Sounds of Sith: Sonic Signifiers of Danger in Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge
Location
Rosen Classroom 111
Start Date
21-6-2024 4:15 PM
Description
As fans walk into Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, they are met with the swoops of landing spacecraft, the bloops of droids, and the excited tones of the Black Spire radio station. For fans of the Star Wars franchise, walking into Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost transports them into George Lucas’s world of fantasy, technology, warring ideologies, and defiant heroes. Disneyland immerses us through architecture, landscaping, food, shopping kiosks, costumed cast members, andsonic ambiance. Part of the fun is immersion not only in a much-loved world, but also in the tension of Star Wars’ good vs. evil dynamic—the nervous thrill of danger in the park’s rides, character confrontations, and Rebel Alliance missions; the park’s soundtrack plays up this excitement. From the staticky hum of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, to the musical leitmotivs of the Galactic Empire, to the attenuated vocalizations of the stormtroopers as they wander the park to confront spectators, Galaxy’s Edge reminds us aurally that we may be having fun—but the thrill is in the danger.
This paper explores moments in the park’s soundtrack—sound effect, diegetic, and underscore—that clue us in to the peril around us, particularly in the “Rise of the Resistance” ride, Oga’s Cantina (with DJ R-3X), and the First Order stage show. Drawing on Philip Tagg’s exploration of musemes, Frank Lehman’s catalog of Star Wars leitmotivs, and Emilio Audissino’s review of John Williams’ Star Wars style, aural signifiers of danger and their effects on park-goers will tease out how Galaxy’s Edge aurally boosts spectator immersion and the thrill of opposing the Galactic Empire.
Recommended Citation
Getman, Jessica, "Sounds of Sith: Sonic Signifiers of Danger in Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge" (2024). Theme Park Music and Sound. 11.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/tpms/2024/friday/11
Sounds of Sith: Sonic Signifiers of Danger in Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge
Rosen Classroom 111
As fans walk into Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, they are met with the swoops of landing spacecraft, the bloops of droids, and the excited tones of the Black Spire radio station. For fans of the Star Wars franchise, walking into Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost transports them into George Lucas’s world of fantasy, technology, warring ideologies, and defiant heroes. Disneyland immerses us through architecture, landscaping, food, shopping kiosks, costumed cast members, andsonic ambiance. Part of the fun is immersion not only in a much-loved world, but also in the tension of Star Wars’ good vs. evil dynamic—the nervous thrill of danger in the park’s rides, character confrontations, and Rebel Alliance missions; the park’s soundtrack plays up this excitement. From the staticky hum of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, to the musical leitmotivs of the Galactic Empire, to the attenuated vocalizations of the stormtroopers as they wander the park to confront spectators, Galaxy’s Edge reminds us aurally that we may be having fun—but the thrill is in the danger.
This paper explores moments in the park’s soundtrack—sound effect, diegetic, and underscore—that clue us in to the peril around us, particularly in the “Rise of the Resistance” ride, Oga’s Cantina (with DJ R-3X), and the First Order stage show. Drawing on Philip Tagg’s exploration of musemes, Frank Lehman’s catalog of Star Wars leitmotivs, and Emilio Audissino’s review of John Williams’ Star Wars style, aural signifiers of danger and their effects on park-goers will tease out how Galaxy’s Edge aurally boosts spectator immersion and the thrill of opposing the Galactic Empire.