Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Attraction poster
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Area Echo Lake
Coordinates 28°21′19″N 81°33′31″W / 28.3552°N 81.5587°W / 28.3552; -81.5587
Status Operating
Opening date May 20, 2011
Replaced Star Tours
Disneyland
Area Tomorrowland
Coordinates 33°48′42″N 117°55′04″W / 33.8118°N 117.9177°W / 33.8118; -117.9177
Status Operating
Opening date June 3, 2011
Replaced Star Tours
Tokyo Disneyland
Area Tomorrowland
Coordinates 35°38′00″N 139°52′42″E / 35.6334°N 139.8783°E / 35.6334; 139.8783
Status Operating
Opening date May 7, 2013
Replaced Star Tours
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Area Discoveryland
Coordinates 48°52′30″N 2°46′46″E / 48.8751°N 2.7794°E / 48.8751; 2.7794
Status Under construction
Opening date March 2017
Replaced Star Tours
General statistics
Attraction type 3-D Motion simulator
Manufacturer Rediffusion Simulation
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
Theme Star Wars
Music Michael Giacchino
(Pre-show and queue)
John Williams[1]
(Ride score)
Vehicle type Motion simulator
Riders per vehicle 40
Duration 4:30 minutes
Height restriction 40 in (102 cm)
Audio-animatronics Yes
Sponsor SMS Audio (2015–)[2]
JCB (Tokyo)[3]
Host Aly San San (Allison Janney)
Fastpass available
FastPass+ available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Assistive listening available

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (also known as Star Tours 3-D) is a 3D motion simulator attraction located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland. Set in the fictional Star Wars universe, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue takes guests on a turbulent excursion trip across the galaxy, as droids C-3PO and R2-D2 attempt to safely return a rebel spy to the Rebel Alliance.

The Adventures Continue takes place between Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV – A New Hope, unlike its predecessor, which took place after the events of Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. The attraction opened on May 20, 2011 at Disney's Hollywood Studios, on June 3, 2011 at Disneyland, and on May 7, 2013 at Tokyo Disneyland.[4][5][6] The ride will open at Disneyland Paris in 2017.[7]

Development

Pre-production

In April 2005, at the Star Wars Celebration III, creator George Lucas confirmed that a Star Tours II was in production. In May 2009, /Film reported that filming for the new version of Star Tours was underway in West Hollywood, California.[8]

During pre-production, one of the locations that Imagineers wanted guests to visit was the ice planet of Hoth while it was under siege by Imperial walkers. However, the idea was quickly scrapped because it would interfere with the attraction's placement in the Star Wars timeline.[9] According to Imagineer Jason Surrell, after the Hoth battle idea was replaced with an encounter with the planet's native fauna (e.g. tauntauns and wampas), the concept was presented to George Lucas. Lucas, although liking the idea, requested that the battle scene be used instead, even if it meant disrupting the series' canon. Lucas offered the possibility that there was perhaps an earlier scuffle between Rebel and Imperial forces on the planet before the events in Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back unfolded and that they "later decided to build a base there figuring the Empire wouldn’t think the rebels would return to that same location."[9] The Kashyyyk sequence was suggested by John Lasseter.[9] Industrial Light & Magic was responsible for the extensive computer-generated imagery seen throughout the attraction.[10]

At the 2009 D23 Expo in Anaheim, Walt Disney Imagineering announced that Star Tours at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios would be closed in October 2010 for total renovation and would reopen in May and June 2011 as Star Tours II. The updated ride system would consist of high-definition video, a Dolby 3D[11] high-definition screen, an improved motion simulator, as well as several other newly added special effects. A short teaser trailer was shown at the expo featuring a podracing scene similar to that from Episode I – The Phantom Menace. An accompanying teaser picture depicted a red-colored "StarSpeeder 1000" spacecraft.[12]

Previews

In May 2010, Disney announced exact dates for the closure of Star Tours at both parks, both earlier than the originally announced October 2010 date. Star Tours closed on July 27 at Disneyland and closed on September 7 at Disney's Hollywood Studios.[13]

On June 11, 2010, at the "What's Next?" presentation, Disney announced that the re-imagined attraction would take place between episodes III and IV of the Star Wars film series and would be named Star ToursThe Adventures Continue. They also premiered an image showcasing the StarSpeeder 1000 flying through Coruscant.[14]

On August 12, during Celebration V, Disney showed a preview 'commercial' of what guests may expect to see, including visits to Endor, Bespin, and Alderaan.[15]

By September 24, two new characters were revealed for Star Tours–The Adventures Continue. The first one was Ace, the new pilot, and the second one was the Aly San San spokesdroid, voiced by Allison Janney.[16] During D23's "Destination D" event, Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis stated that the new ride would feature 54 possible different experiences.

