Disney To “Significantly” Increase Star Wars Presence At Theme Parks

When Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, it wasn’t just doing us all a favor by wresting the Star Wars films from the tinkering hands of George Lucas, nor was Disney merely thinking about box-office revenues from the eventual Star Wars sequels it would produce. Disney also has a few theme parks you might have heard of, and it thinks people might be interested in checking out a Star Wars attraction or two at these parks.

The L.A. Times reports that Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts on Tuesday that the company plans to “significantly” ramp up the “Star Wars” presence at Disney properties.

“As we spend money at the parks on new attractions that are based on known brands, the likelihood of their success is greater,” explained Iger. “You’re going to see better bets being made.”

Comcast-owned Universal has had a hit, and renewed interest in its Universal Orlando park, with its Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions. It’s possible that Disney could do something even more substantial at its parks.

Disney is betting that the upcoming sequels — the first is filming now, but won’t hit theaters until Dec. 18, 2015 — will both fire up the franchise’s existing fan base and attract new fans.

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