Star Tours ll, beyond amazing....

[rickosuave1987]

I recall seeing a little checklist that you can mark which scenes you have experienced. I didnt see them. How does one obtain them? Were they for sale in Star Traders?

You can print out a passport from the Star Tours Facebook page under "travel essentials"

http://www.facebook.com/StarTours?sk...95132833855085

[IllusionOfLife]

So I just rode the ride a couple of times yesterday, and I was disappointed, but I also realize it has a lot of potential that hasn't been fully tapped yet. The biggest problem, ironically, is a feature they're advertising very prominently: the randomization of the ride experience. Because there are so many different possible combinations, there are definitely experiences that feel disjointed, jumbled, and incoherent (as was the first time I rode), in my opinion Disney needs to reduce the number of possible shows in order to make sure that each one is a coherent experience from start to finish. Second, there is a lot of plot in the ride that isn't instantly obvious to the average guest who is only moderately familiar with the Star Wars canon; biggest among these is C-3PO and R2-D2, the good guys, working for the Empire, the bad guys. In my opinion, they could easily remedy this by changing the queue to make it more obviously and ominously under new management by the Empire. Give a good set up and everything makes sense.

I enjoyed the attraction, but I don't think it works as well from beginning to end as the original Star Wars did. It's not a Prequel level of disappointment, but there's still more that can be done to improve it.

[AJDerrick]

So while doing the previews two weeks ago the ride in front of us got stalled or something so they had to restart the ride. Since I was in the front row I was able to see how they picked the person who is the "spy". On the screen next to the controls it shows a picture of everyone inside and they pic a person and drag there picture to the designated box and they confirm the picture and that is how the guy picked who the chosen one was. Pretty neat

So now I'm wondering how cheshirecatgirl was on a ride with an empty seat as the spy (as she said above). If the CM is choosing then I wouldn't expect that to happen. Maybe they have the option of randomizing it?

[newhdplayer]

I am still waiting to go.
Overall, sounds like a great enhancement, especially with the multiple outcomes

[wolfepackmom]

I was wondering if anyone knows yet (maybe I'm a day too early) whether ST will be open during MM? I don't recall seeing a specific write-up about that. I think pre-update it usually wasn't part of MM, but wondering if it will be now.

TIA!

[potzbie]

I was wondering if anyone knows yet (maybe I'm a day too early) whether ST will be open during MM? I don't recall seeing a specific write-up about that. I think pre-update it usually wasn't part of MM, but wondering if it will be now.

TIA!

"MM"? -- Do you mean "Magic Mornings"?

Yes, Star Tours is open during Magic Mornings.
I confirmed this myself, last week, Saturday June 4, 2011, 7:00 a.m., thanks to a week-end I spent at the Disneyland Hotel.

[wolfepackmom]

"MM"? -- Do you mean "Magic Mornings"?

Yes, Star Tours is open during Magic Mornings.
I confirmed this myself, last week, Saturday June 4, 2011, 7:00 a.m., thanks to a week-end I spent at the Disneyland Hotel.

Sorry, yes I did mean Magic Mornings. Got lazy typing it yesterday. Thanks for the confirmation. I didn't know if it would be different with the opening weekend vs. the rest of the summer, but good to know it was open Saturday morning. THANKS!

[AVP]

As potzbie noted, Star Tours IS open during Magic Mornings, but the Fastpass machines still don't open until park opening. A cast member said that the Star Tours standby line was an hour by the time the park opened this morning. You may still be better off using your Magic Morning access to ride other attractions, and then go back to Star Tours right at opening to grab a Fastpass for a later time.

AVP

[wolfepackmom]

As potzbie noted, Star Tours IS open during Magic Mornings, but the Fastpass machines still don't open until park opening. A cast member said that the Star Tours standby line was an hour by the time the park opened this morning. You may still be better off using your Magic Morning access to ride other attractions, and then go back to Star Tours right at opening to grab a Fastpass for a later time.

AVP

Thanks AVP. Is that fairly standard on the Magic Morning and Fastpasses? Will Space Mountain Fastpasses also not start until the park opens?

[potzbie]

...Star Tours IS open during Magic Mornings, but the Fastpass machines still don't open until park opening.

Curious.

At 7:10 a.m., approximately, when I got to STAR TOURS on Saturday morning, the electric sign in front of the entrance said that the FastPass return time was 7:18 a.m.

Since the park does not open to the general public until 8:00 a.m., then why (or how) would a FastPass sign have a 7:18 a.m. time on it?

I didn't think to "try out" the FastPass machine while I was there, since I didn't think I'd need it.

[AVP]

Curious.

At 7:10 a.m., approximately, when I got to STAR TOURS on Saturday morning, the electric sign in front of the entrance said that the FastPass return time was 7:18 a.m.

Since the park does not open to the general public until 8:00 a.m., then why (or how) would a FastPass sign have a 7:18 a.m. time on it?

I didn't think to "try out" the FastPass machine while I was there, since I didn't think I'd need it.

That *is* curious. Let me do some checking.

AVP

[Malcon10t]

During AP previews they had similar times running, when the FP machines weren't putting times on them.

How long did it take you to get to the front of the line?

And FP return times are on the 5s and 10s, not just odd numbers.

[potzbie]

During AP previews they had similar times running, when the FP machines weren't putting times on them.
How long did it take you to get to the front of the line?
And FP return times are on the 5s and 10s, not just odd numbers.

That's why it struck me odd. --- I had never seen a non-rounded time on a FastPass board before.
The time was like 5 or 10 minutes into the future, hardly worth even lighting up the board.
It could have been a glitch, or a garbled number due to the system not being rebooted fully.

