Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center was originally meant to be a shining beacon of the unlimited possibilities of the future, but on Monday, Disney transformed Spaceship Earth into the evil Galactic Empire’s planet-destroying Death Star to promote the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One.
Questionable implications of the makeover aside, Disney World’s Death Star was pretty sweet — and it was fully operational, sporting a green laser beam that shot off into space.
The event, which was a Disney Parks Blog meet-up according to the park combined projections of the Death Star’s facade and some live performances to create a fun little demonstration of authoritarian power and destruction.
“You are the first to witness the power of our innovation,” a man dressed as a Death Star officer tells the crowd as the massive space station comes into focus behind him. The laser fires, while a screen on stage shows footage of an X-wing getting creamed by the blast. It’s cool.
Actor Mads Mikkelsen, who plays Galen Erso in the upcoming film made a special cameo as well, though he didn’t reveal anything revelatory about his role in the Star Wars universe.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16.
