The DisGeek Podcast

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We have dates! Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge Phase 1 to open on May 31st at Disneyland and August 29th at Disney Hollywood Studios

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Per the Disney parks blog, Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge is set to open at Disneyland on May 31st and Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World on August 29th. The new land will open in two phases with phase one opening with Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will open on phase two which will be announced at a later date.

According to the Disney Parks blog if you are planning to visit Disneyland on opening day through June 23, 2019, you will need valid theme park admission and will be required to make a reservation (at no cost), subject to availability, to access the land. Information on how to make a reservation will be available at a later date.

However, at Walt Disney World, a reservation will not be offered. Valid theme park admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is required to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge after its opening on August 29, 2019. Capacity is limited. Additionally, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be open during Extra Magic Hours. During Extra Magic Hours guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can spend extra time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios enjoying select attractions.

New STAR WARS – GALAXY’S EDGE details. Food, Merch, and more!

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EDIT: Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland on May 31st 2019 and August 29 at Walt Disney World’s Disney Hollywood Studios

We are getting closer and closer to the opening of Star wars: Galaxy’s Edge over at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This week, Disney released all kinds of new information on what’s going on in Batuu.

Continuing their fight against the First Order, the Resistance has set up a base on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost. In both parks, guest will run into old friends like, Ray, Finn, Poe, BB-8, and Chewie. And may have a run-in with the First Order.

Attractions

Two all new thrilling attractions await us in the new land. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Per D23: “Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a level of guest participation in a ride that we haven’t done,” says Robin Reardon, portfolio executive producer, Walt Disney Imagineering. “When you step into that cockpit as the only flight crew of the only Millennium Falcon for the day that’s going on that mission, that’s a pretty amazing leap in terms of storytelling from the very beginning. And the payoff and participatory nature of the experience are, so far, unparalleled.”

The second attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, is one of the most advanced and immersive experiences ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering. As new Resistance recruits, guests will join a climactic battle against the First Order, including a run-in with Kylo Ren. Their journey will take them inside a full-size starship and aboard a nearby Star Destroyer.

Food

If you are looking for some drinks, check out Oga’s Cantina, Oga Garra’s spot of excotic drinks.

Alcoholic beverages at the cantina include:

  • Carbon Freeze, Oga’s Obsession and Cliff Dweller
  • Moogan Tea, Blue Bantha, Bloody Rancor and Black Spire Brew
  • The Outer Rim, Bespin Fizz, Yub Nub, and Fuzzy Tauntaun
  • Bespin Fizz
  • Bloody Rancor
  • Dagobah Slug Slinger
  • Fuzzy Tauntaun
  • Jedi Mind Trick
  • Jet Juice
  • The Outer Rim
  • Spriran Caf
  • T-16 Skyhopper
  • Yub Nub

Non-alcoholic beverages include:

  • Black Spire Brew
  • Blue Bantha
  • Carbon Freeze
  • Cliff Dweller
  • Hyperdrive Punch It!
  • Jabba Juice
  • Moogan Tea
  • Tarine Tea

Per D23: You’ll find Oga lurking in the shadows, and locals know better than to dare cross the proprietor. DJ R-3X—formerly known as Captain Rex, the Starspeeder 3000 pilot droid from Star Tours—now calls Oga’s Cantina his home, where he’s in charge of providing the musical entertainment.

Hungry? Head over to Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, a multi-purpose transport shuttle docked atop a large hangar for traveling food shuttles. That’s where Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs has converted his modified Sienar-Chall Utilipede-Transport into a popular mobile kitchen and restaurant. His travels across the galaxy allow him to fill his pantry with exotic ingredients, and he’s proud to present Tuggs’ Grub, a “traveling diner for diners traveling,” inspired by dishes he created during his time working for Maz Kanata on Takodana.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

  • Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
  • Felucian Garden Spread
  • Oven-roasted Burra Fish
  • Fried Endorian Tip-Yip
  • The Phattro and Moof Juice
  • Raspberry Crème Puff and Chocolate Cake

