Tag: theme parks

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Report: A new Star Wars 3D movie taking over Disneyland’s Captain EO theater?

Captain Eo
Randomly: George Lucas was the Executive Producer and co-wrote Captain Eo. Francis Ford Coppola directed.

Micechat is at it again, with some more inside (and unconfirmed) information on the details of the Anaheim Tomorrowland’s Star Wars makeover.

In addition to the PeopleMover makeover they mentioned last time, it’s twilight for the revival of Micheal Jackson’s Captain Eo as the theater is expected to be the home of “a new Star Wars 3D movie.” Brand-new, or the conversions of the old films? More turnover if they make a new short film – the original Eo was only 17 minutes long – but I wouldn’t be shocked if they show the actual films periodically as well. Work on existing buildings in the area would be done in time for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary (July 17th, 2015) and could wrap up by “early spring” – in time for Celebration, perhaps?

They also mention that, unsurprisingly, Star Tours will get new destinations from the sequels.

The “biggest of the Star Wars offerings” won’t open until after the anniversary, and construction “would be in conjunction to a similar Star Wars expansion for Disney’s Hollywood Studios” in Orlando.

None of this will be announced this weekend at D23, they say – and we’ve been told not be expect anything more than very small ‘hints’ on upcoming Star Wars theme park attractions. But it seems that there’s plenty more in the works.

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Disney (finally!) confirms they’re working on new Star Wars theme park attractions

Vader at Disneyland. Or Disney World? I can't tell. It’s not much, and it’s not particularly surprising, but the Disney Insider has confirmed that new Star Wars attractions are in the works. There will be “teasers for new attractions based on Avatar and Star Wars that we’re working on now for the Disney Parks” revealed at August’s D23 Expo. (via)

The most recent rumors on their plans are vast and varied – hopefully the hints are illuminating!

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Report: Star Wars to take over Disneyland’s Tomorrowland?

Vader at Disneyland.

Disney fan site MiceChat is reporting that Disneyland’s Tomorrowland area – home of California’s Star Tours – might be going the full Star Wars.

The site details a Board of Directors meeting held at the park, mentioning a “Star Wars themed makeover” for Tomorrowland, while renovations at Florida’s Hollywood Studios would be “more modest” but include “some of the same Star Wars concepts” as the California Tomorrowland.

EDIT: The Disney and More blog reports that Star Tours at both Anaheim and Orlando will receive updates in 2015 for the release of Episode VII. Furious Fanboys talks a little more about how they can integrate new content for the attraction, and hints at an Alderaan destination.

An earlier rumor claims that the renovations in Florida will be huge, perhaps the biggest in theme park history. Was the Florida report oversold, or will the changes in California be even bigger?

For details, MiceChat mentions a “speeder bike coaster concept” in place of a planned Tron redo on the old PeopleMover attraction.

However, they do stress that it doesn’t look like any of this will be ready to be annouced at D23 Expo in August, so any confirmation of the various rumors may be a long time coming.

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Disney taking Star Wars to D23

d23-vaderStar Wars will make its debut at Disney’s own D23 Expo in Anaheim this August 9-11. Lucasfilm will be presenting ‘The Evolution of a Villain,’ an exhibit on the Darth Vader and Pablo Hidalgo will give fans a ‘Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars Saga 101.’

If we don’t get any announcements regarding rumored expansions in Disney parks at Celebration Europe, we may see them here… But, as usual, don’t hold your breath.

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Report: Disney World’s Star Wars area will be huge

The Orlando Business Journal’s Richard Bilbao has a source who told him the the Star Wars expansions being planned will “dwarf any other Disney-related expansion in its recent history.” The investment may be “north of $200 million.” And it may all open up at once, instead of in drips and drabs, and even extend beyond Hollywood Studios.

No, it’s still not confirmed that Disney will be expanding their Star Wars offerings, but: Duh.

If this is the case, it seems pretty likely that what we’ve heard so far may only be the first of many Star Tours-adjacent expansions and additions.

