Blast off to who-knows-where in the Star Wars Galaxy
Review of Star Tours - The Adventures Continue
Ready for this month’s “Rode It! Loved It!” (my reviews of established attractions that are exclusively for paid subscribers)? With a new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu set to be introduced on May 22 (to coincide with the theatrical release of the latest Star Wars movie), let’s shine some Imperial glow rods on Star Tours - The Adventures Continue at the Disney parks. Not a paid subscriber? Please consider upgrading or I might have to train my laser cannons on you. Surely, you’ve noticed that there aren’t any intrusive ads at About Theme Parks, right? Paid subscriptions are my only source of income here. And journalists should get compensated for their work, right? Paid subscribers receive exclusive bonus content such as my “Rode It! Loved It!” reviews as well as the ability to post comments. Why not join this wonderful group today?
4.25 (out of 5)
When it debuted at Disneyland in 1987, the original Star Tours was the first major motion simulator attraction at a theme park, and the newfangled virtual reality concept ushered in a new era for park attractions. If theme parks are about escaping from the everyday world, motion simulators offer an ideal means of escape. Using seats that move in sync with filmed action projected onto a screen, the destinations are only limited by the imagination of the attraction’s designers. Star Tours was also a departure for Disney which, up until that point, had exclusively used its own content as the basis for its attractions. Partnering with George Lucas to bring in a third-party intellectual property to Disneyland was a bold (and highly successful) move. Subsequently, Disney bought Lucasfilm and now has the Star Wars franchise under its corporate umbrella.
Since the ride film made its debut, attraction designers have added Omnimax screens (such as The Simpsons Ride at Universal), roving motion base vehicles (such as Transformers: The Ride 3D, also at Universal), and other features to enhance the you-are-there experience. The movie ride space cowboys at Walt Disney Imagineering upped their own ante with a retooled version of the attraction that launched in 2011.
Now, half the fun aboard Star Tours is you never know where in hyperspace the ride will whisk you.