Ronto Roasters

  • Ronto Roasters
  • Meiloorun Juice, Turkey Jerky and Ronto Wrap
  • Blue AND Green Milk

Entrees:

  • Braised Shaak Roast, featuring beef pot roast with cavatelli pasta, kale, and mushrooms
  • Fried Endorian Tip-Yip, a decadent chicken dish with roasted vegetable mash and herb gravy
  • Felucian Garden Spread, a plant-based kefta “meatball” dish with herb hummus and tomato-cucumber relish with pita bread
  • Ithorian Garden Loaf, a plant-based “meatloaf” dish served with roasted vegetable mash, seasonal vegetables, and mushroom sauce
  • Smoked Kaadu Ribs, featuring smoked country sticky pork ribs with blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw
  • Oven-roasted Burra Fish, featuring Dijon-crusted sustainable fish with mixed greens, roasted vegetables, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds with a creamy green curry ranch dressing
  • Oven-roasted Tip Yip, featuring roasted chicken with mixed greens, roasted vegetables, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds with a creamy green curry ranch dressing
  • Yobshrimp Noodle Salad, a marinated noodle salad with chilled shrimp

Dessert options:

  • raspberry crème puff with passion fruit mousse
  • chocolate cake with white chocolate mouse and coffee custard.

Kid’s Menu:

  • fried chicken with macaroni and cheese
  • chilled shrimp with vegetables and rice noodle salad (with sweet orange dressing).

Non-alcoholic beverages:

  • Phattro
  • Moof Juice

Merchendise

Of course, there will be merch! And in stores like The Droid Depo, Savi’s Workshop, Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, Creature Stall, and the Resistance Supply. Per D23: One thing you won’t find: “evergreen” Star Wars products. Everything was created specifically for Galaxy’s Edge. Or, as Brad puts it, “We’re giving today’s consumers an experience only we can deliver.” Items reflect the stories of yore, as they’ve been told throughout Black Spire Outpost. With a vast array of innovative goods, he adds, “[There are] many levels of discovery.”

The App

There’s an app for that! Per D23: The app will provide new opportunities for guests to engage with the land, like translating a galactic language, learning what’s hidden inside crates and containers, or accomplishing certain tasks by participating in missions. Guests also can use the app to interact with a variety of elements, like antenna arrays, door panels, drinking fountains, droids, media screens, and ships.

We can’t wait to see Star Wars come to live at Disneyland and Walt Disney World! Summer is just around the corner!

Toy Story Land Opens on June 30 at Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort

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The all-new Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World Resort is inspired by Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story films and is set to open on June 30, 2018.

Guests visiting Toy Stoy Land, located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will shrink down to the size of their favorite characters from the movies like Woody, Jessie, Buzz, Slinky Dog, the Aliens, and the Green Army Men.

TOY STORY LAND AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

Across eleven acres, Toy Story Land will include two all-new attractions, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers. The new land will also extend Toy Story Mania!

For food and refreshments, Woody’s Lunch Box will serve up meals.

Toy Story Land is part of a multi-year reimagining of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the largest expansion in the theme park’s history. Next year will see the premiere of the all-new, 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This new land will allow guests to visit a remote trading port on the edge of wild space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life – and where guests will find themselves in the middle of the action. Also coming in 2019 is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The first ever Mickey-themed ride-through attraction will feature new technology, dazzling visual effects and mind-boggling transformations that put guests in the whacky and unpredictable world of a Mickey Mouse cartoon short.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Announces New Lands, Entertainment and Experiences at D23 EXPO 2015

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Official Press Release:

Star Wars, Toy Story Land, Pandora – The World of AVATAR, Soarin’ and Iron Man among new experiences coming for guests

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 15, 2015) – Today, Disney announced a line-up of new attractions and entertainment coming to its theme parks around the world during the D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek gave 7,500 lucky fans a behind-the-scenes look at what’s to come. He was joined by Imagineers working on these projects as well as legendary filmmakers James Cameron and Jon Landau who shared new details about Pandora – The World of AVATAR including the names of the land and E-ticket attraction – AVATAR Flight of Passage. Fans also got a chance to see Marvel legend Stan Lee in a cameo appearance where he posed as an unsuspecting fan during Iron Man’s dramatic entrance.