On October 26, Tom Fitzgerald, Executive VP and Senior Creative Executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, stated that while "Ace" was supposed to be the pilot of the Starspeeder 1000's, by the time riders actually take off, the pilot would be C-3PO. Fitzgerald also mentioned that Captain Rex, the former Star Tours pilot (but within the series' timeline, the future pilot), would also make an appearance somewhere on the new version of the attraction.[17] Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO in all the Star Wars films, returned to portray the character in three mediums; live-action suit, motion capture and Audio-animatronic voice.[18]

Fitzgerald revealed on February 11, 2011, that more characters would be encountered on the ride, including Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Imperial Stormtroopers, "Skytroopers", Admiral Ackbar, Yoda, Princess Leia and Chewbacca.[19] He confirmed on April 1, locations that guests could visit on the new attraction. Destinations include Tatooine, Coruscant, Hoth, Naboo, Kashyyyk, and the Death Star as it orbits Geonosis.[20]

Official opening

The attraction in Florida began soft openings on May 14, with the official opening at midnight on May 20, 2011. The attraction in Anaheim began soft openings on May 20, with the official opening in the morning of June 3, 2011.[21] Tokyo Disneyland's Star Tours attraction closed on April 2, 2012, and reopened as the revamped attraction on May 7, 2013.[6]

In 2012, Star Tours–The Adventures Continue was awarded as the most "Outstanding Attraction Refresh" by the Themed Entertainment Association.[22]

At the 2015 D23 Expo, it was announced that an adventure themed to Star Wars: The Force Awakens would be added to the attraction.[23] The new adventure became available beginning November 16, 2015.[24]

Attraction

The exteriors of both Star Tours attractions are different in their respective parks. The attraction in Florida is inspired by an Ewok village on the forest moon of Endor, whereas the California and Japan versions are modeled after a Tomorrowland-esque space port.

Backstory

According to the opening crawl[25] that preceded the attraction's inaugural opening; after the Dark Times began, Captain Antilles had dispatched C-3PO and R2-D2, the series' protagonist droids who were placed in the custody of Antilles by order of Bail Organa near the end of Revenge of the Sith, to assist in the inauguration of the spaceline.[26] The seemingly close relationship between the Rebel Alliance and the Star Tours agency, caused the Galactic Empire to believe that both entities were in a partnership, and thus has monitored the agency's actions over the years.

Queue

Similar to the functionality of the previous Star Tours attraction, The Adventures Continue places guests in the role of space tourists en route to a predetermined destination. The queue is designed to resemble a spaceport terminal: posters advertise voyages to different planets, and a large LCD screen informs riders of flight statuses, planetary weather forecasts, and advertisements promoting the benefits of booking flights with Star Tours. The screen displays information in spoken basic language and Aurebesh. The queue is populated with Audio-Animatronic characters, including C-3PO, R2-D2, and two Mon Calamari officers, that interact with one another and to guests. Entering the cargo bay, Captain Rex from the original attraction can be found, who in accordance with the timeline has not been used yet, and is therefore being sent back to a factory as defective. He occasionally has a power surge and delivers a line from the original attraction. Two G2 droids interact with guests as they conduct their tasks. The more outspoken droid processing the passengers' luggage on a scanning system reveals the luggages' contents to the guests waiting in the queue. Many references, gags, and in-jokes are made via the contents of this luggage.[27] Guests then retrieve their 3-D "flight glasses" and are directed by a flight agent to one of several concourses where they wait to board.

Pre-show

Television monitors show C-3PO, who has been assigned to maintenance on the StarSpeeder that guests are about to board, is inadvertently trapped in the cockpit. Following this, Aly San San presents an instruction video (reminiscent of the original) to the guests on how to fasten their seat belts and where to place their belongings followed by the Disney Parks daily safety spiel in English and Spanish (Japanese and English with Chinese subtitles in Tokyo Disneyland). Once the doors to the Starspeeder 1000 open, guests enter one of several ride simulators. After the doors close, C-3PO complains to R2-D2 about the misunderstanding, but is ignored when the StarSpeeder begins to take flight with C-3PO in it.

Ride

Attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Attraction at Disneyland

The ride sequence is randomized; guests riding Star Tours will experience four out of the thirteen different segments — with some segments offering slight variants — during each journey. This gives Star Tours the advantage of being both highly repeatable and constantly surprising. Even though guests can experience 96 different journeys, the main priority (delivering the Rebel spy to safety) is accomplished no matter what the sequence is. The Rebel spy's identity is chosen by the cast member operating the ride vehicle from among the guests on the attraction, and their picture is presented during the ride. Sometimes, no guest is chosen as the Rebel spy, and a generic photo is used.

There are thirteen random segments of the film (two opening segments, four primary destination segments, four hologram message segments, and three ending destination segments). When combined, they allow 96 different possible ride experiences.

Production

Cast

Japanese dubbed version

Music

John Williams, who composed the music for all six of the original Star Wars films, was interested in scoring the attraction, but after evaluating the ride's sequences, decided that a newly-written musical score was unnecessary.[35] Instead, Williams suggested that the on-ride music should be the original score from the films, along with pre-recorded passages from the film scores that he and his music editor found.[1] Michael Giacchino wrote additional arrangements of various Star Wars themes for use in the commercials and pre-show videos in the attraction.[10] Also, the signature Star Tours logo chimes, composed by Richard Bellis, remained in the attraction.[36]

Ride system

Starspeeder 1000 flying in Coruscant

The attraction combines high-definition video, a Dolby 3D high-definition screen, an improved motion simulator and several newly added special effects and Audio-animatronics.

