Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Hollywood Studios: The Ultimate Star Wars Experience!
This is the ride you’re looking for!
Join Star Wars’ most dynamic duo for a series of thrilling adventures on Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! The fussy C-3PO (human-cyborg relations, fluent in over six million forms of communication) and trusty astromech R2-D2 will be by your side as you visit some of the key locales—and characters—from the Star Wars universe!
And by “visit,” we mean “crash land into.”
Obviously, wherever Threepio and Artoo go, trouble is sure to follow, and Star Tours is no exception. I recommend buckling up tight and watching “Nomad Droids” (Clone Wars season 4, episode 6) in preparation for this most treacherous flight.
May the Force be with you! You’re gonna need it.
A Long Time Ago…
Star Tours has been going strong for 35 years. Although Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm is a recent development, a Disney-Lucas partnership is not. In fact, in the early 80s, Disney reached out to George Lucas about running the entire company before eventually hiring Michael Eisner. (Lucas turned down the offer simply because he had other things he wanted to do—like make more Star Wars movies!)1
Nevertheless, as a fan of Disney theme parks, Lucas was still open to collaborations of an Imagineering nature, and eventually, Star Tours was born—an innovative flight simulator ride. The original Star Tours debuted at Disneyland in 1987, with an Orlando iteration opening to grand applause in 1989.2
The ride was based on the original—and, at the time, only—trilogy, and centered around a travel agency to Endor, the Ewok planet. Yub nub! However, the starcruiser was driven by inexperienced pilot droid RX-24, otherwise known as Captain Rex.3 (Sound familiar, Clone Wars fans?) Thanks to his dodgy programming and some intergalactic mayhem, visitors never reached Endor, but they did soar past comets, jump into hyperspace, and complete the iconic Death Star trench run!
In 2010, this attraction closed down amidst swirling rumors of adding a new pod-race sequence from the prequel trilogy. But it turned out to be much more than that! The entire ride was overhauled, so practically every Star Wars planet became a possible Star Tours destination! The attraction reopened in 2011, and since then, even more scenes have been periodically added to tie in Disney’s sequel trilogy.
Now C-3PO and R2-D2 pilot you through the galaxy on a timeless, everchanging adventure. But what about droid Captain Rex? He might not have made it to Endor, but you can still pay him a visit at Oga’s Cantina, where he’s mixing the music—and is still voiced by Paul Reubens! You can also catch him in Rebels season 1, episode 3, “Droids in Distress.” We love to see it!
I Have A Bad Feeling About This
One thing that hasn’t changed about Star Tours is your pilot’s penchant for crash-landing. What begins as a sightseeing tour becomes a perilous journey when a rebel (or resistance) spy is discovered on your ship. As you might expect, a translator droid like Threepio isn’t exactly cut out for dodging enemy fire or navigating an old smuggler’s run. Thankfully you’ve got the intuitive Artoo to help get you out of such scrapes!
With an enormous screen, 3D “flight goggles,” and seats that move perfectly in sync with the on-screen action, you’ll feel like you’re really soarin’ through space! While the immersive intergalactic footage is made up of impressive CGI, improv pilot Threepio is actually perched just in front of the audience in 100% real, shiny gold glory. (And, yes, the animatronic is voiced by the legendary Anthony Daniels!4)
Each excursion with Star Tours’ Starspeeder 1000 will see you visiting three different planets. Randomly selected for each ride, there are over fifty combinations of locales, cameos, and other easter eggs to experience! This alone makes Star Tours the most re-rideable attraction in all of Disney World.
You may visit the underwater stretches of Naboo, the icy summits of Hoth, or the forested Wookie planet, Kashyyk. Of course, there’s always the vibrant city life of Coruscant, the dusty Tatooine pod races, or the deadly trenches of the Death Star, too. Cameos include both friends and enemies, from Darth Vader and Kylo Ren to Princess Leia, BB-8, and Admiral Ackbar. (Still waiting on Baby Yoda…)
With tight spots and tricky flying, seeing the galaxy with Star Tours is a must!
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Whoops, wrong sci-fi reference!
Nevertheless, here are some things you’ll want to know before hitching a ride with Star Tours.
First of all, the queue is super cool! The outdoor portion is meant to recreate Endor, and like a scene from Return of the Jedi, there’s even a gigantic AT-AT walker! Once inside, you’ll find the Star Wars version of an airport, with futuristic droids checking luggage and keeping up with security. Even before take-off Threepio and Artoo are hard at work, making last-minute adjustments to the Starspeeder 1000. If you have a keen eye, you’ll see an interaction of Rex here, too—he’s been sadly tucked away and marked “defective,” but we still love him!
With twists, turns, dips, and climbs, this 3D flight simulator is also a bit of a thrill ride. In fact, there is a Star Tours height requirement: you must be at least 40 inches tall to ride. (About the size of your average Jawa.)
It’s also important to note that Star Tours motion sickness is not uncommon, especially for those of us who are highly Force-sensitive. Proceed with caution as you embark on your tour, and aim for a seat in the middle to avoid the most jarring movements. (The back row is the worst—or best—for feeling tons of motion, especially the end seats.)
The ride’s duration is five minutes (not including the boarding sequence), and wait times usually range from 30 to 60 minutes.
One last bit of advice—don’t go looking for Star Tours in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge! This special Star Wars ride is located in the Backlot of the Echo Lake area.
Ah, another happy landing!
Have you ridden Star Tours? What was your favorite planet and/or cameo? Tell us about your flight in the comments below! (And thank the maker you made it back in one piece!)
Cover Image
Photo: Unsplash
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