No push for VR at Disney parks
In the Star Wars land, rock spires tower in the landscape and a visit to the bar means you might run into characters from the films.
“We’re not trying to fake immersion,” said Disney CEO Robert Iger at a New York summit last week. “We’re trying to make it as real as possible with as much scale as possible.”
So don’t expect Disney parks to push virtual reality in the parks anytime soon.
Virtual reality doesn’t impress as much as recreating a place and making people feel like they are actually “in something,” Iger said.
“There’s a wow factor there that that is much greater than what you could ever achieve with VR,” Iger said, mentioning other expansions such as Cars Land in California and Pandora – The World of Avatar at Orlando’s Animal Kingdom.
Besides, it’s hard to order a drink at the Star Wars bar wearing virtual reality goggles, Iger joked.
Iger spoke candidly about the theme parks to the company’s new streaming service and other other topics during a Q&A at the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit.
Some theme parks added virtual reality in recent years, using it as an opportunity to rebrand a roller coaster and offer something new, for instance. But at SeaWorld Orlando and Fun Spot, the parks have pulled back, acknowledging the VR goggles took time to clean and added longer wait times.
Some guests simply weren’t fans, preferring a more traditional experience on a coaster.
But Iger also pointed out that some technology makes sense at Disney.
Known for its long lines, one of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World is Flight of Passage, which relies on 3-D googles to make riders feel like they’re soaring through the air.
Iger praised the augmented reality attraction at Animal Kingdom, saying, “There’s more opportunities for that.
The Disney chief recently visited Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, posting new photos.
He teased: How does he impress his famous friends?
“Give them a personal tour of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” Iger wrote, posting new photos that showed him at the land with directors Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams as well as Kathy Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm.
One photograph showed the group posing behind the fullscale Millennium Falcon set in the backdrop of the rock spires in the land that opens May 31 at Disneyland and Aug. 29 in Orlando.
But social media commentators couldn’t help notice the fence protecting the famous ship, which is 110 feet from tip to tip.
“Disney knows we can’t be trusted with nice things. #FalconFence,” joked theme parks blogger Alicia Stella on Twitter.
A parody account said a fence will now be added in the original trilogy “to establish continuity.”
Legoland Florida Resort will feature its newest attraction, Lego Movie World, during a four-weekend stretch this summer, the park announced on Tuesday.
The series of weekends will add to the park’s popular existing events: Fire Safety Weekend on Aug. 10-11 and the Fourth of July celebration on July 4-6.
On each weekend between those two days, the park will host Lego characters, provide photo opportunities and themed dining activities in the movie area.
Lego Movie World opened in late March and represents an effort by the 8-year-old park to compete in the region’s high-stakes theme park industry.
For more information on the summer events, visit Legoland’s website.
Walt Disney World is offering resort guests the opportunity to head out to the parks a little earlier as part of the company’s new “Extra, Extra Magic Hours,” which will be available come debut of Disney’s newest land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Disney announced the new program on its company blog. The extra hours will be available Aug. 29 at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom and on Sept. 1 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge debuts Aug. 29 at Hollywood Studios. For the first three opening days, the park opens at 6 a.m. for all guests.
The “Extra, Extra Magic Hours” will last through Nov. 2. Here are the additional park hours:
■ Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 6-9 a.m.
■ Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 7-8 a.m.
■ Magic Kingdom: 7-8 a.m.
Disney adds ‘Extra, Extra Magic Hours’