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Drawing upon the imagination and wizardry of George
Lucas, Industrial Light & Magic and the Walt Disney Imagineers,
Star Tours combines flight-simulator technology and an action-packed,
thrill-a-second motion picture to create a “Star Wars” experience
that transforms the audience into passengers aboard a careening
spacecraft.
It’s a new generation of thrill ride that doesn’t
rely on tracks, wheels or rocket engines to propel guests into the
middle of a memorable journey. Rather, the creative team began with
the technology of a flight simulator, utilized by the military and
airlines for training pilots, and took it into the world of “Star
Wars.” Synchronizing a stunning film with the virtually limitless
gyrations of the simulator, the experience leaves guests actually
feeling what they see -- a hair-raising, light-speed trip to the
Moon of Endor.
The time is following the “Return of the Jedi,” third
chapter in the “Star Wars” trilogy. The adventure begins on a woodland
path beneath the arboreal village of the Ewoks, who have built their
homes overhead among the redwoods, sequoias and pines on the Moon
of Endor. In Ewok Village, a battle-disabled, 35-foot-tall Imperial
Walker malevolently but helplessly looks down on the Ewoks’ treetop
homes.
The path leads to a futuristic maintenance hangar.
Inside, guests see the famous Lucas Droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, working
for a galactic travel agency servicing the Star Tours fleet of StarSpeeder
3000 spacecraft.
After passing information boards touting a variety
of galactic tour packages and walking through a high-tech “nuts-and-bolts”
Droidnostics Center, guests reach the boarding ramp for the StarSpeeder
spacecraft. The fleet includes five ships, each with a 40-passenger
capacity . . . and a droid pilot named RX-24 (Rex for short).
With seat belts securely fastened and the lovable
chrome-dome captain at the controls, the adventure takes a quick
detour from the experience of a usual flight -- simulated or otherwise.
Usual flights have a skilled pilot controlling the action. Rex,
it turns out, is . . . well, “a rookie.”
Flight ST-45, launched non-stop for Endor, begins
calmly. But in just seconds, the spacecraft is catapulted into the
vastness of space. Trouble is on the horizon as the ship is drawn
into an asteroid-like field of frozen ice fragments that collide
against the ship.
Passengers barely catch their breath when their craft
is drawn into combat with a massive Imperial Star Destroyer. Rex
turns to the passengers and says, “I know this isn’t on the tour
. . . but it’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?” As he turns back to the
controls, he sees the Empire’s fearsome Death Star battle station
come into view. Rex panics and the ship rolls out of control toward
the surface of the station.
As the StarSpeeder darts and weaves its way across
the top of the Death Star, Rex shouts to the passengers, “I’ve always
wanted to do this! We’re going in!” Joining the rebel alliance in
battle against the dark forces, the spacecraft dodges oncoming laser
blasts and narrowly escapes almost certain destruction by veering
up and away from the Death Star, suddenly rocketing into hyperspace
. . . and safety.
Seconds later, the StarSpeeder decelerates for touchdown,
skidding into the landing bay. The ship’s overhead monitor pops
on with the image of C-3PO, who is obviously unaware of the harrowing
experience as he cheerfully says to guests, “We do hope you enjoyed
your tour to Endor and will come back soon.”
Type - simulator ride
When to go - Visit early morning.
Where to sit - If you don't want too rough
a ride, sit near the front or middle of the simulator. The bumpiest
ride is on the back row, end seats.
Fastpass
Duration - 6 mins
Restrictions
Must be at least 40 inches tall to ride.
Guests must transfer from their ECV to a wheelchair and then from
the wheelchair to experience the attraction.
For safety and comfort, Guests should be in good health and free
from heart, back, or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions
that could be aggravated by this ride.
Expectant mothers should not ride.
Facts/History
There are 6 simulators.
Guests are seated in a 40-passenger runaway "Star-Speeder".
Hidden Mickeys
In the queue area, check out the "phone directory" sign at front.
The First worker robot called G2, in the queue area, is wearing
an interesting wristwatch.
Tips
Baby swap available.
Don't ride just after eating!
If you suffer from motion sickness, ask the Cast Members when they'll
be running a flight-check. This is when the movie is run without
motion, and with the doors open and lights on.
Reviews
" I LOVE this ride!If I could choose 1 attraction
to do in a day, it would be this one! The last time I visited WDW,
I visited it 4 times! I must have done this at least 8 to 10 times
total! This ride is great! Always sit in the back row, without holding
on to anything!You will get a WILD ride.Or sit up front for the
best audio/visual experience.If you have motion sickness, ask for
flight check on the ride (I know this works for Body Wars, and most
likely Star Tours).They run the ride with the lights on, and the
doors open, with no motion at all. Ride this as many times as possible
so you can notice all of the little details and secrets the ride
has to offer." (8/03)
"This is a ride that needs to be updated quite
a bit. I enjoy the que area and what the ride is, but I think with
the rides at other parks like Back to the Future and Spiderman,
it needs a little updating. It's pretty jerky, but not too bad.
I'm told that further into the middle gets the bumpiest ride."
Devon Davis
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