With masks allowed to be removed in outdoor areas at Walt Disney World, the relaxation stations that frequent visitors have been accustomed to since the parks reopened last July are no longer available, including a popular indoor location in the Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
What’s Happening:
- Walt Disney World recently relaxed their mask policy for outdoor areas, allowing guests to stroll the park without a face covering as long as they were outside. As such, the Relaxation Stations that have been featured throughout the parks where guests can take a breather and remove their masks for a few moments while remaining socially distant have been closed and removed.
- One of the Relaxation Stations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was a nice, air conditioned indoor location that occupied the Star Wars Launch Bay.
- Now, with the removal of the relaxation station concept, the Star Wars Launch Bay has reopened as an attraction, though most of what attracted guests to it is still currently unavailable.
- At this time, the Star Wars Launch Bay is no different than it was as a relaxation station, with many of the exhibits still available to view, but with no character greetings or the screenings in the Launch Bay Theater. Based on our quick walk through of the area during our live stream earlier today, the background music isn’t even on, so guests can admire these props and displays in silence. The gift shop attached to the attraction, Launch Bay Cargo, is also still closed at this time.
- Most notably (and perhaps most ironically) the attraction is now considered an attraction again, meaning that guests must now wear a face covering to peruse the displays of the Star Wars Launch Bay.
- Star Wars Launch Bay opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in December of 2015 celebrating everything Star Wars in advance of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the sequel trilogy that kicked off with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The attraction, though featuring displays of props and Star Wars artifacts, became known for the character meet and greets offered with Darth Vader and Chewbacca, and later BB-8 and Kylo Ren. The attraction also features the Launch Bay Theater that usually screened a short film detailing the legacy and future of the Star Wars films and franchise.
- Star Wars Launch Bay occupies the former Magic of Disney Animation attraction, which though in its later days became an interactive exhibit and small show about animated character development, was once a fully-functional animation studio. Home to the Florida division of what was then known as Walt Disney Feature Animation (now Walt Disney Animation Studios), the studio was responsible for the production of Mulan, Brother Bear, and Lilo & Stitch, as well as the three Roger Rabbit short films, Tummy Trouble, Trail Mix-Up, and Roller Coaster Rabbit, all of which were made in sight of guests at the studio.
- You can watch our full live stream of our trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios below, including our quick walkthrough of the newly reopened (as an attraction) Star Wars Launch Bay.
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