A very small number of them are "trick shots", things like shooting a rope to make something drop, shooting out lights, or shooting dynamite to set off a lighting effect - all of which were pre-existing timed effects. But by making those few linked to rider actions, it makes the dozens of flat targets feel more immersive than monotonous. The participatory aspect is massive for a lot of these - whether laser tag disguised as plastic revolvers, or actors who call out specific people on the ride, or just telling everyone to shake their fist and yell "ugly" as they ride past unsuspecting people somewhere else in the park. And I think the trackless has a lot of potential for that. I could easily see them making a simplified "choose your adventure" aspect to it that gives a manageable number of routes to the vehicle so the average person has a "unique" experience, the repeat rider can have multiple experiences, and the more dedicated fans can have fun working out all the possibilities the way gamers do with multi-ending video games.

Great video goin in depth about the intricacies of galaxies edge. It's such a detailed and captivating area and you didn't even get into Smugglers Run or the faction style ARG that you can play through the Disney play app. So much work went into this game that not many people know about where you can capture areas of the land for the resistance or the first order, collect virtual items by scanning QR codes hidden around, complete quests, or even mess with Chewy by hacking the X-wing he's trying to repair and making it blow out steam. Just don't get caught or he might try to rip your arms out.

I can't imagine how much work it took to make this video. every single sentence is packed with information that you need to hear it over and over again to fully understand and comprehend the idea. 🤯🤯👏👏❤❤

I'm still on team Universal, Disney charges money to pretty much breath in the park, it's ridiculous. Want to ride that ride? Pay up, on top of your ticket.

Why is no one talking about Rookburgh, how a family owned park could build an area that is extremely emersive, even without a popular ip. Although they miss a world class dark ride, their experience is outstanding

I think a Jetlag season involving all the Disney parks around the world could be pretty cool. Set actives that need to be done by both teams based off recommendations. Budget challenge would be things like getting character autographs, choosing to wait in long lines, find certain suviners, eat a certain meal and ride the tea cups...idk. Extra challenges not part of the required ones. Require paying for travel to every major park around the world, 3 meals and staying in a Disney resort and first team to do it the fastest wins. You can get really detailed about the logistics of cost and wait times as well as travel. And see if you can find cheap ways to actually enjoy Disney

As a big theme park and Wednover fan I had to do a double-take when I saw this, but you nailed it as always. Great video.

In a globalised world, so many spaces feel the same. I can be in London, Dublin, or New York and see the same shops, the same brands, the same food even. These heavily themed spaces really do provide something that you can't get anywhere else. Unless you're doing very offbeat travel, you're not going to find that anywhere else. These spaces really provide a safe space to feel like an adventurer and see something truly new. It's incredibly smart on the part of the parks.

Oooh, ooh, pick me! I know why The Forbidden Journey is awesome! First off, the theming is top notch and they did their best to make it feel like Hogwarts. They got the garden outside, the isolated castle, the interior is poorly lit, cramped, and filled to the brim with concepts from the Harry Potter universe. For the ride itself, it stands out especially among Universal Studios Hollywood rides for 2 distinct reasons: it's _not_ in 3D and it's *not* simulated motion. I don't mind the reliance on screens, but I would argue this is the one ride that uses them to the greatest effect because it transitions between them and practical sets so cleanly.

As usual a high quality and thought provoking video. Thank you.

After watching this video, I was surprised that you weren't a full-time theme park RU-vidr. You've managed to explain the mechanics and appeal of the Harry Potter and Star Wars lands much more in-depth than any dedicated theme park RU-vidr I watch. I like how you even threw in a comparison to Alton Towers

Cars Land was HARDLY a “lukewarm” introduction!! The attendance at California Adventure shot up by more than THREE million people by 2014 compared to the year before Cars Land opened (2011)

As someone with no money, I’m glad I know how I can build a theme park

I was totally unaware that nowadays you could get such unique experiences at these theme parks.. because of the fact I don't live in USA.. but now these are in my bucket list.. and I now I won't be able to ever strike them off

So my family was at universal not that long ago and this big personalize experience thing was super cool. The only problem was that at diagon alley we all wanted to go different places/stores, the only thing we could agree on was the ice cream parlor. Also hogs Meade is by far the most busy area in the parks. Overall it is a fantastic experience but going to Kennywood annually still seems like a more memorable experience.

As someone who went to galaxy's edge recently I can solidly say that from personal experience that if you're not blinded by nostalgia, that the magic wears off REALLY QUICKLY. Life in the star wars universe sucks. It's dirty, crowded, loud, and chaotic, and Disney captured that all super well. The walkways are so cramped with buildings that it's hard to feel like you can breathe, and with stroller parking and long lines there's barely anywhere to stop and take it all in, so you're constantly shoved along the path by other park attendees. The sodas are cool, and the actors are great, but the attractions are only slightly above average, the one restaurant is slightly below average (where basically everywhere else in Disney world is well above average) and the whole place is really hampered by the fact that everything is themed around the sequels and noth the original trilogy. As someone who wasn't too huge of a fan of episodes 8 or 9, when galaxy's edge canonically takes place between the two episodes, it's a B+ experience at best, and I'd much rather spend my time at Epcot enjoying all of the different experiences and rides and food and shopping options, than at Hollywood studios to see galaxy's edge Edit: that's not to mention one of the few saving graces of galaxy's edge is lightsaber and droid building, which unless you have a super small party and get reservations like a year in advance, isn't happening.

