The New STar TouRS

[thejoshualee]

Wow... I'm kind of glad that people like disneyfreak and Ess-Eff-Aitch are not in charge of the movie OR Theme park industry. We'd still be watching silent movies and there would be no star tours, no indiana jones, no nothing.

Frankly, if you knew what made a good movie, You'd be making movies right? Or theme park rides for that matter. Stop being an armchair director/imagineer.

Things change, accept gratefully, live the magic, or shut up. Nothing is ever going to be good enough for that kind of person. Lots of people hated R2D2 and C3PO when the movie first came out, same thing with Ewoks, Lando, the Luke and Leia brother sister thing, etc etc etc. Now, they are beloved. It's the internet's fault. Now the people who don't like it can convice the mindless drones of the world to think like them.


I think there will be new destinations to Tatoone, Hoth, and Dagobah seeing how that is what it says in the Star Tours line movie thing. the "endor won't be the end all destination"

[llama5492]

Sounds Cool, 1st time i heard about this! No offense but to me you know, seeing the same film with thing happening every time you go on it got kinda boring, i mean just as a simulator because technicxally almost all rides end the same way every time. I think there should be 3 different films and simulations, one for each of the prequels and it should be random every time so sometimes you get the same ride and sometimes different. I think that would get a lot more people on star tours to ride it over over again. its usually only a 15 - 20 minute line now and it did lose it's fast pass!

[inav]

Lucas should produce the second star tours as for directing it get somone else. Another thing they should make four or five different films and keep the original and they should be picked at random during the preboading breif. that way you don't know what you get until you are in the starspeeder

[WRDup]

So if we're done talkin crap about GL...

"What if"... the new Star Tours featured the same basic "journey" or "story" but each ending a little differently. Some scenarios ending with the good guys winning and some with the bad guys winning. The exiting music reflecting the appropriate music for whichever side triumphed. How cool would that be. I would like to see the new attraction keep its distance from any story that gets too close to any Star Wars film. I would like a "spin off" of sorts. Weve all seen the movies so we dont need to go to disneyland to watch them. Something original should be in order. Id even except story lines and characters from the EU.

[jomo]

The ride, though, is getting old and the simulator technology isn't all that different from what you can find at a county fair or shopping mall. A huge upgrade would be welcome, but it might be time for total replacement. I've been disappointed with Disney's recent tendency to create attractions with a movie as the central focus: Star Tours, HISTA, Golden Dreams, Soarin', etc. I miss the days when, instead of just showing you pictures of an experience, they created attractions that immersed you into an actual, real-life three dimensional world: POTC, HM, SM, Indy, ...even IASW. There's a whole world out there that can be experienced without a screen or monitor. Perhaps the realities of today's economics preclude the creating of another "classic" Disneyland AA E-ticket. I don't know. Here's a couple of thoughts: The original Tomorrowland leaned heavily on an outer space theme because it was built during an era (50s-60s) popularly known as the "space age." We got some good rides out of that theme. But Walt also created his "World On The Move" both as a way to present a future consisting of more that just space travel, and also as a way to justify a lot of different "rides." He could have shown us a movie of monorails, people-movers, skyways and submarines. Instead he built real ones we could ride on. ATIS was another way to focus on a different aspect of the future, science and microbiology. Instead of presenting it on a flat screen, he created it in real life and toured us through it on omnimovers. I'd like to see something new along these lines.

I am in total agreement with you here, motion sims are so outdated now. Just sitting in a bouncing box looking at a screen was original back then, but for me they just never had that lasting interest and repeatability of a full scale dark ride adventure.

I'd also like to see Star Tours gutted and the building expanded to accomodate a ride system similiar to Indy or The Amazing Adventures Of Spiderman installed (which could be Star Wars themed) but would take you through the show building and assault you with dazzling efx and sets, then maybe lauch out the building and rip around the old People Mover track (if they never plan on bringing it back that is). An actual new E-Ticket is what TL really could use, not just another new movie in an outdated sim that other parks have already done much better.

[PragmaticIdealist]

So if we're done talkin crap about GL...

"What if"... the new Star Tours featured the same basic "journey" or "story" but each ending a little differently. Some scenarios ending with the good guys winning and some with the bad guys winning. The exiting music reflecting the appropriate music for whichever side triumphed. How cool would that be. I would like to see the new attraction keep its distance from any story that gets too close to any Star Wars film. I would like a "spin off" of sorts. Weve all seen the movies so we dont need to go to disneyland to watch them. Something original should be in order. Id even except story lines and characters from the EU.

I think Disney could create an illusion of spontanaeity in the attractions more so than The Company currently does.

[Coconut KC]

So if we're done talkin crap about GL...

"What if"... the new Star Tours featured the same basic "journey" or "story" but each ending a little differently. Some scenarios ending with the good guys winning and some with the bad guys winning. The exiting music reflecting the appropriate music for whichever side triumphed. How cool would that be. I would like to see the new attraction keep its distance from any story that gets too close to any Star Wars film. I would like a "spin off" of sorts. Weve all seen the movies so we dont need to go to disneyland to watch them. Something original should be in order. Id even except story lines and characters from the EU.

I like everything you said, except the expanded universe thing, I don't think average Joe Disney visitor is going to know who Mara Jade Skywalker is. But I agree, ANYTHING that's new and updated is fine with me.

And a side note, I can't believe people on this board think so bad of a man (Mr. Lucas) that they would bad mouth a supposed ride, that may or may not exist. Come on people, get over yourselves, you know you stood in line to see Episode 3 with your lightsaber and Ewok plush from the Star Trader.

