Our family loved the Star Wars movies, so this ride was our favorite of all the rides at Disney. My little sister and my dad both get sick very easily, but this ride was fine for both of them. It truly does have different clips that they put together, so we got completely different experiences each time we rode. My sister and my mom both got chosen as the rebel spy, and that really made their day. If you liked the Star Wars movies, you will love this 3D adventure!
This was an attraction that my DS and I enjoyed on our May 2010 trip. The revamp was hyped and we were pumped to give it a whirl during our September trip. We rode 5 times and each was a different experience. The highlight of our day in Hollywood Studios was the last of these rides. For those who don't know, the story is that you have a rebel spy hiding on board. Prior to take off, someone, usually Vader, stops your ship and identifies the spy which is one of the riders. First four rides, my son had his hopes dashed. After the 4th ride we left to meet up with my wife and daughter. He was upset, but he is 8 and got over it quick. This process was moved along by me agreeing to pay to have his face painted like Darth Mauls. This was done at a stand across from TSMM. It was well done, but in a case study on why I am campaigning for the repeal of the 19th amendment, every male that commented on his face paint identified it as Darth Maul and every woman called him Spiderman. Anyway, he asked if we could ride again to see if they would pick him. I agreed but told him to try to be ok if they do not pick him. We get into our seats and he was selected. He was the Rebel Spy. He beamed for the rest of the night. When we got off the ship, which of course deposits you in a gift shop, I spotted a "I was the Rebel Spy" t-shirt. He did not see it and I was given the perfect daddy out. If he did not see it it did not happen. This was tempting because, eventhough we were only on our 3rd day of a 6 day vacation he had spent all of his $60 gift card after I warned him to hold off. At that point I realized a couple of things. One, I was trying to talk since to an 8 year old when most adults lack the ability to budget. And second, I had the chance to earn serious dad points. So, he I bought him the shirt. *Unintended consequence alert* If you try to look good by buying a $25 shirt for your son, realize you will have to buy something of equal, or greater, value for your daughter. Dang you George Lucas. And keeping with all my other reviews, I have to find a way to work in an insult of Pecos Bill........ Ok, I have it..... Unlike Pecos Bill, Star Tours is so good, that I did not get violently ill considering experiencing it again. Taaaadaaaaaaa. Recap- Star Tours: A Pecos Bill: Hopefully going to be turned in to a DVC booth.
When people ask me what my favorite attraction in Walt Disney World is, I used to say I didn't know. But now the answer is clear: Star Tours. Ever since they redid this amazing attraction, I have considered it to be my favorite without a doubt, and not simply because I am a Star Wars nerd (see the name?) The old Star Tours was, to be frank, just that. OLD! I never used to like it, since it would make me motion sick. It felt like you were in a big box that's moving and shaking you around (which, well, it what it is) and not like a flight through space. Let's face it, the technology utilized in Mission: Space left Star Tours in the dust, and wait times were declining more and more, and going up and up on other rides (coughToyStoryManiacough). The technology on this one is completely awesome. It no longer makes me motion sick because it feels more real than the old technology did. And get ready for it: It's in 3D!!! Even if 3D normally gives you a headache, like it used to do for me, this technology is much better and is less likely to make you dizzy or give you a headache. Another problem with the old attraction was the lack of it being "Star Wars". If you come to a park expecting Star Wars, you want Star Wars. You saw the Death Star and some rebel troupes, and that was it. Additionally, the only three characters from the films in the original were Chewbacca, Threepio, and Artoo, and all of them made brief appearances. In this attraction, Threepio plays a prominent role, and you can see other characters too, but not all at once. Why? There are many new combinations of experiences on Star Tours. There's around 15 elements that can be combined in many different ways. So sometimes, you'll see Darth Vader. Other times, you meet Gunguns on Naboo (Episode 1 reference) with Jarjar Binks, the most unpopular Star Wars character ever, making a brief cameo. Princess Leia may send you a hologram, with specific instructions to help the rebellion. You may get to visit the ice world of Hoth (Episode 5), but not without encountering a few imperial walkers. The possibilities are endless. Characters appearing include Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, among others. Although the actual layout of the ride hasn't changed much, the Queue area is very cool. There are many droids doing their duty throughout, signs, and information boards to make it seem like a real spaceport. And the droids? Be careful, you may get picked out by them. Captain Rex (from the original Star Tours) even makes an appearance, so look out for him. Consensus? The new Star Tours is a MUST SEE!!! The ride is set in between the events of episodes 3 and 4, and is a prequel to the original, set after episode 6.
