Wonders of Life - Star Tours testing?

[JimboJones123]

Must include Chad Vader.

 

[sanctumsolitude]

Looking at google maps (and hoping my memory of WDI's Glendale HQ is strong), the building that used to house the simulators for Star Tours / Body Wars testing is now a flat plot of dirt. So I am assuming that using BW to test would be feasible

Funny thing about BW. Without the image (that is, just the sim exposed to an empty building), it wasn't a nauseating ride. It was only when they stuck you in the capsule and your brain had the dizzying disconnect between what you are seeing and what you felt that it became nauseating.

 

[Pete C]

I really hope they don't call it "2.0". It's a ride, not a software revision.

 

[JWG]

Must include Chad Vader.

Sweet avatar by the way!

 

[Festivus]

What I am wondering is if this star tours 2.0 testing has been going on for quite some time in the bw ride, howcome the story came out a couple months back that one of the ILM's designers next project was going to be an update to star tours ride. How can they be testing a st upgrade when the film hasn't even been completed yet? Also, isn't the new issue of sw insider supposed to feature a tribute to star tours and give some info on it's future?

 

[swmike]

Probably just for Food and Wine Festival. Sorry to sound like such a sour note.

 

[Rob562]

Mainly I guess...will it have ANYTHING to with Star Wars unlike 1.0? :lookaroun

It's a common mis-conception that the events in Star Tours take place during the first movie (Episode IV: A New Hope).

In fact, in the Star Wars timeline, Star Tours takes place *after* Return of the Jedi. It is its own story. (If you listen to C3PO's dialogue in the queue, he mentions events that happened during Jedi, including the Ewoks thinking that he was a god.) It also makes a bit more sense when you think back that the original Star Tours opened about 4 years after Jedi was released.

I don't have the specifics at hand, but in general, after the Empire is defeated in Jedi, there was peace in the galaxy. Leisure businesses sprung up, including Star Tours, to bring visitors to the various worlds. Among the popular tourist destinations is the "famed Echo Base of the Rebellion forces" that is advertised in the Hoth video segment in the queue. (Why would they give tours to a secret base while the Empire is still looking for it?)
C3PO and R2D2 find positions with Star Tours. But there is an underground movement, and the Empire is trying to reform. The battle that you encounter on the ride is yet *another* Death Star. Either they went back to the old design (not knowing about the weakness that led to the first one being destroyed), or the rebellion discovered a new, but similar, weakness.

Unfortunately, with the trench run being such a well-known part of A New Hope, and that the queue doesn't often back up to the point where Guests can stop and hear all the dialogue in the first queue room (and know Star Wars well enough to place the timeline), the fact that the ride *doesn't* take place during the first movie is missed.


EDIT:
Among the lines that place it in the Star Wars timeline:
C3PO: [In reference to the Hoth ad] Well you'd never get *me* to go back to that iceburg. [R2D2 beeps] I don't care *how* safe it is now, R2. It gives my motivators the chills just thinking about it.

C3PO: [In reference to the Endor ad] Things have certainly changed since we were last there. I thought we were doomed for sure. [R2D2 beeps] But we did survive...somehow.

C3PO: [After the second showing of the Endor ad] I really don't understand why they're not sending me on the Endor tour. After all, I am something of a legend with the Ewoks, what with my magic and all. [R2D2 beeps] Well the Ewoks *thought* it was mine.

-Rob

 

[Oberon81]

I wouldn't be surprised if the new Star Tours had something to do with the Clone Wars. I thought one of the guys who was working on the cartoons had something to do with the new video. I could be wrong.

 

[rwdavis2]

Oh wow! How long do these things usually take to test and then implement?

A very long time. At one point the Test Track control software had to be scrapped and re-written. I know one of the consultants they brought in and he said the first version was untestable.
Bob

 

[DisneyMusician2]

At the very lest it would be interesting to see Body Wars really revamped to have a similar theme with an updated look and flight system.

I'm just still sad at the slow death of the pavillion, it was one of my all-time favorite places in Epcot.

Then again, I still talk about Food Rocks every time I'm on the Soarin' queue...

 

[Denscott]

Its not bad, it just has nothing to do with Star Wars...

A pod racing ride would be terrible also. Put me in an X Wing or Millenium Falcon and lets go blow up The Death Star dude...

I agree although a ride over the battle of Coruscant from Ep. III would be pretty darn cool as well!
Or skimming the surface of Genosis in the Clone Wars in Ep II in one of those troop transport ships...that would rock too

Or here's something completely different...be a Tie fighter pilot chasing the Falcon in the astroid belt from Empire

There's plenty of options but please God, no pod racers, anything that even reminds me of Jake Lloyd makes me . A cardboard box with a frowny face would have put on a better acting performance!