On May 13, Disney Parks announced it will close Disneyland’s Star Tours attraction earlier than expected at both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks. The Star Tours rides will re-open sometime in 2011 as a "reimagined" ride.
Disneyland’s last day for Star Tours, which is located in the Tomorrowland part of the theme park, will be July 27, 2010. The last day for the Walt Disney World version of the attraction, which is housed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will be Sept. 8, 2010.
The closing of Star Tours was expected. At last year’s D23 Expo, Disney CFO Jay Rasulo, then Chair of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, confirmed that the attraction would be close October 2010 to make way for an updated version of the attraction.
The original Star Tours, a motion simulator ride, is themed to The Return of the Jedi and allows a tour shuttle of Disney guests to visit the forest moon of Endor on a trip piloted by the inexperienced droid, RX-24 (Rex).
The new Star Tours attraction will be a 3-D immersive experience. Based on Disney information released at the D23 Expo last year, as well as other media events, the new Star Tours attraction will feature new scenes, notably a podracing sequence through the Tatooine desert based on The Phantom Menace.
Watch this video, from the Orange County Register, to see Disney's original announcement of Star Tours' "re-imagining" plans.
Fans of the original Star Tours experience may want to make a point of visiting one of the theme parks before the attraction closes.
As of this writing, Disneyland has not announced any plans for a special Star Tours closing event.
For die-hard Disney and Star Wars fans, though, Walt Disney World offers two special opportunities that will take place this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney’s annual Star Wars Weekends, a sci-fi fan event with celebrity appearances from the Star Wars movies and Clone War series, starts May 21, 2010 and is held on four consecutive, three-day weekends. Star Tours is just one of the many features of this event centered on all six Star Wars films and the Clone Wars animated television series.
Later this summer, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the site for the Last Tour to Endor special event, a hard-ticket party held after the theme parks close. Held on Aug. 14, the event coincides with the Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Celebration V convention to take place in Orlando Aug. 12 – 15, 2010. The party will include the chance for guests to ride Star Tours as well as to enjoy special live performances and a Star Wars-themed fireworks spectacular.
Disney has yet to announce a re-opening date for the new Star Tours attraction, although rumors are that the ride could be open to guests by May 2011.
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Comments
Darn. I better go in July 22. thats my birthday, better ride it alot of times and do Captain EO before that leaves as well too.
Interesting - that ride sounds like fun. Wish I could have seen the original and then later the updated versions. su
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