My daughter who is a HUGE Star Wars fan loved this ride. She said that Star Tours is the best ride ever. We had to go on it four times. When we go in December we are probably going on it four times or more, which is what we did the last time we were there.
May 14 2011 at 2:35pm, Disney's Hollywood Studios began the very first soft opening previews of the all new "Star Tours - The Adventures Continue" for park guests. Without further delay, it has to be said right away that the new Star Tours is absolutely stunning. I'm even going to go as far as to say that Star Tours is now the best simulator based attraction to be found anywhere. Read on to find out why. This report is not going to reveal detailed story information, but it will describe a few elements of the attraction that may be considered a spoiler. If you have been following the progression of Star Tours you will likely know these already, but if you do wish to be completely surprised when you visit, stop reading now, or be selective in which paragraphs you read. This report also contains no photos due to the express request of the park. Photography is not yet permitted in the queue area, and will not be possible inside the ride vehicle. Approaching Star Tours, you'll find the exterior to be largely the same. Only the new signage and attraction marquee tell you that something has changed. Stepping inside, the first change that will be notable is the removal of all the "working set" themeing. You are no longer heading into a soundstage, but instead directly into the Star Tours port. How this relates to the rest of the park is a discussion for another time, but the new theme certainly works better in my opinion. The first part of the queue area with the Star Speeder 1000 and departure board remains very similar to before in basic layout. The Star Speeder is now the 1000 edition, and the departure board shows all the new destinations in a greatly update display format. The refurbished animatronic C3PO and R2 look fantastic, and the area has been thoroughly refreshed, complete with new carpet, lighting and paint everywhere. The second part of the queue area has seen probably the most dramatic change. Gone is the droid room, and in comes the security screening checkpoints. The animatronics here are very entertaining, and there are some fantastic visual effects involving luggage and passenger screening. There are so many hidden details here it will take many trips through to uncover them all. There are even nods to the old Star Tours pilot Rex, and Buzz Lightyear. Moving into the load area, you'll find it has been completely refreshed. All new decor, lighting and displays are in place. The overall effect reminded me somewhat of the new Space Mountain load area, with a bit of Soarin' and Spaceship Earth post show mixed in - think lots of blue overhead mood lighting. Once the boarding and safety video kicks in on the boarding area display, you know that the old Star Tours is firmly in the past, and things are now looking a lot more 2011. The video display is HD, immaculate looking, yet retains the humor of the old video, whilst adding a lot more new detail. Once the safety video is complete, the load process begins, and is very much the same as before, with guests lining up into seat rows, and boarding the Star Speeder from the side. Inside the Star Speeder, everything has been refurbished. New seating, new lighting, new audio, and importantly, the most incredible display system I've ever seen in a theme park, or anywhere. Something that gives you a hint of how special this display is are the 3D glasses that you pick up in the boarding area. These are not your typical economy feeling glasses found in other attractions. These things are heavy duty, serious looking glasses - similar to something you might find in an Oakley store. The ride begins in much the same way as before, with the passengers strapped in, and the pilot being revealed. This time of course, C3PO is our pilot - and in perfect audio-animatronic form. The blast shield slides down revealing what makes Star Tours II so special - the screen. The video display here simply has to be seen to be believed. It is super high resolution, saturated with color, sharp, with absolutely no 3D blur, regardless of where you sit in the cabin. Within seconds of the show starting, you forget you are looking at a screen, and really believe you are looking through the window of the Star Speeder. The 3D is marvelously utilized. Unlike many 3D attractions which I feel tend to overuse the 3D effects, Star Tours uses the 3D to simply recreate a realistic looking scene rather than for shock value - and wow does it deliver. I could talk about this display for a long time, but let us say you have to see it to believe it - it's amazing. An incredible display is nothing without something pretty spectacular to put on it, and here Industrial Light and Magic and WDI have excelled. The environments spanning all six movies are absolutely spectacular. The detail that brings the story to life is all there as your race through them at high speed in your Star Speeder. Fans of Star Wars are going to delight at the details (and humor) found here. There is so much to look at that you'll need hundreds of rides to take it all in. It is clear that a large budget and massive amounts of time went into producing the imagery of the attraction, which really is the cornerstone to this experience. The next trick that Star Tours has up its sleeve is a killer feature, and something that will keep guests coming back time after time. Unlike the old Star Tours that had just one storyline, the new Star Tours has 54 story