Nice article at Orange County Register featuring RN.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/star-651439-disney-wars.html
Disney CEO Bob Iger recently told investors that Disney’s Imagineers are designing “Star Wars”-themed attractions that will greatly increase the space epic’s presence “in multiple locations around the world.”
“The plans are ambitious, and so it’s going to take some time for them to actually be built and opened,” Iger said. “But let’s just say that we’ve got big plans for it, and huge belief in that franchise as a parks experience.”
"Where in Anaheim would the new land, or cluster of space-age stuff, wind up?"
"Anaheim’s master-plan agreement limits how much Disney can build in the city. Of the 3.5 million square feet available for Disneyland, 2.6 million have been used, city records show. Disney California Adventure has approval for 3 million square feet of theme-park space, but so far has used only 900,000."
Tweet
I still believe the largest Star Wars presence will be at Hollywood Studios. With the closing of the hat, the backlot tour, and American Idol, the park is clearly preparing for something major... and it needs it.
Tomorrowland won't be turned into Star Wars Land. As one of the original lands of Disneyland, that area can change with the times but should never be turned into anything other than what it is now. Turning it into Star Wars Land would ruin it. Besides, I'm pretty sure that one was pitched and ended up getting turned down.
My guess for Disneyland is that Toontown will close after the 60th anniversary celebration concludes and that area will be converted into Star Wars land. In order to make more room and prevent the area from being a dead end, the area could be extended behind the Disneyland Railroad and connect in Big Thunder Ranch, taking over a portion of that area as well (or possibly the whole thing). Ideally the area should open in 2019 to coincide with the conclusion of the sequel trilogy. As for what it contains, given the space available I'd guess there will be one big E-ticket ride, a couple smaller rides, a notable non-ride attraction (such as a show or walkthrough), a couple food locations, and at least one retail location. Star Tours would stay where it is in Tomorrowland (which would be completely overhauled in the early 2020s), but the Jedi Academy show would move to the new area.
Lastly, I highly doubt Star Wars will appear in both parks. Disney can use Marvel in California, and I think it would be much more beneficial to develop a Marvel Land for DCA that takes over a portion of Hollywood Land and extends into some of the available space around there. Ideally, this area would be timed to open with Avengers: Infinity War Part 2, also in 2019, with construction beginning after the 60th anniversary ends.
Yeah, I'm thinking Tomorrowland is a keeper. Not just on account of nostalgia, mind you, but considering Disney's investment in the upcoming film project. Of course, that movie could always flop...
As for Orlando- I think Jack is right on the money. As soon as Avatarland concludes construction I expect ground to break on a major expansion at Hollywood Studios. The timing works perfectly for that expansion to be all Star Wars with maybe a teensy bit more Pixar presence if we're lucky.
Tomorrowland's future greatly depends on how the movie Tomorrowland does at the box office. If the movie does well, the land will be rethemed to mimic the movie...if the movie fails, or doesn't do as well as hoped, Tomorrowland will be rethemed to Star Wars.
The problem with Tomorrowland is that it gets out of date very quickly as technology changes. Thus it needs a theme that will not need to be updated every 10 - 15 years. A change to Star Wars Land or the movie version of Tomorrowland would accomplish that.
Disneyland's Tomorrowland has the added complication of already having Star Tours there. To extend Star Wars throughout means cherry picking all the good things and demolishing all the bad things. The rumors suggesting moving Star Wars to Toontown and Big Thunder ranch to side step the wholesale retheming of Tomorrowland. Perhaps they already envision Tomorrowland as the movie or the Disney Junior Miles from Tomorrowland, but theme parks don't often follow the ambitions of the movies. They dumped Country Bears Jamboree in the same summer the movie version debuted. The CBJ movie turned out to be a flop so maybe its just karma.
To avoid Tomorrowland having technology that gets out of date, it needs to have characters or ideas with stories that can be told over and over again. It does seem like space travel and hover crafts never gets old. Communications as an idea never gets old, but the medium changes every few years.
