Star Tours Celebrates 35 Wonderful Years in Disney Parks

Disney and George Lucas teamed up 35 years ago. Take a look back to see how it all started and changes along the way.

Opening Date

Did you know R3-X was the first Star Tours pilot? When Disney made enhancements to Star Tours, he was replaced by the beloved C3P0. Don’t worry, you can still enjoy R3-X as dj at Oga’s Cantina. Check him out on opening day below.

January 9, 1987, is the date the first time guests boarded a Starspeeder on Star Tours. Guests blasted off to a galaxy far, far away for an adventurous trip to Endor. Brought to life by Walt Disney Imagineering, George Lucas and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). In addition, this was the first time guests actually stepped into a Star Wars story. And now, 35 years later, Disney has come so far in immersing theme park guests in Star Wars storytelling. 

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, located both at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, is the largest single-themed land in Disney Parks history. Here, guests live out their very own Star Wars story. There’s so much to experience here! Whether you’re escaping the First Order in the Rise of the Resistance, grabbing a drink at Oga’s Cantina or building a droid at Droid Depot, there’s something for everyone.

Not only that, but guests can take their next step on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. The official voyages debuts at Walt Disney World Resort on March 1, 2022. Although this comes with a hefty price tag, Disney is offering select guests a chance to stay free before it actually opens.

Opening Celebration

For the official grand opening of Star Tours in 1987, Disneyland stayed open for three days and nights with a “60-hour party.” Disney wanted to let as many eager guests as possible experience this immersive new attraction.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony featured Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, several Ewoks, and, of course, Darth Vader and Imperial stormtroopers. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse joined C-3PO, then-Chairman and-CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Michael Eisner, and George Lucas for the official ribbon cutting of the new cutting edge Star Tours attraction.

Ride Enhancement

2011 debuted Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. With this name change, enhances were made to the wildly popular attraction. At this time, a new generation of digital 3D technology and new destinations from the Star Wars galaxy were added. Not only that, but as new Star Wars movies are released, Disney adds even more exotic scenes. Also, guests can experience amazing worlds featured in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

One of the things I (Susan) love the most is you never know which adventure Star Wars you’ll go on next. Disney has various beginnings, middles and endings that come together in a random so guests never experience the same ride twice. According to Disney, guests experience more than 100 different storytelling combinations.

Locations

The instant and overwhelming popularity of Star Tours spurred expansions to other Disney parks around the world. Today, experience Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

Learn More

Curious to know even more about the history and creation of this legendary attraction? Check out the Star Tours episode “Behind the Attraction” on Disney+. It was very interesting to learn how the team developed the highly advanced attraction we know and love today. I (Susan) also enjoyed reading Bob Iger’s autobiography. It was interesting to understand not only the business relationship between George Lucas and Bob Iger, but also the friendship that blossomed.

Are you a Star Wars fan? If so, do you love Star Tours and everything Star Wars at Disney Parks? Do you miss Star Wars weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Please let us know on the comments below. Or, continue the discussion on our Kenny the Pirate Facebook page.

Source: Disney Parks Blog