If you’re on this site, you’re either a Disney fan or Spam. If you’re Spam, you probably can’t read so feel free to disregard the rest of this post. If you’re a Disney fan, and you haven’t been living in a cave (somehow this has a different meaning this month… perhaps I should say “fortified bunker”, you’re aware that Star Tours: The Adventures Continue has begun soft openings prior to its official May 20th opening date. I have not ridden the attraction, but it won’t stop me from writing about it.
Now admittedly, I’m not a big Star Wars fan, nor am I a big fan of simulators. The original Star Tours was never anything I did unless someone I was with wanted to go on it. I did however have a few “Last Trips to Endor” both with the fanboys and on my last trip to Disneyland. The “Last Trip to Endor” in Disneyland was both my first and last time on the ride in California. Often times with simulators it has been the source material that has brought me in. I was/am indifferent towards the original Star Tours, Body Wars and Mission: Space. The source material for Back to the Future brought me into that attraction, but it made me sick. Thankfully, The Simpsons doesn’t have the same effect so I can enjoy the attraction. I suppose you could also call Soarin’ a simulator but it’s not a particularly intense simulator so I feel it’s in a different category (also, I do love Soarin’).
So with all that said, I’m excited about Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. I’m always excited when a major new attraction opens up because it brings with it so many unknowns. When Universal announced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter I recognized the scope and scale of what they were doing, and I wanted to be familiar with the source material. I read all the books and watched all the movies (to date) between the time the project was announced and my first visit. If I’ve seen the original Star Wars trilogy it was 20+ years ago, and I did see the new trilogy as they came out (Phantom Menace in theaters, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith at home). I’ll be riding Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in August and I plan on watching all 6 movies again in order (Episode I to VI).
I expect my perspective on Star Tours to be similar to Harry Potter – I enjoyed the Harry Potter books and movies, but not to the point where I felt compelled to spend hundreds of dollars on merchandise. What it allowed me to do was get a better understanding of the rich theming and story telling over at the Wizarding World. With Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, the scope of the attraction and surrounding area isn’t as substantial as the Wizarding World. Much of the surrounding area has been there for years, but the attraction does have a level of immersion that cannot be ignored. My hope is that by re-watching the six Star Wars movies my appreciation for the attraction will be that much greater. Here’s hoping that I have a new headliner attraction that becomes a must see for every visit to Hollywood Studios or Disneyland.
FanBoy Loyalty Program
For every $1000+ in combined purchases you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop is up and running, and we have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.
Project Fan Boy Contest
Win a chance to appear on our show in a short segment where you can talk about a topic of your choosing with us. Winners will also receive WDW Fan Boys swag, and Brett will record a custom outgoing voice mail message for you.
To enter the contest send us an e-mail, video, or audio file explaining why you should be on the show. The funnier the better. All entries should be submitted to questions@wdwfanboys.com.
On this week’s episode of the WDW Fan Boys podcast we share our thoughts on Future World East. We discuss the current attractions like Spaceship Earth, Innoventions, Mission: SPACE and Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Extinct Attractions like Horizons and World of Motion, New Attractions like Habit Heroes and Vision House, and Upcoming attractions like Test Track 2.0.
PixieVacations.com: Making Magical Memories Disney World Sweepstakes