They have many choices for Star Wars and Tomorrowland.
Likely choice.
Retheme Tomorrowland as the movie. A big question mark (?) on the possible attractions. Retheme Toontown and Big Thunder Ranch with Star Wars.
My choices.
1. Retheme Tomorrowland as Coruscant of Star Wars. See the photos. They are amazing. Keep the top attractions like Star Tours, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear. Demolish the people mover tracks, innoventions building, 3-D movie theater, autopia, submarine ride. Repaint the monorail trains in Star Wars metalic white, bronze, and black. (The colors of Coruscant may remind people of Tomorrowland '98. The reaction might be of horror. Not again!!!)
2. Retheme Tomorrowland to be like the movie. Add a Tatooine in California Adventure next to Carland. Add a people mover train to take riders from Star Tours to Tatooine. Keep Toontown "as is".
I hope they keep Toon Town "as is". I think it's such a fun place for the little kids, and I really enjoyed touring Mickey and Minne's houses myself. In MK, Toon Town became part of New Fantasyland, which appeals to the same demographic. But if the DLR version is demolished to make way for Star Wars, it's not going to play to the same audience.
In my opinion, even if the Tomorrowland movie blows the lid off of the box office, it is the perfect place to make Star Wars. Yes, it was an original land, but like Future World at EPCOT, sometimes history isn't enough, especially when the them is the future. I mean, Back to the Future's future was 2015 and now look at it.
I'm really excited to hear about how much land DCA still has available. The future looks bright!
If the folks at Disney are trying to save on their development budget, Tomorrowland ought to go fully retro-futuristic. Discoveryland at DLRP comes off as timeless.
The "Discoveryland" look was already tried in Tomorrowland '98. The bronze look was removed in a subsequent remodel. I doubt they will go back to that although Disney seems to like the retro look of steam punk as that's the style of the Dragon float in the Disney World parade.
And they'd have to find a new place for fireworks, toon town closes early each night & I can't see that happening with Star Wars if it were to occupy the same area.
Anon Mouse, Let me Explain.
Star Wars will stay in Disneyland Park. While some other things like Marvel, Wreck-It Ralph, Avatar and Big Hero 6 will be in the Third Gate. I mean, an "epic" Third Gate.
If Marvel and Frozen and Star Wars find their way into DCA, along with other properties, is there a time when this park may be likely to change its name? Radiator Springs was "created as a composite of multiple real places on historic U.S. Route 66 from Kansas to Arizona." (wikipedia). Star Wars isn't based in California. Nor Frozen. And though Marvel's offices are now in SoCal, their main superheroes still primarily do business in New York.
Is there a point where there's simply not very much "California" about DCA?
As much as I'm disappointed in DHS, Rock n Rollercoaster is set on the L.A freeway, there's the Hollywood Brown Derby, and the Hollywood Hotel, along with the Indiana Jones stunt show, which "recreates" the Hollywood movie-making experience.
But, Gabriel. I love to see a Disneyland's "epic" 3rd Gate where Marvel, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6 and Avatar lives.
But, Gabriel. I love to see a Disneyland's "epic" 3rd Gate where Marvel, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6 and Avatar lives.
Disney is using a Universal Creative alum to develop its Star Wars footprint in the parks.
http://www.theforce.net/story/front/Report_Disney_Theme_Park_Executive_Moves_To_Dedicated_Star_Wars_Unit_157589.asp
This discussion has been archived and is no longer accepting responses.
The article only suggests replacing existing lands, not using the undeveloped spaces. If replacing of existing lands is preferred, I suggest Tomorrowland. Turn Tomorrowland into Star Wars Land. If developing new lands, I suggest the southeast corner of California Adventure to continue the desert theme of Carsland for Tatooine. Why not both? Perhaps with the people mover taking you from Star Wars Land to Tatooine.