American Idol Experience Set To Close... Is A Star Wars-Themed Land In Our Future?

Fact: The American Idol Experience, the Hollywood Studios stage show where guests go head to head in a singing competition to win a Dream Ticket, allowing them to bypass the line at an actual American Idol audition, will be closing in early 2015. The date that I have read is January 4, 2015, though, this date is not yet set in stone.

This change at Hollywood Studios has the Disney rumor mill going at full speed, once again, chattering about a much hoped for Star Wars-themed land coming to the park. This morning, I even received an email stating the "FACT" that both American Idol Experience AND Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular will be closing by January to make way for the new Star Wars-themed land that WILL be added. For whatever it's worth, while there is certainly some good reasons for speculation, this is what we actually KNOW:

• American Idol WILL be closing as per the following Disney statement:

"After more than five successful years, The American Idol Experience will be coming to a close at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in January 2015. Our partnership with FremantleMedia at 19 Entertainment has been a great addition to the park and we are very appreciative of the amazing cast and guests who have devoted their time and talent to make this experience special and memorable. We are incredible proud of the more than 2,000 Dream Tickets that have given guests a chance to live their very own Cinderella story and audition for 'American Idol.' This past season along, three of the Top 13 contestants were originally discovered through The American Idol Experience and we expect the attraction to continue providing top contestants for 'American Idol XIV' in the coming year."

• Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios currently has several Star Wars attractions within its walls, already: Star Tours: The Adventure Continues ride, Jedi Training Academy interactive show, and Tatooine Traders gift shop.

• Hollywood Studios also hosts a month long Star Wars Weekends celebration annually, featuring special shows, fireworks, character meet & greets, and Star Wars Universe celebrities.

• This year, beginning even earlier than Star Wars Weekends themselves, and continuing on weekdays, as well, Hollywood Studios began offering two Star Wars themed character dinings to its guests - a breakfast at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, where clips from the Star Wars movies played on a movie screen as Star Wars characters met with diners; and a dinner at Hollywood & Vine, featuring Disney Characters wearing Star Wars themed costumes, such as Darth Vader Goofy and Jedi Mickey.

• The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm Ltd., the masterminds behind the Star Wars franchise, in December 2013.

• Disney has big plans for the Star Wars franchise, including a new animated show, Star Wars Rebels, and multiple feature length movies, including Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, as well as several "spin-off" movies, involving character backstories.

• And here is a map of the current Hollywood Studios Park, with the locations that we've been talking about noted:

Now, here's just a little bit of what's going on inside my brain. This is no longer fact, just fun conjecture:

• American Idol becomes a new Star Wars attraction, becoming a, sort of, gateway to the new, Star Wars-themed land. I've gone ahead and highlighted the possible area for that Star Wars Land on this new map, along with some other things. For example, I went ahead and circled current Quick Service dining location, the Backlot Express. Let's give that a nice, new Star Wars theme. I've also noted the ABC Commissary - another Quick-Service dining location. No more Quick-Service there! That will become our Table Service Character Dining with Mickey and the Gang dressed in their Star Wars best - the experience that was recently going on at Hollywood & Vine. And where you see the Sci-Fi Theater Restaurant? That's the one that most recently held the Star Wars character breakfast. Let's say that the breakfast becomes permanent. I've also included the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular in our new Star Wars area. This one won't be keeping it's theme. Sure, Disney owns the Indiana Jones movies and characters, as they came along with the Lucasfilm acquisition, but I'm thinking they're going to want at least one more new Star Wars attraction, and this is some prime real estate right here. I do believe that Disney will be adding to the Indy franchise, so I would expect that, if this one goes down, some new Indiana Jones attraction will be popping up somewhere or another - just not here.

So, there you have it. What COULD happen, if you ask me. On the other hand, maybe Disney decides to keep the Indiana Jones show, gives the Backlot Express an Indy/archaeologist/thrill seeker/adventurer theme, and calls the whole area, Lucasfilm Landing!

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