The Adventures Continue: How Star Tours at Walt Disney World Keeps You Coming Back
Welcome to Star Tours
Set in the Star Wars universe, the attraction allows Passengers to board a StarSpeeder, encounter familiar characters, and embark on an exciting intergalactic adventure. Star Tours opened at Walt Disney World in Florida on December 15th, 1989. Initially part of the Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios), it was the first major Star Wars-themed attraction at Disney Parks, offering an immersive space adventure. In 2011 the ride was reopened as Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. The ride is also at other Disney parks worldwide, including Disneyland in California, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Park in Paris.
Originally, the captain of the StarSpeeder was RX-24 or Rex, who Paul Reubens voiced. Rex is a clumsy droid, the premise for the journey that goes amiss.
Located in Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios in the Echo Lake area, Star Tours is not far from other major attractions like the soon-to-be revamped Muppet*Vision 3D and Galaxy’s Edge (home to Batuu). While it is not directly in Batuu, the attraction offers a distinct Star Wars experience that complements the offerings in Batuu.
Generally, the wait time for this underrated ride is short, unless another major attraction (such as Rise of the Resistance, Smuggler’s Run, Slinky Dog Dash, or Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway) is down for maintenance. Most of the time, you can expect to get on the ride in under 15 minutes.
Who Should Board Flight 1401
Star Tours appeals to Star Wars fans of all ages, offering an immersive experience for those who enjoy the franchise—especially the thrill of seeing favorite characters and iconic ships in a ride setting. Whether you're a casual moviegoer or a die-hard fan, the attraction has something for everyone. It’s also suitable for families seeking a fun ride with moderate thrills.
As a motion simulator, Star Tours is ideal for those who enjoy simulated space travel but may not be the best choice for guests who are sensitive to motion sickness or intense simulations. The ride isn’t a high-speed roller coaster, but it provides enough action and movement to keep guests entertained.
The height requirement is 40 inches, making the attraction accessible to most children. While the story is child-friendly, younger guests might not fully grasp the storyline and could be overwhelmed by the intensity of certain scenes. I’ve seen young kids have an absolute blast and kids leave the experience scared and crying. Adults and older children who love Star Wars will find it a fun and exciting adventure, but anyone with a fear of heights or motion sickness should proceed with caution.
How Star Tours Works: The Randomization of The Force
One standout feature of Star Tours is its randomized 3D ride scenes. Each ride can take you on a different adventure, making the experience fresh and re-rideable with every visit. The ride features multiple destinations and characters, including famous Star Wars locations like Endor, Coruscant, Naboo, and Tatooine. Different characters also appear on the screen to the right of the “windshield” of the StarSpeeder.
With 250 storyline variations, the ride ensures that each experience is unique. Whether it's a different location, character interaction, or background detail, even repeat riders will encounter new surprises. There are even different subtle variations in some scenes. Variations could be a different character interacting with Flight 1401 with the same flight sequence on screen, or a background character addition. To keep things even more exciting, modern characters and locations from a few recent Disney+ series were added on April 5, 2024.
Disney encourages guests to download the Play Disney Parks app to earn digital achievements for experiencing attractions, including Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.
For a deeper dive into how the ride works, check out the episode dedicated to Star Tours on Behind the Attraction on Disney+.
This is Madness: The Full Itinerary (Light Spoilers Ahead!)
C-3PO and R2-D2 have new roles at Star Tours. C-3PO is the Systems Analyst, maintaining the StarSpeeder 1000 ships, while R2-D2 serves as the Astromech on board flight 1401. In the queue, you can see the tour vehicle with R2-D2 as the copilot C-3PO performing maintenance, and two Mon Calamari officers above the area that occasionally interact.
Fun Fact: In the cargo bay, Captain Rex from the original attraction can be found near the entrance. He’s being returned to his factory as a defective droid. He occasionally attempts to deliver a line from the original attraction.
As you walk through the queue, listen carefully for the crew’s chatter, which ties into the pre-show story on the loading area TV. There’s also an Arrivals and Departures screen with locations from the Star Wars Universe with some lesser-known locations as well as some of the more iconic locations. You’ll encounter a G2 droid scanning luggage in a TSA-type capacity and another security G2 droid that “scans” Passengers to detect any security threats. It’s worth it to look at the screens near both of these security droids and listen to their silly banter while you wait to board your flight.
When the ship’s captain droid, AC-38 AKA Ace, experiences a malfunction with the ship’s Binary Motivator, C-3PO comes to the cockpit to begin repairs. The cockpit wall raises, trapping C-3PO in the cockpit. AC-38 gets called away by an offscreen crew member and walks away from the ship while saying “We’re scheduled to depart in a few minutes!”
Safety instructions are given via video by Aly San San, the spokes-droid for Star Tours. Once up to 40 Passengers board the ship and stow their cargo, friendly Star Tours agents (Cast Members) complete safety checks, Passengers put on their flight glasses, and then Passengers are prepared for takeoff.
However, things don’t go as planned. As the ship prepares for auto-launch, a distressed C-3PO is still in the captain’s chair. The cockpit wall lowers, and an animatronic C-3PO spins around to speak to the audience and will react to the action on the screen that acts as the StarSpeeder's front windshield.
The ship takes off from the station but soon encounters agents of the Dark Side, who are searching for a Rebel spy—randomly selected from the audience with a photo taken before takeoff. R2-D2 saves the ship and then jumps to lightspeed to escape the Dark Side forces.
After some chaos at a new destination, a transmission from a familiar character instructs C-3PO and R2-D2 to deliver the spy to the Rebel Alliance at coordinates that they are transmitted to R2. Star Tours is the “Only Hope” of success! The mission continues as the ship jumps to lightspeed again, with more potential for chaos along the journey.
After you safely land and exit the vehicle, there are many travel posters for different locations visited during the trips on your way to the gift shop filled with all kinds of Star Wars and Star Tours merchandise.
Why Star Tours Has Stood The Test of Time and Space
Star Tours has remained an immersive and enjoyable attraction for guests of all ages and levels of Star Wars fandom. Its blend of family-friendly fun, moderate thrills, and re-rideability makes it a must-see at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and other Disney parks worldwide. Whether you’re new to Star Wars or a lifelong fan, Star Tours offers the perfect mix of adventure, nostalgia, and cutting-edge technology that can be enjoyed over and over again.
Thank you for reading all about Star Tours. Buh-Bye!
