Summary
Speaking to media during a preview ofDisneyland’s Season of the Force offerings, Disney Live Entertainment’s Executive Creative Director Michael Serna talked about Walt Disney’s desire to makeDisneylandan evolving destination. While Disney couldn’t make any changes to his films once they were shipped off for printing, he could ensure that Disneyland stayed relevant as time went on. Season of the Force is yet another example of how Disneyland stays relevant for Star Wars fans, while also expanding its offerings to entice fans of all ages.
Game Rant was able to experience a lot of what is available during Season of the Force, from the new Star Tours scene to the new food. TheSeason of the Force event ends June 2ndand while some of the components will go away then, others will become key elements of their lands/rides for the theme park’s future. ForStar Warsfans, there is no doubt that what Disneyland has added is exciting, but even for regular guests there is a lot to enjoy as well.
Star Tours Gets Season of the Force Additions
Some of the additions for Season of the Force will be temporary, while others will become permanent fixtures of Disneyland from here on out. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, for example, added a few new elements as part of Season of the Force, but those are here to stay.
The big addition for Star Tours is a new scene set on the planet Seatos, as seen in theDisney+ seriesAhsoka. As one might expect, the Purrgil space whales are a key component of the scene, with the Star Tours vehicle helping Ahsoka fend off enemy ships while whipping between the Purrgil tentacles and avoiding being inhaled whole.
Seatos is a great addition to the Star Tours lineup that keeps the ride relevant as thelive-action Star Wars librarycontinues to expand. The twists, turns, and gimmicks are exhilarating without feeling like copies of existing Star Tours planets. There’s also a cool nod to Ahsoka’s T-6 1974 ship that I won’t spoil, but it’s a nice little button on the Seatos sequence.
Alongside the new Seatos scene, Star Tours added three new interstitial scenes featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu, Ahsoka, andCassian Andor. Each Star Tours ride has a progression that starts with the ride escaping capture at the beginning, then visiting a classic Star Wars planet, having a Star Wars character appear to ask for help, jumping to another planet, and then landing/crashing at a final destination. Now Mando and Grogu, Ahsoka, and Cassian can show up as that character asking for help.
During our media preview day at Disneyland, we saw theMandalorian and Groguscene and the Ahsoka scene, and have since seen the Andor scene on a follow-up visit to the theme park.The Mandalorianscene is the real standout of the three, with Grogu stealing the show. It’s also features one of the best uses of 3D in all of Star Tours.
Disney says that the new content will gain priority for the foreseeable future, so guests can expect to see one of the interstitial scenes and visit Seatos during an upcoming visit to Disneyland. However, once the new components do fall into the rotation, Disney says that guests will now be able to experience 250 different combinations of scenes while riding Star Tours.
New Season of the Force Food
There are some new and returning food items scattered across Disneyland during Season of the Force that guests can try. Some are colorful and play on the bright palette of the alien worlds of Star Wars, while others, like the Wookiee Parfait, attempt to emulate the look of a popular character. There are also a few items that are Asian-inspired and have some slightStar Warstheming. The new and returning Season of the Force food items include:
I tried the Bantha Burger during my media preview, compelled by the Pork Belly and the promise of Asian flavors. There’s a lot of interesting things in the Bantha Burger but the spicy slaw overpowers the rest of the dish. This is definitely one of the spiciest things I have ever tried at Disneyland, which is surprising for theme park food. The components elevate the burger above the level of a generic theme park burger, but that spice needs to be better managed to make sure the other elements come through.
New Fireworks Show at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
It’s a well-kept secret that Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge offers a great view of the Disneyland fireworks, even if it doesn’t include some of the other accouterments like the Projections, Castle fireworks, and flying characters. Finally, Disneyland capitalizes on that alternate view, offering something different than just the same show at a new location. “Fire of the Rising Moons” is a new fireworks show that uses the same fireworks as the main Disneyland show (currently Wondrous Journeys).
