WDW & Star Wars: What's Next?

[db57me]

I started this conversation on another thread, and then I thought this topic needed it's on thread.

Let's begin a conversation about our thoughts, rumors, and tidbits of news on WDW next Star Wars attraction? Could there be a Star Wars "land" in the future? If so, where to build it? Off HS? Or, maybe an extension of Adventureland at the MK, like the New Fantasy expanded that area of the park. Could Disney transform Tomorrowland into Star Wars Land? Could Star Wars be big enough to create a 5th park? If so, how would that park be divided? Thoughts, ideas, wishes?

I would think that the competition from Universal's HP attractions would force their hand into increasing new attractions. Avatarland is now under construction, with the next movie to be released in 2015. With the release of SW Episode VII expected in December of the same year, it makes sense for Disney to plan some attraction to cash in on the hype. They were caught unprepared for the excitement from Frozen, scrambling to meet the demand for more in the parks.

Please post your ideas, wishes, and links to information about this topic. Maybe we can keep this discussion going until a new SW attraction appears at WDW.

There are some interesting ideas on this subject presented on these YouTube videos.
http://youtu.be/BstZp-QrF_A
http://youtu.be/oYJWDmkildU

 

[rteetz]

I started this conversation on another thread, and then I thought this topic needed it's on thread. Let's begin a conversation about our thoughts, rumors, and tidbits of news on WDW next Star Wars attraction? Could there be a Star Wars "land" in the future? If so, where to build it? Off HS? Or, maybe an extension of Adventureland at the MK, like the New Fantasy expanded that area of the park. Could Disney transform Tomorrowland into Star Wars Land? Could Star Wars be big enough to create a 5th park? If so, how would that park be divided? Thoughts, ideas, wishes? I would think that the competition from Universal's HP attractions would force their hand into increasing new attractions. Avatarland is now under construction, with the next movie to be released in 2015. With the release of SW Episode VII expected in December of the same year, it makes sense for Disney to plan some attraction to cash in on the hype. They were caught unprepared for the excitement from Frozen, scrambling to meet the demand for more in the parks. Please post your ideas, wishes, and links to information about this topic. Maybe we can keep this discussion going until a new SW attraction appears at WDW. There are some interesting ideas on this subject presented on these YouTube videos. http://youtu.be/BstZp-QrF_A http://youtu.be/oYJWDmkildU

I think Star Wars is destined for DHS because DHS needs help without a doubt that is the next park that needs something new. MK I don't see Star Wars going there because Star Wars already has a presence in DHS. MK also just got an expansion. If it were to go to MK it would be tomorrow land and tomorrow land only not adventure land.

People keep bringing up a Star Wars only park. Disney would never do that. No single park is built off one movie franchise. Yes Star Wars has enough where you could do that but it just wouldn't go with the theme of WDW. It's only a matter of time before Star Wars becomes bigger in the park bob Iger has even said that.

The one big ongoing rumor for Disneyland is that their tomorrow land will be getting a large Star Wars presence and that would make sense. MKs tomorrow land would not see something like that.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

People keep bringing up a Star Wars only park. Disney would never do that. No single park is built off one movie franchise. Yes Star Wars has enough where you could do that but it just wouldn't go with the theme of WDW. It's only a matter of time before Star Wars becomes bigger in the park bob Iger has even said that.

I want to see a new park that's half StarWars and half Marvel!!!! Maybe a 3rd land to be determined. I could see a whole super-hero cityscape kinda like Universal has going, but more immersive the way Disney can do it.

 

[rteetz]

I want to see a new park that's half StarWars and half Marvel!!!! Maybe a 3rd land to be determined. I could see a whole super-hero cityscape kinda like Universal has going, but more immersive the way Disney can do it.

Because of the contract with universal disney cannot have marvel characters in WDW unless they are characters that universal doesn't have right to like guardians of the galaxy. But WDW cannot have any avengers characters for sure. Disney would never build a park based a one or two franchises. Look at all of their theme parks none of them are like that they all have back story's and their own uniqueness.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

Because of the contract with universal disney cannot have marvel characters in WDW unless they are characters that universal doesn't have right to like guardians of the galaxy. But WDW cannot have any avengers characters for sure. Disney would never build a park based a one or two franchises. Look at all of their theme parks none of them are like that they all have back story's and their own uniqueness.

yea, but I bet Disney is just WAITING for that universal contract to expire.

I see Marvel-based stuff more likely than StarWars, because marvel is made up of MANY franchises, not just one.

 

[DBDiz]

Universal Orlando is the only theme park allowed to use Marvel characters east of the Mississippi River, as stated in their original contract with Marvel. It exists in perpetuity (no expiration) until/unless it becomes renegotiated.

