Star Wars Galaxy's Edge- What we know.. and what we guess.

 Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: What we know.. and what we guess!

This is pretty much the news I've wanted my entire life, a land completely devoted to Star Wars. It's like my childhood dream came true, so while I haven't had time to sit down and really put together a comprehensive post about it.. I have been following the news rather closely. So now it's time to sit down and really put together a list of things- What we know and what we're guessing on. Which is still a LOT of speculation sprinkled in with what Disney has released so far.

 Planet Batuu and Black Spire Outpost.

This is the 'setting' which Galaxy's Edge will be based around. According to Disney, it will be a rouge trader port on the edge of the galactic frontier. Bordering the Outer Rim and Wild Space. It's the last stop full of creature and notorious characters.
The outpost its-self is settled around a petrified forest, in a river valley which is where the outpost is located.  It seems, Disney is going with a familiar theme from the heart of Star Wars here. That of Mos Eisley Spaceport on Tatooine, just set in a new location.

What about the Star Wars Timeline?

With the Star Wars Timeline is a bit of an uproar due to the Disney takeover from Lucasfilm and many things being cut from the previously accepted 'canonverse' it's certian that the setting for this expansion is sometime during the newest movies. Making it on par with the First Order being in power, rather than the setting being from a previous portion of the Star Wars universe. By doing this, Disney can update easily and toss out more movie tie-in's for whatever happens past the current saga (meaning movies 7, 8 and 9).

Opening Date
'Fall of 2019'

 However, knowing Disney- We can make some educated guesses!
'Fall of 2019' generally means September but allows them the option to push the time back as late as needed in case of delays. Although if we follow how Disney opened their last few major expansions, we can expect to see a soft-open as early as late August and an official 'Grand Opening' sometime in November or December. That does leave the problem of a possible 'staggered opening' which means while construction is done, the area is 'open' some aspects may not yet be operational.
The simple fact is this: We don't know... yet.

What about the rides?!

Galaxy's Edge will feature two attractions (or 'rides' if you prefer). The one we know the most about is the attraction featuring the Millennium Falcon. The working title for the attraction is 'Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run'  which Disney has promised guests the controls of the Falcon for an action-packed 'secret mission' and a battle between the First Order and the Resistance.  The second attraction is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which will be a dark ride on a trackless ride system. This will include some form of a rescue and another portion which will involve the landing bay of a Star Destroyer, beyond this, not much is known.

Smugglers Run

From what can be pieced together, this will be an interactive simulator that will seat six people per cabin. Much like 'Mission: Space' at Epcot, it's almost certain that each person will be in control of some aspect of the Falcon which will interact with the simulation. Likely this will have no real effect on your 'mission' if it's anything like 'Mission: Space' since the effects will work regardless of pushing buttons or not, However, Disney has promised an interactive incentive to play along with the controls of your very own Falcon. Supposedly how well you do during the ride will give you a 'reputation' which will follow your around your visit to Galaxy's Edge and Black Spire Outpost.
 As for time, this is the more confusing angle of things. If you run the numbers multiple times (which we did) in order to hit the magic number of 1080 we have a breakdown of how the ride with operate. 6 riders per car, with 12 total ride vehicles with a 4 minutes ride.. you have your numbers.

(This still leaves the question of 'How are you going to put 12 ride cars with room to maneuver into that building' but we'll touch on that in another post!)

Rise of the Resistance 

This second attraction coming to Galaxy's Edge is more along the lines of traditional Disney. This is a classic style dark-ride which features a trackless ride system, very similar to the new Ratatouille attraction going into Epcot (Also similar to Mystic Manor in Tokyo Disneyland, SpiderMan and Transformers at Universal Orlando).
While few details are still known about what ride elements or features will be included, speculation includes that it will be a single floor attraction while other groups believe that it will incorporate 3D elements as well as special effects.  We have rough details that a First Order fleet will be involved with a battle between the Resistance and the First Order with most of the show taking place in the likely setting of a Star Destroyer.

Oga's Cantina

Oga's Cantina is easily a huge draw, because who didn't want to visit the cantina scene in Episode 4? No one. The answer is NO ONE. 

