Disney has introduced new characters and locations coming to Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Paris. This put up shares a take a look at who, what, and the place you’ll quickly encounter on the Star Wars experience.
Imagineer Scott Trowbridge first teased new tales and characters for Star Excursions throughout Star Wars Celebration virtually a yr in the past in London. Following that, extra was teased at Vacation spot D23 final fall–particularly, that former Jedi Knight and insurgent spy Ahsoka Tano will turn into a part of the Star Excursions attraction in Spring 2024.
Quick-forward to (virtually) Spring 2024, and Imagineering has formally introduced that, beginning April 5, 2024 at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris, Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed shall be taking friends on all-new adventures. These new additions will characteristic characters and places from Disney+ collection: Ahsoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian.
Your experience with Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed begins as a passenger aboard a Starspeeder 1000 which takes off with C-3PO because the unintended pilot. At current, its mission is interrupted by Kylo Ren, Darth Vader or a probe droid in search of a insurgent spy.
From there, one of many Star Wars heroes seems throughout the Star Excursions journey by way of a hologram transmission–this could possibly be Princess Leia, Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Poe Dameron, Admiral Ackbar, Maz Kanata or BB-8. Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed at the moment visits 11 planets within the Star Wars universe: Tatooine, Hoth, Batuu, Coruscant, Kashyyyk, Naboo, Jakku, Crait, Kef Bir, Exegol and Geonosis.
Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed is randomized, permitting for over 140 completely different experience combos. (It’s not purely a math downside, as not the entire permutations can seem with each other–the extra not too long ago added sequel trilogy segments all happen collectively, or by no means.)
With these Spring 2024 additions, you’ll have a chance to expertise certainly one of greater than 250 storyline variations aboard the Star Excursions attraction together with a go to to the planet Peridea from the Ahsoka collection. Until much more is being added than we count on, this quantity rising from ~140 to ~250 means that there aren’t going to be distinct groupings by period going ahead. As an alternative, it’ll be totally randomized once more.
Right here’s a take a look at the trailer that Disney Parks has launched for the upcoming Star Excursions additions that includes Ahsoka, Mandalorian, and Andor:
Pressing transmissions from Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor Din Djarin and Grogu (Child Yoda) could quickly be a part of your subsequent Starspeeder flight. These iconic characters will proceed so as to add to the galaxy of tales aboard Disney’s first Star Wars attraction.
Additionally beginning April 5, Season of the Drive will arrive at Disneyland for a restricted time by June 2, 2024, with Hyperspace Mountain, themed meals and beverage, merchandise and extra. Debuting throughout the celebration, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will present a recent perspective on the fireworks above Disneyland park on choose nights, with galactic music sweeping by the spires.
Turning to commentary, I’ve to start out by acknowledging and appreciating the love that Star Excursions continues to obtain. It’s pretty straightforward to inform which sights are favorites inside the corporate, as they’re those that Imagineering retains tinkering with. Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean are apparent (and unsurprising) on this regard, however Star Excursions is one other that will get a stunning quantity of affection.
A part of that’s in all probability as a result of Imagineering can get funding from studio advertising and marketing budgets for updates that cross-promote no matter’s on Disney+ or in theaters. A part of it’s in all probability as a result of the Star Excursions video clips are simpler to replace than, say, Soarin’ or Avatar Flight of Passage or Toy Story Mania.
(Fast aspect notice: I noticed some individuals stunned that Soarin’ Across the World wasn’t up to date with the a brand new World Celebration flyover when it was introduced again to EPCOT. CommuniCore Corridor isn’t performed but, although. We’re nonetheless a couple of yr from now for a brand new ending as soon as factoring within the completion of building, filming, modifying, and so on. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be stunned if it by no means occurs–however I’d actually be shocked if it’s performed earlier than early 2025.)
Whatever the purpose, I’m very happy that Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed receives a lot love after the OG Star Excursions was uncared for for therefore lengthy. I do know some followers of the unique miss it, however I believe that’s plenty of nostalgia speaking. Earlier than being changed, there have been rumors for over a decade about updates, and the unique appeared woefully outdated. It’s missed now, however on the time, fan consensus was that it was lengthy overdue for a substitute.
Personally, I completely adore Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed. It’s a kind of sights that I don’t make a degree of doing each go to to Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disneyland, and actually, just about solely experience when testing technique or doing rope drop runs (which is pretty typically–however nonetheless).
Each time I do Star Excursions, I’m reminded of how good it’s. I’ve actually loved the entire additions over time, which preserve it related and recent. And I’m actually trying ahead to Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor Din Djarin and Grogu being added–even when I solely have passing data of the primary two characters. (I do know, I do know–I ought to actually watch Andor. I’ve heard a number of nice issues from individuals whose opinions I belief.)
I really like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and assume it’s a greater general expertise from begin to end, however the experience portion of Star Excursions blows it away. Think about how nice Smugglers Run could possibly be if it mixed the settings of Star Excursions with the interactivity and full bundle of the Millennium Falcon?!
As an alternative, Smugglers Run is the Star Wars equal of working for UPS. (For many who take pleasure in deliveryman simulators, would possibly I recommend Demise Stranding?) Heck, the asteroid discipline delay scene is best than the precise core gameplay of Smugglers Run! However I digress.
