In 1979, Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald was hired to Walt Disney Imagineering. In less than ten years, he would be working on the original version of Star Tours. This was a simulator attraction that initially was envisioned to change and adapt with new stories from a galaxy far, far away, as they were created by George Lucas. The initial version of of this attraction didn’t quite do that. However, for years, guests were taken on adventures with Captain “Rex” RX-24 as they attempted to reach their destination of Endor. For some reason, that just never seemed to work out.
In 2010, the original version of the attraction was closed so that it could be upgraded. When it reopened the following year as Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, guests could experience multiple different moments and destinations throughout the Star Wars universe. This new iteration allowed imagineers the possibility to realize their dream of having multiple experiences that can be different for every adventure. Tom Fitzgerald also worked on this iteration of the attraction. In fact, he continues to work on the attraction today, nearly 40 years after the first attraction arrived at The Happiest Place on Earth!
On Friday, April 5, 2024, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue began to give space travelers new moments and a new location to visit while aboard their StarSpeeder 1000. Throughout the course of the attraction, there are quite a few new things to keep an eye out for. After experiencing the attraction, Daps Magic was given the chance to speak with Tom Fitzgerald about the updated attraction. He shared about how the attraction has changed throughout his career. He also shared about how things changed with the arrival of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. This gave the possibility to branch in the attraction and make it truly a greatest hits of Star Wars. He also shared about how Imagineers pick what new adventures will be added to the attraction, a process that begins around 18 months before a new experience arrives. During this, he shares some fun tidbits about moments in the attraction with C-3P0. Finally, he shares what his favorite part of his job is. Check out this interview here:
There are some spoilers ahead but some details have also been left out to keep some surprise for those who will be boarding a StarSpeeder in the near future!
This starts the moment the flight begins. In the hanger as Storm Troopers and a Droid are asking C-3P0 about a rebel spy, keep an eye on what is happening in the background… particularly with the ship and whoever happens to be next to it! There are some fun storytelling moments happening. We’ll leave this for you to discover (or search the internet for) on your next galactic adventure aboard Star Tours. After blasting off into Hyperspace, there is the first destination. During a press preview of the attraction on Friday, this was a Podrace on Tatooine. This was followed by a transmission to tell about the importance of the rebel spy aboard the StarSpeeder. For a limited time, there are only three variations here. Each them are new. One of them is The Mandalorian and Grogu. Another transmission has Ahsoka (with Chopper and Huyang in the background). The third transmission is from Cassian Andor. Each transmission has a very different tone and feel to it, giving a completely different feel to the ride experience. After being given the new mission, the next destination is the Seatos where Ahsoka is facing off against Grand Admiral Thrawn in the final episodes of Ahsoka. There, Star Tours joins the battles with Purrgil (space whales) swimming around. Finally, the StarSpeeder makes a final jump to Hyperspace and returns guests to a space port to disembark.
This new iteration of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue adds quite literally more adventures to the attraction. In fact, there are now more than 250 options for what could happen when one boards a StarSpeeder. For a limited time, however, all guests will get to experience these three new transmission and the adventure with the Purrgil at Seatos. It is a wonderful thing that this attraction continues to receive new updates with new moments. It continues to keep this attraction fresh and provides unique experiences every time one rides it. This new addition will hopefully be just one of many as new Star Wars stories are told. It is a lot of fun and continues a legacy that began four decades ago!
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