So Disney is providing our very own chance to visit a shady place to make deals, hosted by Oga Garra. A full-blown, (but family friendly) bar will allow both adults and kids to 'belly up' and pick a drink of their choice from a themed menu. It also promises to have a 'colorful cast of characters' which leaves you wondering if Disney plans to plant in actors for local 'color'.  Along with this, fans of the original Star Tours will be thrilled (I am) to see that entertainment is provided by RX-24 (Rex). Who they promise will provide both chatter and tunes to waiting customers. 


Shopping
...because who isn't going to spend a fortune? 
While Disney hasn't announced a set name for the shopping haven which will inundate the area, it's not hard to guess multiple 'shops' will be present and themed for the area. Rumors run the gauntlet of 'haggling traders in street-lined stalls' to a 'Star Wars Emporium'.  Frankly, I think we'll see a more typical pattern for Disney where exit lines will empty into stores as well as more 'themed' locations for Black Spire Outpost. 

Restaurants
Even people on the edge of Wild Space need to eat!
So this is bound to happen. While nothing has been said from official channels, the rumor mill is always ripe with guesses. Some of them are as wild as a full sit-down, reservations only dining option to the other corner who states 'it won't have anyplace to eat'.  Personally,  I expect to see something very similar with what Disney did with Cars Lands in California. If we use that model, we'll see one 'counter service' restaurant with themed (but familiar) food choices, much like Flo's V-8 Cafe. For quick service and snacks, likely several other spots where one can grab something for 'on the go' food options. 

Impulse POV Released as Testing Begins at Knoebels!

The wait is coming to a close, as Knoebels newest, and first all steel coaster, has begun testing! Yesterday, via the park's Facebook page, they announced that the testing phase for Impulse has begun and only a few hours later, video was posted up as well.

It should be noted, that the footage they provided was from a camera mounted on a test car, but they have promised additional footage from the actual trains at a later point. Once they have that up, we'll be sure to share it with you right here. For now? Here's a ride on the newest coaster at Knoebels!

Post by Knoebels Amusement Resort.

Really curious to see what the lift is like, since that's not featured in this video but the rest of the ride looks great and definitely should be a blast to ride. Not much longer until that date comes, either and with the looks of things around the ride, they should make their opening date without an issue at all.

Stay tuned for more info on Impulse at Knoebels and everywhere else that's building for 2015 right here and be sure to follow along with us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest!

FuryWatch: Last Minute Touches Added as Fury 325's Opening Day Quickly Approaches

There's only 9 days left until Fury 325 opens to the general public, even less time until the Season Passholder and Media Day events. So, what has Carowinds been up to? Well, quite a bit!

First up, the signage for the entrance was seen getting ready to make it's way to the park yesterday. Thanks to Carowinds General Manager, Mark Fehnel, we've got the picture to show ya of just what this looks like in the flesh. Lookin really good there and pretty much dead on from the designs we showed you earlier.

It's impressive and gotta say, even the signage is huge on this thing, which is fitting since it is a truly massive coaster they've got on their hands. If you're gonna go big, might as well go really big, right?

UPDATE: Entry for Fury 325 is installed, and lookin' awesome!

And now for a little video released by Carowinds!


Also, over the weekend, the final details were be put on the lighting package. Lots of aiming and other things were taking place but the results? Amazing, to say the least.

Wicked Cyclone Construction Further Along at Six Flags New England

This past weekend, the folks at SFNE Online were invited out to the park for an up close and personal look, as part of the American Coaster Enthusiast Great Nor'Easter event, at the RMC rework of the park's famous Cyclone roller coaster.

Not only did they get the chance to get up close and personal with the construction site but also with the new trains, delivered only a couple of weeks ago. Overall, this thing is shaping up to be one insane ride and definitely going to be interesting to check out in the future.

For now, here's a few pictures of the progress and the trains that will grace the tracks of Wicked Cyclone!

First Fury 325 On Ride POV Released!

Okay, it seems like just a couple of hours ago we were talking about the first test run from Fury 325 at Carowinds, but here we go again!

This time, the folks at Carowinds have unveiled the video from that first ever run and luckily for all of us, they had a camera onboard to record the insanity of it all. So, I'm not gonna talk long on this one, as you can just click on the Fury 325 logo on the left of the page for the updates.

