Star Wars has been part of the Walt Disney Parks since the debut of the attraction Star Tours in 1987 at Disneyland. However, with the success of developments like Cars Land and the acquisition of LucasFilm by Disney, rumors are rampant about a possible Star Wars Land.
Last week, when announcements were made for the numerous Frozen attractions coming to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure in January 2015, many fans found themselves hoping for an announcement that Star Wars Land would follow suit. No such announcement was released, but this week Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger those rumors at Variety’s Dealmakers Breakfast:
“There will be a much larger ‘Star Wars’ presence in our parks globally,” Iger said “But we want to do this big, which takes time, and to do it right…I didn’t want someone to say, ‘I just saw the movie and there’s nothing in that movie in this (attraction).’ We waited to see what this film would have in it.”
He confirmed that Imagineers are working on new Star Wars attractions for the Disney Parks but, with the announcement of the new trilogy, Iger stopped work on those projects. The upcoming attractions will now reflect the new slate of films.
“We couldn’t tell them what was new,” Iger said. “I slowed it all down so what we come forward with will have a blend of the past, present and maybe the future. Now we have a sense of what’s in ‘Star Wars 8,’ and what some of the standalone films will have in them.”
This is more confirmation than we’ve had in quite some time about upcoming Star Wars projects for Disney Parks. May the Fourth and Star Wars weekends are extremely popular at Walt Disney World, so this development was only a matter of time, especially with the new films coming out.
While Iger didn’t say where or what the attractions might be (or whether there will be an entire land dedicated to Star Wars), this news is still exciting! Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World is getting some overhauls in the near future and that park is the home of Star Wars events and Star Tours, so many fans predict something big could happen in that park. We also hope Disneyland will get some more sci-fi love.
First looks for the new attractions are expected for reveal sometime next year, in anticipation of The Force Awakens release.
Are you excited? What kind of Star Wars attractions or shows would you like to see at the Disney Parks across the globe? Let us know in the comments!
