With Disneyland Resort gearing up for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the resort has announced that the refurbishments guests have seen in the past years are actually part of Project Stardust. The initiative is part of the overall preparation for the crowds about to descend on the Happiest Place on Earth.
What’s happening:
- The Disney Parks Blog has announced today that over the past few years the Resort has been working on Project Stardust.
- Project Stardust covers numerous enhancements that have been rolled out over the past two years in preparation for the anticipated crowds visiting the Resort for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
- Past enhancements:
- New brickwork on Main Street U.S.A.
- New horse-drawn streetcar track installed on Main Street U.S.A.
- Reconfigured guest queues for:
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- “it’s a small world”
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Adding Tropical Hideaway to Adventureland
- Current enhancements:
- Locations of planters and vending carts are being adjusted to create more walking space
- On Main Street U.S.A., curbs are being enhanced with slow inclines to help improve access when guests first enter
- Creating more seating in the park
- Additionally, Sleeping Beauty Castle is currently being refreshed and is on schedule to be unveiled in time for the opening of Galaxy’s Edge.
- These refurbishments were planned specifically for Disneyland park, to continue to deliver a world-class guest experience.
- When Project Stardust is complete, Disneyland park will remain the beloved icon and international treasure it is today, while preparing the theme park for its next phase of significant growth.
More Project Stardust:
- The Orange County Register visited the Park for a special tour of the new changes that have been made at the park.
- Brady MacDonald reported on their early morning tour.
- MacDonald writes that Disneyland vice president Kris Theiler and Disneyland art director Kim Irvine gave a media tour on Tuesday, January 22 before the park opened.
- The article acknowledges what most of us have guessed: Project Stardust is mash-up of Star Wars and Pixie Dust. With the goal of the project to take a “comprehensive park-wide look at operations, infrastructure and crowd management with an eye toward improving efficiency, traffic flow and access.”
- Imagineers took the existing space they had and figured out how to repurpose and reallocate the area within the boundaries of the park.
- As previously noted, work began two years ago when Disneyland crews focused on expanding walkways, maximizing attraction queue capacities, and more.
- The work is expected to continue until the opening of Galaxy’s Edge.
Decisions, decisions:
- Theiler decided that instead of making intensive changes with Project Stardust, they would focus on smaller improvements with the goal being to make alterations seem like a natural fit.
- The teams covered every detail, big or small and even discussed appropriate angles for curb cuts on Main Street U.S.A.
- As work continues on Sleeping Beauty Castle, thanks to a few forced perspective tweaks, it will appear even taller once work is complete. The castle will feature darker paint on the bottom that gradually lightens toward the top, enhancing the forced perspective effect.
More changes:
- Adventureland’s arch will see the removal of the support beams in the middle of the walkway to free up foot traffic and return the entryway to its pre-1990s appearance.
- As for the Dole Whip stand by the Enchanted Tiki Room, guests will notice it closed on busy days. However, they can still get their favorite treat at the new stand in Tropical Hideaway.
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