Here’s what we know about that Star Wars Land model at the D23 Expo

Earlier tonight, a handful of select media and VIP guests were given the first look at model of the new Star Wars-themed lands coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts.

It’s a very detailed model that has been used as a reference tool by Walt Disney Imagineers and their contractors who have already started building both iterations of the land. “When we start the creative process, we always start out with models,” said Chris Beatty, an executive creative director on the project. “They start really small with clay and build out the places from there.”

Beatty went on to say that Imagineers, like any good architect or designer, will then ask questions from what they see. “Does it feel right walking down a street in that land? Are the buildings the right proportions? These are just some of what we want to ask ourselves after seeing it because that’s the tried-and-true way we can put ourselves in our future guests’ shoes.”

And if you’re a guest of the D23 Expo this weekend, you yourselves can put yourself in the shoes of an Imagineer and see and potentially feel the “force” of this land-to-be come around you. To help do that, Beatty said you can ask yourselves these questions and look for these things in the model:

How can you get lost? “I’m all about adventure and discovery, so we designed the land (and model) to make you want to discover and find things,” Beatty said. Trace those footpaths with your eyes carefully and you might see something familiar (or not).

Each entrance to the land will tell a different story. “The Star Wars universe is such a huge world that you’re bound to encounter different things no matter how you enter our city,” Beatty continued. Make sure you look below the model to find one of those entrances.

There will probably be no signs of it being in a theme park. Beatty said, “Our guests come to expect to “full immersion” entertainment. Like Pandora (at Walt Disney World), we want to bring people to this new planet and that must happen authentically.” Try and look for theme park signage and even where the actual attractions will be in the model.

We’ll be sure to update this post with any more information regarding the Star Wars-themed land model. We’re expecting more information to be shared at this Saturday’s Walt Disney Parks and Resorts presentation, so be sure to join us on Twitter for the live tweet beginning at 3 PM PT.

The Star Wars-themed lands in both California and Florida will open sometime in 2019.