What will Star Wars land look like? Here’s Disney’s big reveal

With people coming from around the world to this weekend’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, California — an annual gathering of Disney fans and Disney industries — a scale model of the Star Wars lands being built at parks in Orlando and Southern California was unveiled Thursday by Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

The lands are set on a remote planet that hasn’t been seen before in Star Wars lore. It’s a trading port and one of the last stops before Wild Space. It will feature at least two major attractions, a ride on the Millennium Falcon and a place in “a climactic battle,” plus the Star Wars Cantina and an upscale dinner club.

The port is carved out of stony, hilly land, with giant spikes of rock towering above trees. The buildings feature domes and gentle curves that contrast with the landscape, and a variety of warships and other aircraft, including the Millennium Falcon.

The two Star Wars lands are scheduled to be completed in 2019.

The D23 Expo is often the setting for major announcements from the Disney Parks and Resorts division, and Chapek is expected to reveal new attractions for Disney World. At last year’s convention, Chapek announced a makeover for Epcot but offered no details. Fansites, attributing their information to anonymous sources, say Disney is planning rides based on the “Ratatouille” movie and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot, and possible some updating or new rides in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 1:30 PM with the headline "What will Star Wars land look like? Here’s Disney’s big reveal."