Let's get on with the video!


Holy crap that looks incredible! One thing you'll notice is that there isn't a single brake section throughout the entire course of the ride. This thing is going to be insane to experience and riding at night? Oh, I can only imagine.

Yep, it's official. We have Fury Fever here at ISI! Stay tuned here or follow us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest out of Carowinds and their newest, world record breaking coaster, Fury 325!

First Test Run of Fury 325 at Carowinds a Success!

It's rare we have back to back posts about the same subject, but this one's a little special. Just a short bit ago, Carowinds announced that they had completed the first test run of their world record breaking coaster, Fury 325. It's been a long road since the leaks, the official announcement and completion of construction, but here we are. Only a couple of weeks until Fury 325 will be open to the public and daring riders to face it's monstrous 320ft drop to reach speeds of 95mph.

We've had a blast covering this one, and while we're not quite done yet on that front, it's getting closer and closer to media and we'll be sure to bring you all the latest from that event. But we're not there yet and still lots more to share.

So, let's get on with the reason ya came, the pictures! Here's some shots from earlier today via Carowinds and their construction camera of the first test run!

Knoebels Moving at Light Speed with Impulse Construction

Well, it hasn't been too long since our last look at what was going on up at Knoebels Grove but in just the past couple of weeks a lot has changed since our last update. Construction has been flying on this one and I really don't know how they're doing it. We thought that Thunderbird at Holiday World went up quick, but holy crap.

As of earlier today Knoebels has managed to finish off the coaster's helix, loop, and cobra roll. That's not all though, the highest point of the track has also gone in, finishing the 90degree drop. It's mind boggling how they've managed to get this done so quickly with all the weather. There's still a lot to do but they're definitely well on their way.

So, enough of me yammering on. Let's get to the latest pictures!

Tayto Park's New Coaster Named as Construction Continues

It's been a while since we've taken a peek at what's going on over at Ireland's Tayto Park, and it seems quite a bit has transpired since our last look. Not only has their newest coaster gotten a name, but concept art for the trains has been released as well as a ton of construction photos.

The coaster, built by The Gravity Group, will be a true one of a kind and Europe's only wooden coaster to feature an inversion in the layout, for now at least.

Definitely interesting and should fit the theme of things pretty well. Oh, right the name. Earlier this month it was announced that it will be called The Cú Chulainn Coaster after the Irish mythological hero of the same.

Coming in at 4,593ft in length, Cú Chulainn, will be Europe's longest wooden coaster and in the top ten for height and drop as well. Sadly, it's corkscrew inversion will only keep it as Europe's only wooden coaster with such for a year, since Kolmården's Wildfire is set to open in 2016 with three. Still, it gets to be to be first, so that counts for something!

As you can see in the image above, the trains are going to themed pretty insanely and they're really something different all together. I don't think I've seen that much work on the front of a lead car in a very long time.

So, anyway, here's the real reason ya probably, came. Pictures of construction!

February 11th: Fury 325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I've got you next update on Fury325 here.  Now that the track is finished they seem to be moving right along in finishing everything else.  I've got two pictures for yinz this evening to enjoy.

Pulled from Facebook

This is a photograph of the hill from the operator booth or what will be the booth, lol. It's such an awesome hill and I can't wait to ride this beauty!!

Pulled from Facebook

Here are the queue lines on the ride platform. The hive design is really cool and I can only hope that the rest of the platform will be just as neat. I say go with a whole hive thing: turn the platform into a hive all around!

Pulled from Twitter

This is a picture of the tunnel design that runs underground on the coaster. You can see the track is all wrapped up while they're working on the tunnel frame. The worker also adds perspective so yinz can see how big the tunnel actually is.

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

Laff Trakk Construction at Hersheypark Continues to Move Quickly

Work over at Hersheypark has been moving at a very quick pace for their 13th coaster, Laff Trakk. Billed at the world's first indoor spinning glow coaster, they're taking aim at filling not only the void left by past dark rides that have been in the park, but also adding new thrills to the park's landscape.

So far things have been moving pretty well and the ride building is nearly complete. Top that off, just a couple of weeks ago, the first sections of track arrived at the park as well!