[WRDup]

I've enjoyed Star Tours and think it's one of the better attractions in the park. It's certainly been one of the few things of any value in the "new" Tomorrowland until recently. The ride, though, is getting old and the simulator technology isn't all that different from what you can find at a county fair or shopping mall. A huge upgrade would be welcome, but it might be time for total replacement.

You bring up interesting points... and seeing as none of us Mice Chatters are ride designers, thinkers of extraordinary thoughts, inventors, conceptual artists, imagineers, etc. we have to trust the people who do these jobs. Sure not every new ride is a blockbuster of sorts but we have been amazed in the past and im sure we will be amazed in the future. we need to lend our support to them just as much as they need earn it back.

Now, I know your not a big fan of the 3D movie or simulator based attraction but what if... they were able to take it to the next level. I think if they tryed hard enough (ie. spend enough money) they could come up with a pretty impressive 3D holographic interactive multiple ending motion simulation Star Wars themed attraction. I will offer no other description of this idea as your own imagination will fill in the blanks.

[Disney Wrassler]

I LOVE the queue line show for the ride, but the ride itself is getting bland and old. It really needs to be updated.

[C-HOX]

BECAUSE THE MAN CAN'T WRITE! (Not that there's much to "write" on a ride-film.)

After hating Episode I, and skipping Episode II, I reluctantly checked out III. It was a good story, but a TERRIBLE script. Poor Natalie Portman and Ewin McGregor- great actors forced to read such garbage.

The best film in the series (in most people's opinions) was neither written, nor directed by Lucas. Let him dream up what he wants, give him a bunch of money, and let real artists take care of actually MAKING it.

Sorry, Ewan did a great job. Portman is a horrible actor.

[scorsese]

Sorry, Ewan did a great job. Portman is a horrible actor.

Portman isn't exactly "horrible", in my opinion; she was fantastic in both Closer and Garden State, and probably Beautiful Girls as well, though I haven't seen it. (sorry for getting a little OT! )

[Ascendant]

Wow... I'm kind of glad that people like disneyfreak and Ess-Eff-Aitch are not in charge of the movie OR Theme park industry. We'd still be watching silent movies and there would be no star tours, no indiana jones, no nothing...Things change, accept gratefully, live the magic, or shut up.

Preach it!

I call it the Retrograde Pretention Syndrome. Some people get so fixated on how the world used to be that they start to believe that everything new (especially in cinema) is evil. This is helped along by a stylish new philosophy that states that actual artistry is devolving to be replaced by technology. It's a seductive argument, because there's really no defense against it - you're either "in" or you're one of the "mindless masses". Really, though, it's just their excuse...because they can't enjoy things like they used to.

I would agree, however, that physical models have a certain intangible solidity to them that CG still lacks somewhat. But at least filmmakers now have the option. Most effects movies these days contain just as many real, physical models as CG effects...unfortunately, many people just write it off as "CG" and leave it at that.

Personally, I'm incredibly excited at the prospect of a ride update - the aformentioned CG stuff could make it so that ILM could produce several new films instead of just one. That way we could keep our old Star Tours film and have others, as well. I do hope that the new ones fit into continuity, though. It's kind of a bummer having 200+ books, comic books, and video games fit fit with a continuity that the ride doesn't fit with.

I'd also kinda shy away from a major overhaul. Big bright LCD screens or something would be better than the aging film projectors, but too large of a renovation could have my favorite ride shut down for years.

[Squidgit]

I personally would love to see this ride updated. I actually haven't been on it in awhile, it used to be a favorite when I was little, but not it seems outdated. However, I'd like if it didn't go with the storyline, just the universe much like the ride is now. I'm a fan of the story behind Star Wars, but episodes 4-6 just didn't fulfill their potential. That's a whole other topic. When i went on this ride, it was before i saw any of the films, but the fact is I didn't need to. For some reason, I like that. I don't need a continuation of the films. If they were to keep it close to any of the films though, I'd suggest 4-6; they're just loved so much more. As for CG, I'm a makeup artist who can do special effects, so sometimes I may not be fond of too much CG (but that's personal). I agree, however, that it's a great progress in cinema if used properly. Too much though starts looking like a video game or too cartoony to me. So here's hoping they revamp it keeping the "realism" and keeping it within the universe, but not tying in too much with the movies. Hope that made sense. Oh, and not make it so thrilling kids can't enjoy it. It's a great transition ride from Fantasyland dark rides to "E-ticket" rides; one that brings the whole family together. And alternative endings would be nice; decreases repetition.

Bottom line: I want new technology being used to enhance the ride, not to exploit today's "cool new tricks".

[Hidden Goofy]

I think there should be more than one destination. Tatooine, Endor, Naboo? Anyway, the guide should be diffrent every time too. Half Awake Robot, Skippy Robot, Crazy Robot, ect, so the whole "Travel Agency" thing would work better. LIM should do the movie. Great Special Effects.

[Ascendant]

Anyway, the guide should be diffrent every time too. Half Awake Robot, Skippy Robot, Crazy Robot, ect, so the whole "Travel Agency" thing would work better.

Heh! I like that. It would be cool if they had some recomissioned psychopathic uber-macho gung-ho war robot trying to be a tour guide. Whenever he saw a tie fighter or something, his combat instincts would kick in and he'd try to dive into battle...only to get zapped back into line every time by his restraining bolt.

It wouldn't be too hard to keep the storyline of the ride within continuity. It's just that the ride (such as it currently is) directly contradicts the movies.

Personally, I'd love to see a version where you go into the unfinished Death Star with Lando and Wedge, like in Return of the Jedi. That sequence was just MADE to be a ride.