"Strange days, indeed. Most peculiar, momma."
--John Lennon

[AVP]

Mystery solved, courtesy of a lurker. You said "the electric sign in front of the entrance said that the FastPass return time was 7:18 a.m." That sign is just a clock, and displays the current time. The signs that indicate the return time currently being issued is outside the Fastpass machines, not the ride entrance, and they are blank when Fastpass distribution is closed.

AVP

[currence]

I don't know if Disney will divulge the answer to this, but I have been looking at Touringplans.com wait times for the past few days and it appears that the Fastpasses are running out sooner and sooner. On Sunday, the fastpasses were still there by 10:20 when we picked them up, though it was for fairly late in the evening. Today, per their poses the fastpasses were all gone by 9:40. It makes me wonder if Disney has modified the ratio of stand-by to fastpass returns to get people through the regular lines more quickly.

[AVP]

It makes me wonder if Disney has modified the ratio of stand-by to fastpass returns to get people through the regular lines more quickly.

I think they have adjusted the number of Fastpasses issued to account for all of the tickets redeemed by Resort hotel guests. I was told over 1500 were redeemed at Star Tours the first day the Fastpass tickets were offered to hotel guests, so that's a good hour of ride capacity right there. I think as they get better number of how many of those passes are used at Star Tours, vs. Space Mountain or whatever, they are decreasing the number of FP tickets issued, which means they run out that much faster.

AVP

[currence]

That makes sense, I wasn't thinking about the Hotel Guest Fastpasses. I was hoping if they were simply increasing stand-by capacity then the waits for that line may go down (not that I see myself standing in it anytime soon). It surprised me that the fastpasses were gone for the day on a weekday sooner than over the weekend.

I was planning on trying to get my family out of bed to be at park opening sometime soonish to get fastpasses for the ride. Based on what I am seeing this week, I may need to wait until July when at least some of the passholders are blocked out - and plan on making a day of our visit rather than just a morning.

[quackinup]

did anybody get any jokes from the host? When we were there yesterday he said something like:

 

We ran out of Boba fet-a cheese but we will be serving Yoda Soda and Wookie Cookies, (they are a little chewie.)

Yeah, I had that for one of my rides.

[quackinup]

So now I'm wondering how cheshirecatgirl was on a ride with an empty seat as the spy (as she said above). If the CM is choosing then I wouldn't expect that to happen. Maybe they have the option of randomizing it?

maybe it does a random seat unless the cast member chooses to select one.

[Karin]

This is how I believe it works. The CM *can* choose a person, but if they don't it's random.

[AJDerrick]

That must be it. It'd be fun to get to choose!

[wolfepackmom]

I don't know if Disney will divulge the answer to this, but I have been looking at Touringplans.com wait times for the past few days and it appears that the Fastpasses are running out sooner and sooner. On Sunday, the fastpasses were still there by 10:20 when we picked them up, though it was for fairly late in the evening. Today, per their poses the fastpasses were all gone by 9:40. It makes me wonder if Disney has modified the ratio of stand-by to fastpass returns to get people through the regular lines more quickly.

WOW!! I wonder how long the lines have been for waiting for just the FP. Out of curiousity I did join Touringplans to keep an eye on what they have posted as I get ready for our trip at the end of next week. It looks like today there was a post at 9:51 that the FP Dist was for 5:55pm, then the next one at 10:44 said they were gone. It looks like it went offline at 10:37 though too. I am so looking forward to trying out the new ride, and guess we'll just have to make it a priority to get in line for the FP as soon as we enter the park and hope for the best.

[zombie pirate]

I got a question ? Is there anything in the ride from the original Star Wars IV - VI, or is it more episodes I - III ? We are not going till Nov this year.

[cstephens]

I got a question ? Is there anything in the ride from the original Star Wars IV - VI, or is it more episodes I - III ? We are not going till Nov this year.

Yes. It's a mixture of both trilogies.

[IllusionOfLife]

It's a mixture in the loosest sense of the word. I'd say it's about 80% Prequels and 20% Original Trilogy which is very very disappointing. The few elements of the Original Trilogy referenced in the ride amount to little more than brief easter eggs while the Prequel references make up the bulk of the attraction.

 

You do get Boba Fett, but only as a blatant reference to Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones. You do get a Speeder Bike Chase, but rather than the Endor moon, you're on Kashykk from Episode III. The Millenium Falcon only makes a brief cameo, the battle of Hoth is only briefly shown in favor of going Star Speeder sledding. The rest of the time you get Podraces, Trade Federation blockades, and Gungans.

It's frustrating and almost insulting to fans that the films that made Star Wars a classic and iconic film series are ignored in favor of the vastly inferior film that rode on the coat tails of the original films success. That is my biggest problem with Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. There are literally dozens of iconic scenes and set pieces from the original series that could have been recreated for Star Tours, but most of them are ignored in favor of the schlock seen in the Prequel films.

I also feel it banks too heavily on the randomization of the ride rather than focussing on making a truly memorable experience. Over the past week I experienced the attraction roughly ten times, and none of the individual ride variations matched the charm or memorability of the original attraction. The original Star Tours was worth riding multiple times on the same trip on the merit of a single show, with Star Tours: The Adventures Continue the second or third time you see the same sequence you get bored. Yes, the randomization is cool, but the sequences it is choosing between aren't nearly as good on their own merit which means that while the show has a total of 54 different possible variations it also has a total of 54 times it's worth riding before it gets played out. Not quite the longevity they were going for I'm sure.

Hopefully, with the all-digital presentation of the new Star Tours it will be similar to World of Color and Toy Story Mania in that swapping in new ride sequences will be possible without closing the attraction for a lengthy period of time. If this is the case I hope that Imagineering can craft some more show sequences that truly live up to the legacy of the original and provide a more coherent, cohesive, and memorable experience every time. Also, more Han Solo, less Jar-Jar Binks.