The Disneyland 60 Special is currently aired on ABC and the sequence with Harrison Ford just ended. What did we learned from Harrison about Star Wars land in this three minutes sequence? Not a lot but some interesting concept-arts ( see post below ) or CGI animations were shown. As envisioned they talked about the Millenium Falcon ride during which you'll be sit in the cockpit and be able "to move left or right or firing the lasers cannons"...
...but also about the supposed big E-Ticket ride in which you'll be "fighting yourself in a battle between the resistance and the first order"!
In addition, more Star Wars lands renderings were also shown during the Harrison Ford sequence, showing street markets, restaurants, the Cantina, and more decors of the awaited land!
Although the Star Wars lands opening dates is not announced yet Disney's COO Tom Staggs announced today that Disney will break ground on the two "Star Wars"-lands at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2016, .
But Tom Staggs, who was speaking at the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch 2015 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference in Beverly Hills, did not say when the “Star Wars” lands would open. But with a start of the works in 2016 i would say that an opening on 2019 can be reasonably envisioned.
Speaking at D23, Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Iger said the “Star Wars”-themed areas will include a re-creation of the Millennium Falcon, the iconic spacecraft from the film series. Iger said guests would be able to take the controls of the ship for a “customized secret mission.”
That's it, Bob Iger just announced officially Star Wars lands for WDW DHS and Disneyland and it'll be the biggest land ever built!
"Bob Iger announced to an audience of more than 7,500 fans that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., allowing Star Wars fans to step into the stories from a galaxy far, far away.
Ambitious plans to bring Star Wars to life in the two parks include creating Disney’s largest single-themed land expansions ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life.
“I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars,” said Iger. “We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever. 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.”
These authentic lands will have two signature attractions, including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle."
Here is the short Star Wars Land teaser shown during the Parks and Resorts D23 Presentation...
...And here are some additional artworks shown during the Parks and Resorts presentation at D23! They show different scenes inside the land or even rides ( the one with the Storm Troopers ) as well as a great live music "Cantina" bar & restaurant!
D&M take: It looks impressive, though i was not expecting this kind of architecture. No opening date was announced for the Star Wars Lands opening but from what i've read it seems that they're planning to break the ground in 2017 which, considering the huge construction works needed, should mean a Star Wars land opening not earlier than 2019!
Edited 16 / 8 : Some thoughts about the new Star Wars land: At first i was impressed because of the scope of the project ( looks huge, etc… ) and the more i think about it the less certain i am about what i feel about it. First, i understand why they choose to create a new planet, but at the same time it will be more difficult to enjoy the place than if it had been a planet we already knew as i think what Star Wars fans would like is to be « teleported » on a planet they loved in the previous movies to have the feeling and pleasure « to be there ». So, the fans won’t have this feeling here, except if this new planet is introduced in the upcoming movies of the new trilogy. The only place so far which is a reminiscence of a loved place in the previous trilogies is the cafe looking like the famous Tatooine cantina.
I also have a problem with the mountains which have a kind of Avatar / Pandora look / feeling with the vegetation going down these pillars of rock. Because of the verticality of the set, it will create a special mood for the guest walking down there but it certainly don’t look like a place which gives you a « cosmic » feeling that a Star Wars land should give. And nothing futuristic in it. But the chosen decor should work well for the transition when you’ll come from the woods in the back of DL Frontierland where they will built it.
That said, Universal didn’t did this mistake, they reproduced faithfully the places that fans loved in the Harry Potter movies, but it's true they didn't had the choice of environment. I can understand that, with Star Wars, they had so many planets that instead to choose one and eventually make fans who would have liked another planet than the one chosen angry they decided to create a new one, but i’m not sure it’s not a mistake. They have enough materials in the Star Wars movie that they should have built a full theme park with different lands / planets, but there, in addition to the cost and needed place - a problem that could have been resolved - probably entered the corporate paranoid question: what if Star Wars is not anymore popular in 15 - 20 years? Which of course doesn't have any sense considering how hugely popular SW is since 35 years and this with two trilogies / six films released only...
Now the only thing to do is to wait till they build it and see the result. But i sincerely hope this new planet will be introduced in a future movie, one way or another so fans will have the feeling to be « at home » …
And what are your thoughts about this new Star Wars land?
Let's end with the video of the full star Wars Land presentation during D23 Parks and Resorts event, filmed in HD by Inside the Magic!
