The fate of Star Tours?

999th Happy Haunt

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I've heard many different things about the fate of Star Tours after Star Wars land opens, some things involving the ride staying, others involving it being re-themed or demolished. Does anyone know what will most likely happen?
 

MichWolv

Born Modest. Wore Off.
Premium Member
I think the most likely possibility is that it is re-themed to something else well after Star Wars Land opens.
I like that you said "well after". If SWL opens 2019, I'd probably be fine with retheming Star Tours in 2024. It still, IMHO, holds up very well, especially since they are actually taking the opportunity to update the vignettes -- adding Jakku of course, but also the minor changes that in scenes that you almost don't notice except to think "something else seemed different that time". But like the original, Star Tours version 2 will eventually run long in the tooth. When it does, a retheme makes sense. Muppets? Indiana Jones and the grand reboot (which I assume will be happening about then)? The Great Move Ride version 2? Who knows.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
I can't see them demolishing Star Tours anytime in the next 3-5 years, let alone retheming it to another IP. There is and will be more source material to incorporate into the ride, so I don't see how it could become stale unless Disney allows it to become stale. To me, it's one of the rides/attractions that have become part of the fabric of the park, like GMR and ToT. Not that there are or have been a lot of rides that could, but still...
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Damn, that's pretty sad since it's a pretty new attraction and a good one at that. Do you know if there's any chance that it could stay and the outside could be re-themed to match the new Star Wars land?

If it were to close, the current version (minus the new film changes), will be around 10 years old. Of course this is all speculation, I don't believe there are any 100% firm plans at this point.

I can't see them demolishing Star Tours anytime in the next 3-5 years, let alone retheming it to another IP. There is and will be more source material to incorporate into the ride, so I don't see how it could become stale unless Disney allows it to become stale. To me, it's one of the rides/attractions that have become part of the fabric of the park, like GMR and ToT. Not that there are or have been a lot of rides that could, but still...

If there are any changes to it, I agree that it will be 4 to 5 years out. My feeling is that the new Falcon ride may make Star Tours superfluous.
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Its going to be Star Tours for quite a while still. 2022+.

After that, if Disney gets back the rights for Iron Man in Florida, it will become the IM attraction from Hong Kong. If they don't, only the DL version will become IM and the WDW version will be TBD.

I would be very surprised if they put Iron man in the DL Star Tours since they are building the Marvel land at DCA, unless they plan to move the simulators over there.
 

Kamikaze

Well-Known Member
I would be very surprised if they put Iron man in the DL Star Tours since they are building the Marvel land at DCA, unless they plan to move the simulators over there.

I can't see what else they would do with it. They have the video from the existing attraction, they are definitely going to use it.
 

DDLand

Well-Known Member
Its going to be Star Tours for quite a while still. 2022+.

After that, if Disney gets back the rights for Iron Man in Florida, it will become the IM attraction from Hong Kong. If they don't, only the DL version will become IM and the WDW version will be TBD.
No one tell Universal about this, they might get upset about Disney breaking the no Avengers East of the Mississippi contract... ;)

Disney will probably want to get this ride switched out fairly soon after Star Wars Experience opens. Star Wars is Iger's baby, and this attraction doesn't conform to the new more serious handling of the IP. The land is the central focus. It is the Star Wars Experience. Star Tours will feel dated and slightly awkward next to these cutting edge super attractions.

The problem will be getting Operations to let go of a ride when the park is going to be slammed by all the new guests after SWE. They could always do it before SWE opens, right when they close GMR. How low can they go! :p

So sometime after 2019, and I haven't seen a great indicator of IP yet.

I can't see what else they would do with it. They have the video from the existing attraction, they are definitely going to use it.
Nah, the video is extremely Hong Kong Specific. You take off from Hong Kong Disneyland and fly over the city. Unless they're planning on setting a ride at DHS in Hong Kong Disneyland, the film should stay exclusive.

Which Jim Hill has said that's what they will do.
This one doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Either way they're going to have to build a brand new ride; a replacement for Star Tours in TL or a new ride at DCA. Why not save the money on transport and retheme ST, and build a purpose built ride at DCA? That has to be cheaper than picking up and moving ST and building a brand ride in TL. They can't reuse the film from HKDL either.

Count me as skeptic right now... Though I've been wrong before! :cool:;)
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
If Tours in DHS were going to be rethemed, then Disney needs to start working on a new film, matching jostling algorithm, and a plan for the queue and store, complete with fabricating all the props and scenery. And they need to start working on that... now.

But, no insider has said they are. Just that the 'plan' is to retheme it 'after' SWL opens. So, if SWL opens and management says, "OK, what shall we do with Tours?", well, then don't expect the retheming until 2020, or 2021, or 2022. That's if they they have the heart to take it off line during the huge crush of people visiting the park for SWL and there's a line just to get into the land.

The only thing that I can think would make it likely for Tours to be rethemed or go away is if in the next year or two someone at WDW wants a new Land taking over Indy and surroundings.

Though, for all I know, they already have secretly started on a Muppets retheme that will be ready to go lickety-split at the end of 2019.
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Its going to be Star Tours for quite a while still. 2022+.

After that, if Disney gets back the rights for Iron Man in Florida, it will become the IM attraction from Hong Kong. If they don't, only the DL version will become IM and the WDW version will be TBD.

Another scenario is that they can't get the Iron Man rights (which I think they will have a hard time doing), and then they can develop a new theme that can be used in both DHS and DL.

No one tell Universal about this, they might get upset about Disney breaking the no Avengers East of the Mississippi contract... ;)

He did put the condition on his idea that Disney was able to get the rights back.
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
Damn, that's pretty sad since it's a pretty new attraction and a good one at that. Do you know if there's any chance that it could stay and the outside could be re-themed to match the new Star Wars land?
Well no considering that Star Wars Land is going to be separated from Star Tours by Muppets. The only thing that would make sense is to replace Star Tours, Not that I am saying that everything Disney does makes sense.
 

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