Star Wars Launch Bay and New Star Tours Jakku Scene in Disney World

As many have read, Disney's new Season of the Force has begun in Disneyland, transforming Tomorrowland into all things Star Wars and will soon be making its way to Disney World. One of the attractions that I have been most looking forward to is the re-imagining of Space Mountain, now called Hyper Space Mountain. This ride will put you in the middle of a dogfight between the Rebel Alliance X-Wings and the Imperial TIE Fighters with the classic John Williams score accompanying you along the way. Then, we have the addition of a scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Star Tours that takes you to the new planet Jakku. And finally, the long anticipated Star Wars Launch Bay, or as I like to call it, the appetizer for Star Wars Land.

I recently made the short trip to Disney World to check out the new Star Wars attractions that have been added in Hollywood Studios (one of the perks of living 3 hours away) and I was blown away. Lets start with the new addition to Star Tours.

Before this new addition, there were multiple destinations that one would travel to as part of a mission on behalf of the Rebel Alliance. Now, everyone has the chance to experience a new destination from the upcoming film. The ride begins the same way with one of the passengers being labeled as a rebel spy and then off you go. After R2 takes the shuttle out of hyperspace, the shuttle then finds itself in the middle of a chase between the Millennium Falcon and a couple of TIE Fighters (as seen in the trailers for the film). Finn (John Boyega) then appears on screen, warns Star Tours about the current situation and then the chase continues. The Jakku sequence ends with the shuttle flying through the downed Star Destroyer, encounters some scavengers, and then hightails it back into space. Finally, before continuing on the main ride, an incoming message from BB-8 appears on screen, speaking of a mission that you will soon embark on. Overall, the sequence was fantastic, especially the music. I'm not sure if it was music from the new film or from the original trilogy, but it was great nonetheless.

Now, onto Star Wars Launch Bay.

I was looking forward to this attraction the most, by far. The Launch Bay begins with a short 10 minute video, focusing on the people involved in Star Wars, from the writers to the directors, talking about their love for Star Wars and the projects they're involved in and what's to come. I would be lying if I said it didn't make me tear up.

After the video, you are now walking into the greatest Star Wars exhibit that I've ever seen. From props spanning the original trilogy, to the prequels, to Star Wars: Rebels, and photo opportunities with Darth Vader and Chewie, it's a total blast. There is also a section that allows you to play Disney Infinity which was a very fun time. My personal favorite part of the Launch Bay, which I was absolutely blown away by, were the lightsaber props (Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka Tano, Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Mace Windu), and the art from all 6 films, which leads me to this one piece of advice that I think is very important before you step foot in this place: BRING A LOT OF MONEY. Pictures cannot do this amazing exhibit justice. Experience it yourself. May the Force be with you.