Disney's Chief Operating Officer and former Disney Parks Chairman was speaking at an investors' conference in Beverly Hills. He did not provide an opening date for the lands, which Disney unveiled at last month's D23 Expo in Anaheim.
Each land will be 14 acres and will include two major rides: one where visitors take control of the Millennium Falcon and another where they encounter a battle with the First Order (from the upcoming Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens.)
Theme Park Insider readers have targeted 2020 as their collective estimate for when the new lands will open. Disneyland is building its Star Wars Land on the site currently occupied by Big Thunder Ranch, as well as adjacent backstage areas. Disney has filed permits in Anaheim to begin moving backstage facilities to recently-acquired property across the street from the Disneyland Resort, clearing space for the Star Wars Land expansion. Walt Disney World has not yet revealed where within or around Disney's Hollywood Studios it will build its Star Wars Land.
In the meantime, both parks are opening "Star Wars Launch Bay" meet-and-greet and merchandise locations, in the former Innoventions building in Disneyland and in the former Animation Pavilion at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Those will open later this year.
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When will it open? I think Star Wars Land will open in 3 years in 2018 based on the early ground breaking.
As for what N B said I am not going back to Florida until this is done.
As theme park fans, we don't care that DIS continues to invest heavily on the parks. Is that a lie? A significant portion of the funds have gone towards infrastructure maintenance and expansion, software upgrades, hotel development/maintenance and retail maintenance, redevelopment and development. As stock holders, we demand investment in all areas.
As theme park fans, we don't care that DIS invests heavily in overseas properties. We want the money spent at the park closest to our residence. As stock holders, we demand each park be invested in to maximize the ROI.
As theme park fans, we don't care what it costs! Just get it built, even if 24 hour shifts are required. We choose to ignore the record attendance the parks are achieving. As stock holders, slow and steady wins the race.
And yes, NB, I do thank Universal for pushing Disney. But I would argue that the "theme wars" started the minute Universal announced they'd be building a Florida Park. They just finally proved themselves worthy competitors. ;)
I think that they are breaking ground on construction a year earlier than planned so that they can speed up construction if need be to counter what Universal may have in store after 2017
The most recent article on Orlando talks about the rumoured attractions for 2018 @ Universal including Nintendo Land and a ministry of magic expansion @ DA
We all now expect that Universal will have something new for 2018 but what is the big question.
You may not care about the foreign parks, but what about the people who actually live there? Do you think it'd be fair to them to have to fly all the way to the States just to experience Disney's latest and greatest? Being the most highly-attended theme parks in the world, it's clear that WDW had already gotten plenty of love and attention. So it was really time to make sure that the other parks caught up. Now that's been about a decade, WDW parks are the ones that need to catch up, so now that's where all their money's going now.
In the case of DLP, I understand that park's had financial problems since Day 1. And if what I've been hearing is accurate, Europe's about to sail through some pretty rough waters. That'll probably mean trying to build anything new in those parks would be quite the hassle. They should probably consider themselves lucky that they got Ratatouille.
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Gee, you're quite quite the optimist aren't you?
Star Wars is a bit bigger land, but supposed to be similar in most other ways: An alien world, completely immersive foreign planet, and two major rides.
So, I would say, the 2020 prediction date is looking pretty accurate, figuring for a June 2016 ground breaking.
He/She raised a valid point.
Eisner invested way more as he constructed parks designed to destroy WDW competitors. Unfortunately, he later admitted he foolishly over spent on Disneyland Paris and then foolishly underspent on the second park. The Disneyland Resort Paris has never recovered. Iger has committed to restoring the parks financial footing and remaking the studio park. And to prove it, he committed the WDCo to buying the resort.
Eisner also admitted that Animal Kingdom while opening to rave reviews was lacking in attractions/rides. Iger has committed to resolving this error.
Eisner also admitted that WDW's studio park, while not built on the cheap was significantly lacking rides. It has an over abundance of attractions. Iger has committed to adding more rides.
Iger also saw that immersive retail, like Main Street U.S.A., could work outside of a theme park. Thus, he approved the redevelopment of Downtown Disney to Disney Springs.
You can bash Iger all day for not adding attractions or rides like Eisner, but you also have to give him credit for fixing all of Eisner's mistakes. Iger refuses to call them mistakes, instead he calls them, brand withdrawals.
Then there'll be virtually no progress for at least another 18 months.
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