combinations, which are chosen by the ride system at random. This gives the ride massive re-ridability, with guests having the quest to try and see all the combinations and destinations. The switching of story-paths is very cleverly done and seamless. The story-lines even make use of a rider in the Star Speeder through some great imaging technology - it is not overdone, and fits perfectly. Also unlike before, the new version features many characters who take part in the story from all six of the Star Wars movies. As you know, Star Tours is a motion base simulator, and WDI have also enhanced things here with the new Star Tours. The motion feels incredibly well timed to the visuals, very dynamic and realistic feeling, and most importantly for many riders, not a hint of feeling motion sick. This simulator experience gels the motion with the video better than anything else I have experienced. The motion programmers deserve special applause for their achievements on this. Ride time for the attraction is the same as before, at around 4 minutes and 30 seconds from show start to stop, with the ride concluding similar to before with a successful(ish) landing. It has been over 10 years in the making, and many Disney and Star Wars fans had given up hope of ever seeing a refresh to the classic attraction. Today with the introduction of "Star Tours - The Adventures Continue", fans can enjoy a cutting edge attraction fully worthy of the Star Wars universe. I think it is safe to say this will become the new "must-ride" attraction at Walt Disney World, and will do great things for the attendance at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Dare I even say, the new rope-drop FASTPASS rush will be a charge to Star Tours instead of Toy Story Mania. Congratulations to Tom Fitzgerald, everyone at Walt Disney Imagineering, and of course George Lucas and Industrial Light and Magic for their achievements on this new attraction - the bar has been raised yet again. Star Tours officially opens on May 20 at midday. Like today, soft opening previews are possible and expected on the run-up to the 20th, but there are no guarantees it will be open. If you are heading to a preview, good luck, and may the force be with you.
Was able to get in 4 runs on Sunday, but couldn't post until now: I hope giving the details is not taboo here, as the previous reviews were very mild in detail, but the post engine says to “Please supply as much information and detail as you like. The more detailed you can be the more help it will be to others.” Since I was general public getting on the ride, I think its fair game to give details so here goes: Spoiler Alert – Sequences: From what I can tell, there is an opening, a planetary visit, and a closing scene. There may be an additional "combat scene" after the planetary visit and before the closing, but It was the same for me in combination with the closing scene. I experienced: 2-3-2: 2 different opening sequences, 3 different Planetary visits, and 2 closing sequences Or possibly: 2-3-2+2: 2 different opening sequences, 3 different Planetary visits, 2 combat sequences paired repetitively with 2 closing sequences. As more reports hit, we may find 5 or 6 sections to the experience, who knows. Super Spoiler Alert – Details: Opening Sequences Experienced: A1 Storm Troopers chasing you A2 Darth Vader chasing you Planetary Visits: B1 Hoth Ice Planet B2 Wookie Planet B3 Tatooine - Pod Racing Closing Sequences: C1 Space Combat and D1 Deliver of Spy to Rebel Base C2 Capitol City Sequence and D2 Delivery of Spy to Capitol and Applause at end For me C1 and D1 were together twice so may only be one sequence, and same for C2 and D2. One cool thing is one of the passenger, perhaps you yourself, is the rebel spy. When Yoda transmits his message, he knows if the rebel spy is a “he” or a “she”, but I hope that these 2 variations do not cut the 54 combinations mentioned into 27 combinations with he/she being the only differentiator. I will be riding again Thursday if possible… enjoy.
A great refresh of a popular ride. I used to get sick riding the old version, but I do not believe I will on this one. The 3D effect is awesome and makes it feel like you are actually there. Timing is great with the motion and C3P0 looks awesome. The new "droid room" is both tech cool and funny. Do not miss this ride!
The improvements to Star Tours have certainly made this one of the best rides over at the studios. I just hope that people realise this. The main entrance to the ride and waiting areas are largely unchanged. It would be nice to see an obvious indication that the ride has been upgraded from the outside. Once inside however I don't think there will be any visitor that goes away disappointed. The new 3D visuals are perfectly synchronised to the sound and motion of the vehicle. This ride truly has the wow factor and the necessity to ride it over will make this a very popular attraction from now on.
This Star Tours reboot is going to put the studios back on the map. I grew up with Star Wars but I'm not an expert by any means. I think the Adventure continues has a great balance of Star Wars content and more generic sorts of images/thrills. You could easily ride and enjoy the attraction without the slightest bit of Star Wars knowledge. The imagery is sharp, bright and clear and the 3D works brilliantly. The motion to film sycronization is smooth and seamless. The random sequences make re riding not just something you want to do but something you HAVE to do. I think this will be very popular and well received by not just the die hard Star Wars fans but the general guest population as well. WDI has done a great job!