I honestly can't answer yes or no to the question of whether Disney will release the OUT. I do think it's more likely now then it was when George Lucas was in charge, but that doesn't mean it will happen. I can say that I really want Disney to release them and hope that they will, but that doesn't mean much either. And even if they do, their release might not necessarily be better than a fan created version (only because of how surprisingly good fan created versions have been getting these days).
The pre-1997 versions of the Star Wars Trilogy have become exactly like marijuana. And I'm not just talking about the euphoria they both cause.
Like marijuana, everybody loves the Original Trilogy and wants it, but the official powers-that-be say nobody is allowed to have it and will offer no official assistance in acquiring it. Yet those official authorities know that an underground community will do the necessary work to make it available to the select market that refuses to take no for an answer.
Secretly, George Lucas and Disney and the drug enforcement agency know that it is impossible to prevent something from being made, distributed, and enjoyed as long as there is demand for it; so if you read between the lines, what they are actually saying is: "we don't want what you people are doing to be promoted or advertised on billboards or in the faces of those who aren't already into it as much as you, so keep it to yourselves and we will only mess with you once in a while to keep up the appearance that our attempt at control isn't silly and futile."
Also, when discussing marijuana policy, many of us who think it's ridiculous that it's not sold in the store like alcohol often say that eventually those conservative older people who oppose us will die of old age and so their viewpoint will fade away. Well, what do you think George Lucas is saying when he says that the copies of the Original Trilogy won't last more than another 30 or 40 years and that in 100 years his Special Edition will be the version people remember? He's saying those of us who insist that the Special Edition (and the prequels for that matter) isn't truly Star Wars will die off, so he can dismiss our demand as something that will just eventually go away. I don't think I'm reading too much into his comment; while he's too civil and good natured to explicitly say it, I think it's clearly implied in his "100 years" comment that original trilogy love will go to the grave and that's where he wants it.
Well, while I do believe it's necessary to respect and love George Lucas, not only as a fellow human being but for the inexpressible debt he is owed for getting this Star Wars thing started (we wouldn't have it without him), I still must say I DO NOT appreciate being talked about that way or treated with that attitude, especially after the money I've given him for Star Wars related items during my life. When it comes to this, I say f*** him since that is essentially what he's saying to me.
Thank God we have people like Harmy and dark_jedi! I seriously love those guys with a fiery passion!