The Latest News
Let's begin with some Star Wars news. The release date for Star Wars Episode VIII (subtitle not yet revealed) was announced—it will be out on May 26, 2017, which is 40 years and a day since the release of the original Star Wars on May 25, 1977. This will be only a year and a half after Episode VII, The Force Awakens, where past installments of the films had been three years apart.
Also, the title of the first Star Wars spin-off movie was revealed: Rogue One. While it will star Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), we do not know what the main character will be. There had been predictions of a Han Solo or Boba Fett movie. The title seems to be inspired by the name of a squadron of rebel fighters, Rogue Squadron, from Return of the Jedi, in their battle against the Death Star. There is also a character code named Rogue 2 from scenes on the Hoth ice planet in The Empire Strikes Back. You can read about this news at this D23 article.
Rumors
Last month, I wrote about how a guest should feel at a hypothetical Star Wars Land. The part should try to make them feel safe (first and foremost) but primarily guests should have a sense of adventure—that kind of “I'm heading out to see the galaxy” kind of feeling.
I've been trying not to search too much for information about the new movie because I'm trying to avoid spoilers for Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which comes out in December. There may be some actual facts out there, but a lot of the bytes out there are rumor and speculation. With Disney parks, there is a new rumor going around that Star Wars attractions will replace Innoventions in Disneyland's Tomorrowland. Innoventions is located a little down the street from where Star Tours and just across the Jedi Training Academy stage. It seems to me that if you scatter three Star Wars attraction zones around Tomorrowland (Star Tours, Jedi Academy, then the new stuff), the feeling for guests could be disjointed.
If that rumor were to come true, what of another rumor out there saying that most (or all) of Tomorrowland would be converted to a Star Wars smorgasbord? Now that would be a hefty, but not impossible, undertaking. My guess would be that many park fans, especially those in the surrounding Disneyland area, would not like a complete replacement ofTomorrowland, one of the original lands of the park since opening day.
Another piece of news concerns Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida's Walt Disney World. As reported here on MousePlanet, it appears the park will be getting a new name. This will be the third name in the park's history. While I've predicted (and others have, too) that new Star Wars attractions will appear in Disney's Hollywood Studios somewhere, the name change could possibly tie into Star Wars, and possibly a Marvel presence. Is this name change a coincidence with the closing of Innoventions? Are these the beginning signs of how Star Wars will be integrated?
What People are Talking About
The Disney-Star Wars coupling has taken root in fandom (at the March 2015 Lexington Comic and Toy Convention). Picture by Todd King.
I'm not the first or only one to be thinking about such things. Artist Tom Hodges drew up a park map with accompanying posters. Some of the attractions included in his art include a Jabba's Palace Grill, Gungan Bongo Adventure (underwater ride), Hoth: Escape from Echo Base Coaster (like a Matterhorn, complete with Wampa standing in for Yeti), a Death Star Trench Run ride, and places the Jedi Temple from the prequel movies into the center of the the land as the “weenie,” or eye-catcher/landmark.
Blogger Robert Niles posted an article full of ideas for a Star Wars land. Tatooine plays heavily in his design ideas which makes me think Tatooine's visuals will have an important presence in any Star Wars design since it has been featured so much in the movies.
Another fan has a close connection to Disney; I'm a fan of Jason Surrell who was a show writer at Disney Imagineering. I like his books on the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean—they are must-reads for any dark-ride fans. Here, he presents some speculation at a Disney event:
Youtube video.
Fans commenting on the video also have some ideas of park additions, such as a Star Wars-themed resort hotel. Take a closer look at some of those boxes in Surrell's video.
Possible Rides
OK, my turn—time for some major speculation and dreaming. When it's all said and done, a Star Wars land needs some top-notch E-ticket-quality attractions that would hopefully have as much longevity to park guests as the movies are to fans.
On Getting to Star Wars Land
In Walt Disney World, with its “blessing of size,” you could hop aboard a large land speeder from Star Tours, which would take you through some forest. If you look over this area of the park on Google maps, you see that just behind Star Tours is indeed an area of thick trees. This area could prove advantageous to the park's expansion.
Taking a transport to get to the land gives it a sense of mystery since you cannot see it right away. There is great anticipation while traveling to the destination. There's always a sense of magic when you have to catch a transport to another land such as taking the monorail from Magic Kingdom to Epcot. Through the woods, guests would ride past Ewok villages and a temple as seen on planet Yavin. Then, you approach the opening of the bustling Mos Eisley spaceport on Tatooine.
Layout of the Land
Mos Eisley on Tatooine is a “main street” with shops, restaurants, Stormtroopers keeping order, and other characters and beasts of burden milling about. The street leads up to a split road going right and left. At the fork, the tall Jedi Temple with its five towers rises above the ground in an inspiring display. Near its entrance is a stage for daytime shows. It's a lot like the castle at the end of Main Street USA.
