What happens to Star Tours when Star Wars Land Opens?
With Disneyland recently announcing that the Rivers of America will reopen in the spring of 2017 (that’s right, Fantasmic! will return!), Star Wars Land has never seemed more of a reality. Even though the casual onlooker from Mickey and Friends likely still sees a pile of dirt where Big Thunder Ranch once was, Disney magic may bring Star Wars to life faster than any of us could have anticipated.
This then raises many questions concerning the future of Disney Theme Parks in both Florida and California. Each of the rides and areas that Disney produces are not simply attractions, they are experiences. With that in mind, continuity is key in the Disney community. Just like a princess ride would not make sense in Tomorrowland, Star Wars rides in any location besides Star Wars Land would not fit the Disney contuinity. This worries fans of the epic adventure that embarks from Tomorrowland: Star Tours. What will happen to the ride, a Disney legend in its own right, when Star Wars land opens? Will it be removed as the more glamorous Millennium Falcon adventure takes its place?
Worry not. Star Tours will not be going anywhere for two very important reasons:
1. Star Tours is a spaceport and is not actually contained within the Star Wars universe.
Those familiar with Star Tours know that the premise of the ride is that guests are taking an interplanetary flight on the carrier Star Tours (Virgin Galactic anyone?). It just so happens that some of our favorite droids work on this carrier and systems analyst C-3PO ends up accidentally piloting your flight even though He’s “Not programmed for this!!” Trouble ensues as a scan or encounter with Darth Vader reveals that your spaceship is smuggling a Rebel spy! An intergalactic adventure continues as you attempt to outrun the empire and safely deliver the spy to the Rebellion. From this comes one important fact: the Star Tours terminal is not directly contained within the Star Wars Universe. It is a flight INTO the Star Tours Universe and therefore its distance from Star Wars Land is not only acceptable, it actually makes sense! A spaceport on a planet you walk to is a bit of an issue after all.
2. Disney does not remove “E Tickets.”
This also applies to why Tower of Terror will NOT be replaced with a PERMANENT Guardians of the Galaxy overlay. Now, while Disney may announce a Guardians of the Galaxy coaster in the current Monsters Inc ride and use a Tower of Terror overlay to peak interest (the exact same thing they are doing with Hyperspace Mountain), a permanent change to Tower of Terror or Star Tours is beyond unlikely. Both of these rides are modern “E-Ticket” attractions, that is, they draw extremely large crowds through their turnstiles without fail. They are successful as they are. With this mindset, Disney will not risk a less successful venture replacing their star attractions (catch that pun?). The saying goes “Disney does not remove E-Tickets.” Meaning, as long as an attraction is successful in drawing crowds through its turnstiles, it is safe. Now, if an attraction is becoming less popular or a vestige of an old Dream (like the Golden Dreams film that used to occupy the Little Mermaid ride in Disney’s California Adventure), it is open to being removed or “Disney-fied” (ex: Mulholland Madness).
So to all you Star Tours fans out there, fear not. The adventure continues!
