Off the Cuff

[#1]

A long, long time ago...well, actually it was in late May in Florida when, after an 8 month hiatus, Star Tours re-opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios. But it wasn't just a re-opening, it was a re-imagineering. Now billed as Star Tours: The Adventure Continues, the voyage to distant worlds features all new footage, stunning 3D graphics and a new (yet familiar) pilot in the Star Speeder 3000. And with 54 possible ride scenarios, every trip could be new and different.

Want to know where you visit? Read on for spoilers...but first, the grand opening!

The Grand Opening Event

When Disney and Lucasfilm join forces, there's no doubt that the result will be spectacular and the debut of Star Tours 3D did not disappoint. Based on the premise that the Empire had shut down the Star Tours spaceport, two jedi break through lines of Stormtroopers to confront Darth Vader. When the jedi drop their brown robes, they are revealed to be Disney president and CEO Bob Iger and none other than George Lucas himself! The funniest line came from Iger, who stated, "Darth Vader, prepare to meet your maker."

The event featured a ton of familiar, yet strange looking characters (and actors) from the Star Wars universe. Co-hosting the event was Anthony Daniels, who portrayed C-3PO in all of the Star Wars movies.

With Vader held at bay by the lightsabers of Lucas and Iger, rebel forces reclaimed and reopened Star Tours!

Star Tours 3D...Spoilers ahead!

Here's where the action begins: As guest board their Star Tours flight, they are surprised that C-3PO has been mistaken for the pilot while doing some routine maintenance. As the tour launches, the ship is immediately surround by Imperial forces who are looking for a rebel spy. (A scan of the spy's face--who is an actual guest on the ride (maybe you?)--appears on the screen.) R2-D2 takes over the controls, escapes the Imperials from the Star Tours port, heads into space, avoids more Imperials then light speeds away to a nearby planet. On the planet there are more imperials to avoid before returning to space. Once in space again, a hologram from a Rebellion leader appears. The spy is real and must be safely delivered. You next lightspeed to another planet, avoid more Imperials and, ultimately, deliver the spy safely into the hands of the Rebellion.

What? You want more spoilers? Okay, here's the detailed dish...

Yes, there are 54 possible ride scenarios, but these are the result of a random combination of scenes. So while you may have different ride experiences, you may not see all new scences every time you go. It's random, so the idea is it will be different everytime you ride. Unless you're like me..... (more in a moment).

At the Star Tours dock, your ship is stopped by either:

1) an Imperial probe
2) Darth Vader

In my opinion, the Vader scene is much cooler.

The first planet you visit will be either:

3) Kashyyyk (the Wookie home world) for a speeder bike chase
4) Hoth, where you battle the AT-ATs
5) Tatooine, where you pod race

Hoth and Tatooine are both very cool.

The Hologram of the Rebel Leader is either:

6) Yoda
7) Leia
8) Ackbar

The Leia hologram is classic footage of Carrie Fisher.

The second planet you visit is either:

9) Naboo, where you go underwater and battle sea monsters
10) Coruscant, where a space battle sends you crashing to the planet to navigate the city traffic
11) An asteroid field to fight Jango Fett, and then into the second Death Star's supersturcture

The ending of the movie is dependent on the second planet you visit. Personally, I like Naboo the best.

When you multiply all those scenes I list, you get 54 possible unique combinations. But obviously, you don't have to ride Star Tours: The Adventure Continues 54 times to see them all. How many times did I ride it to see all 11 scenes? I was lucky. It only took me 8 rides to see them all. Yes, I'm a Star Wars geek.

May The Force Be With You!

[#2]

We did the Star Wars ride ages ago (before all the changes) and afterward, they held a Jedi training session where my eight year old son was able to fight a Jedi with "light sabers" and get pointers. He felt so proud and strutted off that platform like nobody's business. LOL