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Star Tours II - Ride reviews
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
joanna71985
Well-Known Member
I think it's one of them
A look at the queue and onboard video here http://www.wdwmagic.com/Videos.htm
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all of the info about soft openings. I rode it 7 times over the past few days, which was exactly the number of rides it took me to see all the different scenes.
My Thoughts (Includes Spoilers):
-The queue looks great. It's very similar to how it was before, but I love the new touches. The screen (with boarding information and travel ads) in the first room provided a lot of entertainment, and everyone got a laugh when they saw the "defective" Rex droids.
-I don't really like the new characters, Ace and Aly San San. They both look very cartoony in the pre-show - the CGI is a bit too obvious.
-Regarding the ride itself, I enjoyed some versions more than others. I thought the Darth Vader opening was better than the Stormtrooper one. Of the first set of destinations, Kashyyyk was my favorite. I liked Hoth a lot too, although the cliff thing felt a lot like Mission Space. Tatooine was okay too, but I got tired of it quickly because I saw it 4 out of 7 times. Leia was my favorite projection (and everyone laughed when she said "You're my only hope"). Of the final destinations, Naboo was my favorite - there was one moment when a sea creature shook the vehicle violently from left to right, and it was the only moment in the ride that actually startled me.
-The rebel spy thing got old really quickly to me. I'm sure it must be amusing if it actually happens to someone in your party, but otherwise it doesn't really make a difference. I did think it was cool how the projections said "him" or "her" sometimes to match the identity of the spy.
-At first, I found the random scene thing incredibly frustrating. In fact, I got stormtroopers, Tatooine, and the asteroid scene so frequently I didn't even think the ride was random. Now that I've seen everything, I think I'll enjoy the ride a lot more. I'll just take what I get each time, instead of hoping and praying for a certain scene. I will admit that I cheered when I got Kashyyyk and Naboo for the first time, so it really adds to the excitement. Re-ridability is definitely a huge plus for this attraction.
Overall, Rock n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror are still my must-do's at the Studios. However, Star Tours has definitely moved up on my priority list. It's exciting that I never know what exactly I'll get. The animatronics are looking sharp, and overall it was great that this ride incorporated far more characters and settings from the Star Wars universe.
My Thoughts (Includes Spoilers):
-The queue looks great. It's very similar to how it was before, but I love the new touches. The screen (with boarding information and travel ads) in the first room provided a lot of entertainment, and everyone got a laugh when they saw the "defective" Rex droids.
-I don't really like the new characters, Ace and Aly San San. They both look very cartoony in the pre-show - the CGI is a bit too obvious.
-Regarding the ride itself, I enjoyed some versions more than others. I thought the Darth Vader opening was better than the Stormtrooper one. Of the first set of destinations, Kashyyyk was my favorite. I liked Hoth a lot too, although the cliff thing felt a lot like Mission Space. Tatooine was okay too, but I got tired of it quickly because I saw it 4 out of 7 times. Leia was my favorite projection (and everyone laughed when she said "You're my only hope"). Of the final destinations, Naboo was my favorite - there was one moment when a sea creature shook the vehicle violently from left to right, and it was the only moment in the ride that actually startled me.
-The rebel spy thing got old really quickly to me. I'm sure it must be amusing if it actually happens to someone in your party, but otherwise it doesn't really make a difference. I did think it was cool how the projections said "him" or "her" sometimes to match the identity of the spy.
-At first, I found the random scene thing incredibly frustrating. In fact, I got stormtroopers, Tatooine, and the asteroid scene so frequently I didn't even think the ride was random. Now that I've seen everything, I think I'll enjoy the ride a lot more. I'll just take what I get each time, instead of hoping and praying for a certain scene. I will admit that I cheered when I got Kashyyyk and Naboo for the first time, so it really adds to the excitement. Re-ridability is definitely a huge plus for this attraction.
Overall, Rock n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror are still my must-do's at the Studios. However, Star Tours has definitely moved up on my priority list. It's exciting that I never know what exactly I'll get. The animatronics are looking sharp, and overall it was great that this ride incorporated far more characters and settings from the Star Wars universe.
RandySavage
Well-Known Member
To me, that on-ride HD footage preview is perplexing in its lack of (photo-realistic) quality. The CG work is nowhere close to the photo-realism (looks sped-up as well) I was expecting from leading-edge output by shops like ILM and Weta. For example, the CG helicopters in the aerial battles in 'Avatar' easily passed for photo-realistic throughout the film, and even the opening, long shot of 'Revenge of the Sith' looked very good for CG (and felt like StarTours).
