Following months of rumors, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced Saturday that “Star Wars Land” is coming to Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida.
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Update: A source tells BuzzFeed News that Disneyland’s Star Wars Land will be built in the area currently occupied by the rarely-used Big Thunder Ranch and surrounding backstage areas. A quick check of a Disneyland map suggests that the park could knock out existing backstage areas that are west of Toon Town and north of Big Thunder Ranch to make room for Star Wars Land.
Construction won’t begin until 2017.
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Star Wars Land is described as the biggest expansion ever in Disney Parks history taking up 14 acres of land at each park. “We’re going to transport guests to a new planet,” said Bob Iger. “It will be the first time that our guests will be truly emerged in the world that is Star Wars.”
The land will be an all-encompassing Star Wars takeover — even the employees will be aliens, Iger revealed. “We’re bringing Star Wars into life in a big way. A big way. It will be real and authentic.”
There will be two main attractions including one that lets you interact with the Millennium Falcon. A cantina will naturally serve guests refreshments.
“These authentic lands will have two signature attractions,” says Disney in a statement on their blog, “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.”
Star Wars Land will be “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.”
Here are the first three pieces of concept art depicting Star Wars Land. You can see aliens in one of the stills — we suspect that’s what the employees will look like around the land.
In the third photo you can see a R2-D2-like character perusing the land. Let’s hope the droid is in the real park, too! (We’re sure they will be):
Igor said that more details will be announced later today at the Disney Parks panel at D23, so stay tuned for updates later this afternoon. We’ll be sure to share more details then!
Be sure to check out our other coverage from D23 today — Lucasfilm announced who will direct Star Wars: Episode IX! A first look at Felicity Jones in the Star Wars spinoff Rogue One was also released.
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