You heard about it first during the 2015 D23 EXPO, and now we’re excited to share more details. Very soon, guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have the opportunity to experience Star Wars in the park in an all-new way – every day! New experiences will open starting Dec. 1, bringing that galaxy far, far away, a little bit closer.
Star Wars Launch Bay will take guests into the Star Wars saga and the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with special exhibits and peeks behind-the-scenes, special merchandise and opportunities to encounter Chewbacca and Darth Vader.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue will be home to a brand new adventure inspired by the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. During the opening months, we’ll make sure that everyone who rides Star Tours will experience the new adventure. After that, it will be up to the will of the Force. Here’s a sneak peek of where the Starspeeder 1000 will be taking us.
We also have new information about “Star Wars: Path of the Jedi.” It will feature scenes from the complete Star Wars saga, also giving anyone new to the Star Wars galaxy an opportunity to get acquainted with the films.
Last, but certainly not least, is Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, which will open in early December. This reimagined Jedi Training experience will take younglings to the secret site of an ancient Jedi temple where they will face Darth Vader along with the Seventh Sister – a new villain from the Disney XD series “Star Wars Rebels.”
And work begins next year on the 14-acre Star Wars-themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With construction underway, unfortunately, we won’t be able to offer Star Wars Weekends. While Star Wars Weekends has been a great way to enjoy the saga for a few days every year, now the Force will be with Disney’s Hollywood Studios every day.
With Star Wars Launch Bay, the new Jedi Training experience, “Star Wars: Path of the Jedi” and a new destination in the Star Tours attraction opening in December, you’ll be able to step into the Star Wars saga every time you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Comments
Oh my goodness. I was just about to book our next Disney Experience for May and renew our Annual Passes and discovered that there is no Star Wars weekends this year?. For several years we have always come 2-3 times a year from Kansas City and always one of those times has been in May for Star Wars Weekends…even though we really dislike the heat that has often already arrived that time of year. I certainly hope Disney reconsiders as this will definitely impact how often we decide to come … if there is to be no more Star Wars weekend than we will probably drop to coming once a year for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween only as it sounds to me like whether its May or October the Star Wars activities will be the same in the park.
This is quite a shock and disappointment. Not sure what we will do now, I guess we will head someplace less hot in mid-late May instead. Sad…
This is SO disappointing. We just booked our trip for May/June as we do each year for SWW. Please reconsider. We look forward to this event each year. I have no idea how I will break it to my daughter. While I definitely look forward to the 14 acres of Star Wars. That is years away. And will never compare to these special weekends.
Please reconsider your cancellation of the Star Wars Weekends. As you can see by the comments,it truly means a lot to the fan base. Judging by the crowds on the weekends that I have attended, there is no shortage of interest. At least continue them until the construction is completed.
Thanks
Very disappointed about no Star Wars Weekend! Our family has visited WDW at least twice a year for some time now, once in February ( work conference that family always tags along) and then in May for SWW. We are BIG Star Wars fans and always looked forward to this special weekend to start off the summer with a bang, or should I say ‘Blast’. So sad to see it go.
Hello!
The “Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple” appears in the Hollywood Studios calendars only until january, 16th, 2016. After that, it doesn’t appear anymore. Will it be suspended?
Thanks!
I also am very disappointed that Star Wars Weekends is being discontinued. My family has been going since the very beginning, and only missed maybe two over all of the years of having it. I remember when you used to have to race inside the park to get a fast path to get an autograph, and then they changed it to handing out tickets outside the park entrance. Anyway, I accumulated tons of autographs from every actor you can imagine that was in the Star Wars movies. I guess they all just got a lot more valuable now. I have an 18 year old daughter, and she went every year since she was a very young kid, and Peter Mayhew once held up my 2 year old son with one hand for a picture, a very cool photo for certain! Ahh, many great memories!
Will there be any Star Wars themed breakfast or dinners being offered in June 2016?
Any word on a Galactic Dine-In breakfast for Season of the Force? We enjoyed it so much during Star Wars Weekends and will be returning February 4th, I would love to go again!
No Star Wars character meals either?
This is a serious disappointment. This event was one of the main reason that I am a passholder. I’m seriously considering not renewing next year.
just so I am not missing this information — at this time there are no Star Wars dining options at WDW, is that correct?
Will there be a special event for the release of the new movie? Is there theatre on site?
I hope what I am understanding is not true! StarWars weekends 2016 is cancelled? We are travelling to Disney World May 2016 and we were really hopeing to hit one of the Starwars weekends. Please let it not be true!
