Re-Imagineered Star Tours Returns in Late May with New Intergallactic Routes, 3D and More

From the time Star Tours debuted at Disneyland Park in 1987 and at Walt Disney World Resort in 1989 until the attraction went dark for "reimagining" in fall 2010, guests embarked on a journey to the Moon of Endor and beyond, with a trainee pilot named REX at the controls of 40-passenger Starspeeder 3000 spacecraft.

Now the Star Tours attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida (scheduled to reopen May 20) and at Disneyland Park in California (scheduled to reopen June 3) puts a whole new twist on virtual space travel with Starspeeder 1000 craft -- predating the Starspeeder 3000 because the new show depicts an earlier chapter of the Star Wars saga than the original Star Tours did. But fear not: Techno-wizards are equipping passengers on the 1000 with the ability to experience the new adventure in eye-popping 3D -- wherever that adventure may take them.

The destination is not necessarily what guests expect -- unless they expect the unexpected -- as C-3PO, a new pilot (by accident) takes the controls for a journey to the "metropolitan" planet Coruscant or to Tatooine an arid planet on the "Outer Rim," or to some other planet within Star Wars' mythical universe. Even the outcome of the adventure may change from one "launch" to the next.

NEW ADVENTURES FOR STAR TOURS: In an exciting scene from the new Star Tours, guests aboard Starspeeders will join in a high-speed pod race through the desert canyons of Tatooine.  The launch of the new Star Wars based attraction was announced at the D23 Expo in Sept. 2009 by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo.

‘THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE’ FOR THE JEDI IN ALL OF US -- Bridging that “long time ago” between the two Star Wars trilogies, spectacular new Star Tours adventures in 3-D will debut in 2011 in Disneyland park, taking voyagers – for the first time – to Coruscant and other destinations in the Stars Wars galaxy. The power of the Force and the magic of Disney once again will combine for this immersive experience in Tomorrowland. Fans also will be able to enjoy this exciting adventure in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.