EndorExpress » Star Tours

Disney Parks Blogs Star Tours

David Yeh — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:58:44 +0000

The Disney Parks Blog updated this week with two stories about our beloved Star Tours attraction. The first is a cute reminder of what began 25 years ago at Disneyland, showing a photo of Mickey Mouse along with our favorite droids. Note the marquee behind them as it says “A George Lucas Adventure” which was later changed to “The Ultimate Adventure STAR TOURS From the Creative Forces of Disney & George Lucas.” In the later years, “The Ultimate Adventure” was removed.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/25-years-ago-today-star-tours-debuts-at-disneyland-park/

The second story centers on the grand opening and dedication of Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which debut on January 13, 1990. Their queue included an Ewok Village and an Imperial AT-AT.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/vintage-walt-disney-world-the-force-lands-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

For those stories and much more, visit the Disney Parks Blog!

Anthony Daniels on Star Tours’ 25th

Brian Curran — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:05:23 +0000

Star Wars and Star Tours veteran Anthony Daniels was kind enough to share with us some personal insights in the 25 years of Star Tours. Read his entire exclusive text here.

WDI Tom Fitzgerald comments on Star Tours 25th Anniversary

Brian Curran — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:01:40 +0000

Executive VP and Senior Creative Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, Tom Fitzgerald worked on both the original Star Tours and the was the “creative lead” for Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. Today Star Tours turns 25 and Tom Fitzgerald shares some of his memories with us.

Happy 25th Star Tours!

Staff — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:01:28 +0000

January 9th, 2012 Star Tours turns 25. Stay tuned as the staff of Endorexpress.net is working hard to bring you some great special features to celebrate the anniversary.

Image © Disney/Lucasfilm

Look, Sir… Stormtroopers

David Yeh — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:30:21 +0000

A duo of Stormtroopers have been having some extra curricular fun in Tomorrowland these days in between showings of the Jedi Training Academy. Our Bothan spies tell us that this pair of Stormtroopers (who aren’t at their post) visit with Disneyland guests, pose for photos, and even have some fun with the poor souls waiting in the over-flow queue area of Star Tours.

Click ahead to see more photos of this activity and go ahead and see them for yourselves! If you do see them, feel free to comment on your experience below.

While Boba Fett and The “Clone Wars” Captain REX haven’t been making appearances lately, it’s still nice to see some extra Star Wars magic in the area. You may recall R2-D2 visiting Disneyland guests last summer.

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination Lands in OC!

Paul Hruby — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:38:03 +0000

The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California has just opened a new exhibit called “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination”. I was able to go to VIP preview last night. President of the Discovery Science Center Joe Adams talked about what it took to bring this exhibit to Orange County. “The Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit is a perfect fit for the Center as it blends science with excitement and imagination. With demand comes opportunity. This is the largest traveling exhibit we have ever hosted. To accommodate the entire exhibit, we had to create two new galleries from our existing space and add a tent in the parking lot. “

Before previewing the new exhibit, guests met and took pictures with members of the 501st Legion. Kids got to meet Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers. Bounty hunters were everywhere. Fortunately there were plenty of rebel pilots and Jedi on hand for the event as well. Obi-Shawn Kenobi and Yoda were there teaching young padawans lightsaber moves in from of the gift shop. Imperial guards were guarding the entrance to the two new galleries.

Once we were let in, we were greeted by a four foot model of the Millennium Falcon. It’s amazing how much detail there is to the ship. Other ships like the rebel blockade runner, a Y-Wing and Luke’s X-Wing were on display. NASA also had some of its models of future spacecraft on display too.

There were many costumes on display. I saw the Han Solo and Chewbacca costume as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi robes. They also had two wookiee costumes from Revenge of the Sith. It’s amazing how tall those costumes were! Stormtrooper, Snowtrooper and a full size Wampa costumes were on display as well. They even had a Destroyer Droid and the original Yoda puppet from The Empire Strikes Back!

R2-D2 and C-3PO had a display where I could learn the many ways robots of today can match wits – or at least mobility – with their cinematic cousins. Darth Vader’s high-tech suit & helmet and Luke and Anakin’s robot hands were there next to an exhibit about the very real worlds of prosthetic limbs and supersensitive ears. A computer activity put these enhancements to the test.

Luke Skywalker’s Land Speeder was on display. I looked underneath and saw the tires the speeder rolled on. Next to it was an exhibit about future transportation and a hover car that kids could sit in and drive around. They had an exhibit were kids could experiment with magnetic levitation, imagining, creating and testing their own floating Maglev land speeders. Kids could send it down a magnetic track by turning on and off magnets on the track.

There were a lot of other things to see but the big thing was in the parking lot of the Discovery Science Center. They had a full size cockpit of the Millennium Falcon with all the buttons and knobs of the real thing. C-3PO took us on a three minute journey to explore the Universe. We traveled thru our solar system and then hyper spaced outside of our galaxy. Then finally we reached the outer most part of the Universe before R2 brought us home again.

The Discovery Science Center is an amazing place! It is geared toward teaching children about science through fun and exciting experiments. This place makes science fun and I had blast! I can’t wait to bring my kids to the Discovery Science Center. The exhibit is open from November 18 to April 15.

2500 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705 | Main 714.542.2823 | www.discoverycube.org

Star Tours, En Français

Kris Van de Sande — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:19:22 +0000

After 7 years, EndorExpress Webmaster Kris returns to Disneyland Paris, to visit his all-time favorite attraction: Star Tours, but in its original French form. He brings us a detailed report, with special inside information coming from Laurent, a show writer at Disneyland Paris Imagineering. Read on to see more about the attraction as well as many more photos from the French version of the Happiest Place on Earth.

Star Tours with Paul Reubens

Kris Van de Sande — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:57:12 +0000

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World, D23 talks with the Hollywood stars of the resort’s most beloved attractions. Of course they interviewed Paul Reubens, our own Captain REX. Read the entire interview here.

Pee-wee answers Star Tours question at SDCC

Brian Curran — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:55:25 +0000

Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) had a panel at this weekends San Diego Comic Con. Pee-wee was asked “about his involvement with the popular Disneyland attraction and what it meant after his voice was removed after the remodeling. The actor voiced the funny robot on the ride during the upgrade.”

UPDATE: To hear Pee-wee speak about Star Tours at SDCC Inside the Magic Show (podcast) 329 about 30 minutes in.

http://www.insidethemagic.net/

The Examiner.com has posted the answer:

http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-headlines-in-national/pee-wee-herman-talks-disney-s-star-tours-at-comic-con-video

Star Tours on the Food Network

Brian Curran — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:25:47 +0000

Be sure to check your TV listings or set your DVRs for Food Networks show Challenge. Saturday July 9th’s Challenge episode has a Star Tours theme. Walt Disney Imagineer Steve Spiegel is a guest judge.

UPDATE July 13: Photos provided by Food Network added.

From Food Networks website:

Tune In: Jul 09, 2011 6:00 PM ET/PT

“Four gifted cake artists must use The Force to re-create Star Wars cakes to celebrate the grand reopening of Disney Resort’s Star Tours ride. It’s a Challenge filled with plot twists and Jedi mind tricks. And the competitor that can deliver an epic cake will win $10,000 and a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.”