Disney announced in 2015 that it would be expanding its Disneyland and Disney World amusement parks (in California and Florida, respectively) with Star Wars-themed expansions. At Star Wars Celebration 2017, the company shed some light on these ambitious projects. Here's what we know so far:
The Star Wars parks won't be based on scenes or locations from the movies
While certain elements from the films will be seen and referenced - such as an experience that lets you fly the Millenium Falcon - the overall expansion will not be based on any existing Star Wars lore. Instead, the expansion takes place on a remote outpost where all manner of characters can be seen. This is meant to be a place where galactic heroes, villains, and the everyday folks of the Star Wars universe can gather and go about their business.
But it does take place in a single era - that of the new films
With so many eras of Star Wars lore to choose from, you might think the park expansions would be a sort of smorgasbord of memorabilia, sights, and sounds. However, that would destroy the cohesive type of experience Disney is putting together. So instead of trying to make the park encompass the prequels, the original trilogy, and the new films, it's just going to take place around the events of Star Wars 7, 8, and 9.
It'll be one of the park's most interactive attractions
Right now, a Star Wars-themed attraction already exists at several Disney parks: Star Tours. However, Star Tours is a largely passive experience, where you sit and watch a screen. It's very much a traditional sort of ride-like experience. But at SWC, Walt Disney Imagineering creative executive Scott Trowbridge said that the upcoming expansions will require visitors to take a much more active role.
For example, instead of simply sitting in the Millenium Falcon as it flies through space, you'll actually need to take control of the iconic ship. What's more, these sorts of experiences don't have the same pre-determined outcome. Trowbridge said that you could fly the ship well and be commended by the characters of the park, or fly it poorly and be ragged on.
"You can essentially build a reputation in the Star Wars universe," Lucasfilm creative executive Pablo Hidalgo said.
You can join the Resistance or First Order
Some people like Jedi. Some people like Stormtroopers. In these Star Wars land expansions, you'll choose whether you want to help out the Resistance, the First Order, or find a more neutral path. The engineers are planning for a large-scale face-off between the two factions, though the exact details are being kept under wraps for now.
BRB, gotta start planning a family so that I can take them all to this amazing-sounding park.
Images: Disney / Lucasfilm
