Disney and Lucasfilm's much-hyped "real" lightsaber has finally been revealed to the public courtesy of a promo for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort.
The promo features a young woman dressed as Rey from the sequel trilogy with her back to the viewer. She then turns around, clutching the hilt of the Skywalker lightsaber before igniting it.
"Yes, that’s a new type of lightsaber Rey is holding in her hand, created by Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development," Disney shared on the Disney Parks Blog. "Guests who experience Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be the first to see it in action – along with so much more – starting in 2022 when this amazing new two-night adventure debuts. Watching that lightsaber activate right before your eyes will be just one of the countless ways that, from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart, you’ll be plunged into a Star Wars story where your decisions and actions – or even the casual conversations you may have – determine how your personal journey unfolds."
Launching in 2022, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is a two-night, all-immersive vacation experience in which guests board a starcruiser-esque hotel and live like they're in the Star Wars universe. The hotel was originally expected to open in 2021 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for the "real" lightsabers, while they're obviously not functional, they're certainly the most realistic replicas to date. The prototype was first teased in April during the virtual "A Special Look Inside Disney Parks" event, and the technology used to mimic the lightsaber blade is said to take cues from a tape measurer.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort opens in 2022.
Source: YouTube, Disney Parks Blog