With Disney having spent billions to install the Next Gen technology phase, I cannot see them shelling out the money it would cost to get Universal to agree to release the Marvel characters AND have to re-theme an entire section of the park anytime soon.

 

[rteetz]

yea, but I bet Disney is just WAITING for that universal contract to expire. I see Marvel-based stuff more likely than StarWars, because marvel is made up of MANY franchises, not just one.

That contract won't expire for a very long time if it ever does it's a contract that would have to be fought out in court and I don't think either company wants to do that. Universal has a lot of marvel characters and rides in their parks and doesn't want to just redo everything. I think Star Wars is much more likely in wdw than marvel will ever be. An iron man ride is going to Disneyland Hong Kong set to open in 2016. They do marvel meet and greets at Disneyland in California but WDW won't see marvel for at least 20 years.

 

[rteetz]

Universal Orlando is the only theme park allowed to use Marvel characters east of the Mississippi River, as stated in their original contract with Marvel. It exists in perpetuity (no expiration) until/unless it becomes renegotiated. With Disney having spent billions to install the Next Gen technology phase, I cannot see them shelling out the money it would cost to get Universal to agree to release the Marvel characters AND have to re-theme an entire section of the park anytime soon.

Exactly I don't see this happening for a very very long time if ever.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

No marvel at Disney world...

We go over this over and over again...doesn't make sense at all.

 

[rteetz]

No marvel at Disney world... We go over this over and over again...doesn't make sense at all.

I agree some people don't see that

 

[DPCummerbund]

It's true that Disney won't have Marvel at WDW, at least for many decades. However, Star Wars is a definite possibility. The latest rumors say that Imagineers were working on it, but their projects were put on hold until the whole NextGen rollout gets back on track. I have not heard whether they're back on schedule or not.

I really think Disney ought to start differentiating Disneyland and WDW even more. It used to be that Disneyland was basically the same as MK, so if you wanted a truly multi-day theme park you went to WDW. Now that California Adventure has stabilized & Carsland is such a big draw, I wouldn't be surprised to see Disney trying to promote both parks as separate destinations -basically, they could try to get guests to visit Florida one year, and California the next. Building Marvel in California and Star Wars in Florida would be a good way to accomplish that. The real drawback, of course, would be development costs, but as long as each project could be simultaneously developed for other Disney parks across the world, that could help.

I have a secret pet theory about that too. DVC has been having a big push lately to put DVC properties at all the deluxe resorts, especially those on the monorail. This is a good idea, because being on the monorail is a big draw - it makes getting to MK and Epcot fun and easy (if not necessarily fast and reliable). However, if AvatarLand at AK is a big hit and they put Star Wars at DHS, then suddenly being on the monorail isn't going to be as important. So, you might as well try to sell out the monorail resorts while they're still a big draw, before moving on to other DVC projects. If they build StarWarsLand at DHS and added a DVC resort within walking distance of DHS, it would undoubtedly be a big seller.

 

[Missyrose]

If they build StarWarsLand at DHS and added a DVC resort within walking distance of DHS, it would undoubtedly be a big seller.

Um, there already is a resort within walking distance of DHS: Boardwalk. It's less than a mile from BWV to DHS. And it's only slightly more than a mile from BCV to DHS.

 

[skier_pete]

An exanded StarWars land at DHS is not a question of "if" but "when". While rumors are pretty unreliable in general, it does seem they was a plan in the works to expand DHS that subsequently (temporarily?) got shelved. My guess is between the cost of Avartland and Disney Springs, there was a fear of getting too much going at once - basically Disney suits cheaped out. My guess is that it will be announced in 1 to 3 years.

The DLR retheming of tomorrowland was supposed to be up first, but there still haven't been any announcements there, so who knows if that's going to happen. That does seem the most logical place to expand DL.

As far as Marvel in WDW, forget about it.

 

[rteetz]

An exanded StarWars land at DHS is not a question of "if" but "when". While rumors are pretty unreliable in general, it does seem they was a plan in the works to expand DHS that subsequently (temporarily?) got shelved. My guess is between the cost of Avartland and Disney Springs, there was a fear of getting too much going at once - basically Disney suits cheaped out. My guess is that it will be announced in 1 to 3 years. The DLR retheming of tomorrowland was supposed to be up first, but there still haven't been any announcements there, so who knows if that's going to happen. That does seem the most logical place to expand DL. As far as Marvel in WDW, forget about it.

