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April 25 2005: George Lucas comments on Star Tour changes
George Lucas made a guest appearance at "Celebration III" at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis and he talked about changes to Star Tours.
According to comingsoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=9301 - George Lucas said that the "Star Tours" thrill ride at Disney-MGM Studios will be getting an overhaul soon.
March 31 2000: News from Andrew
I was in MGM today and talked extensively to 2 Star Tours CM's and both had the same information to share. Upon approaching Star Tours the area under the AT-AT is boarded up as is the location across the street where the Speeder Bike used to be. CM's told me that they are currently re-doing the queue area to accommodate Fast Pass. They have stopped Fast Pass for the next few months because the current set-up did not work well at all. It was not designed for Fast Pass. I asked does this mean that the new Pod Racer film is a reality because currently ST does not draw large enough crowds to require FP and I was assured that it most certainly was. CM's have been told that the current time frame for the Pod Racing film is September/October but they have not divulged if they will be upgrading Simulator by Simulator or taking the entire ride down for a while.
December 2 1999: Star Tours II Opening?
We have some info telling us that the new Pod Race theme may be in place September 2000.
Another Star Tours CM from our discussion board has this to add:
"I can tell you that Imagineers have been reconfiguring all 6
simulators for the past 6 months. They would, in turn, close each
sim for a couple days and then move on to the next one. A source has also informed me that testing has taken place on 3D
effects on the ride."
September 18, 1999: News on the new ride sent in by Dion
Courtesy of the Disneyland Information Guide. Be sure to visit their site below for all the info:
Apparently, all four star speeders will have a new destination:
Tatooine. The new show will take you to the planet and the ever popular
but treacherous pod racing. You will somehow get caught in a pod race
and other pod racers will try to knock you off the track, and this time
you finally do get to your destination.
http://members.aol.com/alweho/docs/update.htm
September 18, 1999: The new Tatooine Traders store at Star Tours!
Thanks to Robert for the pictures! Click each image for a larger version.
September 6, 1999: News sent in by Dion.
Jake Lloyd ( who plays Anakin Skywalker in the new Star Wars film) did a telephone interview on the Indianapolis-based syndicated Bob and Tom morning show this morning around 7:30am EST, September 1 99.
They asked him if he got to go to Disneyworld because of the film, then asked him if he liked the Star Tours ride, in which he volunteered "they are coming out with a new one...it's going to be a Pod Racing ride."
July 24, 1999: Tatooine Traders
The photo above shows the new Tatooine Traders Star Wars shop under construction.
December 15, 1998
It now seems that the simulator motion vehicle will remain the same, but a whole new imaging system will be used inside. A type of holographic projection system has apparently been developed by Imagineering.
November 20, 1998
Rumours suggest that as well as the new film, a whole new simulator engine will be installed, possibly 3D.
October 23, 1998
Filmmaker George Lucas is considering making a short film based on his upcoming "Star Wars" trilogy of "prequels" as part of an updated Star Wars simulation ride at Walt Disney World, Disney sources said on Wednesday. Plans remain sketchy and Disney World's public relations arm had few details when asked about the project. Walt Disney World spokesman Craig Dezern at first said Lucas had "agreed to a whole collaboration" with Disney's design team on the project. But he later characterized "agreement" as an overstatement and said the relationship involved "serious and ongoing discussions." "We don't discuss our business deals," said Dezern. A source at Disney later said the company had a "verbal agreement" with Lucas, but many details remained to be worked out before an agreement could be formalized.
The first of Lucas' new trilogy of "Star Wars" films, which start with the story of Luke Skywalker's father before he became the villainous Darth Vader, is scheduled to premiere in May 1999. "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" will be directed by Lucas, who also directed the original "Star Wars" in 1977.
The new Disney attraction would not be ready until some time after 1999, Dezern said, and it would replace Star Tours, which combines a flight simulator with a short film that uses the first trilogy of features for its source material. Lynne Hale, a spokeswoman for LucasFilm, the director's film company, said features of the new attraction were "just in discussion." (Reuters)