Fans can become the newest test subjects for a carbon-freezing chamber at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Preview for ‘Star Wars: The Experience’ at D23
A new Carbon Freeze Capture experience will be previewed during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at the Anaheim Convention Center. The interactive offering was announced during “The Making of Star Wars: The Experience” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.
Inspired by the carbon-freezing chamber sequence from Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, the experience will place fans inside one of the original trilogy’s most memorable moments. Concept art depicts a recreation of the industrial Cloud City chamber where Darth Vader tested the freezing process on Han Solo before delivering the captive smuggler to Boba Fett.
Guests will encounter a full-scale representation of Han frozen in carbonite. Two interactive stations will then give fans an opportunity to see themselves similarly encased in a carbonite slab. Additional details about the capture technology and how guests will receive or view their frozen likenesses have not yet been announced.
The Carbon Freeze Capture experience will be available as a preview during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, which runs from August 14 through 16, 2026, in Anaheim, California. It will later become part of Star Wars: The Experience — A Journey Through the Galaxy, a major traveling exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the franchise.
More Exhibits Announced for Star Wars: The Experience
Star Wars: The Experience – A Journey Through the Galaxy will make its world premiere at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on February 13, 2027. The 18,000-square-foot exhibition is being developed by The Franklin Institute in collaboration with MDSX, Lucasfilm, and Disney Consumer Products.
The exhibition will feature interconnected galleries, immersive environments, and more than 70 artifacts, including several screen-used pieces that have never previously been displayed by Lucasfilm. Announced items include Darth Vader’s costume, Darth Maul’s lightsaber hilt, Grogu, R2-D2, C-3PO, a full-size speeder bike, and props from Andor.
Other experiences revealed so far include an immersive recreation of Queen Amidala’s throne room from Naboo. Guests will walk through suspended fabrics and projected imagery while hearing the voices of artists and filmmakers who helped create the galaxy. Costumes and related design materials will be displayed along the route, culminating in an audience with Queen Amidala’s throne and an up-close look at one of her elaborate royal gowns.
Another gallery, titled “Wireframe Worlds,” will explore the earliest stages of designing the franchise’s vehicles and sets. A wireframe TIE fighter will serve as the centerpiece, surrounded by illuminated acrylic panels, original artifacts, preliminary vehicle sketches, production notes, and diagrams showing how familiar spacecraft developed from basic concepts into cinematic icons.
“The Force That Connects Us” will use RFID technology to personalize each visitor’s journey. Choices made while moving through the exhibition – including a guest’s allegiance to a particular side of the Force – will activate hidden moments, changing interactions, and individualized story elements. Those decisions will ultimately contribute to a personalized finale near the end of the experience.
The exhibition will also trace 50 years of Star Wars action figures through more than 100 toys produced across the history of the franchise. The collection will include over 30 rare prototypes, development models, and original design materials, with some going on public display for the first time. The gallery will follow the evolution of Star Wars collectibles from Kenner’s original trilogy figures through modern Hasbro releases based on the latest films and television series.
Star Wars: The Experience will remain at The Franklin Institute through September 6, 2027, before beginning a five-year tour of North America. Public ticket sales are scheduled to begin in November 2026.
Will you be attending this year’s D23 event? If so, be sure to share your carbonite-encased visage with us on social media!
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