Disney hints at Star Wars theme park rumours as it confirms 'far greater' presence at attractions
by Tom Anstey | 08 Aug 2014
Could a Star Wars theme park be coming in 2016? / Disney
The rumour mill is strong with this one as reports that a Star Wars theme park could become a reality have been sent into hyperdrive after Disney CEO Bob Iger promised a “far greater Star Wars presence” in its theme parks, possibly to coincide with the December 2015 installment of the legendary Sci Fi franchise.
Disney acquired production company Lucasfilm in a deal worth US$4.05bn (€3.11bn, £2.5bn) and already has attractions based on Lucasfilm movies at parks in Anaheim, Florida, Paris and Tokyo.
Disney will offer a first look at new Star Wars attractions sometime in 2015 according to Iger, who made the comments during a conference call to discuss the company’s record third quarter results.
Attractions Management reported in June 2013, that Disney World Florida was set to gain Star Wars Land, which would replace the existing Muppet Theatre and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids play area.
The announcement by Iger is the first confirmation from Disney that Star Wars attractions are in the works, with the next installment of the film franchise being released 18 December 2015.
“When we grow Star Wars' presence, which we will do significantly, you will see better bets being made that will pay off for us than were made in the past,” said Iger, who also added that leveraging the collection of popular franchises that Disney owns for rides and experiences will deliver “better returns than we saw in the past.”
Disney has made efforts to promote its IPs in parks, with Cars, Toy Story and Avatar among the big name brands used successfully by Disney in recent years.
“These are attractions that pull people from 'I’m going to go to a Disney park someday' to 'I want to go this year',” said Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo.
Although unconfirmed, it is expected more details will be revealed at the 2015 D23 Expo from 14-16 August next year in Anaheim, California – with the 2013 event being the last time Disney dropped hints about a Star Wars attraction being on the horizon.
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The rumour mill is strong with this one as reports that a Star Wars theme park could become a reality have been sent into hyperdrive after Disney CEO Bob Iger promised a “far greater Star Wars presence” in its theme parks, possibly to coincide with the December 2015 installment of the legendary Sci Fi franchise. Disney acquired production company Lucasfilm in a deal worth US$4.05bn (€3.11bn, £2.5bn) and already has
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