Disneyland’s Star Tours Footage Being Updated

Disneyland patrons may be the first to get a glimpse of the next cinematic chapters in the “Star Wars” saga in 1999.

A Disneyland spokesman said the 10-year-old “Star Tours” attraction in Tomorrowland, in which audiences experience an out-of-control flight through space piloted by “Star Wars” robots C-3PO and R2D2, will be updated to feature new film footage related to the next movie in the series. The building housing the attraction will also be redesigned to put more of the queue lines inside the structure where patrons are immersed in a “Star Wars” environment before experiencing the “flight.”

Although the reconfigured “Star Tours” attraction will not be done in time for the reopening of Tomorrowland in spring 1998, Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato said it’s hoped that the updated “Star Tours” could be completed in 1999, in advance of the expected release of the first new “Star Wars” movie that same year.

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas partnered with the Walt Disney Co. in creating “Star Tours,” which opened at Disneyland in 1987. A spokeswoman for his Lucasfilm company confirmed that the attraction would be revamped but said the companies are still in discussions on specific plans. However, she said it’s not likely that any actual footage from the movie would be used in the attraction. The existing ride’s footage is styled after the original “Star Wars.”

The discussion of the “Star Tours” update came during a media preview this week of the new “Light Magic” nightly musical light and dance show on moving floats that replaces the 25-year-old Main Street Electrical Parade.

Responding to concerns from preview audiences that the show was inferior to the Electrical Parade, Disneyland Resort president Paul Pressler said the new show would likely go through a process of modifications, just as the Electrical Parade did when it opened to criticism.