Two massive Star Wars-themed lands will be built at Disneyland and Disney World

[aud19]

http://arstechnica.com/the-multiverse/2015/08/two-massive-star-wars-themed-lands-will-be-built-at-disneyland-and-disney-world/

Attractions will let you fly the Millennium Falcon and visit Mos Eisley spaceport.

While we're obviously hoping for some new, less-sucky Star Wars films starting with The Force Awakens this winter, the real reason we all got excited for Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm is finally happening: Disney is building a Star Wars theme park. Actually, it's building two Star Wars-themed attractions at its Disneyland (Anaheim, California) and Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida) theme parks. At around 14 acres (5.6 hectares) each, they'll make up a huge part of each park. There's no word on when Star Wars might be coming to Disney parks in Europe or Asia, but hopefully it'll be soon.

While exact details on the attractions are scarce, each new theme park will feature at least two new rides, one of which will let you take control of the Millennium Falcon (!), and another that'll be set inside the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is the Mos Eisley cantina. The attractions will also introduce an as-yet-unnamed new planet from the intergalactic film saga.

"These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance," said Disney CEO Bob Iger at the D23 Expo.

The CEO also promised that the attractions will be staffed and occupied by "local inhabitants" of various Star Wars worlds, and noted that they would be the "largest, single-themed land expansion ever" in Disney history. Construction will begin at Disneyland in 2017. A start date for Disney World has not been set.

While these new Star Wars attractions will be the biggest to ever appear at Disneyland and Disney World, they're not technically the first. The Star Tours ride—a motion simulator—opened in Disneyland in 1987, and later at Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Disneyland Tokyo, featuring the likes of C3PO and R2D2. An updated version, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, opened in 2011. The original Star Tours is still running at Disneyland Paris, but will eventually be replaced by the updated version as well.

[Chris D]

... well... kinda.

Is anybody really surprised? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who, upon hearing that Disney had bought the Star Wars franchise, knew that they were going to squeeze this one for every single drop of blood that they could.

Could be a fun place, or could just be one more piece in the gradual Disney erosion of the Star Wars empire. (semi-pun intended) They will undoubtedly have Star Wars gift shops, with thousands of Star Wars chotchkies for the kids. Think when you go to the Disney parks now, that you see a ton of kids walking around with cheap plastic light saber-like things? Just wait.

[aud19]

Well of course they're going to milk it...I don't really get that (very common) argument/complaint to be honest :lol:

But I think most would agree that nobody does an immersive, interactive experience as well as Disney. I don't see how this could remotely be bad. How many of us have been dreaming/fantasizing since we were little boys that we could immerse our selves in the Star Wars universe? Disney's going to now make that possible. I for one, CAN NOT WAIT.

Even better, this should have been open for a couple years at about a perfect time to take my two boys to it in the early 2020's :T

[Chris D]

Totally agree, a Star Wars land is very cool. I can only verbalize my own concerns, that I've put here on the Guide many times, is that Disney will take the Star Wars universe and exponentially exploit, commercialize, and twist it infinitely more than it already has been, until it no longer retains anything remotely "cool" or special anymore. Until it's all just direct-to-dvd, no-substance, absolute junk. (e.g. Cinderella 4)

Think the SW Universe lost its glory under Lucas? We'll wait and see what happens under Disney.

Help me, Bob Iger. You're my only hope.

[Hdale85]

Hmm we've been wanting to go to Disney World, not sure we'll wait till 2020 though. I Guess we'll have to go a second time?

[Chris D]

The medical association I'm on the board of directors for, is having our annual conference in Orlando in a few weeks. Still being out of a job, I'm really having a hard time going. But if I do, I'll definitely be doing the Orlando usuals--Disney, Legoland, Busch Gardens (Tampa), Universal Studios. Mmmmm... thinking of Tampa, I'd have to go to Bern's Steakhouse. Best dining experience I've ever had.

No idea when the next time I'll be in Orlando. But I'm guessing I'll be able to do SoCal and Disneyland in the future after this Star Wars world opens.

[Chris D]

Ok, I'm in Disney World this week, and after spending many days here and feeling the latest "Disney vibe", I've revised my anticipation of these parks. They continue to revise "Star Tours" (currently the only official Star Wars ride in Disney) and they're doing pretty good with it and the surrounding environment. They did a PHENOMENAL job with the Cars Radiator Springs area in Disneyland when I was there last year, and right now they're building an Avatar land in Disney Animal Kingdom, here in Florida, that already is predicted to be a smash hit. All the new rides being built and updated are very good, and the visual lands are great. So as long as they don't screw it up, things are boding very well for the upcoming new Star Wars lands.

I'm still very nervous about the films. Haven't seen evidence yet to assuage my fears there.

[Hdale85]

Yeah I think we're going to make an attempt to go down next year before they tear up the area where Star Wars Land will go, and then we will definitely go again in 2020 when that area is open.

[JohnA]

By 2020, people that have a few children with them will probably need to get a bank loan approval just to pay Disney's ever increasing admittance fees. I think the last time I went to Disney World in Fla, was after racing at Daytona in 1987 or 1988, and it was about $35 to get in for the day, and staying at their campground with my motor home and the enclosed 15' trailer for my race motorcycles was about another $30 o $40 a night for both the motor home & trailer. They have a really great campground, totally blows away any Jellystone park campground by far, so that was not a bad price considering all that their campground offers.

[Chris D]

By 2020, people that have a few children with them will probably need to get a bank loan approval just to pay Disney's ever increasing admittance fees.

You're more right than you know. Tickets keep increasing. But perhaps even more, don't you dare try to eat anywhere in the parks without setting aside several hundred dollars, each day, for the family. No kidding. I've paid for multiple meals this week that were each multi-hundred dollar meals and the most expensive of my entire life. And that's saying a lot, as I've eaten in some top end restaurants all around the world.

[Hdale85]

Yeah last time I went to Disney Land we got a extra large pizza (which was pretty big I guess) and like 5 drinks and it was well over 100 bucks. It was just a cheese pizza too lol.

[JohnA]

And the thing is, for just about anything other than Disney that's considered a tourist attraction in Fla, there are usually a bunch of different ways to get entrance fee price discounts for them. Bush Gardens is easy to get discounts for, and it is really easy to find them for Bush Gardens if you live in Fla. Disney, not so much, although they do have some type of resident offerings. But otherwise, Disney is pretty much a bend over, grab yer ankles, and assume the position tourist attraction, with a extra charge for Vaseline.

[Hdale85]

I don't know I've had some friends that have gotten pretty decent deals through a travel agent.