Similar to its predecessor, Star Tours–The Adventures Continue utilizes the same hydraulic motion base cabin, patented as Advanced Technology Leisure Application Simulator (ATLAS), which features several degrees of freedom, including the ability to move 35 degrees in the X-Y-Z plane. In the original version, passengers rode in a vehicle named the "Starspeeder 3000". Since the new attraction is set before the original film, the new ride vehicle is referred to as a "Starspeeder 1000".[37] The motion simulator itself was originally manufactured by Rediffusion Simulation.[38]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "D23 Expo 2011 – Making Star Tours 2 Panel". YouTube. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  2. "SMS Audio and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Announce New Strategic Alliance". Business Wire. March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  3. http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/attraction/detail/str_id_tl_tours/
  4. Smith, Thomas (2011-01-18). "New Star Tours Attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios Debuts in May". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
  5. Himmelberg, Michele (2011-02-25). "From Under the Sea to Galaxies Far, Far Away…Opening Dates Are Set For A Soundsational Summer at Disneyland Resort". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  6. 1 2 "Star Tours to be Reintroduced in a New Version! – Star Tours: The Adventures Continue – Opening Spring 2013" (PDF). Press Release. Tokyo Disney Resort. November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  7. DreamDisney (7 October 2014). "Star Tours 2 à Disneyland Paris pour les 25 ans". Radio Disney Club.
  8. Sciretta, Peter (2009-05-01). "Secret Star Wars Production Shooting in Hollywood". /Film. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  9. 1 2 3 Korkis, Jim (2 May 2011). "Taking a Trip on Star Tours". USA Today. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 "Countdown to an All-New Star Tours | Disney Insider | Disney". Disney.go.com. 2011-05-10. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  11. "Preview – Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios". Theme Park Tourist. 2010-11-28. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  12. Sande, Kris Van de. "Starspeeder 1000 " EndorExpress". Endorexpress.net. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  13. Tully, Sarah (2010-05-13). "Disneyland’s Star Tours set to close early for rehab". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  14. Sande, Kris Van de (2010-06-11). "Star Tours: The Adventures Continue " EndorExpress". Endorexpress.net. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  15. Rivera, Heather Hust (2010-08-12). "New Star Tours Video Makes Us Ask: Where Will the New Star Tours Attraction Take Us?". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  16. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Tom (2010-09-24). "These ARE the Droids You’re Looking For!". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
  17. Fitzgerald, Tom (2010-10-26). "Who's Flying This Thing!?". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  18. "Photo Finds: Star Tours Secrets, Easter Eggs, and Unused Concepts". YouTube. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  19. Fitzgerald, Tom (2011-02-11). "The 'Stars' of Star Tours". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
  20. Fitzgerald, Tom (2011-04-01). "The 'Stars' of Star Tours". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  21. Glover, Erin (June 3, 2011). "Star Tours Opening Ceremony at Disneyland Park". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  22. Smith, Thomas (15 November 2011). "Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, ‘The Magic, The Memories & You!’ and Animation Magic Receive Honors". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  23. Glover, Erin. "Star Wars Enhancements, New Experiences Coming Soon to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  24. Glover, Erin (September 24, 2015). "Details on Season of the Force, Coming November 16 to Disneyland Park in California". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  25. YouTube video featuring the Opening Crawl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3amd_0yniQ8
  26. McFadden, James (22 August 2013). "Convenient Daily Departures: The History of Star Tours". Star Wars.com. Lucasfilm. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  27. "All 71 luggage x-ray tributes and secrets at Star Tours". Ultimate Orlando Blog. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011) – Full cast and crew, IMDb, retrieved 2010-09-25
  29. Blauvelt, Christian. "Star Tours jumps to lightspeed: Exclusive video of Disney's reboot of the classic Star Wars ride". Entertainment Weekly.
  30. 1 2 3 Curran, Brian (2011-09-26). "More with Tom Fitzgerald on Star Tours: The Adventures Continues". EndorExpress. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  31. Bevil, Dewayne (November 17, 2015). "New Star Tours scene, shops and more take shape at Disney's Hollywood Studios". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  32. 1 2 "Full Voices of the Disney Theme Parks presentation from D23 Expo 2011". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  33. "Robin Atkin Downes - Official Site - Actor, Voice Actor.".
  34. 1 2 3 Smith, Dave (2013-11-22). "Ask Dave September 10, 2013 – October 25, 2013". D23. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  35. Yeh, David (2011-09-19). "Michael Giacchino and the Music of Star Tours". EndorExpress. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  36. "Composer Michael Giacchino to Score Star Tours II: The Adventures Continue?". LaughingPlace.com. 2010-08-17. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  37. Trujillo, Dara (2010-07-30). "Sneak Preview: Starspeeder 1000 Collectible Exclusively at Star Wars Celebration V". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
  38. Peltz, James F. (November 25, 1993). "Hughes Agrees to Sell Flight Simulator Unit". Retrieved August 24, 2014.

External links

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