Two New Star Tours 2 Full Ride Videos - Hoth / Death Star, Kashyyyk / Coruscant Sequences !

Here is two new Star Tours 2 "full ride" videos - with also some footage showing the pre-show. The first one is showing a different beginning than the other full ride video embedded two days ago in a previous article - here it's the Storm Troopers beginning instead of the Darth Vader one. The first destination" is also Hoth but the second destination is different - it's the Death Star sequence with the Boba Fett chase - and the ending is different too. We also see more shots of C3PO as Starspeeder pilot!

As usual a big spoiler warning: no need to say that the full ride video is a giant spoiler and if you prefer to keep the surprise you definitely must NOT watch the video, or at least the ride part. That said, you're all big enough to make your own decision! And, as it is a HD video, if you decide to watch it, watch it full screen!




The second video is showing the Kashyyyk and Coruscant sequences, with the Storm Troopers beginning and a new different ending. The sound, though, is not as good as on the video above and of course there is the same spoilers warning!




Videos by JediEmpire66 and BigBubbaB - copyright Disney-Lucas Film Ltd

Star Tours 2 High-Res "Wallpaper" Pictures

Disney released a selection of gorgeous Star Tours 2 high-res pictures. Let's begin by the one showing the decor of the Starspeeder room, Captain Rex and one of the AA droids of the second room.













The next series of pictures is showing the different Star Tours 2 destinations: Hoth, Naboo, Coruscant, Kashyyyk, Tatooine, the Death Star - and the Darth Vader sequence at the beginning of the ride.

Star Tours 2 Queue Decor and Pre Show Videos

Here is a selection of videos showing the Star Tours 2 queue and pre-show decor, audio-animatronics and movies. Warning: like most of the ST2 videos there is plenty of spoilers! That said, let's begin by two videos showing some of the "Star Tours promo" movies that guests can see on the big HD screen located in the Starspeeder room. The first one below is the Naboo Destination promo video, the second is the one about Tatooine.







Inside the Magic also did a great video showing the queue decor, animatronics droids, and the full pre-show video - the one you see just before getting inside your Starspeeder.




Don't forget to go to Inside the Magic to see more of their reports on Star Tours 2!

Disneyland Star Tours 2 "Early Departure" Event ! Star Tours 2 Full Ride HD Video !

Star Tours 2 will have its grand opening in Disneyland on June 3 but yesterday DL fans had the pleasure to discover it during a specail day called "Star Tours 2 early departure". Hundreds of them were there for this soft opening!



Here is a Disney Parks video showing the Disneyland fans reactions at the exit of the ride.






Yesterday Disney released the first official video showing the Star Tours queue decor and animatronics as well as clips for each ST 2 destination! And it looks fantastic!




Attractions Magazine also did a great walk-through video showing the DHS ST2 pre-show and AAs, plus official clips of the ride movies. More pics on Attractions Magazine web site HERE.




And, we knew it had to happen, that from day one ST2 videos will appear on Youtube and here is the first one, filmed by Asianjma123 at Disneyland. Not only you will discover the new pre-show in the Starspeeder room but also the full ride video of one of the ST2 destinations.

A big spoiler warning: no need to say that the full ride video is a giant spoiler and if you prefer to keep the surprise you definitely must NOT watch the video, or at least the ride part. That said, we're in a democracy so it's up to you to make your own decision! And as it is a HD video, if you decide to watch it, watch it full screen!





Video by Asianjma123, copyright Disney - Lucas Film Ltd

Star Tours 2 Pre-Show Videos - Plus: On Ride Audio !

Disney fans who were at WDW last week-end had the luck to try the awaited Star Tours 2 and it seems that everyone is pretty enthusiastic about the new version of the ride. Videos were not allowed inside the attraction whether it was in the pre-show or the ride itself but the will of transgression was too strong for some of them and here is some videos that will show you more of the pre-show decor. Just a little bit.

The first video shows the outside and a bit of the pre-show decor inside.




This next and short video provides a closer look to the ST2 Scan Droid that guests will meet in the second part of the queue line.




As this post is mostly about the pre-show decor, i also repost the Orlando Sentinel video showing the Starspeeder room.



As i've said video shooting was not allowed during this preview event but this didn't stopped some to record the audio! So, on this next Youtube video you'll hear the full audio recording of one Star Tours 2 trip, including the moment at the very beginning when a Storm Trooper is stopping the Starspeeder on its way to take of - as they are looking for a spy supposedly inside the vehicle... Note that the interesting part begins at 2.35 minutes.