Hersheypark has this one listed for "Summer of 2015", but at the rate their going, it's hard to think that they won't have this ready a bit earlier than that. Not sure if it'll be opening day, but I'm sure that's the goal here if they can hit it.

Well, enough of that, let's get on with the pictures and first up? The first pieces of track, which arrived back on January 28th or so.

And now for a few more...

Baron 1898 Goes Vertical at Efteling

Well, it hasn't been too long since our last update, but the folks at Efteling are moving ahead and things are starting to get really interesting with the construction of Baron 1898. We've already covered what the ride is all about before, but now the question of just how close to the concept art the ride will look has been answered.

Holy crap.

Yep, that deserves it's own special little line there. Why? Well, the work has been progressing well and so far it looks like things will be extremely close to the concept art shown above. This is gonna be one helluva coaster to see once it's complete. Okay, enough rambling, let's get on the most recent set of pictures straight from the folks at PlarkPlanet.nl!

First up, a look at the queue and station building, gotta say, coming along really nicely here and definitely gonna be the nicest station house out there by a long shot.

Impulse Construction at Knoebels Goes Vertical

Well, the folks at Holiday World aren't the only ones to be getting their first all steel coaster this year. Knoebels Family Resort have been working on their latest addition to the park this winter and things are finally getting interesting. This past week they've been sharing a ton of photos of the construction progress and it looks like, despite the weather, things are moving forward a pretty good pace!

Impluse, in spite of it's name, will not be a launch coaster as they've opted for a traditional chain lift to build the anticipation as riders are pulled up the 90 degree lift hill before the first 90degree drop. An interesting move, in name and practice, but should be a fun experience regardless. For more info on the ride, check out our coverage of the announcement last February. 

As of January 27th, the park had recieved 20 of 51 containers, and here's all of that steel laid out in the snow covered parking lot. Looks like some kind of insane model kit for giants when it's all spread out like this. At least they don't have to deal with the plastic tabs and things holding the pieces in, right?

Next up, work on the supports for Impulse being done and at least it's not snowing or raining so they can get some work done!

Track Completed for Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Newest Coaster

Well, the folks at Busch Gardens Williamsburg have been quietly building something new for 2015. It's been known for a while just what this new piece of their coaster landscape would be, but the fact that they've been building, guests had been noticing during Christmas Town, and you can see it from the main road without any official word? That's weird.

It's really only a matter of time until they do spill the beans, but it's not like anyone in the area or visiting hasn't seen what's going on at this point. They already know what's coming and sites like BGWFans and others have been watching and putting information out there, so why the wait? I don't think we'll ever know the answer to that.

What we do know is that thanks to those intrepid folks at BGWFans.com, particularly user netdvn, we have pictures taken at the end of January which show the track completed and some theming being placed on the structure. Whether they go with the Tempesto or Diavolo name, no one knows, it's definitely an interesting choice for the park. We've talked a good bit about that as our coverage of the ride's construction has gone on, so we'll just leave that there for you to check out.

In the meantime, here's the latest set of photos.

As you can see, pretty hard to miss this one out there and it sands out rather starkly against Apollo's Chariot there in front. And, just what is hanging from the structure? Well, those appear to some kind of banner or some such but it's hard to see what's going on with them as we're looking at the backside. One can hope they add some that face outward as well, but who knows what'll happen there.

Here's a couple of more photos showing things a little more closely.

Thunderbird Watch: Holiday World Shows Off Thunderbird's Station House and Barn Fly Through

Well, construction of the track may have been completed well ahead of schedule and the trains have started to arrive but there's a lot more finish up with Holiday World's first all steel coaster.

Most notably, the station house and the barn fly through that riders will be sent careening through not once, but twice! They're definitely getting there with things though and with the barn complete, that only leaves the station to be finished off.

So, let's get down what you came for, the pictures. First up, a look at the mostly complete station for this ground breaking new coaster.

Still a good bit to go here, but definitely getting there and can't wait to see when it's done. Next up? A little bit of coaster nirvana as Holiday World has given us some really unique looks at the barn fly through section of the ride!

Final Piece of Track Installed at Carowinds for Fury 325!

