4. The land will span 14 acres…somewhere
According to Disney, Star Wars Land will be the largest single-themed land expansion in its history. Though 14 acres is a little smaller than nearby Diagon Alley (which is 20 acres), this area still gives Star Wars Land plenty of space for the aforementioned two new attractions, a few dining establishments and hopefully some interesting shops as well.
However, what’s less certain is exactly where this new land will go at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We know that the current Star Tours ride will be a part of this new land, but what remains to be seen is what exactly will be taken out to make room for the 14 acres this new land will require. Could Star Wars Land expand to where MuppetVision 3D is now? Are the Streets of America and Lights, Motors, Action toast? Or will Echo Lake be restructured (as was rumored last year) and Star Wars Land jigsawed in? It seems curious that we still don’t know exactly where this land will be going at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but hopefully we’ll get more information soon.
5. There’s still a lot to be revealed
Speaking of getting more information, while executives and Imagineers at D23 definitely gave us a solid first look at what we can expect from Star Wars Land, we are painfully short on details. Work has not begun yet on Star Wars Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (or at Disneyland either, for that matter), and no projected start date was given for Star Wars Land at either park. Unfortunately, this announcement is reminiscent of that of Pandora: The World of Avatar, which was first unveiled in 2011, and is now projected to open in 2018 after construction began in 2014, nearly three years after the initial announcement.
Of course, there’s more than just timetables that have yet to be revealed. During the D23 panel, several pieces of concept art were flashed across the screen with no explanation (like the one above), and seem to depict unannounced components of this project that we have yet to learn about.
We also would love to know more about the new attraction designed to tie into the upcoming series of films, but we suspect that this new ride is being kept under wraps on purpose. Hopefully once Episode VII is released later this year Disney will remove some of the secrecy around this upcoming ride experience.
Though the prospect of walking around Star Wars Land is certainly amazing, one thing that was painfully clear during the D23 presentation was that this project won't be realized for quite a long time. Considering the poor state of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this seems like a big problem, as the park needs some serious TLC (beyond that which Toy Story Land can provide). While these initial announcements have definitely got us excited for Star Wars Land, we're not looking forward to the long wait between announcement and opening day, which could be as far as a decade out (though we certainly hope not!)
Are you excited for Star Wars Land to come to Disney's Hollywood Studios?
Comments
What's sad is Universal would have done this in a year, maybe two. Disney will take at least seven years to be halfway done, you just know it. Looking at you, New Fantasyland.
Given the fact this is clearly not Tatooine and they actually announced the land will represent an entirely new location in the Star Wars universe, why would you suggest the Mos Eisley cantina is included in the plans? Pretty sure the infamous hangout for "scum and villainy" wouldn't be part of a galaxy wide franchise.