Videos: copyright PopSong1, TravelingMouse, JerrodDRagonPodcast

First Star Tours 2 Reviews ! Live Webcast of Star Tours 2 opening !

Star Tours 2 grand opening at WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios will have a live webcast! Which means that even if you're not at WDW you'll be able to see everything - as long as Disney don't have technical problems if too many fans are connected... It will begin at 10a.m Florida time (3pm in London, 4pm in Paris) next Friday May 20th and you'll be able to watch it on the Disney Parks blog.

The webcast will also be live streaming on the Star Tours Facebook page and on the Disney Parks YouTube page. Please note that the webcast will require a computer or mobile device that supports Flash, which means that you won't be able to watch it on your Apple iPhone or iPad.

Now, the first Star Tours 2 reviews are appearing on the web, mostly from cast members or from Disney fans who are currently at the WDW Destination D event. No photos or videos were allowed which is not a surprise.

Here is some cast-members reviews and no need to say that it's full of spoilers!:

From @taradise:

• 2nd queue area now has a baggage scanner. The bot is like the TSA. Pretty funny.
• Then you pass a “body scanner”. Bot just implied I wasn’t actually human but a shapeshifter.
• Ok, new ride is pretty great. We went to Hoth then Naboo on my tour. JarJar made an appearance.
• Guest interaction part: Imperial bot scans starspeeder, stops on a guest, takes their pic & declares them a wanted rebel spy.
• Commerical for Cloud City “see the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks spectacular!” Love old Disney references!
• 2nd tour: Tatooine pod racing then Naboo again. Vadar led the guest interaction this time which I liked way better than an imperial bot.

From @DisneyMagicMan:

• A defective Rex is in the queue!! he even has some audio.
• There’s a small Incredibles reference in the Baggage claim area. They have actual heat body scans and luggage scans!
• It was INCREDIBLE! Fans of the original was definitely be pleased! We Pod Raced, was talked to by Yoda thru hologram.
• It was also interactive on a very nice scale, choosing someone in the vehicle, as a “princess” you need to help protect.
• My first run we didn’t encounter the new model of Rex at all, it was C3PO from the start.
• Patrick Worberg is definitely the heat scanning robot.
• The 3D technology is absolutely amazing, it’s flawless. The glasses are quite pretty too, and fit well!
• The second time was even more amazing! I have a loss for words, Each experience is so awesome!
• In the queue they had a lineup of all different types of R2-D2s. Very neat how they mixed things up a bit.

From @StarTours2Live:

• Also, on Hoth the StarSpeeder wraps the AT-AT’s legs to take it down.
• Hearing great things. No one reporting any motion sickness issues.
• Just talked to someone who got a bit motion sick on the ride. Said it wasn’t too bad, but she is only riding once for now. (Did she ever get sick on the old one?) She did. She said this one wasn’t as bad.
• Rex (in the queue) has original lines including “Welcome Aboard” and “Haha, a little shortcut.”

More of these short reviews are available HERE

In another post WDWnewstoday details what we know so far - warning again: lot of spoilers ahead:

QUEUE

The first queue room is mostly the same, the screen is now HD and shows weather reports, destination previews, and a look at Starspeeder 1000.
The Goose droids are now screening luggage in the second queue room. However on a sad note the droid room song is gone!
As luggage goes through the scanner, projections show what’s inside. Some items inside include Wall-E, a Stormtrooper helmet, and an ewok doll among other items.
3 to 4 models of our former pilot RX-24 are now in that room, each a different color. They each have a tag saying they are defective!
A body scanner is now located at the end of the room. The other goose droid makes a comment about you passing through.
Loading area is essentially the same except for new lighting and signage, the updated pre-show is presented on two HD screens above.

