VIDEO: “The Original Star Wars Land We Didn’t Get”

September 7, 2020 – Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has just marked its one-year anniversary in Orlando to decidedly mixed reviews.

The 14-acre themed land within Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando), and a near-identical version at Disneyland Park (California), are built on a mythical planet, Batuu, not seen in any of the Star Wars movies. And Disney’s decision to set the events of Batuu between Episodes VIII (The Last Jedi) and IX (The Rise of Skywalker) means that fans will never be able to see some of their cherished icons. No Original Trilogy characters such as Darth Vader, Boba Fett, a younger Luke, Leia or Han, or other familiar characters one would expect.

Instead, expect to see elements of the Resistance and the First Order – and even then, they are noticeably scarce and underwhelming, save for the immensely popular Rise of the Resistance attraction.

The following video from the “Unbuilt Attractions” series of YouTube channel Theme Park Stop, explains most all of the design changes, budget cuts and shortcomings.

But there is time and (literally) room for growth and improvement at Galaxy’s Edge. Roaming droids? More alien characters? A third ride? A full-scale restaurant? Disney hinted at all these elements a couple years ago, and still we wait.

Disney Plus Announces October 30th Premiere Date for “The Mandalorian”

September 2, 2020 – Season Two of The Mandalorian will begin on 30 October 2020 on Disney+, Disney announced today.

Set your weapons for “stun”: The Mandalorian, the Child (aka Baby Yoda), and other favorites return October 30th on Disney+.

The hugely popular live-action show, created and produced by Jon Favreau, is set after the fall of the Empire, but before the rise of the First Order.  So don’t expect any real-time appearances by Jango Fett or Boba Fett.

Per Disney’s press release: “We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”

Walt Disney World to Reduce Park Hours Beginning September 8th

August 7, 2020 – If you were hoping to capture the magical lights and ambiance of Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge after dark, you will have to wait a bit longer. Even as summer’s days grow shorter and sunset occurs earlier (currently 8:10 PM in Orlando), Disney will be closing its parks’ gates one hour earlier.

Effective 8 September 2020, opening hours for Walt Disney World’s four theme parks will be:

• Magic Kingdom: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (now 9:00 am to 7:00 pm)
• EPCOT: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm (now 11:00 am to 9:00 pm)
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (now 10:00 am to 8:00 pm)
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (now 8:00 am to 6:00 pm)

Hours for Disney Springs, the dining-shopping-entertainment complex, remain unchanged – 10:00 am to 10:00 pm daily.

The hours are posted on Disney’s online calendar up until 1 October 2020. Whether park hours will be modified again for October is unknown.

With international visitors all but gone, and with sagging U.S. domestic travel, Walt Disney World and most all theme parks nationwide have taken a huge financial loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Walt Disney Company posted a net loss of $4.72 billion for the three months that ended in June.

Despite theme park losses, Disney has witnessed growth in its TV and streaming businesses. However, total revenue for Disney was only $11.78 billion, down 42% from a year earlier. Disney said that its parks, experiences and products segment alone suffered a $3.5-billion hit.

Disneyland in Anaheim, California, remains closed indefinitely as the pandemic continues to grip the United States’ most populated state.  Meanwhile in Orlando, Walt Disney World has been operating under strict health protocols since its reopening in July. While the company will not disclose its numbers, some analysts believe that Disney is capping attendance at each of its Orlando parks between 15-25% of maximum capacity, further hobbling its income stream.

Who Is DJ R-3X?

July 25, 2020 – One of the newest droids in The Black Series 6-inch line, DJ R-3X, went up online for preorders just four days ago. The Target-exclusive droid ($24.99) sold out within a few minutes, but will no doubt be available again upon its 30 August 2020, release date.

DJ R-3X ($24.99) is a Target exclusive.

DJ R-3X ($24.99) is a Target exclusive.

DJ R-3X ($24.99) is a Target exclusive.

DJ R-3X ($24.99) is a Target exclusive.

But who exactly is DJ R-3X? More popularly known as “DJ Rex” or just “Rex“, the audio-animatronic spins tunes at Oga’s Cantina within Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland (Anaheim, California) and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando, Florida).

Rex, a former pilot of a Starspeeder 3000 for Star Tours, was recently reprogrammed to be a DJ in Oga’s Cantina. (Photo Credit: Disney)

According to Wookiepedia, R-3X or Rex was “formerly known as RX-24 who flew a Star Commuter 2000 from Lothal to Garel five years before the Battle of Yavi.  The shuttle was used by the rebels from Lothal in their mission to steal arms from the Galactic Empire. The droid later went on to work for Star Tours, where he piloted a StarSpeeder 3000.”

