Star Wars themed lands announced for DL and DHS

[sheetz]

According to the LA Times, Star Wars Land will be located in the Big Thunder Ranch area but will NOT replace Toontown.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...tar-wars-themed-lands-d23-20150815-story.html

Not unlike Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the new “Star Wars” areas will be fashioned into an immersive environment evoking the franchise’s universe. Iger described it as a “remote port, one of the last stops before wild space,” complete with droids, aliens and humanoid characters — and, yes, a cantina.

“We’re currently casting for roles,” Iger said. “The attractions, the entertainment — everything we create will be part of our storytelling. Nothing will be out of character or stray from the mythology.”

Showing off a brief piece of concept video featuring spacecraft flying over an alien city, Iger said that the new “Star Wars”-themed areas will include a re-creation of the Millennium Falcon, in which guests can take the controls for a “customized secret mission,” along with an immersive attraction that will put attendees into “a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.”

The new land is targeted to replace Disneyland’s Big Thunder Ranch and take over backstage areas currently not accessible to guests, a company spokesperson said, adding that speculation “Star Wars” would replace or impinge on Mickey's Toontown was unfounded.

 

[Sorcerer Jody]

Oh, I hope that's true, that it will not replace Toontown! I know TT wasn't part of the original Disneyland, but I still can't imagine it being taken out now that it's there...it's Mickey and Minnie's home!!! How could anyone knock down Mickey and Minnie's houses??? Makes me so sad to think about. I'm not sure what I would tell my kids. Meeting M & M in Toontown is always one of the highlights of their trip. I'm hoping to go in Feb. 2016 - TT better still be standing then!

I am not a Star Wars fan, although I don't hate it and my young son is starting to really get into it - he would love to see a bunch of Star Wars stuff. But I wish they could just have re-imagined Tomorrowland and made Star Wars a bigger part of that land. Or put Stars Wars Land in DCA, maybe the Hollywood area? It just doesn't make sense to me AT ALL to put it in Disneyland. Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland...and Star Wars Land? I just don't get it. I know it will bring it a lot of money, but still...

If I knew Toontown was safe, then I'd feel a lot better about the whole thing.

 

[BobearQSI]

Is it confirmed that toontown is where this is going?

Nothing's confirmed, but the Miceage article posted this week before the D23 expo said it was happening, and they included a map showing Toontown gone, and they also showed specific backstage buildings that would be removed for the new land, and some that would stay.

The area they highlighted, 4 days before this actual announcement, is right around 14 acres, which is what was confirmed at the expo today.

But still, to re-iterate, at this point nothing is actually confirmed by Disney as to where it will be.

 

[Disney Dudette]

All these announcements of changes coming make me nervous! I don't want to lose toontown! It's where mickey and minnie live for goodness sake!

 

[Sherry E]

Thank for posting that, sheetz!

I don't know what, if anything, could happen to Toontown, but I knew something was fishy and suspicious about most of the elements of the Halloween Carnival being gone this year (if not the whole thing). As soon as I started hearing about the different parts of the Carnival not taking place this year (even if there ends up being some sort of quasi-Carnival), my first thought was that Disney was just going to start keeping it empty so everyone would forget it's there before it becomes a portal to Star Wars Land, and so they can start moving things out of there (like the animals) and over to a new location outside of the park. I think that if Disney puts any characters back there at all this year for Halloween Time or the holidays, that will probably be about it. Characters -- but no carvers, Pirates League, Conjure a Villain tent, etc. I think they are just scaling it back now, and then a year from now it probably won't be open at all.

Well, there goes the Halloween Carnival, Jingle Jamboree and the Springtime Roundup -- unless Disney finds a way to relocate them to DCA. I guess that means the BBQ place will go too?

I wonder if the Halloween Party will move back to DCA when construction kicks in at Disneyland. They won't want to/be able to use the trail back there for fog and special effects if the Ranch and Festival Arena are being torn up, and there will be a lot of work going on in at least one other area of the park too.

 

[Dee2015]

.

 

[kylie71]

I really wanted them to do something with Tomorrowland. Since I am not a Star Wars fan, I do not care about the new land. I hate to see them take out Big Thunder Ranch. I wish they would have just refurbed , Tomorrowland. Are they just going to leave it the way it is?? Accept for the new "Cover" for Space? I am disappointed.
I hope they move the Big Thunder Ranch Area, hopefully to California Adventure, maybe the new Grizzly Peak area, or the old Challenge Trail, area...

Just my thoughts, a life long Disneyland lover, first trip 1976.

--Lori

 

[Butterfly123]

Nothing's confirmed, but the Miceage article posted this week before the D23 expo said it was happening, and they included a map showing Toontown gone, and they also showed specific backstage buildings that would be removed for the new land, and some that would stay.

