Star Wars Land At Disney: Jaw Dropping Photos And Everything We Know From The D23 Expo

ANAHEIM, California -- The latest news at a couple of the happiest places on Earth will thrill fans of stories about galaxies far, far away: Newly announced lands based on the “Star Wars” film series will be introduced at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida and the Disneyland Park in California. Spanning 14 acres each, they are the largest park expansions at any of the Walt Disney Co.’s properties. The signature ride will allow guests to pilot the Millennium Falcon like Han Solo. But that’s not all company CEO Bob Iger stopped by to announce at the D23 Expo here Saturday.

A panel finely focused on the Disney parks and resorts gave fans a bit more detail about what’s to come. At the parks in both Florida and California, rides will get overhauls just for the movie “Star Wars: Episode VII -- The Force Awakens” that will add variations to introduce a new planet and new characters. Each “Star Wars”-themed land will be based on an outer-rim planet new to the saga.

Scott Trowbridge, the project’s lead imagineer, said their attractions and shops will be staffed by alien life forms. Some of the new food options and wares will similarly be on the extraterrestrial side. In Tomorrowland, Space Mountain will be getting a facelift to become Hyperspace Mountain, with new video projection incorporated into the ride.

But the announcement of the “Star Wars”-themed lands wasn’t the only groundbreaking news made Saturday. “Avatar” director James Cameron stopped by to discuss the progress of his long-in-the-works project to bring Pandora to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Lengthening the park’s notoriously short hours, the new updates will include a night show based on the park’s iconic sculpted tree while Pandora will feature bioluminescent pathways to keep guest pathways lit.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is in store for another expansion after the addition of its “Star Wars”-themed land. The new project will revitalize the area around Toy Story Mania as Andy’s backyard and add a new track to the park’s most popular ride. Meanwhile, Epcot will continue to expand the Norway pavilion to accommodate more “Frozen” attractions like “Frozen Fever”-themed summer cottages.

On the other side of the world, the Tokyo DisneySea park will also get a “Frozen” addition, while Hong Kong Disneyland will have the first Marvel ride to appear in any of the operator’s parks. The Iron Man Experience will take fans on a tour through Stark Expo and the Avengers Tower before Hydra gets involved. There were hints that another villain or two from the comic books will make debuts on the ride, but that was before “Iron Man” creator Stan Lee popped by for yet another cameo.

Rounding out the panel before a fireworks-lit finish was a presentation on Shanghai Disneyland, the newest park in the group. It will be the first park without a Main Street U.S.A. -- and the first to have a pirate-themed land. It also will have a large tea room incorporated into its design. Its Tomorrowland will have a “Tron” lightcycle-inspired ride, and its center castle will be Snow White-themed.

Which Disney park are you most excited to visit now? Check out the photos and sound off in the comments!