The following video from 2009 shows RX-24 piloting the StarSpeeder 3000 in the older version of Star Tours, which itself was replaced in 2011 by Star Tours II The Adventure Continues:

Rex and his background are considered canon. Wookiepedia adds that “[a]t some point, Rex crash landed on Batuu, where he was reprogrammed into a DJ by Mubo at the Droid Depot, and his appearance was slightly altered. Thereafter, Mubo gave the droid to Oga Garra to pay off a debt, and ‘DJ Rex’ started providing the musical entertainment inside Oga’s Cantina.”

For fans of the animated Star Wars Rebels, you may remember RX-24 in Season 1, Episode 1, “Droids in Distress” (Oct. 13, 2014):

Comedian-actor Paul Reubens (b. 1952), who previously portrayed Pee-wee Herman, provides the voice of Rex.

Next Star Wars Trilogy Postponed to 2023

July 23, 2020 – Variety magazine reports that the next trio of Star Wars movies will be pushed back a year due to the ongoing havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Rise of Skywalker” was released Dec. 20, 2019 (USA). The next Star Wars movie is scheduled for Dec. 2023 – a four-year break likely welcomed by many.

The next Star Wars movie should debut December 22, 2023. Two follow-ups will hit theaters on alternating years or, more specifically, Dec. 19, 2025 and Dec. 17, 2027.

Disney/Lucasfilm have remained mum on even the tiniest detail of what to expect in the new batch of movies.

With cinemas worldwide either closed or sparsely attended because of the pandemic, Disney has been shuffling the release dates of almost all its movies. For example, James Cameron’s long-delayed sequels to Avatar will now roll out every other December beginning in 2022 (Avatar 2); then 2024 (Avatar 3); 2026 (Avatar 4); and 2028 (Avatar 5).

The original Avatar premiered in Dec. 2009 – nearly 11 years ago.

Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel (starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) has been bumped from its Christmas 2020 slot to a U.S. opening on Oct. 15, 2021.

For now, Marvel’s Black Widow is set for Nov. 6, 2020; Pixar’s animated Soul is Nov. 20, 2020; Ryan Reynold’s action-adventure Free Guy is Dec. 11, 2020; and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story premieres Dec. 18, 2020. Needless to say, the release dates could be changed yet again if cinemas remain shuttered.

 

Select Galaxy’s Edge Merchandise Coming to Target

July 20, 2020 – Last month, reports began circulating that select merchandise from Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge locations were about to appear at Target stores in partnership with the Walt Disney Company.

And now Target has released a tweet over the past weekend which teases the arrival of the yet-to-be-confirmed merchandise.

Landing soon. pic.twitter.com/ABC2gxhQJp

— Target (@Target) July 18, 2020

Yakface.com was among the first sites to post a list of items and retail prices they expect to show up on Target’s shelves this summer:

If the price for plush creatures ($12.99 each) is correct, then Target’s prices will be considerably cheaper than those at Disney’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. However, the list of merchandise and prices are unconfirmed and speculative at this point.

For Black Series collectors, they may finally get an opportunity to pick up individual 6-inch figures, including Hondo Ohnaka (previously only sold as part of a 3-figure pack within Disney theme parks); Captain Cardinal (aka Archex or First Order Stormtrooper CD-0922); and Mountain Trooper (previously only sold as part of a 4-figure pack at Disney theme parks). MSRP is reportedly $24.99 each.

Composite of possible Black Series 6-inch figures coming to Target: (L to R) – Hondo Ohnaka, Captain Cardinal and Mountain Trooper

New Disney Store shops have been opening within Target stores nationwide (U.S.) in a partnership announced at the D23 Expo in 2019. A total of 65 Disney Stores are scheduled to open in various Targets by October, 2020. For a list of current offerings, click HERE.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Galaxy’s Edge Reopen Today with New Safety Measures

July 15, 2020 – Since its closure in mid-March, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has spent the last four months creating all manner of safety measures to protect its Cast Members (employees) and Guests. The new safety protocols include:

● Online reservations required to enter a Disney park. While Disney has not disclosed numbers, some commentators believe the company is limiting crowds to 30% or less of maximum capacity.

● Mandatory cloth masks for all Guests aged 2 years and older on Disney property, except when eating/drinking and in designated “Relaxation Stations”

● Cloth masks and face shields for Cast Members

● Plexiglass installed as safety dividers at cash registers, service desks, Guest queue lines, and on booster seats to divide parties within a row of seats

● Social distance markers (6 feet/2 meters) placed on the ground at all queues

● Closed rows of seating and alternating blocked-off seats on all ride attractions and auditorium settings

● Mobile hand-washing stations and touch-free sanitizer dispensers

● “Mask Free” relaxation stations at each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks

● Elimination of “rope drop” openings, i.e., Guests are no longer allowed to bunch up and stand in line hours before park opening. Parking plazas are closed until 30 minutes before park opening, thus better controlling the flow of Guests entering the parks.