I don't think its so much having to do with avatar and disney springs also going but also the worries of mymagic+. I also thinks it's not if but when. DHS hits 25 years old this may and hasn't seen any major upgrades in a long time that park is over due for maybe even more than just an expansion but maybe a reimagination of the entire park.

 

[db57me]

I don't think its so much having to do with avatar and disney springs also going but also the worries of mymagic+. I also thinks it's not if but when. DHS hits 25 years old this may and hasn't seen any major upgrades in a long time that park is over due for maybe even more than just an expansion but maybe a reimagination of the entire park.

I agree. Considering the recent properties Disney has purchased, and the improvement of technology seen in other parks, HS could use an overall. I'd would divide HS into various themed lands, like MK, each focused on a genre of movies. There could be Sci-Fi land with Star Wars at the center. With an update, the Great Movie Ride could still be the central attraction of this park. It's fun to dream, Uncle Walt taught us that.

 

[wallrock]

I think any hopes of additional attractions in the immediate future (one to five years) are gone due to the cost of the implementation of the nextgen system. The best we're going to get is maybe a re-theming of the Backlot Express to something Star Wars related and maybe a meet and greet. Naturally there will be an additional gift shop of sorts strategically placed or an expansion of the current one next to Star Tours.

 

[DPCummerbund]

Um, there already is a resort within walking distance of DHS: Boardwalk. It's less than a mile from BWV to DHS. And it's only slightly more than a mile from BCV to DHS.

Well yes, obviously. Just as BLT and VWL already existed, but Disney went ahead and built VGF and is working on DVC at the Poly anyway. I was discussing NEW DVC resorts, not the locations of existing resorts. The point being that locating new DVC resorts next to the parks that are currently popular or expanding (like adding DVC on the monorail resorts while they're building new Fantasyland) is probably a better idea than building DVC resorts far away from the new and interesting things.

As of now, if Disney built a DVC resort near DHS, very few people would be interested. But if they built one right next to it just as Star Wars opens, it would be immensely popular.

 

[JoWiJo]

A full park at present would be far too much of a gamble. If the new movies are a smash hit, then you could start talking about SW having its own park. But if Disney were to build a full SW park now, and the movies flop like Jar Jar Binks's ears, so would the park.

Additionally, I'm among those who believe they should fix the issues of DHS and EPCOT before considering a fifth gate. Those parks don't have to be supercalifragilisticexpialidociously fantastic, but if they can't tend to matters at hand, a new park would only result in more issues.

Speaking of the issues at DHS, those aren't the reason to put a Star Wars Land there opposed to the other parks. Star Wars simply goes well with the theme of DHS. I suppose someone could squeeze the idea into Tomorrowland at MK or Future World at EPCOT (and convert a certain icon into the Death Star), but Star Wars overall just fits the theme of DHS the best.

As far as what would I do with a Star Wars Land? I'd have to think on that for a while. One thing is to come up with a better name than Star Wars Land, lol. I'd probably have it divided into a light side and dark side, with a Mos Eisley Cantina open for lunch and dinner.

 

[DPCummerbund]

A full park at present would be far too much of a gamble. If the new movies are a smash hit, then you could start talking about SW having its own park. But if Disney were to build a full SW park now, and the movies flop like Jar Jar Binks's ears, so would the park.

Additionally, I'm among those who believe they should fix the issues of DHS and EPCOT before considering a fifth gate. Those parks don't have to be supercalifragilisticexpialidociously fantastic, but if they can't tend to matters at hand, a new park would only result in more issues.

Speaking of the issues at DHS, those aren't the reason to put a Star Wars Land there opposed to the other parks. Star Wars simply goes well with the theme of DHS. I suppose someone could squeeze the idea into Tomorrowland at MK or Future World at EPCOT (and convert a certain icon into the Death Star), but Star Wars overall just fits the theme of DHS the best.

As far as what would I do with a Star Wars Land? I'd have to think on that for a while. One thing is to come up with a better name than Star Wars Land, lol. I'd probably have it divided into a light side and dark side, with a Mos Eisley Cantina open for lunch and dinner.

I think Disney would be better off spreading Star Wars around multiple parks, like Universal has done with Harry Potter.

First of all, building a new park involves creating a whole new infrastructure, so I think they'd want to avoid that.

Secondly, if you spread the new stuff across multiple parks, it gives people reason to go to all the different parks, which requires park hopping tickets at least, and probably multiple days.

I could see a big Star Wars "Galaxy" with an e-ticket ride or two at DHS, but then perhaps a Cantina and a smaller ride / exhibit at another park, or something like that.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

I love how people say Episode 1-3 were a "flop". Episode I grossed like 1 Billion Dollars worldwide.