





While we're obviously hoping for some new, less-sucky Star Wars films starting with The Force Awakens this winter, the real reason we all got excited for Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm is finally happening: Disney is building a Star Wars theme park. Actually, it's building two Star Wars-themed attractions at its Disneyland (Anaheim, California) and Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida) theme parks. At around 14 acres (5.6 hectares) each, they'll make up a huge part of each park. There's no word on when Star Wars might be coming to Disney parks in Europe or Asia, but hopefully it'll be soon.

While exact details on the attractions are scarce, each new theme park will feature at least two new rides, one of which will let you take control of the Millennium Falcon (!), and another that'll be set inside the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is the Mos Eisley cantina. The attractions will also introduce an as-yet-unnamed new planet from the intergalactic film saga.

"These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance," said Disney CEO Bob Iger at the D23 Expo.

The CEO also promised that the attractions will be staffed and occupied by "local inhabitants" of various Star Wars worlds, and noted that they would be the "largest, single-themed land expansion ever" in Disney history. Construction will begin at Disneyland in 2017. A start date for Disney World has not been set.

While these new Star Wars attractions will be the biggest to ever appear at Disneyland and Disney World, they're not technically the first. The Star Tours ride—a motion simulator—opened in Disneyland in 1987, and later at Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Disneyland Tokyo, featuring the likes of C3PO and R2D2. An updated version, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, opened in 2011. The original Star Tours is still running at Disneyland Paris, but will eventually be replaced by the updated version as well.