Technology is finally catching up to the minds of small children with wrapping paper tubes. Disney just released a new video showcasing the recent technological advancements their Imagineer teams have been making around their theme parks. Don't worry, these aren't the kinds of animatronics that hunt Nicolas Cage. But while many viewers will recognize some of what's shown off, they'll likely be surprised to see a few sneak peeks of what's in store for the near future.
Naturally, the minute-long video covers all the big bases around Disney Parks like Pirates of the Caribbean and the newly-opened Avengers Campus. But sharp-eyed viewers (or more likely, those who look at the thumbnail) will notice a single second of Jedi goodness, showing off a closer look at the long-awaited "real" lightsaber previously only glimpsed in the teaser for Disney World's Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser resort. It's admittedly a blink-and-miss-it moment, but slowing down the footage gives eager fans their first proper look at the activation of the device. Naturally, it seems as though Disney still prefers to play things close to the chest.
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The lightsaber itself (in this case what appears to be a model of Luke's first one, passed down from Anakin) almost looks like it functions on magic. The glowing blade can be seen extending from the hilt, and it largely looks like those high-quality sabers seen around Galaxy's Edge in Disney World and Disneyland as well as collector rooms everywhere. But upon a second glimpse, the viewer will wonder where exactly the blade came from, since it ends up much longer than the hilt. The patent for these lightsabers seems to explain how it works, but it's one thing to explain, and another entirely to fully understand it.
The rest of the video features plenty of imagery that will be familiar to anyone who's been to a Disney park in the past few years. The main event appears to be the increasingly lifelike animatronics seen in more and more corners of the parks, from the big blue shaman on the Na'vi River Journey ride based on James Cameron's Avatar to the realistic pirate Hondo who greets riders in the queue for the Millennium Falcon attraction at Galaxy's Edge. But other less common sights now seem to include Rocket Raccoon, presumably from the Guardians of the Galaxy ride that took over the Tower of Terror, and a rather unnerving real-life Davy Jones in the famous Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This is aside from the previous footage of Davy Jones that played over a mist veil early in the ride for a short time, as he'll now appear as a full-fledged animatronic. Good luck dealing with all those Lovecraftian nightmares.
The rest of the attractions aside, seeing the lightsaber in action is likely a dream come true for anyone who grew up whacking their unfortunate siblings with anything vaguely stick-like they could find. Star Wars fans have dreamed of having real life lightsabers ever since that first day in 1977, and while these may not exactly be the laser swords everyone expected, they still provide that certain amount of realism that pushes them over the edge from toy to experience. Plus, as a bonus to all the parents, they don't use actual lasers or cutting implements like in the movies, so any injuries will be purely from blunt force trauma. It's like the merchandising from Spaceballs became real. The kids love this one.
This is just a tech showcase, but odds are fans can expect to see these available for (extremely expensive) purchase very soon. If Disney wants to open an immersive Star Wars experience, it just wouldn't be the same without children (and lots of adults, to be perfectly honest) whacking each other with scarily accurate movie props.
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Source: Disney Parks|YouTube