My 2 year old is obsessed with Chewbacca – we intend to be there February 2-6 hitting HS on the 3rd = will she be able to meet him or is visa disney card holders only?
Our WDW is dec 13-18. Will there be anything going on special for the release of the new movie? are there theatre on site? Might be cool to watch it at Disney.
You say that work begins next year on the 14-acre Star Wars themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so do you know around when they are projecting to be completed? Cause I’d like to schedule our families visit after it is done so we can take advantage of that too :).
Called this morning to book Galactic Breakfast and Jedi Mickey 180 days out. Like almost everyone on this blog I am deeply disappointed to find the discontinuation of the Star Wars Weekends. It has been a family event we have treasured for years and the reason we renewed our Annual passes. Please consider bringing back some of the event and dining for Memorial Day Weekend.
The new attractions sound wonderful, but there was a certain magic in like minded fans attending on the same weekend.
You mentioned in the winter 2015 Disney Files that at Star Wars Launch Bay there will be a Star Wars character Meet and Greet for DVC members. You don’t mention a day or time? I’m hoping it’s an exclusive event for DVC members? How about some details?
We are totally devastated that Star Wars Weekends has been cancelled we have attend every year since 2000 except that one year it was cancelled in 2002… Since this is not the first time Star Wars Weekends has been Cancelled will it return for 2017?
Our favorite part was always the meet n greet/ autographs with the Star Wars actors camping at night and chatting to other fans that go every year was the most fun.
Please NO JarJar Binks. Other then that, please surprise me with 14 acres of Star Wars fun!
We booked for late May purely to take my Son on a Star Wars weekend. Not only was i expecting the weekends i was expecting it to be bigger than ever with the release of the new movie. Really Disappointed.
I’m so upset :(. We go every year and my family was looking forward to this year with the new movie and everything. I know its a tradeoff for something ever better, but its tradition! 🙁
BTW, in regards to references to SWW on the WDW web page, while it’s old 2015 dates, SWW still shows up in a search under “Spring at Walt Disney World Resort”
+1 on the disappointment of the elimination of SWW. Hoping it is temporary due to initial construction challenges. With the moving of the celebrity guest shows to the Beauty and the Beast Theater last year, it seemed like that worked well without using the theater over near SoA that I am sure is going to be demolished with the construction expansion.
SWW is what got me interested in visiting WDW somewhat regularly (it helped that it overlapped the end of EPC Flower and Garden in the years I visited).
I first set foot in the FL parks (just MK and EPC) for a single day when work brought me down there. I then learned about this SWW event@ DHS, and made plans to visit that same year. I started casual with my first 2 years staying off site (2012-2013), then migrated towards being a passholder (for discounts)and staying at on site WDW resorts (AKL and Yacht Club) for my 2014-2015 visits.
I’ll certainly be back to visit once SWL is complete, I am sure, but Disney just basically reversed my momentum by cancelling SWW. Hopefully they return at some point. While I am excited for the new attractions/land, the SWW were quite special for reasons others have cited above.
Do you consider this to be “Seasons of the Force” like in DL? or is this something different?
Hi–will the new Force Awakens Dooney & Bourke bags be available at Hollywood Studios in December?
Our family has been attending Star Wars Weekends for years. We make family Star Wars shirts and look forward especially to the parade, interacting with the star wars characters on the streets, the Disney characters dressed as Star Wars characters and the appearances of the Star Wars celebrities for events and autograph sessions. It is a huge family tradition. There are 20 of us. We are very disappointed to learn there won’t be any more Star Wars weekends. The Star Wars land everyday will be nice but it cannot compare to Star Wars weekends devoted entirely to Star Wars where the Star wars fan community can come together. So sad!
Just booked my Annual Star Wars Weekend trip the other day… This is very disappointing. It’s been an annual tradition… I hope they reconsider.
Will Star Wars weekends ever come back? Tradition in my family and my daughter went for the first time twice last year. I have met a few of the celebrities and it feels like a big reunion for them every year. I have no doubt these new experiences will be amazing. But there is something special about Star Wars weekends, that cannot be matched. It wouldn’t matter which park it took place in. The presence of those celebrities, the motorcade and fireworks create a feeling I can’t describe but everyone will understand. In the words of James Arnold Taylor…”isn’t Star Wars weekends awesome?!!!!
My fiancé and I finally set a date, got everything set up for next May! We planned everything around SWW. Star Wars brought us together and we were so excited to spend our first vacation as husband and wife at Hollywood Studios. I am heartbroken that now we have to rearrange our entire vacation. This is a wonderful event! It brings so many people together! I hope Disney reads these comments and understands the severity of canceling! I am excited for the new Star Wars land, but that will not be finished anytime soon. SWW would have been a good distraction and a great way to keep hype up about the upcoming changes. Well back to rescheduling our trip. May the Force be with you!
