How fans will make their own lightsabers at Disney's Star Wars land

One of the key attractions of Disney's new Star Wars grounds will be an opportunity for fans to build their own lightsabers. Now, thanks to a special VIP presentation from the Disney Parks team, we finally know how the construction process will work. We also held the final product in our hands. I am happy to report that these reproductions are breathtaking and much heavier than they seem.

Product experts from the Disney Parks team attended this year's Star Wars celebration in Chicago for a handful of presentations including examples of the final product. This is how the process will work.

Two types of lightsaber boats will be available on Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge when it opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The first, called the Dok-Ondar Antiques Den, will sell a series of 10 traditional lightsabers based on famous blades from the Star Wars canon. The second, called Savi's Workshop, will allow fans to build their own lightsaber from a discrete collection of pieces.

Traditional and custom lightsabers will be compatible with a universal blade system. The blades are available in different lengths and sizes, and each will light in a variety of colors depending on the guard to which it is attached.

The legacy blades on display at Celebration included replicas of Luke Skywalker's two lightsabers, as well as iconic weapons worn by Ahsoka Tano, Darth Vader, Dark Maul and Mace Windu. Each will be packaged in a presentation case lined with satin, with a single chevron on the outside.

Some blades will also come with additional accessories to make them more precise. Kylo Ren's blade will be accompanied by two additional blades to accommodate his iconic crossguard, while Luke Skywalker's lightsaber Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi will have a special attachment point for its extremely narrow transmitter.

Custom blades are a totally different animal. Building one of them will be part of an intimate small group experience inside the park.

Before entering the Savi workshop's "construction room", guests must choose one of four types of lightsaber kits. Options include the Jedi-based Peace and Justice Package, the Sith-based Power and Control Assortment, the more naturalistic Elemental Nature set, and the mysterious Protection and Defense Kit. Once inside the construction chamber, the cast members called Guardians will arrive and offer a choice of three kyber crystals of different colors.

The crystals themselves are random. Customers will know the color, but not the size or the crystal until they open it. Once selected, the crystals will then be inserted into a holocron, which will allow the iconic characters from the Star Wars universe to murmur the mysteries of the Force. Disney staff pointed out that the crystals themselves contained new and unusual information about the Star Wars universe.

From there, Guardians will help guests use the selected discrete piece of play to customize their blade.

I spent time at the Disney Parks stand before the broadcast of the demonstration and I was shocked when the presenter dropped one of the individual components on the table. The tiny two-inch square module hit the table like a piece of brbad plumbing hardware. Later, when I had the opportunity to hold a custom lightsaber in my hand, I was amazed at the weight of the object. It is easily much heavier than an old school, the 12-inch Maglite lite flash.

Unlike the old school Maglites, however, these lightsabers work with AA or AAA batteries. The weight comes entirely from the high quality materials that compose them.

A host of accessories will also be on sale, including padded carrying cases full length for those who purchase the optional blades. Rugged universal belt clips are also available. They offer both direct attachment points and clips for the D-rings common to some lightsabers. In addition, fans can also purchase their own holocron so they can "commune with the Force" and discover their own unique kyber crystal at home.

No price information was available.

Traditional lightsabers and custom lightsabers will be available to fans when Galaxy's Edge opens in California on May 31st. Almost identical stores will also open at Disney World in Orlando, Florida on August 29th.