After a temporary closure for refurbishments, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland is reportedly set to reopen tomorrow. And yes — that means boarding groups, First Order interrogations, and that massive Star Destroyer hangar moment are back on the table. The attraction, located inside Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort, has been closed for scheduled updates and technical work. While Disney hasn’t publicly detailed every change, refurbishments typically focus on ride system reliability, animatronic maintenance, and show element upgrades. For a ride as ambitious as this one, that’s a big deal. Why This Matters Rise of the Resistance isn’t just another theme park ride. It’s one of the most technologically complex attractions ever built by Disney Imagineering. The experience blends: When it works at full capacity, it’s arguably the most immersive Star Wars attraction ever created. What Could Be Updated? Disney rarely publishes detailed patch notes (imagine if they…
Disney parks
Josh D’Amaro Named New CEO of Disney — What His Star Wars History Tells Us
Disney leadership just shifted in a major way. Josh D’Amaro has officially been named the new CEO of The Walt Disney Company, with his tenure set to begin on March 18. While this is corporate news on the surface, D’Amaro’s background makes this especially interesting for Star Wars fans — because his fingerprints are already all over some of the franchise’s most ambitious real-world experiences. From Parks Chief to Disney CEO Before stepping into the top role, D’Amaro served as Chairman of Disney Experiences, overseeing parks, resorts, cruise lines, and consumer products. Under his leadership, Disney leaned heavily into immersive, tech-forward environments rather than just traditional attractions. That approach had a direct impact on how Star Wars moved from screen to physical space. His Biggest Star Wars Contributions Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World D’Amaro helped lead development on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the massive Star Wars lands…
McDonald’s Celebrates Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary With 70 Toys — Including 9 Star Wars Collectibles
McDonald’s is celebrating 70 years of the Disneyland Resort in the only appropriate way:by dropping a massive set of 70 different Happy Meal toys, each one themed to a moment, character, or attraction from across Disneyland’s history. Yes — 70 toys.Yes — collectors everywhere just felt a disturbance in the Force. But the biggest headline for us galaxy-far-far-away people? McDonald’s included nine Star Wars toys in the lineup. Between Disneyland history, Star Tours nostalgia, and Galaxy’s Edge hype, this crossover practically writes itself — and it’s already shaping up to be one of McDonald’s biggest collectible promotions in years. Celebrating 70 Years of Disneyland Magic Disneyland opened in 1955, and since then, the resort has evolved into a multi-generation dream machine full of classic attractions, land expansions, and big IP crossovers. McDonald’s is tapping into that legacy by releasing: This isn’t just a kids’ meal promotion — it’s a full-scale…
How Unreal Engine Is Changing Star Wars, Theme Parks, and the Future of Movies
Lightsabers? Old news. Space battles? Expected. What’s truly transforming the Star Wars galaxy today isn’t some Force power—it’s Unreal Engine. Yep, the same tech that powers Fortnite, Jedi Survivor, and a thousand modded saber duels is now the backbone of Disney’s real-world Star Wars experiences—and it’s quietly rewriting the rules of filmmaking and theme park design while it’s at it. Forget green screens and foam backdrops. We’re entering a new era where real-time rendering, interactive environments, and video game engines are powering the galaxy far, far away—in ways that’ll blow the thermal exhaust port off your expectations. The Rise of Virtual Production: From Game Engine to Movie Magic Unreal Engine, developed by Epic Games, isn’t just for gamers anymore. In recent years, it’s become the Hollywood go-to for virtual production, most famously through ILM’s StageCraft system—aka “The Volume.” If that rings a bell, it’s because that’s what brought the environments…