An interesting comment was posted "anonymously" to the "Visualize Disneyland Star Wars Land with this S.W Wilson Map" article posted ten days ago. The anonymous reader, who apparently got the info from a friend working at LucasFilm, said: "Interesting to think about Star Wars in Anaheim...Heard from a friend at Lucasfilm that they're thinking about and discussing with Imagineering a Star Wars land in the parking lot west of DCA in order to drive more traffic to DCA, and that construction will begin in early 2016". Although i give the benefit of the doubt to any comment, even posted anonymously, this must be considered only as a rumor until we get an official confirmation. But it's an interesting one because so far the rumors were saying that Disneyland's Star Wars Land will come in DL Tomorrowland and with a E-Ticket ride using the land where Autopia is now. To be honest, if i was the one choosing i would prefer to have it at DCA instead than Disneyland Tomorrowland. Not that it's impossible to do, but i've never been convinced that it was the perfect location, that a Star Wars Land would be better out of DL and even that they should put it in the long rumored third Anaheim gate.
However, if you look at the Google Earth screen captures above, i think they will have enough space to create a land in this parking lot - in red above - if the infos are right. What? There is the South West St / Disneyland Drive between the parking lot and DCA? Sure, but this could be a minor issue which can be resolved with works to have the road going beneath the path that would be created between DCA and the parking lot, or the contrary. My main concern is the Disney's Paradise Pier hotel nearby, too close to don't be a visual intrusion if WDI Imagineers were building the Star Wars land on this parking lot... But i agree that the idea to build it at DCA, in order to bring more guests inside DCA rather than at Disneyland is a good one, and makes sense. Disneyland is regularly over packed and i can't imagine how packed it would be with a Star Wars Land at DL during the Holiday season... So, yes, keep this rumor in mind and we'll see in 2016 if it was the right one as the construction, according to this comment, is supposed to start this year, which would lead probably to an opening in 2018... which was the date a Star Wars Land was scheduled to open at Disneyland as written in the Disney Parks 10 years plan released internally last April. Pictures: copyright Google Earth As usual, more exciting posts every day on the Disney and more Facebook page that you can access even if you don't have a Facebook account!
It was hardly a secret but now it's official as Bob Iger in an interview with Bloomberg confirmed that "there is a fair amount of development going on at Disney Imagineering right now to expand the Star Wars presence ( translate: Star Wars Lands ) in Disneyland AND Walt Disney World ( translate: Disney's Hollywood Studios ) and eventually in others Disney theme parks around the world".
"We do have Star Wars in others theme parks, in Paris and in Tokyo, we haven't made any specific announcements about what will be in Shanghaî or what we're heading to Hong Kong after we build an Iron Man attraction but i think it's probably likely that Star Wars will be in more than just our two domestic parks."
Couldn't be more clear, right? Now, Disney still have to announce the opening dates of these Star Wars lands at DL and WDW but what i can tell you is that Disneyland will be probably the first to have one, shortly followed by the awaited one for WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Iger also talked about the release date of Star Wars Episode 7 movie - December 18, 2015 - which happen to be the release date of Avatar who became the most successful movie of all time and hopefully Episode 7 will be as successful.
We already know that a Star Wars land is in project for Disneyland Paris Discoveryland but according to Lance from Screamscape another one might be built at Disney Hollywood Studios. For now, there is a lot of "IF" but Lance has learned that the park’s big parade will close and that there is also a rumor "that the Parade Float building may also be removed to make room for a new future project". We're talking here about the Parade Float building located backstage behind the Backlot Express restaurant which is close to Star Tours. So far, there is no signs that the Backlot Express will be removed too, but as Lance explains if they remove it, then the DHS will have "a fairly large space where they could possibly build a new Star Wars themed mini-land that could include the often rumored Star Wars Cantina restaurant project proposed for Paris". You've understood that we are here totally in the rumor section as Disney might have others plans for the "new project" they would put where the Parade Float building is currently. But, as Lance also says, considering that Disney can't build a Marvel land at WDW - because of the Universal exclusivity deal "east of the Mississippi" - there is no doubt that Disney will want to build instead a Star Wars land at one of its WDW property. And, considering that the DHS already have Star Tours and the Star Wars weekends each year the logic would be to build a Star Wars land there. As we know the DHS don't have a lot of room available around Star Tours and they can't really expand the park behind it as there is one of WDW Blvd right behind. So, as Lance think, they might find some room if they remove the Parade float building and the Backlot Express and i've did for you a Google Earth view - see the circled orange space below ( click to enlarge the picture ) of the space that Lance is talking about.
