Disney Parks' new Star Wars Land is still years away from being completed, but that doesn't mean they won't spend the entire time teasing us. A new piece of concept art has been released giving us an idea what we'll see when that day finally comes, and we want to buy our tickets now. Check out a look at what Star Wars Land will look like at Disneyland.
While the Star Wars Land is being constructed in both of Disney's U.S. parks, this image appears to be specific to Disneyland, according to the Disney Parks Blog. This art is now on display on the Big Thunder Trail at Disneyland, in the spot that will mark one of the entrances to Star Wars Land when it opens. Looking down we can see the Millennium Falcon sitting in a hanger. We know that the area's signature ride will involve piloting the Falcon, but what this really shows us is how much space the land will take up. If the Millennium Falcon ride in the center only takes up that much space, then the rest of the land is massive by comparison. According to Disney, the entire Star Wars land will encompass 14 acres, the largest single expansion that Disneyland has ever seen.
According to Disney Parks, the land will be set on an entirely new planet in the Star Wars universe. What's not clear is if this planet will be unique to the parks, or just an area that we haven't seen in the movies yet. On the one hand, setting it in an entirely separate place would help the land from feeling dated 20 years from now when the movies have gone on to new places. At the same time, setting it in a place that fans know, or will know in a future film, could make the area more immersive, something that Disneyland and Disney World are known for.
There are a couple of other recognizable items in the image. On the far right, we have what appears to be a shuttle craft, similar to the one used in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi. There's also a version of Princess Leia's spacecraft from the opening of the original Star Wars on the far left. Somewhere in this image is an upscale restaurant, though it's not clear which building that would be in.
Since the image is meant to evoke the world of Star Wars, we don't really see from the art how it will fit into the larger park. The most interesting aspect of the image is probably the small boat in the water at the bottom of the rendering. That waterway is the existing Rivers of America, the traditional home of the Mark Twain Riverboat and the tall ship Colombia. These ships are expected to resume full operation once construction on Star Wars Land allows. What's not clear is how Disneyland plans to maintain the illusion between the two spaces. Will there be riverboats cruising through an alien world? Probably not, there may be a tree line or other obstruction that we don't see here.
Star Wars Land is currently under construction but has no official opening date at the moment. We're certainly looking forward to getting that word when it comes. Some of us will certainly be there. How about you?
