The highly awaited D23 Expo opens its doors today and D&M will do its best as usual to cover the main events. Two Star Wars lands are currently under construction at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts and we have now the first detailed look at the model of this new land, which is on display this weekend at the 2017 D23 Expo, land rumored to be named "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge"!
Both Star Wars-inspired lands will transport 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.
Here, guests will find themselves in the middle of the action at two signature attractions: one that lets guests take the controls of Millennium Falcon on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.
According to Bob Iger during a D23 Expo celebration today, Star Wars land will open "before the next D23 Expo" - scheduled for 2019. Considering that D23 Expos always happen during summer this mean that it should open probably in May or June, and you'll note that Star Wars 9, the last episode of the new trilogy, is scheduled to be released late May 2019. Knowing the love of Disney for synergy it's a safe bet to think that the land, at least in Disneyland, will open at that time.
More additional pictures of the Star Wars land model from the OC Register article HERE and screen captures from the video below!
Even more pics from D23 showing the SW Land area with vehicles models too!
This vehicle model below is the one for the awaited "Battle Escape" E-Ticket ride...
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!
The new Star Tours sequence on Jakku was not supposed to be added before December 1 but apparently it's already playing at Disney's Hollywood Studios. And who says "playing" says" fan videos" even if it was forbidden to film - but you know how fans can be transgressive...
We now have a video of the full new sequence, so no need to say that it is full of spoilers... WDWNT has also posted a brief synopsis of the new sequence which include a holographic transmission with BB8...
"So, the new sequence takes place after the opening sequence (featuring either Darth Vader or the scanner droid looking for the rebel spy), in the space usually occupied by Hoth, Kashyyk, or Tatooine. You fly into Jakku and immediately the Millennium Falcon is in front of you. Finn appears on the side screen to deliver the classic “Star Tours? What are you doing here?” line. A chase ensues with First Order TIE Fighters, ending with the Falcon pulling an insane maneuver to take out a TIE Fighter. You then crash into some wreckage and the ship stops for a moment. At this point, scavengers from Jakku begin to try and rip the ship apart for spare parts to sell. R2-D2 zaps them away and the Starspeeder 1000 takes off and leaves the planet. The new sequence is followed by a new holographic transmission sequence featuring BB-8. BB-8 and R2-D2 sort of conspire against C-3P0 to continue the mission and protect the Rebel spy. After that, the ride travels to one of the randomized finale planets."
There is more about Star Wars as, at Disneyland Anaheim, the Season of the Force has started with the star Wars Launch Bay in the former Innoventions building and Hyperspace Mountain. And let me tell you that this "Star Wars" version of Space Mountain is pretty awesome, as you'll see on this low light video posted by Attractions Magazine!
And here it is, the awaited Star Wars trailer now on line in all the galaxy! The picture below is from the new poster, and if you look well on the right you'll notice a kind of new Death Star... Apparently this is our first look at Starkiller Base, which has an official description at StarWars.com with some intriguing information: "An ice planet converted into a stronghold of the First Order and armed with a fiercely destructive new weapon capable of destroying entire star systems."
So the First Order literally transformed an entire planet and converted it into the most destructive weapon we've ever seen in the Star Wars universe. And the Starkiller Base probably also serve as a dock for The First Order's Star Destroyers and other ships from their fleet. As this weapon was converted out of a planet, there's no thermal venting port for anyone to shoot anything into to destroy it. The weapon can vent heat naturally through the surface of the planet...
Anyway, enough talk, here is the first Star Wars : The Force Awakens full trailer!
So, you've watched the new trailer and you've seen that Han Solo / Harrisson Ford, Princess Leia / Carrie Fischer appear in it but not Luke Skywalker who remain invisible, right? Well, not really. Luke IS in the trailer. And in what scene, you ask? In the one below, when we see a robotic hand from a man we don't see the face touching R2D2. I bet you it's Luke who, i remind you, had his hand cut by his father / Darth Vador at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, and since has a robotic hand. Watch the trailer again to double check if you wish!
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!
