We learned last week that the abandoned Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney District would soon become the new Star Wars Trading Post shop. Sci-fi alterations to the Rainforest Cafe building have now begun, and they have to be seen to be believed.
The Downtown Disney District Rainforest Cafe had a temple theme with a prominent tower.
The Star Wars Trading Post will be a Resistance base with Rey’s speeder on display.
Some structural steel is being added to lighting fixtures as Imagineers prepare to re-theme them.
The two horizontal bars above the doorway once held the Rainforest Cafe sign and will likely hold a new Star Wars Trading Post sign soon.
At the top of the temple’s tower, we noticed some more obvious themed elements.
A vent and other tech pieces have replaced the carvings that were previously visible. These certainly look like something out of Star Wars, but do they work with this building?
We saw some construction workers outside the building. The lighting fixture on the right in the picture above does not have the new steel elements yet.
Though Rainforest Cafe has not occupied the building in years, Landry’s Inc. owns the rights to the building’s design. Significant changes to the design will need to be made before Star Wars Trading Post can open, both for Landry’s approval, and likely for the approval of LucasFilm.
There is no announced timeline for the Star Wars Trading Post opening. For now, Star Wars Trading Post operates out of the WonderGround Gallery storefront. With the Star Wars shop’s move, WonderGround Gallery will return.
Keep checking Disneyland News Today for updates.