NEWS: Disney Releases New Details on Star Wars Land During Galactic Nights Celebration

On Sunday, May 27 we enjoyed a fantastic evening at Star Wars: Galactic Nights. In case you aren’t familiar, Star Wars: Galactic Nights is a thrilling Star Wars-themed event held after hours from 7 p.m.-midnight. It celebrates the entire Star Wars saga with out-of-this-world entertainment, special photo opportunities, event-exclusive merchandise, food & beverages, along with encounters with rarely seen characters that guests can only experience during this event. One of the highlights of the evening was the Inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge panel where new details about the upcoming Star Wars Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, were announced. Catch all the details below.

Inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Panel

Over at the Epic Theater, we found out what it’s like to bring the epic stories of Star Wars to life, from the big screen to the real world! It all began with a special introduction by legendary Star Wars actor and Star Wars: Galactic Nights event host Warwick Davis.

We were then joined by veteran Star Wars voice actor David Collins and team members from Walt Disney Imagineering on a journey into the development process and progress of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—including new details about the land and how Imagineers are creating real-life versions of iconic Star Wars elements. We heard from the following imagineers:

• Scott Trowbridge– As Portfolio Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, Scott oversees the strategic concept development and integration of the Star Wars franchise across all lines of business—including merchandise, food & beverage, marketing, and operations.
• Eric Baker– As Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, Eric is responsible for developing stories and ideas for Disney theme parks and other Disney venues, as well as bringing these stories to life—from props to creatures. Some of his past projects include Tortuga Tavern, the extended Haunted Mansion queue and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.
• Margaret Kerrison– As Managing Story Editor at Walt Disney Imagineering, Margaret is responsible for the overall story direction in the Star Wars portfolio in which she guides and manages Star Wars-related story initiatives throughout all Disney lands, resorts and attractions. Margaret’s works also include Hyperspace Mountain in Disneyland Park and Grand Avenue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• Jon Georges– As an Executive Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering with over 30 years of experience, Jon has produced many projects around the world in addition to his current work on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—including the recent updates to Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom park.

New Details Announced 

We were among the first to see new photos of the land’s progress, learn about construction updates and more details about the planet Batuu (the planet that we’ll be able to explore in Galaxy’s Edge). The 14-acre land is the single largest expansion ever at Disney Parks. It will be fully immersive and sounds amazing. Here are a few new details we learned at the panel:

1. Because part of the area we will explore is a spaceport there are many ships. We already knew about the Millenium Falcon attraction. There will also be another attraction ship experience that puts you in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. Scott Trowbridge described it as an “epic experience. Jon Georges described the ship as a Resistance Troop Transport ship, which will be an “actual, physical full-sized ship.” They showed photos of the production of the ship current going on in Asia.
2. Jon Georges confirmed that they are building two full-sized AT-AT Walkers! Photos were shown of feet of the walkers that have been built, as well as actual photographs, not digital renderings, of what has been built so far. The AT-ATs are amazing! Walking around them will be thrilling. This is going to cause hardcore fans to loose their minds!
3. Margaret Kerrison revealed that the character, Nien Nunb, a minor character that has developed a cult-like following among Star Wars fans, will be added to the land. According to StarWars.com, “A native of Sullust, Nien Nunb was a smuggler who fought for both the Rebel Alliance and the Resistance during his long career. An expert pilot, he served as Lando Calrissian’s co-pilot aboard the Millennium Falcon during the Battle of Endor, flew an X-wing in the raid on Starkiller Base, and survived the First Order’s assault on Crait.”
4. Eric Baker revealed that there will be a shopping market to explore. The market will feature a creature stall wit many creatures from the cute and cuddly creatures to scary to meet and see. The creatures will come to life and you’ll be able to take them home with you. We expect this to be similar to the banshee rookery in Pandora. Baker specifically mentioned one creature they are working on was the Loth-Cat, from Star Wars Rebels, which brought many cheers from the audience.

Name of the Village Revealed

The name of the village we’ll be exploring was also announced. Here some details from Scott Trowbridge on the village in the new land.

Our story editor, Margaret Kerrison, shared for the first time that the name of the village is called Black Spire Outpost. She also shared some of the history behind the name and how this village is closely associated with the geological formations that surround it.

The largest settlement on the planet Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is an infamous stop for traders, adventurers, and smugglers traveling around the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Off the beaten path, this outpost has become a haven for the galaxy’s most colorful — and notorious — characters. Widely known for the petrified remains of its once-towering ancient trees, the spires now stand guard across the river valleys and plains and have long captured the imagination of travelers to this planet. To the first settlers, these petrified spires became more than just landmarks; they became the heart of the outpost itself.

They ended the presentation with a short video highlighting Black Spire Outpost. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has an opening date of late fall 2019 for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and summer 2019 for Disneyland Resort.

Click here to watch the entire panel discussion on our Facebook page.