Talking of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, I actually hope these updates to Star Excursions are simply the beginning of one thing, and there are greater plans for the fully-fledged land. I’ve talked about this in just a few different posts, so I gained’t rehash all of it right here.
It could definitely appear that extra is deliberate, as Imagineering examined ‘duckling droids’ late final yr, after which launched images of Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro and CEO Bob Iger inspecting the droids. On the time, that appeared beneath Bob’s pay grade–he had a laundry record of things on his plate whereas trying to show across the firm (and its inventory worth).
Nonetheless, he has made Walt Disney World and Disneyland a precedence, recognizing they’re one of many firm’s few brilliant spots and potential development engines. (Associated: Disney Plans to Double Funding to $60 Billion in Disney World, Disneyland & Past.)
My hope is that this a part of a much bigger image plan to do a mushy reboot and relaunch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There are a selection of causes for this, from Galactic Starcruiser closing to the strengths of Avengers Campus being evident to Disney not having a lot within the near-term and needing stop-gap methods to maintain friends coming to the parks.
There’s additionally the aforementioned Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Once more, the bundle there’s improbable. Going contained in the ship and cockpit are pure want achievement. It’s the mission and setting of the gameplay that I discover underwhelming. (I really like Hondo Ohnaka and the Ohnaka Transport Options conceit, so characters and story aren’t the difficulty for me.) The mission is the half that’s simpler to alter, and now that Disney has a stake in and partnership with Epic Video games, it might make sense for Imagineering and Lucasfilm to create one thing new in Unreal Engine.
For his half, Josh D’Amaro has hinted in latest interviews that he desires to carry again atmospheric leisure Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, however hasn’t dedicated to something. Performers from Starcruiser are one approach to accomplish this; droids are one other. These two comparatively easy issues would each breathe new life into the land and carry it extra carefully in-line with its authentic imaginative and prescient, earlier than parts have been minimize attributable to considerations about crowds and/or a need to place them behind the Starcruiser paywall.
Talking of Starcruiser, there aren’t any speedy plans to do something with the constructing. It’s our understanding that it’ll primarily be mothballed for the close to time period. They’re not going to demolish it, however Imagineering additionally isn’t going to get in there and instantly begin building on one thing new. (Associated: Why Walt Disney World Will NOT Reimagine Starcruiser Right into a Star Wars Resort.)
There have been increasingly more rumblings revolving round a future dinner present, which point out that Walt Disney World is exploring concepts for a Star Wars dinner present (and possibly extra). Once more, this may be one thing that was initially meant for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at each Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The house was put aside for it.
With the good thing about zero inside data, our wager is a dinner present held inside Starcruiser that ‘departs’ from Galaxy’s Edge is launched in some unspecified time in the future late this yr or in 2025 at Walt Disney World. Ought to that go nicely, we’d count on building to start on a correct venue inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a dinner present to open in 2026 at each Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s not tough to examine a situation the place an announcement is made on the 2024 D23 Expo a couple of mushy reboot of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to launch the land to thrilling new time intervals and locations–breaking the sacred timeline (however tastefully!) and utilizing the setting of the land as a leaping off level for brand new adventures. (I do know that is controversial with followers and I’m not trying to relitigate that argument. See Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Must Break the Guidelines for my tackle all of that.)
It could appear to be an eternity in the past at this level, however there have been credible rumors of this again in late 2019. On the time, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was underperforming expectations and there was already a need to “repair” it to higher comport with visitor expectations and generate curiosity. Clearly, it’s been just a few years for then and different occasions “intervened” again in 2020 to stop any modifications from taking place.
Quick-forward 4 years, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is now not new. Not solely that, however after Tiana’s Bayou Journey, there’s nothing main within the pipeline. As we’ve beforehand identified, Disney building timelines being what they’re, the corporate will essentially should depend on leisure, overlays or reimaginings because the tentpoles for his or her massive advertising and marketing pushes in 2025 and doubtless 2026.
A reboot of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge might provide precisely that. Along with droids and performers, there’s additionally tangible know-how that was produced for Starcruiser by way of Imagineering R&D that Walt Disney World and Disneyland would possibly need to reuse within the land. New leisure could possibly be created for the catwalks within the land, Savi’s Workshop, Oga’s Cantina, and elsewhere.
They may additionally do a brand new mission for Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. Add to {that a} land that feels extra lived-in due to droids, extra performers, and timeline tweaks…and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could possibly be reinvented. I wouldn’t even be stunned if its given a brand new identify–everybody calls it “Star Wars Land” anyway, so it’s not just like the “Galaxy’s Edge” subtitle is a powerful model.
It shouldn’t be too tough for Imagineering to take the teachings discovered and persuade firm management to take a position extra into Star Wars Land. It’d be well worth the funding as a marketable addition that generates new curiosity. It’s additionally merely the good transfer–Imagineering had this largely proper from the start, and friends would love that model of the land much more. After all, all of that is speculative and wishful considering. Again in Realityland, we’re excited to take pleasure in new tales and characters coming to Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed on April 5, 2024!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor Din Djarin and Grogu coming to Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed? Do you like Star Excursions or Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run? Is a mushy reboot of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge a practical 2024 D23 Expo announcement, or is that this wishful considering? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
