Disney to Reveal Ambitious Star Wars Plans

[Next Big Thing]

Not yet. But there are holes in that lifeboat and Epcot is taking on water…

Of course the studios are spiraling down towards the depths of the ocean.

As far as rides go, DHS is actually a better park than Epcot.

Epcot is lucky that it was designed the way it was and WS is pretty much a giant mall. There's just enough side entertainment/things to see to keep you moving, but WS needs ride experiences. American Adventure is the best attraction in the whole showcase.

Epcot just needs love as a whole. Journey and UoE especially, it just needs work to finally begin.

DHS is a mess right now, but I still manage to have a good time every time I go to the park.

 

[Gomer]

I'll look at the quote again. It was my understanding he already had billions in the bank...and then sold Lucas film for 4 billion.

From CNBC back in 2012:
"Even before Disney showered him with the mother of all liquidity events, George Lucas was a very wealthy man.

According to Wealth-X, Star Wars creator George Lucas had about $1.4 billion in cash, investments and other assets before the deal. That didn't include the value of his private companies, which included LucasFilm.

As first reported by CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Disney is paying $4 billion for LucasFilm and its related companies. Fully $2 billion of that will be in stock and $2 billion will be in cash. Since George Lucas never sold stakes in his companies and never took venture capital money, he gets the whole check.

The deal will bring his net worth to $5.2 billion after taxes, according to Wealth-X."

So yeah the quote was off some compared to the CNBC article but he did already have 1.4 in cash before the sale. Not bad.

Lucas gave all the money from the sale to Disney to charity anyway.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-deal-george-lucas-will-384947
Its his foundation so I don't' really know how that is calculated into net worth, but he didn't profit from the sale.

 

[dgp602]

I notice that it says "Disney Parks"....I wouldn't hold my breath for too much in Florida.

Buzz kill......!!

 

[Progress.City]

I know nothing is concrete at the moment but is this what the most accepted rumors are pointing to? I tried to visualize everything I've read so far.View attachment 81526

Will that be for just Star Wars?

 

[Progress.City]

Project will be announced at D23 for a 2018 opening

I'll bet you May 4 is when it is announced...

 

[Progress.City]

Five years is a damned long time. Think in terms of concept to creation. It'll be a near decade-long endeavour.

How long is Avatar taking?

 

[Progress.City]

WDI created a very ambitious slate of several Star Wars attractions for Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and it went far enough into development that it was basically ready for construction. Iger shut it down at the finish line because he felt it didn't feature enough elements from the upcoming movies. Imagineers have since had to start from scratch (hence the Toontown proposal), adding a whole two years to the development process.

Only Iger's desire for franchise cash-ins has prevented Star Wars attractions from being halfway built already.

That's interesting. I just noticed a pattern with Iger here - canceling projects when development finishes. He's been doing this sort of thing often since the beginning of his tenure, starting with Fire Mountain...

 

[twebber55]

How long is Avatar taking?

3 years from the start of construction

 

[lentesta]

I heard Jim Hill speak about this last year in the Sept. - Nov. timeframe. He also mentioned it again in December on a podcast with @lentesta. Sight prep/demo in 2015, with construction starting at some point in 2016.

Thanks for listening to the show!

If Echo Lake is part of the Star Wars area, it'd be tough to see how 50's Prime Time and Hollywood & Vine stay. I suppose they could build a giant wall and make that walkway an alley?

The hat removal would make sense in the context of a SW land at Echo Lake, because you'd be able to see the hat from Echo Lake. The thing I don't understand with that is - why start now? The hat could've remained until almost last. I'm thinking that they want to put something like a semi-permanent stage there, for things like Mulch, while the left half of the park is a construction zone. That would set them up for demo in 2016.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

2016 looks like a great year to go to, oh, just about anywhere instead of DHS.

Starting to question my need for a Park-Hopper.

 

[unkadug]

Thanks for listening to the show!

If Echo Lake is part of the Star Wars area, it'd be tough to see how 50's Prime Time and Hollywood & Vine stay. I suppose they could build a giant wall and make that walkway an alley?

The hat removal would make sense in the context of a SW land at Echo Lake, because you'd be able to see the hat from Echo Lake. The thing I don't understand with that is - why start now? The hat could've remained until almost last. I'm thinking that they want to put something like a semi-permanent stage there, for things like Mulch, while the left half of the park is a construction zone. That would set them up for demo in 2016.

I certainly have mixed feeling for this news. On one hand I look forward to new attractions at TPFKADMGM (the park formerly known as Disney MGM) but on the other, I mourn the loss of 50's Prime TIme as I felt it was more than just a place to eat, it was an attraction in itself.

 

[PorterRedkey]

I just don't buy it. They're converting AI over to Frozen, so what sense would it make to do that if the whole area around it is going to be SW?

They can simply convert Backlot Express to the Cantina and then demolish the Jedi Academy Stage and run that street right into the vacant land across the back entrance for the SW expansion. There's absolutely no need to demolish a thing.

