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
