Carterhawk / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Ku channa, ku channa.
Star Tours was my favorite ride as a kid, bar none. My sister and I rode it every single time we went, and when we started our brother-sister trips, we made a bee-line for it right after rope drop. We rode it so many times we knew exactly where to sit to get the most exciting ride (back row, middle seats, seatbelts loose). And, we had the entire script memorized.
Yes, we were those people. We recited every word, giggling the entire time. Sometimes we even interacted with Rex, anticipating his words and having a “conversation” throughout the ride. We absolutely annoyed everyone, and we didn’t care (on behalf of my sister and I, I’m so sorry!). We’d hang our bodies forward when free-falling into the depths of the Tomorrowland Spaceport and releasing from the tractor beam (“Star Tours?!? What are you doing here?”), swing back and forth dodging comet crystals, and tell Rex it’s okay, because, after all, it was our first flight, too.
Star Tours perfectly captured my lifelong love for the Star Wars franchise. I dreamed of piloting an X-Wing as a kiddo, and I realized that dream when boarding the StarSpeeder 3000.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue “plussed” the attraction, giving a new generation of fans the opportunity to live their own Star Wars adventure. The amazing thing about the newest version is the ability to add new scenes based on new movies as they are released. On my most recent trip to the park I teared up (of course I did, because, I’m me) as the StarSpeeder 1000 arrived at the Black Spire Outpost, reinforcing the story and proving, once again, the incredible folks at Disney Imagineering are second to none at creating one-of-a-kind stories and experiences.
Were you able to ride the original Star Tours? What is your favorite scene? Do you like The Adventures Continue, are you an old school fan, or, are you like me and love each of them uniquely?