As just one element of the new Season of the Force experience at Disneyland, which Collider was invited to tour as part of the recent media preview, Star Wars Launch Bay is located in the heart of Tomorrowland and it’s the central locale for guests to celebrate the past, present and future of the hugely popular film franchise. Located on the lower level of the Tomorrowland Expo Center (formerly known as Innoventions), fans will be greeted by a welcoming text scroll, inspired by the iconic opening crawl in every Star Wars film, as they enter the experience.
Once inside, guests are encouraged to join either the Dark Side or the Light Side to take part in one of two character greeting experiences. If you choose Chewbacca, you will get a fully immersive 360-degree meeting in a space inspired by a Rebel base. But if you choose Darth Vader, it will be a space inspired by the Star Destroyer. The experiences are fun and kids are especially assured to find them delightful, as both Chewbacca and Darth Vader maintain character throughout.
One of the coolest areas of the Expo Center are the galleries full of treasured memorabilia and authentic replicas of artifacts, props and costumes from both the Light and Dark sides. The Preview Gallery even includes a collection from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with everything from a Flametrooper and weapons (including Daisy Ridley's Rey's blaster) to ship models and helmets. It’s easy to get lost for hours, just looking at all of the details.
At the Launch Bay Theater, guests will hear directly from the creative minds behind the Star Wars saga in a short video that includes exclusive interviews with the directors, writers, producers and other key crew members. At The Cantina, you can explore and take photos and have the opportunity to meet bounty hunters, smugglers and aliens. And at the Game Center, guests may play current and upcoming Star Wars video games, including new and exclusive Disney Infinity 3.0 content created just for this experience.
Of course, there is also a huge variety of merchandise that you can pick up at Launch Bay Cargo. Whether you’re looking to take home high-end items, including life-size character replicas and costumes, collectible dolls, signed memorabilia, mobile device cases, clothing or even a Dooney & Burke purse, they have it all.
Here are over 100 photos that I took inside of the Launch Bay to give you an idea of what it’s all about.
