Star Wars worlds set to be built at Disney theme parks

Attraction: guests will be able to ride the Millennium Falcon

16 August 2015

Star Wars fans will soon be able to enjoy a "jaw-dropping new world" at Disney theme parks in America.

The 14-acre attractions at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, represent the largest ever single-themed land expansion.

Construction will begin at Disneyland in 2017, while a start date for Disney World has not yet been set. Disney is yet to reveal the cost of the project.

Theme park goers will get the chance to take control of the Millennium Falcon - one of the signature attractions.

New rides: Star Wars world

There will even be a Cantina, the film's fictional bar where Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo meet for the first time.

One adventure also promises to put guests "in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance".

Speaking at the D23 Fan Expo, Disney chief executive Bob Iger said the Star Wars land would be "every bit as thrilling as the films" and include attractions and entertainment in an area populated by aliens and droids.

He said: "We are creating a jaw-dropping new world."

Since 1987, Disney parks have only had the Star Tours ride as their Star Wars-themed attraction, The ride, which was previously updated in 2011, will be getting a facelift to reflect the new characters and worlds from December's Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

More comprehensive brand integration into the parks has been expected since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.

Expansion: Disney announced it would be building the 14-acre attraction

Disney will also be adding the interactive Star Wars Launch Bay and introducing a new seasonal event, Season of the Force, which will update Space Mountain to become Hyperspace Mountain where guests will participate in an X-Wing battle.

The announcement of "Star Wars" lands comes as fans gear up for the December release of The Force Awakens, the opening film in a new Star Wars trilogy.

The first Star Wars movie was released in 1977 and became embedded in pop culture.

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