But, if Disney really needs a biiiig land to build a Star Wars land which wouldn't be only a mini-land but a real big land at the height of the fans expectations, why don't they take it on the parking lot nearby - the space circled in orange below - and then expand the parking lot in the back where nothing stop them to do it - the space circled in blue on the same picture? There might be of course plenty of reasons that i don't know which would make the operation more difficult that it seems, but technically it looks possible, doesn't it?
Anyway, which park - DLP or DHS - will be the first to inaugurate its Star Wars land, the future will tell! Picture: copyright Lucasfilm, Google Earth
Since two months DLP fans forums are talking about something pretty exciting: a "Star Wars land" is supposed to come to DLP Discoveryland in 2015! Disney Central Plaza forum detailed what we might expect in this Star Wars land and so far it is listed on DCP as a "rumor". Of course, i tried to know what is true in all this and, yes, from what i've been told it seems that DLP Imagineering is indeed working on a Star Wars Land project for Discoveryland. I will explain you in details why this Star Wars land is very probably going to be build, but before let's have a look to what is supposed to be planned.
The plan is not only to bring Star Tours 2 at DLP Discoveryland but also to transform what is now the Captain EO theatre, the Star Traders shop as well as the Pizza Planet restaurant to create a "Star Wars land" and as you will see on the Google Earth screen capture below they not only have plenty of room backstage to do it but probably will even have enough room in the future to add new rides if necessary. The back of Discoveryland already don't have the same architecture than the front, so this Star Wars land shouldn't be a problem, esthetically speaking.
What you must NOT expect: I found back a Tim Delaney rendering - which is reproduced in my DLP book among 250 others WDI artwork and that you can find HERE - and in this artwork Tim had envisioned, a long time ago, a kind of Star Wars land with a full scale Millennium Falcon and a Space Mountain dome designed as the Death Star. This will certainly not happen, so don't even think about it as Space Mountain will definitely keep his beautiful dome as it is right now.
What you CAN expect: Of course, Star Tours 2 will replace the original version and the pre-show will have the same changes than in the U.S versions, but according to the DCP forum - and for a big part confirmed to me - the plans apparently are to do big changes in the Star Tours post-show, which will be welcome as since IBM is not anymore the attraction sponsor the great games which were there on DLP opening day have been replaced by arcade games. I don't know yet exactly the DLPI plans but a Star Tours shop will very probably take place in this quite large area, hopefully with great theming. Close to the exit the Star Traders shop might become a Star Wars photo location and what kid wouldn't be happy to have his picture with his favorite Jedi?
Young kids will also probably be happy with the plans for what is now the Captain EO theatre as apparently DLP is planning to replace it with the Star Wars Jedi Academy like the popular one at Disney Hollywood Studios. Sure, if you're 8 years old its more enjoyable to become a young padawan - a Jedi apprentice - but i think it will be a cute and fun addition even if DLP Jedi Academy may not be located outside as it is at DHS for obvious weather reasons. All of you have heard about the DHS Jedi Academy but some may have never seen it in real so i post below a video showing the full DHS show.
The next transformation is an exciting one as the idea seems to be to transform the Pizza Planet restaurant - located a bit backstage behind Space Mountain - by Star Wars famous Mos Eisley Cantina which appeared for the first time in the Episode 4, i.e the first Star Wars movie to have been released. Not only it's for sure the most famous Star Wars "restaurant", the one that everyone remember from the movies, but it shouldn't be too difficult too to recreate it. From the outside it looks like this - below a picture of a diorama model by Stefan Weber:
And here is the same model but showing the inside.
Here are two pictures, the first one is the original model for the movie, and the next one is another model, non-official.
I remind you that in the movie the Cantina is located on Tatooine, in a desert environment, which mean that DLPI would probably have to recreate a bit of desert landscape all around it, which is not the most difficult thing to do. And they have the space to do it. Some additional creatures like the one you saw on the diorama and a land speeder waiting at the entrance would be welcome, too.