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Rumor: Possible Disney Star Wars land details

Vader at Disneyland. Or Disney World? I can't tell. Following up last week’s initial report that an expanded Star Wars area at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios is in the works, Comic Book Movie is claiming to have some details… And they’re a bit underwhelming, though certainly happy news to those of you with kids. CBM’s source says that they’ll be moving the Jedi Training Academy indoors and adding a ride for younger children.

No restaurant, no museum, no older-skewing ride aside from the existing Star Tours… At least not yet. Maybe these are simply the only plans that have been approved so far? It’s early yet, and this is only a rumor, so I wouldn’t put much stock in it just yet. Hopefully we will see more of a spread if/when any of this is ever announced officially.

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Rumor: Star Wars park is coming to Disney World

Well, here’s a shocker: Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider reports that plans for the nigh-inevitable Star Wars Land is in the works at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.

Niles says it looks like a five-year project, which means we could see an actual Star Wars area alongside Star Tours by 2018 or maybe even 2017.

(Don’t let the image above get you too excited – it’s an old concept.)

Since this is perhaps the least shocking (possible) development in the whole Disney-is-our-master-now saga, what type of Star Wars attractions would you like to see?

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World-record LEGO X-Wing lands at LEGOLAND California next week

LEGO Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter

The full size LEGO X-Wing Starfighter that was first put on display in Times Square will be appearing at LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad next week. The world’s largest LEGO model, which is over forty feet long, weighs 23 tons, and is made of 5,335,200 LEGO bricks, was unveiled on May 23 in New York City to promote the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles, but will now be on display in southern California from June 13 to December 31. To celebrate the Times Square event, LEGOLAND California recreated the happening with a LEGO X-Wing unveiled in their New York City miniland display.
Continue reading “World-record LEGO X-Wing lands at LEGOLAND California next week”

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Disney asking passholders about Star Wars land

Jedi Training at DisneylandSlashfilm reports that Disneyland is surveying annual passholders about their potential interest with a Star Wars land at the Anaheim theme park.

Also included in the survey are questions about passholders familiarity with Star Wars as a set of movies, books and games, which trilogy is their favorite, whether they own Star Wars housewares and tattoos, and even quizzing them if they can correctly identify midichlorians, and perhaps most intriguing: which characters they would not want to see.

Does this mean that while the Orlando theme parks will continue their lead in having Star Wars Weekends, the original Disney theme park in California might be the first to get an actual Star Wars land?

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Episode I miniland now open at LEGOLAND Chicago

legolangILsw2The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago opened up a new Star Wars miniland this weekend, and it is all The Phantom Menace. Located in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center is exhibiting three interactive dioramas showing off scenes from the first prequel film:

  • The Naboo hangar, with launching starfighter and duel scene
  • The Mos Espa podrace arena, with controllable Anakin and Sebulba podracers
  • The Naboo plains battlefield, where Gungans and battle droids face off

The new set of Star Wars dioramas, a first for a U.S. LEGOLAND Discovery Center, is made with over 500,000 LEGO bricks and 2,000 mini figures. Additionally, the Chicago skyline diorama will also celebrate the opening by including Star Wars minifigures and other references in its display. The new miniland opened to the public this past weekend with a series of grand opening weekend festivities. One blogger reports their ‘preview night’ experience with lots of photos.

legolangILsw1Unlike the miniland dioramas at LEGOLAND California (which previously announced some minor updates for this summer) which assemble characters in a blocky 4-6 inch height scale, these dioramas are at the scale of the regular LEGO mini-figures, so you’ll see your favorite LEGO figures from The Phantom Menace in the exhibit (including a hugely populated podrace arena grandstand).

This is the first Star Wars miniland at any of the indoor LEGOLAND Discovery Centers in North America. The Manchester UK Discovery Center was the first to receive the Episode I miniland, though only from February through June, and there are some hints that the Chicago installation may be temporary as well.