The area they highlighted, 4 days before this actual announcement, is right around 14 acres, which is what was confirmed at the expo today.

But still, to re-iterate, at this point nothing is actually confirmed by Disney as to where it will be.

Can anyone point me towards the map? I'd love to take a look, but can't find it on their site. Thanks!

 

[mikana876]

According to the LA Times, Star Wars Land will be located in the Big Thunder Ranch area but will NOT replace Toontown.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...tar-wars-themed-lands-d23-20150815-story.html

Gosh I hope this is true! Our family absolutely LOVES Toon Town! We love exploring Minnie and Mickey's houses. We love how as soon as you walk under that bridge, you feel like you are truly in a cartoon world. How can anyone dislike Toon Town?! I'll never understand. There are pictures of me in certain places in Toon Town as a kid the year it opened and we started to take pictures of DS at some of the same places! I was hoping one day I'd take pictures of grandkids in those same places. Toon Town is just a really special place for us.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

I don't really care about Toontown, most of the ranch, the subs, Autopia, etc. being taken out for Star Wars Land. BUT, I would be so sad if Big Thunder Ranch BBQ had to go! I love that place so much, I look forward to it every trip.

 

[gottalovepluto]

According to the LA Times, Star Wars Land will be located in the Big Thunder Ranch area but will NOT replace Toontown.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...tar-wars-themed-lands-d23-20150815-story.html

Interesting! Thanks for the link! Breaking ground 2017, so lots of time still between now and then.

 

[Sith]

Can anyone point me towards the map? I'd love to take a look, but can't find it on their site. Thanks!

I think this is the map you're looking for. It does not indicate Toontown being removed, though, so I don't see it as being the source of that rumor.

 

[Butterfly123]

I think this is the map you're looking for. It does not indicate Toontown being removed, though, so I don't see it as being the source of that rumor.

Interesting...thanks! I wonder when we'll get those pesky location details announced? Ahhh Disney...gotta love the way information dribbles out!

 

[Xenorye]

DisneylandToday's twitter account replied to a few fans over the past day and said that Star Wars land would take over the Big Thunder Ranch area, and backstage areas. No mention of Toontown!

 

[GrandBob]

I think this is the map you're looking for. It does not indicate Toontown being removed, though, so I don't see it as being the source of that rumor.

Interesting. Where did you get that map, Sith? Here's the one that's posted on MiceChat, from http://micechat.com/108619-disneyland-rumors-starwars/ As you can see, it does have them removing ToonTown. It will be interesting to see what actually transpires.
Bob

 

[stephanie22]

DisneylandToday's twitter account replied to a few fans over the past day and said that Star Wars land would take over the Big Thunder Ranch area, and backstage areas. No mention of Toontown!

That's good to hear, I know a lot of people don't want toontown to go, me included. Now if they would just spruce Toontown up a bit that'd be icing on the cake!

 

[Sith]

Interesting. Where did you get that map, Sith? Here's the one that's posted on MiceChat, from http://micechat.com/108619-disneyland-rumors-starwars/ As you can see, it does have them removing ToonTown. It will be interesting to see what actually transpires.
Bob

The map I posted was linked in the following thread: http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...d23-expo-announcements.3438271/#post-54231141.

I just figured it was the one everybody was talking about, since it had the micechat stamp.

 

[nana50]

I really dislike toontown and find it incredibly tacky. I would like it better if it wasn't so "cartoony". I know silly but it seems so unlike Disney. If Walt wanted his place to look cartoony he would have done Fantasyland that way. I've been going to DL since 1962 and I'm still mad they took out the Monsanto house of the future. I don't handle change well. To me, toontown is new. As Elsa would say "Let it go".

 

[Oswald23]

@Sherry E
Is this certain?

Olaf's Snow Fest is coming back too, so Frozen will once again be dominating that entire land.

 

[Sherry E]

@Sherry E
Is this certain?

Olaf's Snow Fest is coming back too, so Frozen will once again be dominating that entire land.

Yes. Olaf's Snow Fest definitely coming back, and the first rounds of auditions have been held for some of the musicians who perform at Snow Fest (such as the lute player!) -- but based on the timing of the auditions, my guess is that Disney is aiming to get it up and running during the holiday season, as opposed to early January (which is what happened earlier this year). I suspect they are trying to bring it back as a piece of "holiday" entertainment, but there is no telling whether that means Olaf's Snow Fest will return in November (when the holiday season begins), by Thanksgiving, or in December.

The meet & greet is still in DCA, as is the sing-along, so the only piece of the puzzle left to fit -- the thing that may or may not return at some point -- is Freeze the Night. No word on that yet. Hollywood Land has mostly been 'frozen' over, even without Freeze the Night.