PRE-SHOW

Pre-show has Aly San San (the new Spokes-Droid voiced by Allison Janey) providing all the spiels in English and Spanish. The guests in the cabin was a shot for shot remake of original pre-show.
The cast member chooses who will be the rebel spy or princess that will be “caught” when the ride begins. We suggest you try kissing up.
During the pre-show, C-3P0 comes to inspect the Starspeeder cabin, has a discussion with pilot, then asks him to leave. (I’ve got a bad feeling about this)

Ride Experience

Guests board and are seated, the starspeeder takes off with reluctant pilot and a view of the Millennium Falcon. Guests are then ambushed!
You escape the ambush by jumping to lightspeed, bringing you to you your first destination.
The riders we spoke to then ended up on either Hoth or Kashyyk. There’s a battle on Hoth and you get chased on Speeder-bikes in the latter.
You go to space and get a transmission. The riders we spoke with were given a message by Admiral Ackbar or Princess Leia.
Princess Leia says “help me Star Tours, you’re my only hope!”. Next, R2-D2 then jumps to lightspeed without C-3P0′s permission.
The riders we spoke with then either entered final scenes in the Death Star, on Naboo, or Coruscant.
The Death Star scene ends with a Boba Fett chase through the asteroid field.
Naboo has a giant fish attack.
Coruscant has a giant battle in the sky between the Trade Federation and the Clone Troopers. You barely escape from a huge crashing ship!

Another review - this one with no spoiler - is available at Inside the Magic HERE

First Pictures and Video of Star Tours 2 Queue

Thanks to the Orlando Sentinel and Wsbt.com we have the first pictures and videos showing the brand new Star Tours 2 queue decor. The room filmed here is the first one with the brand new Starspeeder 1000. Here is some of the pictures and what they say about the highly awaited ST2.









Another great picture shows Darth Vader with Storm Troopers and this pic is very probably coming from a "screen capture" of one of the the beginning of the new movies.



The revamping of Star Tour represents the highest-profile addition to the Disney World parks in 2011. A version will open at Disneyland in California on June 3.

Disney has been selective in what details it reveals, including the price tag for the renovation that took nine months to complete. The floor plan of Star Tours remains the same as when it opened in 1989, but its story and emphasis have changed.

The new Star Tours is designed to immerse guests in the Star Wars universe, said Kathy Rogers, senior show producer for Walt Disney Imagineering. That feeling should be present “as soon as you come in the door,” she said during the Orlando Sentinel’s exclusive guided tour this week.

The ride’s 3-D film is divided into several segments featuring different planets and will be shown in 54 combinations. Once inside that door, visitors have a chance to see:

•A flood of fresh — and familiar — faces from Star Wars lore. The attraction is populated with characters throughout. “You’ve got Darth Vader, you’ve got Princess Leia, you’ve got R2-D2, C-3PO, Boba Fett, Yoda, Admiral Ackbar,” said Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering. “Jar Jar Binks makes an appearance.”

The idea is to set Star Tours in a definite galaxy far, far away. The new safety video shows only intergalactic beings filing into seats; no one who looks like a tourist, as in the previous version. A window to another concourse shows shadowy outlines of other recognizable characters, royal and interplanetary. There are cameos during the ride.

•A crisp look that reflects a time shift. The new version is set years earlier than the old ride, and familiar objects look newer. “It feels like a brand-new airport,” Rogers said.

In the first room of the queue, a copper-and-white StarSpeeder 1000 vessel sits where the blue StarSpeeder 3000 used to be. R2-D2 and C-3PO are there again, along with a small IC-360 scouting droid. Overhead is a new high-definition board listing spaceport departures and a galactic Weather Channel.

•A clear vision. Once the ride begins, the adventures are presented in 3-D digital projections, as opposed to 70 mm film. The imagery was again produced by Industrial Light & Magic under the guidance of “Star Wars” mastermind George Lucas. (The 3-D “flight glasses” are sleek, shiny and black.)

•Nods to Star Tours past. In the second room of the queue, which is the scanning area of the spaceport, boxed-up droids are ready for shipping. Rex, the hapless pilot from the original Star Tours, is marked “defective” and spews snippets of old dialogue."

Here is the video filmed essentially in the Starspeeder room.




Also, WDI Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald did a new update on the Disney fans web site:

Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald revealed that work on an update to Star Tours had been underway for about 10 years.

"We actually began planning the redesign over 10 years ago ... a year before Episode I was complete. Fans were eager to see some changes, but after learning that Episodes II and III were in the works, we decided the update would have to wait. In order to create the ultimate Star Wars attraction for our Parks, George [Lucas] needed to finish his saga so we could include the best of all the films."

"Because of time-period differences (the new attraction is a prequel to the original), we had to reverse-engineer our story, as well as the look of the Starspeeders."