Well, it's official. The final piece of track for the Carowind's newest coaster, Fury 325, has gone into place. Earlier today they finished off the 6,600ft long track with the final piece being installed. Seriously, this is one big and long coaster that boasts a ride time of 3min 25sec and is going to be one helluva ride with that drop from 325ft and speeds reaching 93mph+. 

So, here's a look at the final piece of track going into place for the world's tallest and fastest traditional coaster. Congrats to B&M and Carowinds. Now we wait for testing and opening day!

January 29th: Fury 325 update

Hello Peoples!!!

So this is going to be a small yet important update because Carowinds just posted up a photo of the track and there is one piece of track left to go!!!

Waiting for the final piece!! (pulled from Facebook)

According to Carowinds the final piece will be installed tomorrow sometime but I wanted to show everyone this lovely photo. Isn't the sunset pretty too?

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 19th: Fury325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I hope that everyone is having a good evening or a good day depending on where you live.  So this evening I've got two new photos for your enjoyment.

So here is just a random photo of some of the Fury325 steel being fabricated at the factory:

Found this on Carowinds's Twitter

Yes, I made this photo bigger but I think it's neat to see the track being worked on.

Now on to the awesome picture...THE TRAINS HAVE ARRIVED!!! or at least one of them, lol

This was taken from Carowinds's Facebook page

So I'm still not a fan of the lime green, but I do like the pattern on the car. Obviously they're following their own pattern with the three stripes that make up the wings and the stinger down the center. To be honest I feel like the front is too dull, they make the track and color scheme bright and shiny but the car is just gray/silver.

But that is just my thoughts on things, what does everyone else think?

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 8th: Fury325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I know it's been a bit since I've done an update but I wanted to wait until there were a bunch of pictures to share with everyone to make this enjoyable for all.

So to skip with the pleasantries and onto the fun!!!

Travel Channel reporters walking on the hill for a special that air's next summer

Another photo of the Travel Channel film crew

Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain Contruction Update

Well, Rocky Mountain Construction sure is keeping itself busy. Not only with the redesign of Wicked Cyclone out at Six Flags New England, but also with the monster project of converting what was once Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain into Twisted Colossus.

Despite a couple of small issues earlier on during their construction, things seem to be taking shape pretty well. Also, thanks to the awesome folks at RMC, we've got quite a few pictures to share with you too. Some of these shots are from some really insane angles that show off just how steep the new first drop will be. You can probably also see where the rails have been removed from other sections in advance as well.

One of the more interesting things that we've learned here at ISI is that some of the old Colossus structure will remain intact. The reason for this is that they're needed to support the structure, so taking them down is not an option to be had. Definitely going to make for some interesting looking sections to say the least.

Anyway, enough of me going on and on, let's get down to the latest pictures!

Dynamic Attractions' SFX Coaster Headed to Ferrari World

A while back, Dynamic Attractions was rumored to be working on a very strange and bizarre coaster design. One that incorporated all kinds of different elements, special effects, massive video displays and all manner of other weirdness. For the longest time, many people thought this was going to be the basis for what was to come at Universal Orlando's for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

However, that did not happen and for a very long time, many were speculating just where this oddball of a coaster would turn up.

Looks like we now have the answer to that question as the crazy brains behind it at Dynamic Attractions not only teased the coaster design at IAAPA in Orlando, but also announced that Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi would be the first location to feature it. 

I really don't know what to think of this thing as it makes almost sense and there are so many elements and things going on that it can make your head spin. Though, I suppose that's the point of it. The folks over at Vertical Horizons have gotten their hands on some construction photos, as well as what appears to be the layout of the track.

As you can see by the layout, there's a lot of strange going on. Somewhere in there screens of some kind will be integrated I would imagine. Where within the mess of things is anyone's guess. You can also notice the two sections on the layout where it would appear that the track just ends. This is speculated to be some kind of "trick track" or something where the ride either drops or changes direction in some manner. Not entirely sure to be honest. Additionally, there's also what appears to be at least two inversions along with several near 90 degree or even over banked curves in there as well.

Whatever it is, definitely going to be an interesting one, so let's see what the track looks like real quick. Which, is also a bit strange to look at it...