● Automobiles are parked in every other marked parking stall

● Elimination of shoulder-to-shoulder crowd attracters, such as the evening fireworks, daily parades and certain live-action shows.

For Star Wars Fans, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Reopens with One Eye on the Pandemic

After an unprecedented four months’ closure, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot have reopened today. (Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened four days ago on July 11th.)

Star Tours, the motion simulator attraction designed in partnership between Disney and George Lucas’s ILM division, is one of the first rides where Guests will notice changes in the experience.

Queue markers on the floor are spaced at least every 6 feet/2 meters, as shown here in the queue for Star Tours. Note, too, the hand-sanitizer dispensers.  (Image Credit: wdwnt.com)

Plexiglass partitions on booster seats and blocked off row seating ensure distancing between parties on the Star Tours attraction. (Image Credit: wdwnt.com)

The elimination of all FastPasses means everyone must stand in the regular standby queue. But the lines move quickly as Disney has reduced the number of Guests admitted into their parks each day.

Rise of the Resistance, Disney’s most popular attraction located within the Galaxy’s Edge section of Hollywood Studios, has also installed new safety measures.

Plexiglass minimizes contact between Guests where there are parallel queues or switch-backs in the line, as seen here in the Rise of the Resistance attraction. (Image Credit: wdwnt.com)

The Hoth display screen in the Rise of the Resistance attraction serves double-duty as a safety separator between Guests. (Image Credit: blogmickey.com)

Cast Members direct Guests where to stand on numbered spots on the floor in this Rise of the Resistance queue area. (Image Credit: wdwnt.com)

To enter Rise of the Resistance, you will need to enter a virtual queue on your mobile device or see a Cast Member to be registered. The online virtual queue opens at 10a.m., 1p.m., and 4p.m. Some other pointers from Disney:

• First, make sure you have the My Disney Experience app.  Once you enter the park, log in to your account at one of the distribution times (10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 4 p.m.).
• Once you have logged in, select “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue” on the home screen. You will be able to view the current status and next steps for joining the virtual queue.
• The app will indicate when there is no availability for a specific distribution time. Some guests may join backup groups.
• As long as your My Disney Experience account is linked to park tickets for you and the others in your group, you can enroll everyone in the virtual queue at the same time. In order to give as many guests as possible the opportunity to join the Resistance, each guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day.
• Make sure push notifications are turned on for My Disney Experience so you will be alerted if your group is called to return. You’ll have up to an hour from the time of the alert to go to the entrance of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
• Please note that joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

For those looking to take home a piece of Galaxy’s Edge with them, Savi’s Workshop no longer offers the opportunity to build your own custom-tailored lightsaber under the guidance of a Jedi Master. (Cost was $199.00 per person, or $212.00 with tax.) Because of the close confines of the workshop, Savi’s has instead been turned into a store extension where you can purchase legacy lightsabers.

Savi’s Workshop admits a limited number of Guests inside to purchase legacy lightsabers. The build-your-own experience is temporarily closed. (Image Credit: BlogMickey.com)

An impressive array of lightsabers can be viewed and/or purchased at Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities and at Savi’s Workshop within Galaxy’s Edge. Prices and styles are pictured above.

The build-a-droid option is still available at Droid Depot within Galaxy’s Edge. To minimize Guests unnecessarily touching excessive parts, a Cast Member may assist you. The cost is $99.00 per droid plus 6.5% sales tax.

Before the pandemic, the Droid Depot was a crowded spot. Sparser crowds and social distancing make the place a safer and quieter experience. (Image Credit: wdwnt.com)

Oga’s Cantina has reopened, but at 50% capacity per State of Florida guidelines for bars that primarily serve alcohol. Before the pandemic, the small site was a noisy and energetic place to see and be seen. But reduced capacity means you won’t have to shout for a drink anymore; the Cantina is a lot quieter, and the scum and villainy seem to have disappeared.

Guests are no longer allowed to stand at the bar. Instead, Guests are escorted to tables and booths. (Image Credit: blogmickey.com)

Reservations weeks in advance are required to enter Oga’s Cantina. Walk-ups are a thing of the past.

 

 

New Animated Series, “Star Wars: The Bad Batch”, to Launch in 2021

July 13, 2020 – Lucasfilm announced today that its next animated series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, will be streaming on Disney+ sometime in 2021.

Set in the aftermath of “The Clone Wars”, an elite squad of clone troopers  who have taken on the nickname, the Bad Batch, “take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose”, according to a Lucasfilm release.

The highly-skilled members of Clone Force 99, who call themselves the Bad Batch, are the very best of the clone troopers. Members Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair were introduced in an episode of The Clone Wars.  After rescuing the clone trooper Echo from Separatist captivity, they have welcomed the cybernetic soldier into their elite team.

