SUMMER 2019|INNOVATION & TECH TODAY 49
theStarWars:TheCloneWarsCGIseries].You
havetoretrievesomethingfora veryimportant
client.Thereareover 200 workingbuttonsand
controlsintheship,soI wouldtakesometime
andgetyourselfuptospeedbecausetheship
doesreacttoyouandyourdecisions.Theway
younavigate,thewayyouinterpret,thewayyou
trytokeeptheshiptogetherandfunctioning has
implicationsonyourmission.”
Galaxy’sEdgeis alsohometoa numberof
interactiveexperiences,includingSavi’s
Workshop,whereaspiringJediwillbeableto
selecttheirownsabercrystalanddesigna custom
lightsaberfor$200(whichincludesa carrying
case).There’salsoa DroidDepotshopthat
allowsanyonetoactlikea Jawaandbuildtheir
owncustomdroidfor$100.Youcanalso
purchasea replicaDJR-3Xdroidfor$150,
theformerStarTourspilotthat’snowa DJat
Oga’sCantinaonBatuu.Speakingofthecantina,
anassortmentofexoticdrinksliketheCliff
Dwellerwillcome with collectibles like Porg or
Endor mugs.
“There’ssomuchtoexperienceinthevillage,
theancientmarket,”Mallwitzexplained.“To
understandwhatit’sliketobeina tradingporton
theedgeofwildspace,weprovidea fullarrayof
thesights,thesounds,thesmellstobringthe
wholeexperiencetogether...Onceyou’ve
assembleda droid,it willhelpyounavigateour
land.It’sanincrediblelevelofimmersion we’ve
neverbeenabletoachievebefore.”
Guestswillalsobeabletounlockadventures
throughtheDisneyPlay app, which works across
theDisneyparks.
“Wecandelivermorecontentandmoredepth,
moreexperienceforthedevotedfansusingour
Playapp,”Mallwitzsaid.“We’releveragingthe
handheldtechnologytoactuallydiscoverpartsof
theworldthatyouotherwisewouldn’tbeableto
discover;tounlockdoors,tointerpretcodes,to
goonmissions.If youdon’twanttoexperience
thatlevelofimmersion,youdon’thaveto.Butit’s
thereforthosepeopletoshareandexperience as
they navigate this wonderful space port.”Dependingonhowyouinteractwith
characters,theapp,andthedroids,yourstory is
goingtobedifferentthanotherguests.“Yourdecisionsmatter,”Mallwitzsaid.“There
area lotofimplicationshereasyou’reaskedto
interpretmessagesforpeopleorinteractwith
bartendersornegotiatea purchase price for
droidswithshopkeepers.”Andmoreis comingsoon.Themostimmersive
experienceevercreatedata Disneythemepark is
justaroundthecorner,once“Riseof the
Resistance”opensforbusiness.“We’releveragingtechnologyina waythat
forwardsandfurthersthestorytelling,”Mallwitz
explained.“Thetechnologywe’rebringingforth
inRiseoftheResistanceis likenothingwe’ve
everseen.Theintegrationofthoseridesystemsis
incredibletoputyouinthemiddleofa battle
betweentheFirstOrderandtheResistance
forthefirsttimeand come face-to-face with
Kylo Ren.”■