Harrison Ford dedicates Disneyland's new 'Star Wars' ride to late Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew

Ethan Alter
·Senior Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
Updated

Disneyland’s out of this world new realm, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, threw open its doors to the press this week, with the general public — those with reservations anyway — soon to follow. But the planet of Batuu and its many delicacies couldn’t officially join the far, far away galaxy without the express approval of creator, George Lucas. Sure enough, the Star Wars guru was front and center at the Galaxy’s Edge dedication ceremony, welcomed onstage by Disney chairman and CEO, Bob Iger. “It could have gone very bad,” Lucas said semi-jokingly. “But it didn’t. It’s Star Tours on steroids.” (Watch the full dedication video above.)

George Lucas, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Bob Iger and Harrison Ford at the dedication ceremony for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)
George Lucas, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Bob Iger and Harrison Ford at the dedication ceremony for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland on May 29, 2019 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo: Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)

But Lucas wasn’t the only Star Wars legend to give their blessing to Galaxy’s Edge. Three of his most popular creations — Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, in their terrestrial forms of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Billy Dee Williams — also took the stage in succession to the wild cheers of the crowd. “Look at where we are today,” marveled Hamill. “We get our own land!” The last Jedi went on to get personal about the franchise’s legacy. “Your parents tell you not to speak to strangers, and everywhere I go, people treat me like I’m family.”

Speaking of family, Ford took a moment to pay tribute to a beloved member of the extended Star Wars clan, Peter Mayhew aka the Wookiee warrior Chewbacca, who died earlier this month. “Peter, this one’s for you,” the actor proclaimed as their old bucket of bolts, the Millennium Falcon, lit up and fireworks exploded over Batuu. Gotta say: We have a good feeling about this new land.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens to the public on May 31.

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