Walt Disney has unveiled plans to add Star Wars-themed lands to the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Ambitious plans to bring Star Wars to life in the two parks include creating Disney’s largest single themed land expansions ever at 14 acres each, 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.
Bob Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said, “I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars. 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.”
The Star Wars-themed lands will have two signature attractions. Along with the battle experience, another attraction puts guests behind the controls of one of the most recognisable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, as they take on a customised secret mission.
The partnership between Disney and Lucasfilm dates back to 1987, when the successful Star Tours attraction, inspired by George Lucas’s legendary Star Wars film series, opened at Disneyland. The attraction was then redesigned, emerging as ‘Star Tours – The Adventures Continue’ in 2011 and featuring more than 50 different story outcomes and the possibility to visit five different planets.