Among the many announcements Chapek shared were new and enhanced Star Wars experiences coming later this year to the Florida and California theme parks, plans for a new Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and more details on Pandora—The World of AVATAR, which is already under construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Chapek also shared that Soarin’ Around the World will make its U.S. film debut at Epcot and Disney California Adventure taking guests to new places around the world. Additionally, fans got a preview of exclusive video of the first Marvel attraction planned for Disney parks, coming to Hong Kong Disneyland in 2016.

“From Disneyland’s 60th anniversary celebration to the anticipation of Shanghai Disney Resort, we’re in the midst of unprecedented growth and expansion around the globe,” said Chapek. “With these new announcements, we continue our legacy in creating innovative attractions, worldwide entertainment, and magical lands that take our guests into the worlds of stories they love.”

In addition to these announcements, Chapek talked about the exciting news announced earlier in the day by Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger for plans to bring Star Wars-themed lands to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando and Disneyland park in Anaheim. Each 14-acre land will transport guests to a never-before-seen planet with two signature attractions, including a customized secret mission on the Millennium Falcon and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle.

Details on each of the projects include:

Star Wars Enhancements & New Experiences

From a new Star Tours adventure to Star Wars Launch Bay, from a new Jedi Training Academy to “Season of the Force,” soon guests will be part of both new and enhanced experiences at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

star-wars-launch-bay
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue – Later this year, Star Tours 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 – 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.  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. Both experiences will be available for guests later this year.
  • Jedi Training Academy— A favorite of younger fans is reimagined with a new experience that includes new characters and a new villain to battle from the popular Disney XD series “Star Wars Rebels.”
  • Season of the Force – This new seasonal event, beginning early 2016, brings new experiences to both coasts.  In Tomorrowland at Disneyland park, guests will explore the Star Wars galaxy with special entertainment throughout the land, themed food locations and more. Guests also will be thrilled to climb aboard Hyperspace Mountain, a reimagining of the classic Space Mountain attraction, in which guests will join an X-wing Starfighter battle. 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.
hyperspace-mountain

Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida

The reimagining of Disney’s Hollywood Studios will take guests to infinity and beyond, allowing them to step into the worlds of their favorite films, starting with Toy Story Land.  This new 11-acre land will transport guests into the adventurous outdoors of Andy’s backyard.  Guests will think they’ve been shrunk to the size of Woody and Buzz as they are surrounded by oversized toys that Andy has assembled using his vivid imagination.  Using toys like building blocks, plastic buckets and shovels, and game board pieces, Andy has designed the perfect setting for this land, which will include two new attractions for any Disney park and one expanded favorite.

  • Family-friendly roller coaster – All on the back of Slinky Dog, this coaster will zip and zoom, plunge and coast as it takes guests on a fun, toy-filled adventure throughout the new land.
  • Alien saucers attraction – The famous little green aliens from the movie will take guests around for a spin in their very own flying saucers.  The music, lighting and sound effects add to the flurry of action, while “The Claw” looms over.
  • Toy Story Mania! – Guests glide into the Toy Story Midway Games Play Set  and take aim at 3D objects in a variety of fast-paced games, with an expansion that adds a third track to this popular attraction.
toy-story-land

 After Dark at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Pandora – The World of AVATAR

As part of the largest expansion in the park’s history, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will immerse guests into the world of Pandora, and the entire park will transform after dark with new nighttime entertainment experiences, offering guests longer days than ever before to experience this one-of-a-kind theme park.

