STAR TOURS 2.0 * Very First Ride at Disneyland * HD 5/20/11

STAR TOURS: Take a video voyage on the new Disneyland ride -- LA Times Hero Complex: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/0...

"The circle is now complete...".
Darth Vader - STAR WARS Episode 4: A New Hope

On September 12, 2009 -- at Disney's first ever Comic-Con like convention: the D23 Expo -- an announcement was made of the original STAR TOURS ride's impending closure at Disneyland. Darth Vader and a legion of his stormtroopers were on hand to hear of this (   • STAR TOURS 2 - ENTIRE ANNOUNCEMENT AT DISN...  ) -- yet were reassured by a Disney Imagineer that the closing was only temporary -- as a new and improved STAR TOURS ride would be taking its place... in 2014.

Vader quickly squashed this: "Unacceptable, the Emperor will not tolerate an opening later than 2011...".

Jump to lightspeed to present day -- the first ever ride on the new STAR TOURS 2.0 (also known as STAR TOURS 3-D) occurred on May 20th at Disneyland at a special preview event -- just prior to the ride's opening to the public which is scheduled for June 3rd. I was on this maiden voyage and shot video which shows the newly enhanced queue area and ride itself, which is now displayed for riders in Hi-Definition 3-D that is accompanied by the ride simulator's movements (so while viewable in my video, the full impact of the fantastic 3-D visuals and g-force thrills are only experienced when riding it).

There are multiple destinations that riders can now travel to in the STAR WARS universe with this new version, along with approximately 55 variables in the voyage and story.

While the original STAR TOURS ride was fun and first enabled us to venture into A Galaxy Far, Far Away via a theme park ride: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/0... -- the characters, settings, and situations in this newly enhanced 2.0 version are much more "STAR WARS identified" -- and the ride itself lightyears ahead in entertainment value and enjoyment.

Jay West
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/tag/ja...