Star Tours: The Adventures Continue launched in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in late May, and I was able to attend Disneyland's Early Departure preview event. Although some time has passed since then, I would like to share some of my impressions and experiences involving the new ride.
As an avid Star Wars fan who is particularly fond of the original Star Tours, I was excited and nervous when its replacement was announced. I am happy to say that my fears were unfounded, and that although it lacks some of the original ride's charm, The Adventures Continue is an exciting attraction with a lot to offer fans of Star Wars, the Disney Parks, and simulator rides In general.
I had never visited Disneyland before, so I cannot make a comparison specifically to the original attraction there, but what I saw in the queue and ride car was strongly reminiscent of what I remember from my many visits to the Florida version. The first queue room was virtually identical to the original in layout and contents, but redone to take advantage of new technology and redesigned to reflect the refreshed designs and story. A large flatscreen display replaced the old departure and arrival sign, and it now features a number of in-universe commercials as well as several flight lists in both English and the fictional Aurabesh language. Animatronic recreations of C-3PO and R2-D2 remain in the positions they were in before, as does the large replica of the ride's Sfarspeeder. They have, however, been renovated with newer technology and now reflect the prequel setting.
The second room of the queue, which was formerly a somewhat out-of-place droid repair station, has been overhauled as a spaceport customs areacomplete with security scans for passengers, luggage, and cargo. This nod at the realities of modern travel was unexpected and humorous, and heightened the experience of really being in the Star Wars universe. Fans should not fret much over the change, as some familiar faces are still present in the new environment.
The final part of the queue, the boarding area, remained largely unchanged aside from a revamped pre-flight video that is closely tied to the new ride. Unlike with the old video, paying attention to this one is important to establishing the plot. The preshow also follows the recent trend of making all safety videos bilingual, but brings in the Spanish-language version in an amusing way.
The new Star Tours attraction features a randomized set of 3D video segments and a wider range of motion when compared to the original. With a total of 54 possible permutations in a number of different environments, just about every aspect of the ride is bigger and better than before. Instead of just traveling through a comet and fighting the Death Star, you will travel to two planets drawn straight from the film and encounter some favorite characters along the way. Experiencing these adventures firsthand is real treat for anyone with a love of the source material, and should be thrilling for any audience. Even the music, despite being adapted by Michael Giacchino rather than John Williams himself, is recognizable and sounds solidly Sfar Wars. The new 3D effect is relatively subtle in most instances and never detracts from the experience.
Of course, the ride does.have a few weaknesses. In making everything bigger and bolder with 3D and CG imagery, the charm and realism of the earlier model-based effects are lost. Also, in placing the rider at the center of pivotal movie moments with familiar characters all around, the ride sometimes feels a little less like you're walking into a corner of the enormous Star Wars galaxy and more like you're being led into a “Best Of” montage. The attendant uniforms feel closer to a generic Disney Tomorrowland or even a Star Trek design than they do like traditional Star Wars attire.
Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm have done an amazing job in creating the most immersive Star Wars experience yet and a worthy successor to the original attraction. The theming throughout the attaction is impeccable and a huge advancement over the older incarnation, the ride content is thrilling, and the technology involved is cutting-edge and does an excellent job ar bringing the content to life. While it’s a shame to see the original Star Tours go away, the new ride is definitely worth checking out. It’s the most immersive opportunity yet to take a step into the galaxy far, far away.