Not quite Star Wars land, but the Season of the Force has now officially started at Disneyland, with new attractions, and some attraction updates, having arrived in Tomorrowland. The start of the Season of the Force comes just about a month before the release of the new Star Wars Film, “The Force Awakens”, coming out December 18. So, what will you find at Disneyland during Star Wars season?
STAR WARS SEASON OF THE FORCE AT DISNEYLAND (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland)
The biggest new attraction is the Star Wars Launch Bay, located in the former site of “Innoventions”. The space holds everything from character meet-and-greets to interactive games to memorabilia from the films, plus a Star Wars cantina! Some of the iconic characters guests can meet inside include Darth Vader, if the guests are more interested in the Dark Side, or famed heroes like Chewy if visitors are more Rebel Alliance leaning. Inside the launch bay theater a short documentary film that has interviews with crew members and creators of the films to learn more about the making of the beloved series.
Star Wars Launch Bay is the centerpiece of the new Season of the Force (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
Four main galleries hold artifacts from the Star Wars universe. A dark side gallery has storm trooper equipment and Sith lightsabers while a light side gallery featuring rebel pilot gear and lightsabers from the jedi. The preview gallery features replica props and costume from the upcoming Force Awakens film, if guests want to get a sneak peek at some of what they’ll see in the new movie. Lastly, the Starship gallery features models of the famous craft from the Star Wars saga.
Entrance to the Launch Bay, awesome. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
Awesome Star Wars memorabilia can be found in the galleries. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
Light side galleries. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
And dark side galleries. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
Along with the galleries and meet-and-greets, the Game Center allows guests to play the latest Star Wars video games, like the new Disney Infinity 3.0. And, of course, the Launch Bay will feature a place to buy all your favorite Star Wars souvenirs, including some high end signed memorabilia.
Don’t think it’s for sale, but maybe. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
For roller coaster fans the most exciting aspect of Season of the Force is the launch of a new overlay on Space Mountain, dubbed Hyperspace Mountain! The dark roller coasters will now put riders into the middle of an epic space battle between rebel X-Wings and Imperial TIE fighters, and will feature a proper Star Wars sound track based on the iconic theme of the films. If you want some more details on the exact ride, and a very dark POV video of it (you can’t actually see much), check out this story from the LA Times. The Star Wars sound track is awesome!
No longer just regular Space Mountain, now it’s HYPER. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)
In addition to Space Mountain getting a new story, Star Tours is getting a new scene involving characters from the new film. Instead of the typical random scenes all riders will experience the new Force Awakens scene during Season of the Force, with Finn as your guide in place of C3PO and the cute little soccer ball droid, BB-8. Reviews of the ride so far have been generally positive.
New Star Tours scenes for Season of the Force. (Disney Parks)
Beyond the new attractions, guests will see other new Star Wars things around Tomorrowland. First Order stormtroopers will be around patrolling the the Launch Bay and Star Tours, and the Jedi Training interactive show is getting an update with the new version starting December 8. The restaurants in Tomorrowland are also getting new Star Wars themed menus.
New Star Wars themed food because, well, who wouldn’t want to eat a chocolate Darth Vader? (Disney Parks)
Season of the Force has started at Disneyland, and there is no announcement of an end date. Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida is getting their Season of the Force starting December 1, with more coming after that, so it’s safe to say Season of the Force should be running for a few months.
And don’t forget, Disneyland also has their 60th Anniversary going on, and Christmas season has started at Disneyland, one of my favorite times to visit the park. You can check out our report from last years holiday season at Disneyland here.
So, who’s excited for this mini-Star Wars land? Does it make you more likely to plan a trip to Disneyland for the holidays? Let us know!
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