Star Tours 2.0 details.

[skiingfast]

Different ride sequences sounds great. This is from the Orange County Register where DLR is located but I imagine it all applies to Orlando as well.

http://ocresort.ocregister.com/2010/09/29/many-scenes-coming-to-new-disney-star-tours/57026/

 

[gymnastgirlflips]

So Ace will be the exact opposite of Rex? This will be interesting. I can't wait to ride it a hundred times

 

[MJMcBride]

this does sound cool

 

[Padrepride]

Ace sounds like a good character! I'm predicting a cocky, fly-boy type character. Making the ride a dynamic experience should appease the ap-holders. I can't wait!!!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Star Tours is...always was...and always will be an embarassment...

there's a reason you don't see ride simulators in malls anymore...because they stunk and are a cheap attempt at a thrill.

star tours is the same with more overhead

my take

 

[Cicada]

Star Tours is...always was...and always will be an embarassment...

there's a reason you don't see ride simulators in malls anymore...because they stunk and are a cheap attempt at a thrill.

star tours is the same with more overhead

my take

While i'll agree, i still enjoy checking it every once in a while when i'm at the park [luckily i'm in socal and go as much as i possibly can ] -- reason being is i enjoyed the ride as a kid, and still enjoy it today [though, to a much lesser extent]. It's the intangibles -- the nostalgia.

 

[TisBit]

Star Tours is...always was...and always will be an embarassment...

there's a reason you don't see ride simulators in malls anymore...because they stunk and are a cheap attempt at a thrill.

star tours is the same with more overhead

my take

Yes, but there are a lot of things you don't see much of anymore, look at the Carousel's. At one time they were everywhere and kids loved them, we have progressed and people are not willing to pay to keep them up and running for a few bucks per person.

The difference is, no one will pay $5-10 to ride a simulator in the mall, but when it is "free" with admission, it will be enjoyed by many. Same with the Carousel in fantasyland.

 

[nytimez]

I'm not a simulator fan myself, and as much as I enjoy "Star Wars," I never ride Star Tours. These kinds of simulators do suck.

However, I don't think it's true of simulators overall... just most of them. "Soarin" is an example of a simulator done right, as is "The Simpsons" and its "Back to the Future" predecessor. The IMAX-style screens and open vehicles makes them immersive enough to overcome the usual simulator shortcomings, IMO.

 

[Pixylew]

54 story lines! My two Star Wars fans are going to be wanting to ride this ride over and over and over again again agian. Oh boy.

 

[Pixylew]

I can see this thing going crazy with die hard Star Tours fans. Disney should provide some sort of pass port where Die Hard Star Tour fans can get stamps for the tour that they were just on. The passport should also include a check list in the back listing all 54 tours. Obsesive people are going to want to ride all 54 tours even if it takes them a couple of years to do it.

 

[troynkasey]

Not sure how valid this story is... Right in the first paragraph it states Disney is slowly releasing details to the Tomorrowland ride. Wrong part, wrong land... I stopped reading at that point questioning how much validity is in the article...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I grew up a huge star wars fan and have shelled out cash for alot of lucas junk in my years....

yet i have no desire to ride this thing...and haven't rode star tours in probably 10 years...

there's gotta be a reason for that...


The reason is that star tours is a failure to capitalize on the potential of a star wars ride (kinda like the indy stunt show)...and i can't fathom it.
that much material should lead to a better ride...and it still could.

But the fact Disney keeps rehashing the "dodge caravan on a stick" and Lucas made 3 horrible written and acted movies after 20 years of planning has kinda killed the buzz for me....

and that had been a lifelong thing...it's like losing you puppy and your best friend in the same day

 

[skiingfast]

Not sure how valid this story is... Right in the first paragraph it states Disney is slowly releasing details to the Tomorrowland ride. Wrong part, wrong land... I stopped reading at that point questioning how much validity is in the article...

As I noted in the OP the article is about Star Tours at Disneyland Resort, where it is located in Tomorrowland.

 

[doconeill]

The real reason you don't see motion simulators in the malls is that they were an idiotic idea. They were enormously expensive, and they didn't make enough money to cover operational costs.

54 story lines! My two Star Wars fans are going to be wanting to ride this ride over and over and over again again agian. Oh boy.

