In recent years Disneyland and Walt Disney World have both debuted high-tech updates to the classic “Star Wars” simulator ride now officially dubbed “Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.” On May 7, Tokyo Disneyland will do the same, adding their own spin on the new version of the ride.
Just in time for May the 4th, widely known as Star Wars day, David Caamano has sent in the following report from a recent preview of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in Japan, noting some of the touches unique to Tokyo Disneyland, including a few fun tributes for fans:
The original Star Tours has been in place in Tokyo Disneyland since 1989 and on May 7th Star Tours: The Adventure Continues will open.
The ride itself is like the United States versions and you get the same amount of different scenes as well. The only thing different is queue itself. The entrance to the attraction has a large hangar building before you enter the room where you normally see R2-D2 and C-3PO.
This hangar rom has another Star Speeder up hight and a huge mural, well screen really that has really neat artwork on the different destinations. When I heard the theme to Star Wars and got to see this huge mural of fantastic artwork I actually got chills.
After the hangar room, you then enter the standard room with R2 and 3PO. I even heard that same classic Star Tours line, “Paging Egroeg Sucal?” (a reference to “Star Wars” creator George Lucas) and I got giddy because I heard it and wondered if all the Japanese people picked up on it. And listening to C3-PO in Japanese is pretty sweet as well.
You then move to the droid room, just like the others. I spotted the droid from the original Star Tours ride with a box behind it that said ‘Defective’.
New for the Tokyo Disneyland version of the ride are three droids in poses that mimic the famous Hitchhiking Ghosts from The Haunted Mansion.
It has all the same great details that you get in the US versions. I even spotted a sign that read ‘Sucal’ on the wall and wondered if this is in the US versions of the ride.
Then the loading bay for the ride itself is a slightly different layout. Instead of seeing the various loading bays of the simulators lined up single file, you actually enter the middle of the loading bay. On either side of you are the different loading bays for the simulators, three on each side. I thought that this room looked more like an actual terminal then the US versions. The pre-show video is the same, and actually in English first and then in Japanese.
The ride itself features the same scenes as the US versions, though with Japanese dialogue. Scenes include travel to Kashyyyk, being chased by Boba Fett, contacted by Yoda and Princess Leia, battling Darth Vader with the half built Death Star in the background, a pod race on Tatooine, and travleing to Naboo.
When you exit the attraction here you are not thrown into a gift shop, oddly enough. Instead you must pass through an enclosed bridge over the pathway and entrance and drops you off on the second level of a building in Tomorrowland with various restaurants.
In fact to get any merchandise from Star Tours you have to go around the corner to the shop called ‘Planet M’. There isn’t as much to buy here, the shop at DHS is by far the best in the world, however I did pick up my favorite Tokyo Disneyland souvenir. Lightsaber chopsticks! I only wish they light up.
Tokyo Disneyland has been promoting the updated ride with a series of unusual, yet entertaining, videos starring Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, and other “Star Wars” invasions around Tokyo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgcXK6VTsss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5UHtbFZfv4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvCOzAnJai4
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue officially opens at Tokyo Disneyland on May 7, 2013.