A New Wendover video always will make my day, Thank you for making this amazing Content.

I got to ride in florida during its first year last year. Not a SW fan. At all. But I couldn’t help being absolutely blown away by Rise of the Resistance. Early this year I got to ride here in CA. Knew what I was getting into but was still so excited before and after, made sure to ride both days I was there. It was SOOOO fun watching people ride for the first time. The faxees they made. So worth the wait!

They key to getting both Galaxy’s Edge and Wizarding World was convincing the corporate bosses and shareholders that they couldn’t have obvious or any third-party branding, which meant that they’d have to potentially forego sponsorships and the $$$ that comes from that. Although in Disney’s case, they converted the branding into in-universe styles, it must have been a major fight (especially in the legal areas) to allow the logos to be modified.

I have to agree with your assessment, the experiences are what makes galaxies edge. Bringing my own Droid to life is worth so much more then the item itself. Also despite both of us being adults my partner and I had a blast with the AR phone game, wandering around scanning boxes and having cast members notice us and interact appropriately. The little moments like causing a Droid to activate briefly by "hacking it" and having a storm trooper Castmember notice and react were so much fun. The rest of disney actually seems boring now by comparison.

It's in part because of video games, there are some articles with the imaginers where they talk about younger people comparing the theme parks to video games the way older folks compared them to a movie. We are now used to being able to take an active role in our entertainment and often look at these lands as we would a video game.

Absolutely excellent video Sam and team!

I literally just got back from my first trip to Universal Studios. The Harry Potter area was my favorite, and I’d been wanting to go there for years! The rides were unlike anything I’ve seen, and that butterbeer was amazing. Definitely would go back.

Sam really just wanted a paid vacation to film Florida theme parks

This is the most well-made Wendover video I recall in a long time. Great use of animated diagrams. The concept of not using jokes because that does not repeat well was a really cool insight.

really cool video! would love to see more on this subject

Very interesting and informative. Thank-you.

Love how you overlooked the smugglers run ride... which is just a bad and upscaled arcade game. Also didn't mention how often Rise ride fails and is out of service. It's not uncommon to see it out of service once a day if not more. I went to DW a few weeks ago and it shut down 5 times for an hour or more that day. With complexity comes many many problems.

Looks just like what you can do in Planet Coaster. Especially that entrance way.

I visited Disney and went on Rise of the Resistance about a week ago, and prior to riding it, I had absolutely no idea what it was. I was going in it completely blind. Me and my friends were saying "it's probably a screen ride" because Universal had influenced us with all the screen rides there. Needless to say, we were all speechless by the end. The whole experience was out of this world. It isn't my favorite ride because I'm more of a coaster person, but it is without a doubt the coolest thing I have ever been on, and I doubt anything will top it for a long time.

Rise of the Resistance is very well done. It was such a cool experience

I think some of the genius of Rise of Resistance is that the “ride” doesn’t actually start until you’re in the trackless vehicle. When you see a lot of the ride of social media, you expect it to be on the ride, so when you’re still in what’s perceived to be a line to get on, and you’re in a simulator, a hangar with dozens of stormtroopers, First Order Officers ordering you around, it really keeps you on your toes. You never know what’s coming next.

There's a sorta "amicable war" between the two. Disney is trying the galactic cruiser as their own experimental prototype. However, Universal is designing an entirely new park. And unlike Disney, Universal is super hush hush about everything. So, who knows what amazing wonders Epic Universe holds 🤷‍♂️, but I'm psyched!

This presentation was so well put together, it rivals the videos of most theme park RU-vid channels.

Thank you for your video. Very insightful.

You should do a video on the logistics of turning a week long vacation into a work expense.

This might sound totally random, but I think this is really emblematic of how ahead of the curve the video game industry has been. YES the future of entertainment is experiential, and video games understand this intimately, and excel at it! With that being said, stuff like what Disney has been doing with Disney World is objectively more immersive because it's REAL, but the barrier of entry as far as cost goes is also a lot higher. I wish that the world was designed like Disney World - with joy and the value of meaningful experience being packed into every design. This would lower the barrier of entry, and just make for a much more interesting and happier world. For now, I will just ponder these ideas and play video games and visit Disney World when I can. But, if I had massive funds, I would do what I could to create these kinds of experiences in every day life. Joy is a powerful thing.

Rise of the Resistance is my favorite ride I’ve ever been on and would likely ride that all day if I could. It is incredibly fun

Very interesting discussion. Are you planning to talk about the Galactic Starcruiser? I can see where your theories could explain a lot of that experience! Thank you for the discussion.