Make Way for Star Wars Land! Disneyland Shuts Down a Few Rides in Preparation
Disneyland’s Star Wars attraction will start construction next year, but in order to open that (blast) door, Disney must close a window or two; several other attractions will be closed for a year in order to accommodate the creation of the 14-acre Star Wars Land.
Starting on January 10th, almost all of the attractions along the Rivers of America will be shuttered, as well as all four stops on the Disneyland Railroad, the nightly Fantasmic! show, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia, the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes and the Pirates’ Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. The Big Thunder Ranch will also close in January, but its closure will be permanent rather than temporary. Work on Star Wars Land is expected to take a year, but there’s no official date given for when the rest of those attractions will become open to the public again.
But it’s not all cancellations and delays over at Disneyland. Presumably in an effort to drive excitement about all things Star Wars, the “Season of the Force” will start on November 16. An area called the Star Wars Launch Bay will open, as well as several themed galleries featuring props and costumes from the films, plus a game center with the latest Star Wars videogames available.
In December, a “Jedi Training” experience will appear as part of the Star Wars offerings available. Lastly, for a limited time, Space Mountain will get a reimagined makeover called Hyperspace Mountain, “in which guests will join an X-wing starfighter battle.”
Sounds cool, although the wait for Star Wars Land may be arduous. Are you planning to visit Disneyland this year? Or do you want to wait around until the rest of the Star Wars attractions become available?
(via Disney Parks)
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