Even though Disney+ will be marking its fifth anniversary in 2024, Disney+ content integration at the Disney family of theme parks during that time has been sparse at best.
Thus far, there have only been the meagerest of offerings, including character meetings from limited series like Moon Knight and The Mandalorian at Disneyland, an exhibit based on the Percy Jackson series at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and photo ops and snack tie-ins at Disney Springs. Disney has also hosted a handful of Disney+ Day events at the theme parks, which generally consist of a handful of character meet and greets and an occasional freebie for guests.
While Disney+ content hasn’t been completely ignored by the theme parks, functionally it might as well have been as there are no real attractions based on any of the Disney+ shows or movies that have come out since 2019. However, that is about to change…
Disney+ characters take the lead at Star Tours starting next month
Disney announced this week that starting April 5, Star Tours will feature new segments with characters and locations from a trio of Disney+ series: “Ahsoka,” “Andor,” and “The Mandalorian.” Characters Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor, and Din Djarin, played by Rosario Dawson, Diego Luna, and Pedro Pascal, respectively, will appear in these new segments, and guests will also have the chance to visit new planet Peridea, which appeared most recently in the “Ahsoka” series.
These new segments will launch simultaneously at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris, giving guests around the world the chance to experience one of more than 250 storyline variations aboard the attraction, which will celebrate its 37th birthday this year.
This is definitely a big deal as it represents the first time Disney is incorporating Disney+ series into a major attraction, with the hope of actually increasing foot traffic. And if it works, Star Tours might be just the first attraction to get “plussed up” but Disney+
Could more Disney+ attractions be coming soon?
When this updated experience debuts next month Disney will undoubtedly be looking at crowd levels to see what effect the addition of characters based on popular Star Wars Disney+ shows has on guest interest in this ride. And if it does, we’d expect to see further Disney+ integration at the theme parks very shortly.
Already it was confirmed last year that Disney was at one point considering a Rock ‘n’ RollerCoaster re-theme featuring the Muppet Mayhem band from the Disney+ show of the same name. And while those plans never came together (and the show has since been canceled), it seems very likely that as Disney continues to invest more and more in exclusive Disney+ content, it will become more of a priority to find ways to promote that content in the theme parks wherever possible.
Of course, if this Star Tours test is a flop then future Disney+ integration might not happen, but we have a sneaking suspicion that the presence of these popular characters will help revitalize interest in this old attraction, and perhaps give Disney some new ideas for how to freshen up some other old attractions around the theme parks with new characters and stories from Disney+… or maybe even a concept for something new!