Guests take this journey down Mos Eisley to reach a certain point in their destination. Take the right path and you find yourself on the path of the light, like the rebels and the Jedi. Take the left and you have chosen the dark side. Both sides will be equal in its quality attractions so as not to make one side “better” than the other, but theme each path based on the attractions there.
The light side could have a Millenium Falcon for a visual to the light-side theme where attractions would be based on the heroes of the movies. The dark side could have a Star Destroyer or even a Death Star and the area would house attractions based on villains. The two roads curve around and wind up meeting together on the other side of the temple to make a complete circle to remind us of the cyclical nature of Star Wars stories, the yin-yang ideas of the Force, and to use an inspiring quote from Darth Vader, “The circle is now complete.”
Light Side Attractions
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Speeder Bike ride through the woods |
Ewok village – forward-moving rail ride, no hills; just narrow curves and speed around the trees, other biker scouts chase you, shoot lasers and crash into trees with explosions. |
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Game Ride |
Like Toy Story Midway Mania and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, except in this case, you're taking down Tie Fighters and Stormtroopers in a laser blasting extravaganza. |
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The Millenium Falcon |
This just has to be a ride of some kind. I imagine it could be something like Disneyland's Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Your ship would blast its way out of Mos Eisley, successfully navigate an asteroid field, speed out of a collapsing “cave” that turns out to be a giant space worm, and then fly around and eventually straight inside the superstructure of the Death Star and take out the main reactor. |
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Naboo Gondolas |
This would be a simple boat ride around the beautiful home planet of Padme Amidala. Perhaps it would pass by the rainy planet of Kamino where you would pass by the cloning facilities. Maybe it would go underwater to the lit-up Gungan City and then back to the Naboo Palace just as the Droid Invasion begins. |
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Restaurant |
Tatooine Cantina – This would seem to be the showcase eating establishment. The scene is iconic and would be amazing to come to life with animatronic creatures. But best of all, you could sit at the bar, take a booth, order blue milk, listen to the Bith Band, and hope a fight doesn't break out because “this place can be a little rough.” |
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Gift Shops |
The Tashi Station – specializing in power converters could have a little of everything but especially toys since they were an important part of the early success of Star Wars. a place to build your own lightsabers–perhaps in a cavern where you could choose your own crystal to specify the color of your blade. Jedi would be on hand to help you out and give some initial training outside the Academy. |
Dark Side Attractions
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Jabba's Palace |
This is a vile place of creatures and you pass through its large main gate only to trap you in the Rancor's cage showing off some large-scale animatronics. Then it takes you on the master's sail barge across the Dune Sea and onto a desert skiff above the dreaded Sarlaac Pit where you make an explosive escape. |
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Pod Racing |
This is a popular sport and a famous track that resides on Tatooine, not too far from Jabba's home. In this ride, you board a fast-moving pod in a race against other pods across rocky desert lands and through caverns with their tight spaces, avoiding Sand People shooting at you to finish the race, of course. …How this is done is not so much the concern, but I might could elaborate in the future with some more detailed ideas. |
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The Geonosis Arena |
This could make a pleasant spot for a Jedi stunt show with big animatronic creatures, robots, clone troopers, bounty hunters, and especially lightsabers. The area could also be host to other shows similar to Fantasmic. |
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The Death Star |
This would certainly be an interesting place to go through—either by walking or riding. Such sets could include the landing bay with life-size Tie Fighters and Imperial Shuttles, the Emperor's throne room, the Trash Compactor with Dianoga monster, various closing blast doors, tractor beam power stations, and somehow in all the journey you, too, must swing across a platform to make a great escape. |
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Restaurant |
Cloud City dining room with Bespin surroundings and characters like Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Stormtroopers. “We would be honored if you would join us … for dinner!” |
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Gift Shops |
A Legion 501 for all your official costume needs. Jawa Traders always have the coolest technology including robots. And also Watto's Junkyard with a little bit of everything like cool gadgets and novelties. And why not make a permanent Darth's Mall? |
Where the Light and Dark Merge
At the top of the circle, behind the Jedi Temple, in a similar spot to Epcot's The American Adventure, would be the featured dark ride of the park. The Journey of Luke Skywalker would take you through scenes of Luke's great hero's journey from desert moisture farm hand, to the pilot taking down the Death Star, to the Jedi in training under Yoda to save the lives of his friends, and to his final confrontation with Darth Vader in order to redeem his father. All with new splendid animatronics, scenes would include beginnings on Tatooine, the Death Star trench battle, training on Dagobah, the duel at Cloud City, the duel with Vader in the Emperor's throne room, and the sentimental pyre for the father he saved. Why not tell this story in the form of a dark ride? It's been done with Ariel. Luke's story is the one that started it all.
These are just proposed ideas so feel free to discuss these—and your ideas—in the forums.
