Latest (and Our Favorite) Star Wars News - Parks, Films, Gaming, Products

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With Force Friday coming up I thought I’d share our favorite Star Wars news from the D23 Expo. Parker and I attended for the first time this year and boy was it an experience! More on that later.

First my favorite announcements come from the Disney Parks. We’ll go from what you can experience the soonest:

Starting November 16th!

New Star Tours Scene! “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue will include a new adventure featuring locations and characters from the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, giving guests a new adventure in the Star Wars galaxy.”
Star Wars Launch Bay – “will take guests into the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with special exhibits and peeks behind-the-scenes, including opportunities to visit with new and favorite Star Wars characters, special merchandise and food offerings. Star Wars Launch Bay will be located in the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park (I’m guessing in the Innoventions building?). Also at Disneyland park, Star Wars Launch Bay will share the space with the reimagined Super Hero HQ, featuring opportunities to meet and take photos with Super Heroes like Captain America and Thor, as well as experience the returning Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries (this is closed now but glad to see it will be re-opening!)

Star Wars Launch Bay Coming to Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort -- This interactive experience will take guests into the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with special exhibits and peeks behind the scenes, including opportunities to visit with new and favorite Star Wars characters, special merchandise and food offerings. Star Wars Launch Bay will be located in the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park. (Disney Parks) — Star Wars Launch Bay Coming to Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort — This interactive experience will take guests into the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with special exhibits and peeks behind the scenes, including opportunities to visit with new and favorite Star Wars characters, special merchandise and food offerings. Star Wars Launch Bay will be located in the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park. (Disney Parks)

Season of the Force (so excited!) – “a new seasonal event beginning November 16, 2015, brings new experiences to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. In Tomorrowland at Disneyland park, guests will explore the Star Wars galaxy with special entertainment throughout the land, themed food locations and more. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests will close out weekend nights with a new fireworks spectacular set to the iconic score of the Star Wars movies.” So think Star Wars Weekends.
Hyperspace Mountain (coming with Season of the Force) – “a reimagining of the classic Space Mountain attraction, in which guests will join an X-wing Starfighter battle.”

Jedi Training Academy – “will be reimagined with a new experience that includes new characters and a new villain to battle from the popular Disney XD series, “Star Wars Rebels.” I know lots of your little ones will be excited about that!

Sometime in the Future

Star Wars Themed Lands – “at the D23 EXPO 2015, The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced to an audience of more than 7,500 fans that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., AND Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., allowing Star Wars fans to step into the stories from a galaxy far, far away.” Yes that’s 2 separate Star Wars themed lands one at each US park!

Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced at D23 EXPO 2015 that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla., creating Disney’s largest single-themed land expansions ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life. These authentic lands will have two signature attractions, including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)

“I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars,” said Iger. “We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever. These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.”

Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Disney Parks – Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced at D23 EXPO 2015 that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla., creating Disney’s largest single-themed land expansions ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life. These authentic lands will have two signature attractions, including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle. (Disney Parks)

These authentic lands will have two signature attractions, including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Warsadventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle.

To say my Star Wars fan was excited would be an understatement. He was thrilled to be there and part of the excitement. We were in the panel where they announced some of the info and it was just so much fun to be around others with the same excitement!

On to the Star Wars film news:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – we all know this comes out SO soon (December 18, 2015). There have been record breaking views of the trailer with great fan response. I think we’ve added quite a few views ourselves 😉
Star Wars: Episode VIII – Rian Johnson will be directing the film slated for release on May 26, 2017 (this was a reminder)
Star Wars: Episode IX – Colin Trevorrow (“Jurassic World”) has signed on to direct “Star Wars: Episode IX,” which is scheduled for release in 2019.

D23 EXPO 2015 - D23 EXPO, the ultimate Disney fan event, brings together all the past, present and future of Disney entertainment under one roof. Taking place August 14-16, this year marks the fourth D23 EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center and promises to be the biggest and most spectacular yet. (Disney/Image Group LA) ALAN HORN (Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios) — D23 EXPO 2015 – D23 EXPO, the ultimate Disney fan event, brings together all the past, present and future of Disney entertainment under one roof. Taking place August 14-16, this year marks the fourth D23 EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center and promises to be the biggest and most spectacular yet. (Disney/Image Group LA)
ALAN HORN (Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios)

Rogue One – the first of the standalone Star Wars stories to hit the big screen, which has commenced principal photography. Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla,” “Monsters”) is directing “Rogue One,” which tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star.
Untitled Han Solo – stand-alone film, slated for release on May 25, 2018, will be directed by Christopher Miller & Phil Lord, with Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon Kasdan writing the screenplay.

And last, but not least, the Star Wars gaming news:

Limited-edition Darth Vader-inspired PlayStation®4 Star Wars bundles: Star Wars: Battlefront and Disney Infinity 3.0: StarWars – The bundles include a fully customized PS4™ featuring an image of Darth Vader, a controller inspired by Darth Vader’s suit and more.
Limited edition set of Light FX Star Wars™ character figures for Disney Infinity 3.0 that light up when placed onto the Disney Infinity Base.
Star Wars Battlefront – Parker got to play this for a bit and was SO excited to check it out. For news on beta or more check out their site.

Speaking of Star Wars, Parker got lots of compliments and even some photos of his BB-8 shirt and hat cosplay/costume whatever you want to call it. Star Wars even tweeted us about it!

Target was on hand at D23 to help #sharetheforce with these super fun cards!

Force Friday is THIS Friday September 4th when Star Wars will be releasing all kinds of new merchandise (hello Christmas!) The boys came with me to Target yesterday just to see the conveyor belt and check out the giant Chewbacca they had in store.

For info on the Target event including stores – check here. Also you can Text FORCE10 to 827438 for the $10 off coupon, or text FORCE25 to 827438 for the $25 off coupon. Coupons go live Friday. $10 off a purchase of $50+ and $25 off a purchase of $100+

There are other stores and even YouTubers participating in Force Friday as well – “The Star Wars YouTube channel will host the live stream, which kicks off with the first unboxing in Sydney, Australia at 7:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 3 (5:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 2), with the grand finale at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8 a.m. PDT (11 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 3. Each of the 15 locations will reveal a new product inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”