Disneyland’s ‘Star Tours’ is closing and D23 members get the last ride
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Disneyland will shutter the popular ‘Star Tours’ attraction this month to make way for a major overhaul of the Reagan-era ride -- but D23 members will be given one last, special opportunity to say goodbye to the vintage ‘Star Wars’ adventure.
On July 14, members of D23 (which is the prestige, dues-membership fan club launched by Disney last year) will be offered a free and final ride on ‘Star Tours’ before the doors get locked. The first 160 members who sign up that morning will get spots on the last run of the ‘Star Tours’ starspeeders, which will be after-hours on the night of July 26.
The way it will work: The lucky D23 members will meet at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney between 10 p.m. and midnight for check-in. After the park closes at midnight, D23 staffers will escort the contingent into Disneyland proper, where they will join the always-hapless Captain Rex for the last flight to Endor aboard his Starspeeder 3000 vehicle.
The group is 160 because that is the capacity of the ride -- there are four starspeeders that hold 40 people each. Check the D23 website on Wednesday for more details and the official announcement.
‘Star Tours 2.0’ is scheduled to reopen next year with an enhanced experience that will have high definition ‘Disney Real-D’ 3D. The story presented will take place between the two George Lucas trilogies and there will be new destinations added, including Coruscant. Last year, at the D23 Expo presentation on the new ‘Star Tours’ plans, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo pledged that his team was ‘going to do things with ‘Star Tours’ that have never been done with any theme park attraction before at any theme park anywhere.’ Here’s some video from that presentation; it was shot by frequent Hero Complex contributor Jay West....
-- Geoff Boucher
WANT MORE THEME-PARK COVERAGE? READ THE L.A. TIMES TRAVEL & DEAL BLOG
RECENT AND RELATED
REVIEW: ‘King Kong’ ride is too little of a good thing
Back to the jungle: Jackson & Weta take a ride with Kong
REVIEW: Disney’s World of Color is ‘new brand of night magic’
Michelle Obama and daughters visit Disney’s ‘Colors’
J.K. Rowling takes a ride with ‘Potter’ in Orlando
REVIEW: Universal’s ‘Potter’ ride outduels Disney
‘Star Tours’ headed for major upgrade
Back to the future: The secret history of ‘Star Tours’ redo