The last of the three big Star Wars-related announcements made at Disney’s D23 convention today in Anaheim was all about the theme parks. After teasing new Star Wars rides ever since the company outright bought Lucasfilm in 2012, plans for the Star Wars Land sections at Disneyland and Walt Disney World were unveiled.
Both Star Wars Lands will be 14 acres, taking visitors to a brand new Star Wars world. There, visitors will get to see a trading port on the edge of the universe.
Obviously, the rides will still feature familiar elements. There will be two signature attractions in each land, including one that puts you behind the wheel of the Millennium Falcon and takes you on a secret mission. Visitors will wind up in the middle of a major battle in the universe. Hopefully, Han Solo won’t mind us borrowing his ship.
“I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars,” Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger told the D23 crowd. “Through each new attraction and new land we create, we push the boundaries of what is possible. And as you can imagine, with Star Wars, we are taking that to a whole new level, with a whole galaxy to explore.”
Iger has been talking about building Star Wars rides at the Disney Parks for a long time, as if the rides were more important to him than the future of the film series. Last December, he said that the rides would focus on the new films though, and today’s concept art does show a preference for new material. It is interesting that Disney chose not to recreate a previously known Star Wars world from any of the films and created their own.
Disney also announced new details for Rogue One and Episode IX.