The opening dates for two major sci-fi expansions to Disney’s theme parks have finally been revealed. It’s been known for some time now that Avatar and Star Wars lands were heading to the world famous Disney resorts, but until now we didn’t have any dates to circle in our calendars.
In a call with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Pandora: The World of Avatar would open at the Orlando Animal Kingdom on May 27th of this year. We’d already heard that the theme park, based on James Cameron’s soon-to-be-expanded Avatar movie franchise would open this Summer, but we now have an exact date to put in our diaries.
Later on in the call, Iger revealed that the unnamed Star Wars lands will open at both Disneyland and Disney World in the Summer of 2019. It’s that confirmation that sci-fi fans and theme park buffs everywhere were most looking forward to.
The conclusion to the latest Star Wars trilogy will probably come out in theaters Winter 2019, so don’t expect any of the exhibits to be completely immersed in the entire trilogy. Instead, it’s likely that there will be room for expansion and tweaking of the park’s storytelling once the trilogy is complete. There will, however, be plenty of nods to The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi as well as everything that came before.
Disney’s Star Wars lands will feature a number of attractions, including a chance to see what it’s like to pilot the Millennium Falcon, and an immersive experience that will see visitors attempting to escape from the clutches of The First Order. The park will also be littered with performers in various alien and droid costumes walking through the many themed food and beverage outlets. There will, of course, also be a ton of retail opportunities. In short, this is a big upgrade on the wonderful Star Tours ride that exists right now.
Pandora: The World of Avatar will be less of a thrillseeker’s destination than its Star Wars counterpart, featuring immersive retail and dining options, animatronic Na’vi and the same blend of nature and technology seen in Cameron’s first Avatar movie.
Image Credits: Disney