And yet this Star Tours II CGI (judging by the HD version of that youtube preview) doesn't approach that level of execution, despite it being 2011. It's very jarringly weak/disappointing CG work and I can only hope that it looks and feels much better than that while in actual the simulator.
Can anyone who's experienced the ride describe their opinion of that online preview (HD version) in light of the CG of the ride.
devoy1701
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about the real Randy Savage btw! :wave:
RandySavage
Well-Known Member
Just heard... RIP... a wrestling legend. My parents named me after him... j/k
ms7479a
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to offer kudos to the Star Tours cast. They were doing a great job today and were being extremely efficient. The line was always moving at a steady pace and the wait time never got as long as many were anticipating. Keep up the great work! It is cast members like you that make Disney special.
Captain Hank
Well-Known Member
True-ish. You don't actually hit him. There were several people in my cabin (including myself) yelling "shoot him!"
thelookingglass
Well-Known Member
It seems like a lot of people experience Tatooine more than the other two first destinations. Does anyone know if its programmed to give Tatooine more? (It would kind of make sense considering they promoted the pod racing aspect)
It looks much better in person when you see it in crisp 3D.
His reactions and comments are different for each scene/segment, but they don't change based on the combination you get. The scenes are designed to flow regardless of the combination it produces. For example, no matter what comes before, he'll always say the same thing at the end of the Naboo finale.
RedFoxRunner
Member
Star Tours 2 review
I rode Star Tours 2 several times during the "preview" week prior to it opening officially.
I was expecting the queue to be substantially different and was somewhat shocked when I pretty much saw the same thing from before. Yeah, there's a new video board and the Starspeeder looks different, but I wasn't blown away.
My first impression of the 2nd queue room was I didn't like it. It seemed like they took all of the detail out of it and went cheap. After going through that area more frequently I learned to like it better. I liked the defective Rex pilot droids and the luggage "scanner." Although if you're waiting in line for a while and not on the side that has a good view of the luggage effects, it's rather boring. Sadly, I was stuck in this line repeatedly and couldn't watch anything. I'd say the queue is a little more boring than before. The pre-flight video as you wait before boarding was entertaining.
The ride itself, initially, felt like a huge improvement over the previous Star Tours. That is not necessarily saying alot considering it's been there over 20 years. I liked that C3PO was the pilot as his comments are usually hilarious during flight.
I definitely can see the "random" movies getting old quick. Out of about 7 flights I had the Darth Vader opening for 6 of them. They could use more openings as I was beyond sick of the same one each flight. I enjoyed the locations we flew too and found Naboo to be favorite. There are two effects that are really believable.
Ultimately I think Star Tours has received a great upgrade, but I can see it becoming stale quickly. While there are "54 variations" - this is really stretching it. Essentially the ride opens this way:
Opening sequence - Vader or Search Droid/Storm Trooper
First location, fly around and escape to space
Once in space: Hologram from either Leia, Ackbar, or Yoda
Second location, fly around and end at that location (dock)
Really the only major differences are the two locations - and there aren't very many to see, honestly. After 7 rides I had seen them all and several I had seen 3 to 4 times in a row. I like the hologram messages from the major characters but felt like there was too much of a "formula" and that the ride became predictable. I was hoping for more of a random outcome with the video selection.
The sound and lighting are great. The motion of the ride is pretty similar to the first ride but I would say has some improvements to make it feel more realistic. The movies are good quality 3D and during one effect in which your windshield is smashed, it made me and others jump as it was very startling. Although when it comes down to it - it still feels like you're looking at a small movie screen. I was really hoping they would add a few small ceiling screens "windows" that would give the simulator and more "immersed" feeling during flight.
Overall I would say the Star Tours 2 update is positive and will give the park a something for guests to get excited about again. Do I think it will bring a huge crowd like TOT or RnRC does? No. I would give Star Tours 6 to 8 months before the crowds die down. While there are major upgrades to the content of the video and it has been modernized - it is still a simulator with dated techology. If they continued to add new locations over time and change up the "formula" for video sequences this ride would be a continuious hit. If they don't, I can see it being old news pretty fast.
I rode Star Tours 2 several times during the "preview" week prior to it opening officially.
I was expecting the queue to be substantially different and was somewhat shocked when I pretty much saw the same thing from before. Yeah, there's a new video board and the Starspeeder looks different, but I wasn't blown away.
