Jordan Zakarin

See Disneyland's Inside Look at the New 'Star Wars' Attractions — Including a Cantina!

Jordan Zakarin

·Writer

February 22, 2016 at 8:16 a.m.

Harrison Ford’s happy reunion with the franchise that made him famous continued on Sunday night, with the 73-year-old actor introducing a sneak preview of the upcoming Star Wars-themed expansion to the Disney Parks during a special broadcast on ABC.

Dubbed The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60, the two hour-long show was a celebration of the theme park’s 60th anniversary. And while it spent time looking back on its decades of family-friendly fun, the most anticipated moment was a glimpse at the massive new series of attractions due to open in December 2018 at the Anaheim, Calif., park. Construction on the expansion — which will be the largest in Disneyland history — began just a few months ago, and so the company offered more of a teaser than any substantial new details.

The new area, which fans have taken to calling Star War Land, will feature a ride on the Millennium Falcon, in which guests can “pilot the fastest ship in the galaxy,” with the motion simulator allowing them to “bank left, right, and fire the laser cannons.”

Also introduced was a more passive — though no less thrilling-looking — ride that will thrust passengers “in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order in a race against time.” That sounds a bit like the fan-favorite simulator ride Star Tours, and suggests that the new trilogy of films will play a big part in the attractions.

The area will feature themed dining and entertainment experiences, as well. Along with corresponding concept art, the special suggested that viewers would be “meeting droids and aliens, entering an otherworldly street market, actually tasting the local delicacies, going upscale at the planet’s best dinner club.” Another option, for the adventurous: heading down for a drink at that wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Several Star Wars elements have already been added to the parks, including a seasonal tweak to Space Mountain and a Launch Bay that features prop displays, character meet-and-greets, and souvenir stores.

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