With Black Spire Outpost as its foreground, Fire of the Rising Moons is a fireworks show set to theclassicStar Warsmusicfrom throughout the IP’s many iterations. It’s not as synchronized as seeing the fireworks on Disneyland’s Main Street can be, but it’s a perfect show for those Star Wars die-hards. There’s something magical about hearing John Williams’s iconic score and seeing a newly created lightsaber lift into the air, and Fire of the Rising Moons is going to help create a bunch of new fireworks memories for guests.
Sabine Wren Meet and Greet
Although Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge used to only offer meet and greets with characters that were alive within the Episode 7-9 timeline, Disneyland has bent its rules as of late, adding characters from some of the Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian and Grogu,Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, and Ahsoka. Sabine Wren is the latest to join the fold as a new meet and greet character during Season of the Force.
Disneyland once again nails it with Sabine’s design, giving her armor a lot of cool details and texture. Her bright purple hair ensures that she stands out in a crowd, and the Mandalorian helmet she carries offers a fun prop to snap photos of as well.
Galaxy’s Edge still gets the most attention for its rides, but the character meet and greets are another way that Batuu feels like a lived-in place. And with another fan-favorite character like Sabine wandering around, there is even more to see in the land.
Star Wars JediFans Will Love the BDX Droids
The other cool meet and greet event that is rolling out with Season of the Force is an encounter with BDX Droids. Disney had been testing the BDX Droids last year at the park, but now they are making their official debut. Like a live version ofBD-1 fromStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, these little droids are another example of the power of Disney Imagineering as they waddle about in front of the Galaxy’s Edge crowds.
Disneyland has smartly included a BDX Droid trainer to help engage with guests and provide direction for the droids. Obviously, there is a Cast Member lurking with a remote control, but the BDX Droids are so cute and filled with personality that it’s easy to forget they aren’t actual robots.
Hyperspace Mountain is a Star Wars Makeover for the Classic Ride
Season of the Force also sees the return of Hyperspace Mountain, which is a Star Wars-themed overlay for Space Mountain. Basically, some of the space-y elements have been traded for zipping Tie Fighters and the music is classic Star Wars. Space Mountain is a thrill ride that works primarily because of its dark, star-filled background and music, so trading that for some Star Wars theming is a perfect marriage. Purists might prefer classic Space Mountain but Hyperspace Mountain is still a great time.
Season of the Force Seek and Find and New Merchandise
For those looking to get a little more out of the Season of the Force, there is a Seek and Find card available for free. Guests will explore various parts of the park looking for clues to decode a message and then earn a reward. According to a Cast Member, the reward will rotate out every two weeks, so frequent visitors should plan to play multiple times during the Season.
Season of the Force also brings some new merchandise with it, including two items that are simply incredible. TheJabba the Huttpopcorn bucket is one of the best I’ve ever seen. It includes a little Salacious Crumb to attach to the lanyard, and when you open it, the bucket triggers a Jabba laugh sound effect. On the first day of Season of the Force, lines for the bucket were consistently long, and let me just say it’s well worth it.
The other amazing piece of merch for Season of the Force is a Star Tours jacket that might seem hideous. But those who regularly visit the park and know the Star Tours cast member uniforms will be very tempted to pick this up. I know I was but the only sizes left were extra small by the time I got to the Star Traders store.
Season of the Force Final Thoughts
Overall, Season of the Force brings a packed slate of activities and additions to Disneyland that are sure to delight guests and Star Wars fans alike. A new scene in Star Tours is obviously the biggest talking point, but there is so much to see and do that you might need a full day just dedicated to the event to experience it all. And based on just my two days spent seeing it all, I can say that Season of the Force is another win for Disneyland.
Ahsoka
Rosario Dawson stars as Ahsoka Tano in this Disney Plus Star Wars series that brings some of the franchise’s most beloved characters from the animated world into live-action. The series, created by Dave Filoni, also stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, and the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll.
