This post serves as a companion piece to the Star Tours at Tokyo Disneyland: Guided Photo Tour. The 55 photos nested here should give a good comparison of what Star Tours and Star Wars look like at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That includes glimpses of:
Characters appearing on stage in the Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away show
Handprints and footprints in the Chinese Theatre forecourt
Props and costumes on display in Star Wars Launch Bay
Captain Phasma leading a detachment of Stormtroopers in the March of the First Order
The kids show Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
The exterior of Star Tours - The Adventures Continue and the Tatooine Traders gift shop
Merchandise in gift shops on Sunset Boulevard
In a lot of ways, it feels like The Gaijin Ghost reached #PeakStarWars last month. As the franchise closed out its 40th anniversary year and Luke Skywalker vanished into the wind in The Last Jedi, an important chapter of Star Wars history seemed to end. For this blog, the book on Star Wars is not entirely closed yet, but there are not too many more entries related to Star Wars in Japan that are left to be posted.
In 2019, the new land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, will open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but as you can see in these photos (taken in August 2017), Star Wars had a presence at the park even before that.
Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chinese Theatre Forecourt
Star Wars Launch Bay
March of the First Order
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
Star Tours - The Adventures Continue / Tatooine Traders
Sunset Boulevard Gift Shops
This year, we don’t have to wait as long for the new Star Wars movie. Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters in the U.S. on May 25, 2018. Here in Japan, it will premiere a month later on June 29, 2018.
Taking over as Han Solo in the role Harrison Ford made famous, Alden Ehrenreich has some pretty big to shoes to fill; and if we’re being honest, I’d have to say my excitement is low for this next movie. Is there such a thing as too much Star Wars?
Maybe it’s just franchise fatigue, but this whole business with the young Han Solo seems like an unproven variable right now. Let’s hope the behind-the-scenes drama — with fired directors and reports of Ehrenreich needing an acting coach — are just bumps on the road to success. If nothing else, there’s always Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian to look forward to.