Though it has been nearly two years since Star Wars Land was first confirmed to be coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there hasn’t been a whole lot in the way of official updates on this land since then. However, earlier this week Disney released a few promotional shots of the scale model of Star Wars Land now on display as part of the D23 Expo, which is now underway in Anaheim, California. Check out the video below for a short walkthrough of this impressive scale model of this upcoming new land:
While we’re expecting to hear quite a lot more more about Star Wars Land (among other things) in the coming days as the D23 Expo gets underway, here’s our first real peek at what this upcoming land will look like.
1. There will be plenty to discover inside this new land
Earlier this year Imagineers working on Star Wars Land spoke briefly about how guests who enter Star Wars Land will instantly become part of the larger Star Wars “story”, with each move that they make serving a purpose within the larger narrative of the land with opportunities to make choices within the park that will affect their entire experience and allow them to create their own story as they make their way through the land and visit over and over again.
And now that we are able to get our first look at what this land will look like, its easy to see how such an effect might be possible, as it looks like there are dozens of pathways inside this land, with hidden alleys and corners for guests to explore inside this recreation of a remote village in a far-flung corner of the galaxy. According to Disney’s official story for this land, this remote outpost was once a busy crossroads along the old sub-lightspeed trade routes but with the rise of hyperspace travel, this village has morphed into a thriving port for smugglers, rogue traders and adventurers traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. It’s also a convenient safe-haven for others intent on avoiding the expanding reach of the First Order.
Image: Disney
With such a rich story and plenty of space to develop it in, Star Wars Land looks like it is going to take immersiveness to a whole new level, which will be incredible to see. And speaking of immersiveness…
2. Don’t expect to see much of the outside world from inside Star Wars Land
Image: Disney
One of the big triumphs of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the way that this new land shields guests from the outside world using natural theming and creative archetecture. And based on this new model, it looks like Star Wars Land will be the same. Much like you can’t see the Tree of Life icon from inside Pandora, guests who visit Star Wars Land probably won’t be able to see the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Splash Mountain at Disneyland. As you can see above, there are several layers to this land, that should create natural obstructions to keep the rest of the park out so guests can stay immersed in their own personal Star Wars adventure.
3. You won’t find ride signage anywhere
Image: Disney
Another lesson it seems like Disney has learned from Pandora – The World of Avatar is the art of blending attractions in with their environment. You won’t find any overt ride signs in Pandora, and the e queues are practically invisible if you don’t know exactly where to look for them. And while this can make Pandora a little tough to navigate at first, the effect here is impressive. Discovering the entrance for the Na’Vi River Journey feels like an adventure by itself, and guests who want to feel truly connected to this world don’t have to worry about giant signs with ride names on them ruining the experience.
In the same way, it looks like Star Wars Land will be going to great lengths to blend its attraction buildings in with the world around them. Though we can clearly see from the image above where the Millenium Falcon attraction is, there are no giant marquees or signs. And if you watch the previous video, you’ll catch a glimpse of where the First Order attraction is, which is simply marked by a parked Tie Fighter. Guests simply see these ship, and can fill in the narrative blanks, making it seem like they are not in a theme park, joining a queue, but instead stumbling upon a ship and taking off for a big adventure.
With two years (or less) to go until this new land opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park in 2019, we’re expecting to learn plenty of additional details about what’s to come for this exciting new land in the next 18 months.
