Out of all the amazing news to come out of D23 Expo on Saturday, it seemed everyone was mostly waiting for any and all Star Wars news. Thankfully for fans, there was certainly a lot of it, but one bit of news in particular that set this writer’s brain and childlike exuberance alight. The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger’s announced that a Star Wars Land park will be added to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. The 14-acre expansion will be the largest single-themed land expansion in the history of either park. He even showed some concept art!
Designed to make visitors feel as if they have travelled to a “whole new planet”, the two new worlds will be populated by actors playing aliens and other characters from the Star Wars universe. It will even feature the distinctive Cantina (and hopefully the Cantina Band!) from A New Hope, and, perhaps most exciting of all, the park will feature a Millennum Falcon attraction that guests will be able to pilot themselves.
“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.”
According to the announcement, there will be two signature attractions in the area: the aforementioned thrilling battle experience and a chance to get behind the controls of the fastest and coolest ship in the whole galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission. Not sure what that means entirely, but it sounds amazing to me. This land and rides will be separate, I’d imagine, from Star Tours, the motion simulator ride which has been a staple of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland area since 1987 and has gotten renewed interest since its incredibly revamp in 2011. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the Florida home of Star Tours and has had a decent but not huge area devoted to the Saga for a number of years. It sounds like, whichever way you go, fans of a galaxy far, far away will have a lot to be excited about.
One of the more exciting parts of the live-action movie panel at Disney’s D23 Expo event – and quite possibly the most exciting event of the entire Expo weekend so far – was, without a doubt, the moment Han Solo stepped out on stage. By Han Solo, we obviously mean 73-year-old actor Harrison Ford; for dedicated Star Wars fans, the actor and his most famous role are irresistably, inextricably entwined. Ford joined a host of Star Wars: The Force Awakens cast members on stage, including John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Lupita Nyong’o, as well as the film’s director, JJ Abrams. Expressing his gratitude towards Lucas, Ford spoke of the Star Wars creator as the man who “began” his story, before referring to Abrams as the man who is now continuing it. The panel contained no new footage, and no big revelations about the film itself, although fans were treated to a brand new, D23-exclusive poster. Colin Trevorrow was also finally confirmed as the director of Star Wars Episode 9.
What do you think of this exciting Disney/Star Wars news? Are you signing up for the Rebel Alliance now?
Source News: Telegraph
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