Star Wars at Disneyland
Star Wars at Disneyland
Alert All Commands- The Present and the Future of all Things Star Wars at the Park
I remember it like it was yesterday. Peaking over the fence of my neighborhood drive in theater getting a glimpse of the newly released blockbuster Star Wars. For me at the tender age of 7 it was literally a galaxy away. Fast forward 40 years and the franchise is more relevant than ever with no sign of slowing down. Luckily for Star Wars fans Disneyland so has us covered!
Check out all the exciting attractions and the latest on the even bigger addition of it's own dedicated area within the park. Whether you like it or not, Star Wars is here to stay.
My Little Padawan, she was so ready to join team Dark Side!
Disney is brilliant! Right on par with their other classics they truly have this franchise dialed in. Naysayers may say, "it's not Disney", true it's not an original Disney creation but the insertion into the park has been seamless within Tomorrowland making it a welcomed part of the ever evolving amusement parks landscape. As Walt himself said " Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world".
Introducing the movies and the area within Disneyland to my daughter (since she was 5 year old) has been a blast! She loves her Star Wars as well as her princesses at the park. Star Tours and the Hyper Space Mountain attractions are always a must do for us when visiting. When patience allows, we get in on the action with the Jedi Training! Above she was just 5 with no fear of the big guy.
Meet and Greet Queue for Kylo Ren and Chewy
With last years release of The Force Awakens and soon to be released Rouge One (December 2016), we are more excited than ever for all the changes happening at Disneyland, not to mention there are a rumored five additional movies in the works too.
Before Disney's acquisition from Lucas Films there was a presence by the force within Tomorrowland with Star Tours and The Jedi Training. Since the buyout, a lot has changed and there is so much more to come! Here is what's currently happening within Tomorrowland and the ever evolving state of the forces presence. Here is what you can expect to see and experience!
Jedi Training Directly in front of the Star Wars Launch Pad
- Star Tours: The Force Awakens: Star Tours flight 1401 has updated their tours to reflect an all-new location from Star Wars: The Force Awakens! No adventure is ever quite the same and you'll never know who might be the rebel spy on board.
- Jedi Training- Trials of the Temple : Watch younglings (4-12) train in the ways of the Force and put their skills to the test to defeat the Dark Side—including a new villain!
- Star Wars Launch Bay- Check out replica movie props, play games and encounter Star Wars characters like Chewbacca and Kylo Ren. The retail space inside is dedicated to all things Star Wards as well. This place is a total Star Wars nerd's dream!
BB-8 inside the Launch Pad
- Hyperspace Mountain - Space Mountain makes the leap to hyperspace as Star Wars invades the classic high-speed, outer space adventure—now through September 5, 2016. (Halloween overlay Ghost Galaxy Sept. 9- October 30th) Fun Fact: With help from a NASA astronaut, Space Mountain opened in Disneyland Park on May 27, 1977 just 2 day after the primer of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
- Star Wars- Path of the Jedi: Take a seat and enjoy all the exciting scenes from the latest film Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Storm Troopers: Randomly show up near Star Tours for Picture Opportunities.
Park tip: Be in the know before you go and download the Disneyland App. With that you can buy tickets, check ride wait times, shows and if anything is temporally not operating, it's a great tool to get the most from your day! And with the enabled GPS, know where you are and where you are going if not familiar with the park. Get it on either Google Play for Andriod or the App store for IPhone.
Latest released Star Wars Rendering showing the Falcon and market place as well as the Rivers of America tie in.
Now on to the uncharted new land that will be Star Wars Land.
April of 2016 welcomed the official groundbreaking of the soon to come Star Wars Land at Disneyland (WDW will also be getting a Star Wars land). Set on 14 acres of property, it will be the largest-ever single-themed land expansion at Disneyland Resort. If you are not familiar with where the new land will be, it backs up to ToonTown and Frontierland (with the loss of Big Thunder Ranch, the retired Skyway Ride Entrance, and the Petting Zoo along with a small part of the Rivers Across America).
Center is showing where Star Wars land backs up to ToonTown (Taken 8/17/16)
Looking on the backside of Mickey and the Magical Map (right) (Taken 8/17/16)
Big Thunder Mountain and the area where Rivers of America will be re-incorporated. (Taken 8/17/16)
What awaits travelers within? 2 new rides, shops and a market place with food options. It is also to include a Mos Eisley Cantina, the dimly-lit watering hole on Tatooine featured in Episode IV as well as "an otherworldly street market" where visitors can "actually taste the local delicacies." As for the attractions, one will allow riders to control the Millennium Falcon, and another will place guests into the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance.
Attractions closed temporarily due to the Star Wars land construction include the Disneyland Railroad and Rivers of America. While the Rivers of America remains closed, Sailing Ship Columbia, Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, Tom Sawyer Island, Fantasmic!, and the Disneyland Railroad will all be unavailable to park guests until summer 2017. Mark Twain Riverboat does however remains docked and is open for tours.
So are you planning on a visit anytime soon? We are counting the days till our next trip and the grand opening of the new Star Wars Land. The opening date has yet to be announced so check back for future updates and may the force be with you!
Need tickets to the park to experience all the Star Wars fun? Enter below for a chance to win a pair of tickets! Good Luck.
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