"For the very first time, we utilized technology that selects one of 54 different story combinations so each ride's really a surprise. Guests never know where they'll go. We created this approach to keep it fresh for our enormous fan base. It's a huge change from the original show."

"We wanted to add 3D for years, but had to wait for projection equipment that was robust enough to make it look state-of-the-art. Advanced visual effects make the world totally dimensional and so much more realistic than before. It's absolutely breathtaking."

"It'll feel very different from the first show, which only featured space flight. We've added a desert pod race, underwater travel, sliding on ice, and careening through forests while smashing into trees. Some adventures will be planet-based, some space, but each ride will feel distinct because Guests won't know which story combination they're getting."

"Darth Vader's voiceover was recorded by the original actor. It was also great working with Anthony Daniels and Frank Oz, who reprised their roles as C-3PO and Yoda respectively."

"Aly San San came about because we couldn't think of anything and knew George [Lucas] was amazing with names. When we told him actress Allison Janney was doing the voiceover work, he instantly said, 'Aly San San.'"

"I spent more time with George than we were able to on the original show, which was absolutely wonderful for me. Meeting with him every few weeks to review the sequences, help us tune up the show, and learn from his experience was priceless. It was like taking a master class from George Lucas."

"John Williams and his music editor found passages from the scores to use in our show. The cabin music is taken from the original recordings!"

"We packed as much of the films as we could into the new show. It's really a salute to the best of Star Wars, so whether you're a fan of the original or the newer trilogy, there's something for everyone."

Let's end with another video showing the aliens silhouettes moving above the guests in the newly Star Trader store at Disneyland. Among the silhouettes moving and ready to embark on a new Star Tours flight we can see the Admiral Ackbar, Darth Vader and many more!




Pictures: copyright Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel 2011

Videos: copyright Disney, Orlando sentinel or AGoodDonkeyShow

Disney Press Release Reveals Details on Star Tours 2: The Adventures Continue

Disney just issued a new press release with more details on “Star Tours: The Adventures Continue”, and here it is. Disney fans will also find in the next issue of Disney 23 magazine a sneak peek article about Star Tours 2. Above is a picture of the article opening pages.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The power of the Force and the magic of Disney have combined to create “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” a new 3-D attraction set to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park on May 20, 2011. The attraction also will open at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., on June 3, 2011.

Based on the Star Wars films, Star Tours will take Walt Disney World Resort guests to multiple Star Wars destinations where they will interact with characters from throughout the Saga. And it will all be in 3-D.

With eye-popping 3-D digital filming, a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology, guests will be immersed in the Star Wars galaxy like never before on a theme park attraction. Walt Disney Imagineering worked with Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Industrial Light & Magic – the groundbreaking visual effects division of Lucasfilm – to bring the out-of-this-world attraction to life.

Star Tours, which had thrilled Disney Parks guests since the 1980s, was “powered down” at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2010 so Imagineers could begin work on the new attraction.

And in a new twist, guests may be able to enjoy the attraction multiple times without ever experiencing the same adventure. More than 50 story combinations are possible for guests to experience aboard Star Tours.

Just as the Star Wars films immerse movie-goers in storylines that keep them on the edge of their seats, Star Tours will feature multiple stories and scenarios that will hurtle park guests throughout the Star Wars galaxy. And all of the storyline’s twists and turns will be random, affording guests the chance to ride the attraction multiple times.

Whether it’s a battle with Darth Vader and his legion of stormtroopers or a plea from Princess Leia to help her save the Rebellion, guests will find themselves in the middle of the action – literally – in the 3-D, multi-sensory attraction.

Entering the attraction queue area, Star Tours guests walk into a bustling spaceport. The famed Star Wars droid duo, C-3PO and R2-D2, greet them as the Starspeeder 1000 is prepped for service. Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO and the only actor to appear in every theatrical chapter of the Star Wars Saga, reprises his role as the golden protocol droid. Daniels worked with Walt Disney Imagineering to record new dialogue for the attraction. Guests also are introduced to AC-38, a hotshot droid pilot known simply as “Ace,” and Aly San San (voiced by actress Allison Janney), the “spokesbot” for the spaceport.

After winding through the spaceport, guests board the Starspeeder 1000 spacecraft and prepare for Star Tours Flight #1401. Through a series of mishaps, however, C-3PO finds himself in the pilot’s seat instead of Ace, and it’s up to him and R2-D2 to navigate their passengers through the galaxy. However, the tyrannical Empire is out to stop the Starspeeder at all costs. C-3PO and R2-D2 take the controls and try to outwit and outrun the Imperial forces and a galactic bounty hunter hired to pursue the spaceship and its passengers.