My first impression of the 2nd queue room was I didn't like it. It seemed like they took all of the detail out of it and went cheap. After going through that area more frequently I learned to like it better. I liked the defective Rex pilot droids and the luggage "scanner." Although if you're waiting in line for a while and not on the side that has a good view of the luggage effects, it's rather boring. Sadly, I was stuck in this line repeatedly and couldn't watch anything. I'd say the queue is a little more boring than before. The pre-flight video as you wait before boarding was entertaining.
The ride itself, initially, felt like a huge improvement over the previous Star Tours. That is not necessarily saying alot considering it's been there over 20 years. I liked that C3PO was the pilot as his comments are usually hilarious during flight.
I definitely can see the "random" movies getting old quick. Out of about 7 flights I had the Darth Vader opening for 6 of them. They could use more openings as I was beyond sick of the same one each flight. I enjoyed the locations we flew too and found Naboo to be favorite. There are two effects that are really believable.
Ultimately I think Star Tours has received a great upgrade, but I can see it becoming stale quickly. While there are "54 variations" - this is really stretching it. Essentially the ride opens this way:
Opening sequence - Vader or Search Droid/Storm Trooper
First location, fly around and escape to space
Once in space: Hologram from either Leia, Ackbar, or Yoda
Second location, fly around and end at that location (dock)
Really the only major differences are the two locations - and there aren't very many to see, honestly. After 7 rides I had seen them all and several I had seen 3 to 4 times in a row. I like the hologram messages from the major characters but felt like there was too much of a "formula" and that the ride became predictable. I was hoping for more of a random outcome with the video selection.
The sound and lighting are great. The motion of the ride is pretty similar to the first ride but I would say has some improvements to make it feel more realistic. The movies are good quality 3D and during one effect in which your windshield is smashed, it made me and others jump as it was very startling. Although when it comes down to it - it still feels like you're looking at a small movie screen. I was really hoping they would add a few small ceiling screens "windows" that would give the simulator and more "immersed" feeling during flight.
Overall I would say the Star Tours 2 update is positive and will give the park a something for guests to get excited about again. Do I think it will bring a huge crowd like TOT or RnRC does? No. I would give Star Tours 6 to 8 months before the crowds die down. While there are major upgrades to the content of the video and it has been modernized - it is still a simulator with dated techology. If they continued to add new locations over time and change up the "formula" for video sequences this ride would be a continuious hit. If they don't, I can see it being old news pretty fast.
Oddysey
Well-Known Member
Yoda does not appear every time. You are just going to have to keep riding until you see him!
I got to see Yoda on my only ride through yesterday, and the holographic effect was very well done.
thelookingglass
Well-Known Member
But it makes more sense to go through the screening area of a space port terminal, rather than the maintenance bay from before.
How can random sequences get old quick, when the ride we had for over 20 years gave us one, and only one possible sequence?? Or almost every ride in the world, for that matter?
The 54 variations is true, but its a bit misleading.
2 intros x 3 first destinations x 3 character transmissions x 3 finales = 54 combinations, though the opening and character transmission don't change the ride experience much.
Slowjack
Well-Known Member
I think the problem is that the 54 is not meaningful, because what happens in the intro doesn't affect what happens in step 2 and so on. It's sort of like if you go to a Chinese restaurant with a "family meal" option, they may let you have a choice of 4 appetizers, 2 out of 5 entrees, etc., but the choice of appetizer doesn't affect the rest of the meal. If you have experienced each of the individual sections, you've seen everything the ride has, whether that takes three ride-throughs or fifty (if you're really unlucky).
When they originally said 54, I somehow imagined 2 intros that each led to two different sets of second scenes, six total, etc., so there would be 54 different endings. Obviously that would be an enormous amount of work, so I understand why that's not the case, but that's what a true branching storyline would be.
jt04
Well-Known Member
I could see someday the possibility of scheduling a specific experience utilizing a hybrid of fast pass and rfid technology. Then you would be given a specific boarding time that meets the specific ride you have choosen in which case you would have the 54 possibilities. I get what you are saying though. I consider this a big interim step in theme park tech evolution and something Imagineering can build on for future concepts of ride design.
DaveCummings
New Member
I loved the ride, my only problem was the 6 times I rode it, 4 times it finished at Naboo, 4 times is started at Hoth. Now the Hoth opening I loved and I was always all about, I was getting a little tired of seeing Naboo. I never got to see Tattooine or the Death Star.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Wow, I had the opposite issue. I saw Tatooine and the asteroid/death star sequence practically every time, but I only saw Hoth twice and Kashyyyk, Coruscant and Naboo one time each.
Kashyyyk and Naboo were my favorite scenes, I wish I got them more often. But now that I've seen everything, I'll just take what I get.