It isn't 54 story lines, or 54 different tours, per se. It is 54 different combinations of scenes. It doesn't actually take all that many scenes to create 54 possible combos.

Assuming that there are X variable scene slots per ride, and a scene will only ever appear in a particular slot (there are N scenes that will only appear in slot A, etc.), Then to get 54 scenes only requires 4 scene slots, with three possible scenes in 3 of the slots, and two scenes in the 4th, for 11 total scenes.

But it can still take a long time to see all 11 scenes if you can't tell which ones you will get. Re-rides are going to go through the roof and ST may become a people-eater.

 

[MikePaines]

I agree! Even if it is similar shots on each of the 54 variations, people (who love Star Wars especially) will want to go on over and over again. I'm not a huge fan of simulators, but I really do like Star Tours. I think one thing that makes it unique from other simulators is the fact that you have Rex (and soon to be Ace) right there with you. It adds another dimension to the attraction.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

I would like it only if it's truly immersible. I want to ride it. I also want to ride that Harry Potter ride, even though I can care less about Harry Potter. From what I heard, it's an immersible ride.

So if Star Tours is immersible, I will ride it again and again- especially because of the different story lines.

 

[doconeill]

I would like it only if it's truly immersible. I want to ride it. I also want to ride that Harry Potter ride, even though I can care less about Harry Potter. From what I heard, it's an immersible ride.

So if Star Tours is immersible, I will ride it again and again- especially because of the different story lines.

It depends on what your definition of "immersible" is. I'd call the old Star Tours immersible, as you are completely surrounded while the ride is going on and have no view of the outside world at all. The new one will be the same in that regard.

I was at WWOHP a couple weeks ago with access after the park was closed, so got a good look at the new ride. I'd say it is immersible as well, although there are some transitions that I think can break the illusion as well. Think "Soarin' on steroids", with multiple Omnimax screens that you move between with some transitional physical scenes in between.

It is, however, one of the best themed queues I've ever seen. The immersion starts once you pass the lockers at the entrance.

I've got some pictures on my web site's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/scifistorm

(go to the Photos tab, then "Wizarding World...")

Alas, the camera didn't like the low light situations very much. I processed them to be clearer, but they get grainy when you do that.

I'm afraid that trip spoiled me though - it was an exclusive party, and there were probably more cast members working than attendees. I don't foresee walking on to all the rides in my future when I make the trip with the family this time...

 

[nytimez]

It depends on what your definition of "immersible" is. I'd call the old Star Tours immersible, as you are completely surrounded while the ride is going on and have no view of the outside world at all. The new one will be the same in that regard.

I was at WWOHP a couple weeks ago with access after the park was closed, so got a good look at the new ride. I'd say it is immersible as well, although there are some transitions that I think can break the illusion as well. Think "Soarin' on steroids", with multiple Omnimax screens that you move between with some transitional physical scenes in between.

It is, however, one of the best themed queues I've ever seen. The immersion starts once you pass the lockers at the entrance.

I've got some pictures on my web site's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/scifistorm

(go to the Photos tab, then "Wizarding World...")

Alas, the camera didn't like the low light situations very much. I processed them to be clearer, but they get grainy when you do that.

I'm afraid that trip spoiled me though - it was an exclusive party, and there were probably more cast members working than attendees. I don't foresee walking on to all the rides in my future when I make the trip with the family this time...

I don't consider Star Tours to be immersive. There is one smallish screen in the front of the vehicle. There's no real sensation of action taking place beyond that window.

Soarin and Simpsons are immersive because of IMAX screens. From what I understand, Potter is too. But if Star Tours keeps the same format -- one smallish screen in the front of the ride vehicle -- it's going to be the same crappy ride with new pictures.

 

[skiingfast]

Some more information about Star Tours 2.0 from the disney blog.

Who's flying this thing?

 

[rutgers1]

My family would be happy with new videos...However, I sincerely hope that they bump it up a few notches and get with the technology and create something equal to or better than the Simpsons ride at Universal. That ride is much more immersive. I still feel like I am in a mall ride when I am in Star Tours.

It is time for Disney to catch up to Universal in terms of tech. It is getting embarrassing.