I don’t have the heart to tell my boys that there will be no Star Wars Weekends in 2016! We have a trip planned for May/June 2016. We were really looking forward to this…wondering if there will be any new or special star war things offered! They still have in Hollywood Studios webpage Star Wars Weekends ….2016 dates to come…
We are excited about the up coming Star Wars land but that will be a long wait. Star Wars fans still need something while waiting for the big reveal.
Hoping this will change and that some of the special Star Wars event will be available when we are there!
My favorite part of the Star Wars Weekends was getting a chance to meet face to face the actors who played our favorite characters. I’m very disappointed I will no longer be able to meet these actors!!!
Boo!! We want Star Wars weekends!! A bit late to tell those who have already planned for next May. (Since you are requiring us to plan so much so far in advance or get left out!) Are there still going to be Star Wars character dining at all? Please?!!
Will the Star Wars breakfast at Sci Fi Diner still take place in 2016?
That being said, I am sorry to the people who thought this was a certainty to happen every year in May and booked their trips.
I am actually encouraged by the fact so many people don’t want to visit in late May 2016 as we will be traveling then and this means lighter crowds. Yeah us!
Looking forward to all the new offerings, thanks Disney!
My family is happy for the expansion to the park, but really sad about the cancelation of Star Wars Weekends. We are DVC members and picked May as our time to visit because of the Star Wars Weekends which is great for both young boys and girls. My son is really not interested in meeting Princesses and Princes while he eats, so what about the character dining experiences? I don’t see anything like that listed. I guess I don’t understand why construction in the park doesn’t allow for these experiences still. The restaurants are open.
Is Disney planning on having special events at the star wars area where they will bring in celebrity guests or do special shows like they did during star wars weekends?
More notice should have been given for the cancellation of Star Wars weekends. We have had our holiday booked for a couple of months now and specifically chose those dates to coincide with Star Wars weekends. We have spent a lot of money to attend the event. We are very very angry/disappointed.
It’s a shame to cancel a GREAT event like Star Wars weekends. It was one of the very reasons to visit that park. Nearly everything else is either closed or closing. Now it’s gone and no Star Wars land for how many year? UGH! Doesn’t Disney understand the power of the Force? Star Wars week-ends was like a mini Celebration. Family and friends would come all across the country to Celebrate one of the truly great traditions the Walt Disney Co. created. Now gone, maybe forever. Very sad indeed.
I am disappointed. Had to cancel my May SWW reservations today. The worst thing I can ever say to someone is that I am disappointed in them.
We are very disappointed that Star Wars Weekends will be cancelled. Our anniversary falls on SWW every year and we do our anniversary there for the event and now it’s gone. I don’t know what we will do now hope you come up with something good we used to come in costume and everything so please do some kind of event we can celebrate to!!
Now that there will be no more SWW will we be able to come in our favorite Star Wars costume I have a Jedi costume i use every SWW thanks
Planning for 2016 visit now. When will the entire 14 acre experience be complete?
Thomas,
Will the Star Wars™ Imperial Meet ‘N’ Greet also start on December 1st?
Thank you!
I am very disappointed in this. I have came to a SWW for 5 times. I was planning to come in 2016. I loved meeting all of the celebrities. Please reconsider!
Thats really disapointing news we were planning our 2017 vacation around star wars weekend and spent $$$$$ on fabrics to make costumes that we now cant wear into the park 🙁
I fully get the people who are disappointed because they already scheduled Star Wars weekends for 2016 that got cancelled. Outside of that, I am baffled that people are upset when Disney is giving us 14 acres of constant Star Wars action that ‘m sure will be packed with a ton of new features, meet and greats and the like. That’s awesome! Yes more awesome than SWW. We have no reason to doubt that there won’t be special events in this new area to look forward to. Change happens and it sounds like it is for the best here for Star Wars fans! Awesome!
Now, about those possible soft openings I was asking about for next week when we’re there? =)
Although Star Wars weekends will be on hiatus for next year, is there a possibility of having a character dining experience at the Sci Fi Theatre? I was thinking how Mickey and Minnie, Goofy and Donald dressed in their Star Wars apparel–if that would be a possibility since it was done during Star Wars weekends last year.
We, too, will so miss SWW, especially the parade with celebrity guests, 501st, Rebel Legion, and Disney SW characters. Any chance celebrity guests will participate in talk shows and/or met & greet sessions? Will the SW dining experiences still be available? All of those events made SWW special for our annual overseas trip.
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