Clone Force 99 a.k.a. the Bad Batch (Image Credit: Lucasfilm)

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars); Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels); Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) with Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (Star Wars Resistance).

Arribas Brothers Bring Bling to Star Wars Collectibles

July 10, 2020 – The Arribas brothers – Tomas and Alfonso Arribas from La Coruña, Spain – have continued their 100-year-old family business as masters in the ancient techniques of Glass Blowing and Cutting. The brothers first met Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) at the World’s Fair in 1964, where they represented Spain and impressed Disney with their finely handcrafted works of art.

In 1967 the Arribas Brothers began crafting and selling their works of art in a tiny shop inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Today, their artwork can be found at 19 Disney park locations around the world, including Anaheim (Disneyland Resort); Orlando (Disney Springs, Epcot, Magic Kingdom); Disneyland Paris; Shanghai Disney Resort; and Tokyo Disney Resort.

If you have (lots and lots) of change to spare, you can purchase handcrafted, limited edition Star Wars items that add amazing bling to your collection.

Darth Vader, under a foot tall, sparkles with 29,095 swarovksi crystals. Retail price is $16,250.

The stormtrooper head sparkles at $8,900 and the largest Darth Vader available bedazzles at $29,500.

The stormtrooper helmet (not life-sized) has 19,100 crystal stones and took artisans about 117 hours to create. Limited to 300 pieces worldwide at $8,900.

The stormtrooper helmet (not life-sized) has 19,100 crystal stones and took artisans about 117 hours to create. Limited to 300 pieces worldwide at $8,900.

If your budget or display area is more limited, Arribas Brothers offers more modest Star Wars figurines ranging from $239 (R2-D2) to $529 (Darth Vader). All six figures pictured below are approximately 3.75-inch scaled.

Why do the bad guys (Darth Vader $529; Stormtrooper $379) cost more than the good guys (Leia & C-3PO $325; R2-D2 $239)?

Finely cut and colored glass by trained artisans transform Leia and C-3PO into works of art.

If Star Wars isn’t your thing, you can always choose Disney’s traditional icons, such as Cinderella Castle.

This version of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World sparkles at $37,500.

Sorcerer Mickey $95

Steamboat Willie $150

Mickey Policeman $150

Nurse Minnie $150

Pinocchio $150

Pluto $95

There are many more figurines, glassware, vases, tiaras, and other works of art. Visit Arribas.com to view current offerings or ShopDisney.com to order online.

Weak Rumor: Disney to “Erase” Star Wars Sequel Trilogy?

June 30, 2020 – A rumor has been making the rounds over the last week that Disney is planning to erase Episodes VII, VIII and IX – The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker – in order to “save” the Star Wars franchise.

The author of the rumor is YouTuber “Doomcock”, whose controversial video can be seen on his Overlord DVD channel:

With over 462,000 views, the hard-to-believe video has grown some legs of its own: Its wild speculation has been picked up and shared by some mainstream media.

Doomcock posits that the three sequel movies, directed by J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, “will be removed from canon, isolated in their own alternate timeline and regarded as an Elseworlds-like instalment under the label of Star Wars Legends.”

He further states, without citing sources: “I have received confirmation from two additional sources claiming that this is spot on—that indeed Lucasfilm realizes they have a massive problem on their hands, that the Star Wars franchise is all but dead, and despite Kathleen Kennedy’s hatred of this idea, Lucasfilm is preparing to render the Sequel Trilogy null and void.”

The mechanism to reset the timeline comes courtesy of an episode of the animated Star Wars: Rebels. In Season 4, Episode 13 (“A World between Worlds”, Dec. 2017), Ezra wanders within a void between space and time. He watches through a portal as Ahsoka and Darth Vader duel and, just before her demise, Ezra pulls Ahsoka into the void. Emperor Palpatine projects Force energy through a portal in a failed attempt to slay Ezra and Ahsoka, who both escape through different portals before sealing the accessway to the void.

Doomcock claims that by using the void, Star Wars’ timeline can be reset.

Of course, the “it was all a dream” device has been used many times by different writers in different shows and media. The reset device also opens up a huge can of worms.

Some fans of the sequels are, understandably, upset and ask: Why not delete The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones as well, two less-than-popular movies in the Star Wars saga? And why would Disney have invested billions promoting three movies only to pull the rug out from under them?

And then there is reality: While some detractors of the sequel trilogy would love to see a proper sequel made with a reunion of the Original Trilogy characters (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford), the passage of time has erased that possibility. Carrie Fisher’s death in December 2016 and the likelihood that Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill have psychologically moved on and would not be interested in engaging in another sequel mean that that door is closed.

While speculation can be fun, Doomcock’s rumor has to be taken with a large dose of salt.