Source: Disney.
There's a lot of Star Wars going on at Disney's Hollywood Studios this week. Walt Disney (DIS 0.42%) promised several new attractions this month in anticipation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and a couple of them debuted earlier this week.
We're not talking about major thrill rides. Your chance at piloting the Millennium Falcon through a sci-fi adventure will have to wait a few years until Star Wars Land opens. However, fans of the franchise now have a few reasons to head out to what has been Disney World's least visited park for the past few years.
Let's go over some of the new experiences that are now available at Disney's Hollywood Studios as of this week.
- Star Wars Launch Bay opened on Tuesday, taking over the old Animation building that was closed for guests this summer. Park guests can check out props and interactive exhibits related to the Star Wars franchise. Guests can also queue up for meet-and-greet opportunities with Darth Vader and Chewbacca.
- Star Wars: Path of The Jedi is a short film that screens where the park used to show a film on the art of animation. It offers highlights of the first six movies and teases the seventh to get new and old fans alike up to speed.
- Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple is an updated version of the stage show that takes places just by the entrance of the Star Tours motion simulator ride, where young park guests are trained for battle against the dark forces.
The updates join the Star Tours tweak that was introduced late last month, incorporating scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens into the motion simulator ride.
That's not all. A new Star Wars-inspired fireworks show will entertain guests nightly starting on Dec. 18, the day that the new movie opens at a crowded multiplex near you.
There are also some new culinary ways to consume the franchise. Blue Milk Panna Cotta, Padawan Limeade, BB-8 Lemon and Butter Cream Cupcakes, and other edibles are being introduced at food and beverage locations throughout the park. Why just live the Star Wars lifestyle when you can also ingest it into your system?
Disney's Hollywood Studios can use the boost. It's been dead last in attendance among Disney World's four theme parks for the past couple of years. The media giant had sorely neglected the park, and if you think all of this week's additions sound neat keep in mind that they are all replacing attractions that were shuttered earlier this year.
The updates will smoke out a spike in attendance, particularly from fans of the sci-fi movie series. However, to keep guests coming back Disney will have to add actual rides and premium experiences worth the park's one-day admission price of $97 plus tax. That will come with the arrival of Star Wars Land. Disney hasn't discussed a timeline for that opening. It has only announced that construction will begin at some point next year. Franchise fans and Disney investors better hope that particular galaxy is not far, far away.
