New Star Tours II Queue?

[Skipper03]

I've searched through threads and seen nothing about this... so had to ask if they're redoing the queue and outside of Star Tours II? The ride no longer "goes to" Endor, right? So wouldn't it made sense to change the queue, as cool as it is.

If there is confirmation of this change, any ideas to what?

 

[SeaCastle]

Permits filed with the county suggest that the queue is being changed, perhaps significantly.

 

[Captain Neo]

unfortunalty I have some bad news. My friend who has seen the plans for the new queue has said that most of the well themed sets with animatronics will be replaced with simplistic rooms with lots of video screens. This makes sense given tom fitzgeralds track record (he is heading up this project and has made it clear he prefers video based attractions over live sets). The new droids shown earlier this year (Ace and Aly San San) will only appear on the video monitors for example.

 

[thelookingglass]

... WDW gets another step closer to becoming "Video Screen World"

 

[Testtrack321]

... WDW gets another step closer to becoming "Video Screen World"

I'll hold off on any comments till I hear something from someone with a proven track record on the boards....

 

[Captain Neo]

I'll hold off on any comments till I hear something from someone with a proven track record on the boards....

Thats fine. Tom Fitzgeralds track record of replacing live sets filled with rich theming and audio animatronics with video screens and empty hallways speaks for itself. This quote from him recently backs up what I have heard:


"One new character will be Aly San San.

"She is the spokesbot for Star Tours, and she'll appear in a series of commercials and other pieces to explain what's going on," Fitzgerald says. They've also created a pilot called AC-38 a.k.a. Ace, he says."

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...-s-star-tours-pilot-senior-creative-executive

 

[cymbaldiva]

unfortunalty I have some bad news. My friend who has seen the plans for the new queue has said that most of the well themed sets with animatronics will be replaced with simplistic rooms with lots of video screens. This makes sense given tom fitzgeralds track record (he is heading up this project and has made it clear he prefers video based attractions over live sets). The new droids shown earlier this year (Ace and Aly San San) will only appear on the video monitors for example.

Don't take this personally but I REALLY hope you're wrong.

The current queue is so well done ~ I will hate to see it go.

 

[paul436]

Don't take this personally but I REALLY hope you're wrong.

The current queue is so well done ~ I will hate to see it go.

I agree. Video screens are poor replacements for rich sets. Here in NYC, Bloomingdale's did video screens in their window for Xmas display. Although it was done well it was definitely second rate compared to the animatronic displays in other store windows.

 

[Disneyfanman]

I'm betting that this information is incorrect. With all the work being done on interactive and extensive queues, shortchanging this one strikes me as unlikely. More likely video screens are being added (vs. replacing major elements) to an elaborate set.

 

[Testtrack321]

Thats fine. Tom Fitzgeralds track record of replacing live sets filled with rich theming and audio animatronics with video screens and empty hallways speaks for itself. This quote from him recently backs up what I have heard:


"One new character will be Aly San San.

"She is the spokesbot for Star Tours, and she'll appear in a series of commercials and other pieces to explain what's going on," Fitzgerald says. They've also created a pilot called AC-38 a.k.a. Ace, he says."

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...-s-star-tours-pilot-senior-creative-executive

I know of his RECENT track record. I'm not trying to create excuses here, but before we start lighting the pitchforks we know there are already several areas in the attraction that have video where this can be placed.

Who knows, maybe they'll gut the whole queue and put in video screens. But until we get photos or martin, lee, Raven, or others come by I'm going to be cautious.

 

[Mickey_777]

Better. Not. Happen.

 

[comics101]

unfortunalty I have some bad news. My friend who has seen the plans for the new queue has said that most of the well themed sets with animatronics will be replaced with simplistic rooms with lots of video screens. This makes sense given tom fitzgeralds track record (he is heading up this project and has made it clear he prefers video based attractions over live sets). The new droids shown earlier this year (Ace and Aly San San) will only appear on the video monitors for example.

If true then wow. The queue was almost like a ride itself. My family used to litterally stand and watch those corny comercials and R2 & C3PO interact before we went on the ride, even when there wasn't a line, every single trip. We'd love spending time in the StarTours queue because it was so wonderful.

I'm sooo hoping this isn't true, but I wouldn't be suprised for a second if it was...Is there any chance that maybe they'll be using the video technology used in "The Forbidden Journey's" queue? At least that'd be better than setting up a bunch of video moniters everywhere...still, it's a poor substitute for the current queue, and I wish they'd leave everything the way it was and just change out the current videos.

I also hope they don't remove C3PO's chair!!! hahaha

 

[Irie]

I've searched through threads and seen nothing about this... so had to ask if they're redoing the queue and outside of Star Tours II? The ride no longer "goes to" Endor, right? So wouldn't it made sense to change the queue, as cool as it is.

If there is confirmation of this change, any ideas to what?

What about the OP's request about the outside queue? Since we are not going to Endor, the trees outside the attraction don't fit anymore.

 

[imagineer boy]

I'm betting that this information is incorrect. With all the work being done on interactive and extensive queues, shortchanging this one strikes me as unlikely. More likely video screens are being added (vs. replacing major elements) to an elaborate set.

I agree, it doesn't really make sense. I can definately see them replacing the old tvs and the big one in the queue with flat screens, maybe that got misinterpreted?

 

[PurpleRose]

Hold on now, let's not be so hasty. What were the permits that were filed? Maybe that will show some light into this.

 

[Captain Neo]

I myself hope the info is wrong because I am a huge fan of the original Star Tours and want a queue that is just as good or better with REAL sets and robots and everything. Not sure how many of you have been to Disneyland but over there Space Mountains new queue (redone in 2005) is now mostly just empty white hallways with a few video monitors here and there and in the reopened submarine voyage there are long passages of darkness where there used to be show scenes and even old show scenes were retrofitted with screens rather than figures. Both projects were done when Fitzgerald was head honcho of Imagineering and i'm very concerned Star Tours's queue is going to end up like the tv section at the local best buy rather than an immersive set.

 

[muse1983]

unfortunalty I have some bad news. My friend who has seen the plans for the new queue has said that most of the well themed sets with animatronics will be replaced with simplistic rooms with lots of video screens. This makes sense given tom fitzgeralds track record (he is heading up this project and has made it clear he prefers video based attractions over live sets). The new droids shown earlier this year (Ace and Aly San San) will only appear on the video monitors for example.

That would break my heart if they got rid of 3po, r2 etc... I'm actually scared to see the finished product of Star Tours 2....

 

[JEANYLASER]

agreed! I can't wait!

 

[cynic710]

i can only hope that the line "show" isnt altered, but rather updated to match the ride itself. Disney is all about putting on a show, not a fancy powerpoint on a video board.

 

[cynic710]

just too classic to get rid of