  • “Rivers of Light” – Expected to open next spring, “Rivers of Light” will be an innovative experience unlike anything ever seen in a Disney park, combining live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery. “Rivers of Light” will magically come to life on the natural stage of Discovery River, delighting guests and truly capping off a full day of adventures at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
  • Kilimanjaro Safaris – This popular attraction will be extended for a new nighttime adventure next spring, where guests will travel through the African savanna amid the magically extended orange glow of the setting sun and discover two species new to the attraction: African wild dogs and hyenas.
  • Pandora – The World of AVATAR – Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests will journey into the magnificent world of Pandora at this new AVATAR-themed land – a world that includes floating mountains, a bioluminescent forest and the winged creatures known as Banshees, giving guests a transformational experience they will never forget.
    • AVATAR Flight of Passage – This E-ticket attraction, the centerpiece of Pandora, allows guests to soar on a Banshee over a vast alien world. The spectacular flying experience will give guests a birds-eye view of the beauty and grandeur of the world of Pandora on an aerial rite of passage.
pandora

Soarin’ Around the World in Florida and California

Next year, guests at Epcot in Florida and Disney California Adventure in California will journey to far-flung lands and fly above some of the world’s most unique natural landscapes and man-made wonders when the new Soarin’ Around the World makes its U.S. debut.

Iron Man Unveiled for Hong Kong Disneyland

Iron Man landed at D23 EXPO today for a special appearance, and soon Hong Kong Disneyland guests will have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the Super Hero himself. Set to open in 2016, Iron Man Experience will be the first Marvel attraction at any Disney park, taking guests on an epic adventure over the streets and in the sky above Hong Kong. The adventure will begin at the new Stark Expo where guests board the Iron Wing to take flight and battle Hydra alongside fan-favorite Avenger, Iron Man.

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About Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts are where dreams come true. Sixty years ago, Walt Disney created a new kind of entertainment families could experience together, immersed in detailed atmospheres and vibrant storytelling. His vision now includes a collection of five of the world’s leading family vacation destinations – Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.; Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée, France; and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, located on Lantau Island. A sixth resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, is currently under construction in Pudong New District, Shanghai. In addition, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts includes the world-class Disney Cruise Line; Disney Vacation Club; Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa; Adventures by Disney, a guided group vacation experience to some of the world’s most popular destinations; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates and designs all Disney parks, resorts and attractions.

Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 15, 2015) – Today 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.

Ambitious plans to bring Star Wars to life in the two parks include 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.

“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.”

These authentic lands will have two signature attractions. Along with the thrilling battle experience, another attraction puts guests behind the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, as they take on a customized secret mission.

Iger also shared concept images of the Star Wars-themed lands, giving fans a glimpse at what is to come for Disney parks.

The partnership between Disney and Lucasfilm dates back to 1987, when the successful Star Tours attraction, inspired by George Lucas’s legendary Star Wars film series, opened at Disneyland. The attraction was then redesigned, emerging as “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” in 2011 and featuring more than 50 different story outcomes and the possibility to visit five different planets.

For 60 years, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has been delighting millions of people with fantastic storytelling, exceptional entertainment and extraordinary experiences, creating places where guests can make life-long memories with their friends and families. This announcement marks an unprecedented time of growth with exciting developments happening around the world – from Disneyland Resort’s Diamond Celebration to the anticipated opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in China.

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About Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts are where dreams come true. Sixty years ago, Walt Disney created a new kind of entertainment families could experience together, immersed in detailed atmospheres and vibrant storytelling. His vision now includes a collection of five of the world’s leading family vacation destinations – Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.; Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée, France; and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, located on Lantau Island. A sixth resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, is currently under construction in Pudong New District, Shanghai. In addition, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts includes the world-class Disney Cruise Line; Disney Vacation Club; Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa; Adventures by Disney, a guided group vacation experience to some of the world’s most popular destinations; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates and designs all Disney parks, resorts and attractions.

Concept Art: