Bob Iger and The Walt Disney Company have once again decided to ignore instead of acknowledge the once-promised Star Wars expansion in Disneyland Paris after silently cutting it from the budget.
Today, Disney held their annual Shareholders Meeting, where it was confirmed that Nelson Peltz would not be getting a seat on the board.
During the call, Bob Iger shared details on the future of The Walt Disney Company to get audiences and shareholders excited on where they plan on going. When it came to the parks section, while cool things were shared, such as the first look at the new Avatar World of Pandora land that would be going to Disneyland Resort with what appears to be an all-new boat ride, some things were intentionally left out.
The Walt Disney Company is pouring a massive €2 billion (approximately $2.5 billion) into expanding its beloved Parisian theme park. This exciting announcement came after Disney acquired full control of the business in 2017.
Disney CEO Bob Iger personally delivered the news during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron prior to the pandemic. He emphasized the investment as a reflection of Disney’s strong belief in the future of France and Europe as a whole.
“This investment is a direct result of our growing confidence in the European economy, particularly France,” Iger stated. The expansion plans promise a bright future for Disneyland Paris and its visitors.
So far, we have seen The Disneyland Hotel get a top-to-bottom makeover at Disneyland Paris, and as the promotional video shared during the Stockholders Meeting, we have seen the new Frozen-themed land being worked on, bringing Arendelle to life. But that is where the Paris expansion plans stopped in the video, as they typically have lately.
The expansion in Walt Disney Studios Park was always meant to have Frozen theming, but it was also supposed to create its own Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and an expansion to Toy Story Playland, just as current guests can see on the construction walls with the concept art on display.
Then, after we heard nothing on the progress of the other two aspects of the expansion, Disneyland Paris CEO Natasha Rafalski confirmed that the construction plans had changed.
She said, “We are working on the second phase, developing the Frozen Kingdom. [… ] We are obviously going to create a major attraction that will take the public on an adventure with Anna and Elsa, the heroines. We are also currently building a three-hectare lake with pretty banks for walking, a restaurant with a panoramic view of the kingdom. In the evening, the lake will be able to host shows. To join the existing park, we will create a promenade with gardens, including one dedicated to Toy Story and a Rapunzel attraction for little children. [… ]”.
By leaving out the mention of Star Wars, it became evident that Disney was trying to sweep their previous announcement and art under the rug, ignoring it entirely. Now, with the new promotional video also leaving out the Star Wars expansion from Disneyland Paris, things are looking dismal when it comes to seeing Bright Suns in Walt Disney Studios Park.
One thing that we heard outside of the shareholders’ meeting was that there is a chance that Disney has relocated these Star Wars plans to Disneyland Park. If you have ever been to Disneyland Paris, you know that in Disneyland Park, there is no Tomorrowland, but a Discoveryland. Discoveryland is filled with Star Wars attractions like Star Tours and Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain, and with extra land behind Discoveryland, it would make the perfect spot for a Star Wars land expansion.
Rumor has it that if this expansion does go through, it will have a coaster themed to The Mandalorian, and will not be a carbon copy of Batuu that we are used to at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort to carry out the stories that George Lucas and Lucasfilm have created.
That being said, none of those plans are currently confirmed, and when it comes to Disney publicizing their Star Wars expansion, they are choosing to ignore it rather than talk about what was once promised.
At the Shareholders Meeting, we also found out that Disney has been aware of Universal’s Orlando theme park Epic Universe for over 10 years now, and their way of combatting it was to enhance each of their parks individually with new attractions instead of looking to come up with a new land. Disney CEO Bob Iger has also pledged $60 billion to the Parks and Experiences sector of the business, with the main goal being to create more capacity and expand the parks.
Today, when asked about those exhibitions and why we have not heard any information about them, Iger responded that they have “nothing tangible” to show. There is a chance that The Walt Disney Company is waiting for the bi-annual D23 Fan Expo this August to make concrete announcements, but hearing that there is nothing tangible, not even concept art, is worrisome for fans.
What do you think Disneyland Paris needs? What would you add to the parks?
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