‘Star Wars’ ride gets its California clone
Rise of the Resistance rides again. The latest attraction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in early December, and its west coast twin opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on Friday.
It joins the Disney Parks lineup of bicoastal offerings.
In this case, the company has referred to the “Star Wars” lands and its elements as “nearly identical.” Disney recently has introduced a few new aspects — a roll-around R2-D2 droid, a Toydaria Swirl beverage — in California.
The Galaxy's Edge land of the west was first out of the gate in May, followed by the one for Hollywood Studios in August.
They both opened with the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run rides in operation.
While Galaxy's Edge attractions are practically clones of each other, coast to coast, other rides that appear at both Disney World and Disneyland are similar … but different.
For instance, California's Pirates of the Caribbean ride is longer with a different loading design than the one found in Florida. Disneyland's Haunted Mansion has an antebellum look versus the brick Gothic revival design in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Other duplicate rides, arranged in categories here, include:
■ Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Space
Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Astro Orbiter, Peter Pan's Flight, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, Soarin' Around the World, Star Tours, Turtle Talk With Crush, Mickey's PhilharMagic. ■
The Little Mermaid — Ariel's Undersea Adventure vs. Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid; Autopia vs. Tomorrowland Speedway, Toy Story Midway Mania vs. Toy Story Mania.
■ Both coasts sport “it's a small world” and Mad Tea Party, but Disneyland's are more outdoorsy. The queue and entrance for “small world” is out in the sun, and the teacups have no roof in Disneyland (They also maddeningly appear in a TV ad for Disney World … even after the spot was updated to incorporate Galaxy's Edge … but we digress).