To be perfectly honest, this "Cantina" addition is the one on which i didn't had confirmation yet but it'll make sense to build it and if this Cantina project is finalized you can be sure that Lucas Film will keep an eye on the theming to make sure that the restaurant will be faithful to the original one. This next picture will give you an idea of where is what in La Cantina.
Now, we all remember that the Cantina is full of aliens from all over the galaxy. In this case it's probably DLP guests who will be the aliens (!) but it would be nice if the cast members who will work inside the Cantina could be a little bit "themed" - if french regulations allows it, which remains to be proven...
And what about the Cantina musicians, by the way? They have to be there, right? DLP have the choice of real musicians wearing masks or audio-animatronics musicians. My guess is that DLP might prefer "real" one for financial reasons but WDI AAs would be welcome..
For those of you who don't remember the Cantina scene from Star Wars Episode 4, here is the video.
Is this Star Wars land going to be build at DLP? Very probably, yes, and here is why: One year ago, during a press event, a dinner was organized with a selection of web masters and Philippe Gas, DLP CEO. I was part of the dinner but it's another web master who asked him if DLP was planning to replace Star Tours 1 by Star Tours 2. To what Philippe Gas answered that they will be very happy to do so but unfortunately the attraction have a cost - read: an important cost - and for the same cost DLP could have a brand new attraction. One of the problem is that DLP had bad experiences with previous upgraded attractions. They did Space Mountain Mission Two and expected it to be a success as big as they had in 1995 when Space Mountain opened, and it hasn't been the case. And Captain Eo just brought in more guests than HISTA during one week or so. So, we can understand why DLP execs can a bit dubious with upgraded rides even if in this case i think they're wrong as everyone will agree that Star Tours 2 is considerably better than the first version.
But, at the time of this dinner we didn't knew the real price of Star Tours 2, and it was hard to understand why Philippe Gas thought that ST2 cost was high. Thanks to Oriental Land company who always reveal the cost when they bring a new ride at TDL or TDS we know now that TDL will invest 7 billion Yen to bring Star Tours 2 - $84 Million which makes around 63.5 M euros. Even if the costs are always a bit higher in Japan because of anti-sismic regulations, the price for DLP is certainly not under 50M euros, and probably closer to 55M. I can understand now why Philippe Gas thought that it's quite a lot of money to upgrade a ride, as popular as it can be. Not to mention that it's also harder for DLP marketing to advertise an upgraded ride than a brand new one.
But DLP have two problems: the first one is that Star Tours 2 will be introduced to all the others parks next year except at DLP, and the pressure by DLP fans would surely grow in the next years. And also, to put it more simply, the original ride is really getting old, so sooner or later DLP couldn't escape to upgrade it. The second problem is located next door to Star Tours. As i told you Captain EO is not tremendously successful and obviously they can't keep it for years and years. Captain EO closed on April 2 but the main problem for DLP is: what can they put in instead of EO? WDI don't do anymore 3D movies considering - and they're right - that because a new 3D movie is released almost each week in normal theatres it's better to use 3D technology in rides - like in Toy Story Mania or in the upcoming Ratatouille ride at WDS.
And it's at that point that someone probably came with this brilliant idea: what about having a Star Wars land in the back of Discoveryland? And this concept change everything as DLP marketing will be able to "sell" or advertise not only an upgraded ride but a whole new land, and a new land dedicated to one of the most popular movie mythology in the world! And God knows that there is a lot of Star Wars fans in Europe. Not to mention that, as i told you, there is still plenty of land backstage to eventually add a new Star Wars attraction in the future if needed. Honestly, if they do it for real i think it's a very smart move from Philippe Gas and DLP Imagineering as this Star Wars land is probably the best way to resolve both the ST1 and Captain EO problems at the same time.
For sure, this Star Wars land will cost more to DLP than a simple upgrade of the ride but the benefit on many points will be greater. For instance, once DLP will have this Star Wars land why wouldn't they organize Star Wars week-ends like they do at WDW? It's very popular, and for sure it would bring fans from all over Europe in the park...and in DLP hotel rooms, right? So, for all these reasons, i'm quite sure that a Star Wars land will come to DLP, and from what is said on the DCP forum it won't be before Ratatouille opening which is scheduled for 2014. But 2015 might be the year that both Jedis and Empire forces will land again at DLP Discoveryland!
Pictures: copyright Disney, Lucas Film, Mark Dermul