Utilizing the 50+ random story combinations, the Starspeeder then embarks on a wild trip through the galaxy, visiting several planets made famous in the Star Wars films. Among the locations that might provide haven from the Empire’s pursuit are the icy planet of Hoth, the lush jungles of Kashyyyk and the underwater Gungan world of Naboo. And along the way guests may encounter Star Wars characters that offer to help (or hinder) their journey, including Yoda, Admiral Ackbar, Darth Vader and Boba Fett. “Skytroopers,” a legion of stormtroopers created just for the Star Tours attraction story, might even join in the chase.

In fact, with multiple ways to experience each flight, guests will never know where the Force will take them.

At Walt Disney World Resort, Star Tours opens May 20, 2011, the same day the annual Star Wars Weekends event begins at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. Star Tours and Star Wars Weekends event activities are included in regular admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

Pictures: copyright Disney

New Star Tours 2 Mobile Site Reveals Stars Tours 2 Posters

Disney launched a new Star Tours 2 mobile web site and among others visuals you'll find Star Tours 2 posters which will be brilliant wallpapers for your mobile phone. You'll find them also below, and hopefully more will come!









Pictures: copyright Disney-Lucas Film Ltd

Star Tours “ Mall Tours ” Backdrop Reveals Star Tours 2 Hangar

The Star Tours “Mall Tours” had its first stop at the Aventura Mall in Miami, Florida and you can see pictures of it HERE or HERE. Guests could meet C3P0 or R2D2 and have pictures with them. But the most interesting is this big backdrop which reveal what is very probably the new Star Tours hangar from which our new Starspeeder 1000 will depart. If you have a closer look at the pictures you will see, aside from several Starspeeder 1000 vehicles, other famous Star Wars vehicles like the Millennium Falcon and what seems to be the backside of a Corellian corvette.

Picture: copyright Disney-Lucas Film Ltd

Star Tours 2 Destinations

What will be the new Star Tours 2 destinations? We knew already that the Starspeeder 1000 will go at Tatooine to participate in the Boonta Eve Podrace - picture below - and also to Coruscant - picture above.



Tom Fitzgerald released recently this "spaceport" screenshot showing the new destinations.



Yesterday Disney launched a new Star Tours web site for mobile with new pictures that you will see below of Star Tours destination. Always according to Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald, "Additional destinations include a visit to the beautiful planet of Naboo...



...a rare tour of the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk...



...and a trip to the icy planet Hoth.



Of course, no Star Tours adventure would be complete without an unexpected visit to the Death Star, this time above the planet Geonosis".

The Geonosis scene is the one painted on the rendering showing the Starspeeder being chased by Boba Fett vessel with in the background the first Death Star under construction.



Also released on the new Star Tours mobile site this guide of ST2 destinations.



Some weeks ago this Star Tours queue video was also released showing some of the Starspeeder 1000 destinations.




Star Tours 2 open next month at DHS and it's going to be a very exciting moment!

Pictures: copyright Disney-Lucas Film Ltd

Disneyland Paris Star Tours

Hopefully in the future the new Star Tours 2 will come to Disneyland Paris. In the meantime, let's have a special tribute to the current version that guests can ride at Discoveryland.

The picture on the top is a Star Tours entrance concept by Eric Robison, never realised. We know that a big X Wing fighter stands at the entrance, but did you know that Imagineers once envisioned to have instead a big AT & AT snow walker?



Or even a Millenium Falcon as you can see on this painting by Tim Delaney who did also the one above. Was it Space Mountain behind, with a Death Star design?



These two rare pictures show the making at a WDI facility of the X Wing fighter, standing now at the entrance of the attraction.





This next painting by Tim Delaney is famous, but you'll find it here in a very good quality.



Talking about pre-show, here is a great picture of C3PO...



...and of Admiral Ackbar...



..and of the little robots located in the Droids room.



Two others elements of the decor, including the Starspeeder 3000 plan.





The next picture is a high-res version of a well known image showing the Starspeeder in the final battle of the ride movie.



Let's end with a gift with this high-res pic of the Starspeeder Service poster!



All pictures and artwork: copyright Disney