And maybe it will be announced at SWC this April, but I'd bet they'd want to save something that big for D23. SWC will always be successful; they need big announcements to make D23 relevant.

I am hoping this is not true also. For some reason, I love Gertie. Reminds me of the La Brea tar pits in LA. Plus the lake is a nice oasis in this otherwise dry park.

I don't understand why they can't use the expansion site. I am tired of losing attractions to gain attractions. However, if they do demolish something, I am glad it does not include Muppets or Indy. Especially if Muppets has closed for good in California. Indy could close, but I would hate to lose the main Indy presence in the park. Tell me they are bringing a Indy dark ride to replace the stunt show, and I would say close it today.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

That's interesting. I just noticed a pattern with Iger here - canceling projects when development finishes. He's been doing this sort of thing often since the beginning of his tenure, starting with Fire Mountain...

Iger has nothing to do with Fire Mountain.

Fire Mountain was a canceled project under Eisner in the mid 1990's.

Iger being with Disney when Fire Mountain was a mid 1990's project before being canceled is very questionable since Disney Bought ABC in 1996.

Iger would none or little knowledge of Fire Mountain in the mid 1990's anyway since Iger was President and chief operating officer of Capital Cities/ABC aka ABC. Inc at the time. The positions he had I mentioned is as far away from theme parks as you get when Disney bought ABC and Iger had no say at all.

Proof of Fire Mountain being a mid 1990's project: http://web.archive.org/web/20110704...andfiles.com/tnf/disneyworld/firemountain.php

 

[Kman101]

Wasn't Fire Mountain approved/cancelled in 2004/2005/2006? How is that a 90s project? Maybe it was DEVELOPED in the 90s ...

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Wasn't Fire Mountain approved/cancelled in 2004/2005/2006? How is that a 90s project? Maybe it was DEVELOPED in the 90s ...

Fire Mountain was designed in the 1990's according Neverland Files. Fire Mountain was supposed to be designed around the same time as Bald Mountain was.

More Proof on Fire Mountain being a mid 1990's to late 1990's project is the fact it was asked about on this site in 2002. A poster named Al dated the history of Fire Mountain to 1998 although this site has Fire Mountain approved at a later date than Neverland Files. According to Al, Bald/Fire Mountain -- was supposed to make way for Journey to the Center of the Earth in August 20, 2000.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...d-attraction-at-mk-called-fire-mountain.7284/

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'll bet you May 4 is when it is announced...

Well we said that two years ago. And we said that last year.

So I guess that if you keep trying, eventually you'll be right

 

[Rteetz]

I certainly have mixed feeling for this news. On one hand I look forward to new attractions at TPFKADMGM (the park formerly known as Disney MGM) but on the other, I mourn the loss of 50's Prime TIme as I felt it was more than just a place to eat, it was an attraction in itself.

I agree just ate at 50s for the first time in January and loved it

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I can't find the post, but one of the insiders yesterday seemed to confirm that nothing is getting destroyed, closed, or filled in (including Echo Lake). The footprint he/she/they outlined involved demolition of Backlot Express and expansion into the parking lot.

 

[rd805]

I'm sure a large chunk of DHS will be Star Wars since some areas/s

New Fantasyland is a strange mix of ambitious architecture and landscaping, terrible forced perspective, and lackluster rides. Be Our Guest does have pretty good food for lunch, and Dumbo is a huge upgrade. I'll give them that.

With the size of it --- i would consider it ambitious --- lets hope Star Wars is at least as big (size-wise)!

 

[prberk]

Thanks for listening to the show!

If Echo Lake is part of the Star Wars area, it'd be tough to see how 50's Prime Time and Hollywood & Vine stay. I suppose they could build a giant wall and make that walkway an alley?

The hat removal would make sense in the context of a SW land at Echo Lake, because you'd be able to see the hat from Echo Lake. The thing I don't understand with that is - why start now? The hat could've remained until almost last. I'm thinking that they want to put something like a semi-permanent stage there, for things like Mulch, while the left half of the park is a construction zone. That would set them up for demo in 2016.

I think the BAH removal had nothing to do with Star Wars. It had everything to do with a revitalization of the Great Movie Ride and its new sponsorship ensuring that it was not going anywhere. The Chinese Theatre (housing the Great Movie Ride) could now be restored as the visual at the end of the street, the thing that you see when you enter the park. I think it makes sense that they restore the original "golden age of Hollywood" vision to the park and include Star Wars as a one of the great movies featured, with its new land. The "golden age" does not have to be the '30s only, but the '30s can set the stage for "the Hollywood that never was, and always will be," which is still sort of what Hollywood (a.k.a., the movie industry) still tries to do in its own way (re: the Oscar telecast). It celebrates modern filmmaking, but with an homage to the past.

I also think that it is notable trivia (oxymoron intended) that Star Wars itself (not "Episode IV," but Star Wars as it was first released) premiered at the original Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood (with famous pictures of the lines to see it there also); so it is fitting that a Star Wars land be in the same park with a reproduction of the Chinese Theatre heralding Hollywood overall.