Star Tours Upgrade Finally?

[Gemini Cricket]

Yesterday was the third day of a secret LucasFilm film shoot in West Hollywood. If you were allowed to enter the “LODESTAR” production stage, you would’ve seen Boba Fett, Admiral Ackbar, a Tusken Raider, and even some Jawas. C3PO himself Anthony Daniels will be filming later this week.
So what is LucasFilm shooting? The good news is that George Lucas isn’t making a another Star Wars movie (not yet anyways) or additional scenes for some super duper special edition. And No, the Star Wars live-action television series has yet to begin production. So what is it? Answer after the jump.
LucasFilm is shooting new footage for the Disney’s Star Tours ride.
Source (http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/05/01/secret-star-wars-production-shooting-in-hollywood/)

Last November, I talked to Frank Oz for a story about the future of three franchises, "Star Wars," "Star Trek" and "Battlestar Galactica." It was an absolute treat to chat with the witty and wise Oz, and as the conversation wound down, I had to ask him about his standing in the world as "the voice of Yoda" -- I was curious how that particular role as the Jedi elder had resonated in his own life.
"People ask me to do it all the time, and as I rule I just don't," said Oz, who was down at the Ritz Carlton in Orange County. "I have a real respect for the character, and I think you start to lose that if you just do it for silly things."
My next question was a natural one: So when was the last time you did the voice?
"It was not long ago at all, I was recording dialogue for the new Disney ride."
Whaaaaa?
Source (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/05/star-tours-ride-getting-an-upgrade.html)

Interesting...

[CoasterMatt]

I swear, I'll burn Star Tours to the ground myself if they have that goddamned Jar Jar in there.

[scaeagles]

I heard he was the tour guide. I read a script of his dialogue.

"Mee sa tinks dis eesn't da planet wee sa wuz supposeta bee yon."

[alphabassettgrrl]

It would be cool to get an upgrade, but yeah, Jar-Jar's not a good choice for anything.

[Tref]

I can not imagine anybody really cares about Star Wars anymore. That particular franchise burned itself out faster then Indiana Jones riding an atomic blast in a refrigerator. Myself, I would like the ride upgraded back to Adventures Thru Inner Space.

[RStar]

Yeah, they would have been a lot better off if they had re-done it a few years back. But at least updating it would help breath that much more new life into Tomorrowland. Then all they would need to do is get a People Mover or something on the track working and open up the entry and that end of the park would be a lot better off.

[Alex]

Sure, at first it seemed like Jar Jar was something to be reviled. Little did we know at the time that Lucas would prove to use that he was just silly distraction while he cooked up the truly awful mutilations.

Hating on Jar Jar just seems kind of quaint now. Like getting upset at women's suffrage or something.

[JWBear]

I'd like to see something completely new and original in that space - something not based on a Disney or Pixar or Lucasfilm property. But alas, I fear that they are no longer capable of that.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Just yesterday I was telling my friends that they were never ever going to replace that film. I'm glad I was wrong. :)

Why is Jar Jar the complaint here? It wasn't even mentioned in the article. I'm far more worried about Geonosians etc, but whatever, it sounds awesomeness. Yay.

[Betty]

Too bad they can't put the old ride back in only updated.

[wolfy999]

They are filming, but as of yet, no date set for updating Star Tours. At least that's what I've heard around Tomorrowland.

[RStar]

They are filming, but as of yet, no date set for updating Star Tours. At least that's what I've heard around Tomorrowland.

Yeah, the CMs are always last to know. And when they do get info, it's often wrong. Only the suits know for sure.

[BarTopDancer]

I really think they should train their new pilots better. We went on it on Saturday and after all this time we still haven't made it to Endor.

[Kevy Baby]

They are filming, but as of yet, no date set for updating Star Tours. At least that's what I've heard around Tomorrowland.While I don't know all the the fine details, I wouldn't think they would invest the kind of money required to shoot this kind of footage, including bringing Anthony Daniels and Frank Oz, in if they weren't actually doing something. Especially in this economy.

------


I never understood why Jar Jar was so maligned. He may not have been a great character, but he provided some much-needed comic relief. I always liked him.

[Kevy Baby]

I really think they should train their new pilots better. We went on it on Saturday and after all this time we still haven't made it to Endor.I've often thought about what might happen if you did.

That would be a fun alternate showing: some flights (1 our of 10) DO make it to Endor. They would have an alternate exit from the ride.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I never understood why Jar Jar was so maligned. He may not have been a great character, but he provided some much-needed comic relief. I always liked him.
There's a difference between "needed comic relief" and "good comic relief." He may have been the former, but he was miles from the latter.

[Kevy Baby]

I believe that while he certainly could have been better, he wasn't (IMO) bad - certainly not as bad as he is maligned for.

But I seem to be in the minority on that opinion, so I usually keep it to myself. I am just too tired to know when to shut up this morning ;)

[BarTopDancer]

I've often thought about what might happen if you did.

That would be a fun alternate showing: some flights (1 our of 10) DO make it to Endor. They would have an alternate exit from the ride.

They could make it a return trip.. add a bit of landing on Endor footage then return back to the station for some reason.

Though I always enjoy blowing up the Death Star.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I believe that while he certainly could have been better, he wasn't (IMO) bad - certainly not as bad as he is maligned for.

But I seem to be in the minority on that opinion, so I usually keep it to myself. I am just too tired to know when to shut up this morning ;)Let's put it this way. "Good" vs. "Bad" humor are of course subjective things, so I won't argue that you consider him good. I will argue that the kind of comic relief supplied by Jar Jar (and later by C3PO in the rest of the new trilogy) did not match the kind of comic relief in the original Star Wars trilogy. So while there's certainly an argument that it's unfair to define the humor presented by JarJar as "bad", it was "different", and thus frustrating to the target audience which had come to expect a different type of humor. I wouldn't want to see a sequel to, say, a Coen Bros. movie with the Three Stooges as comic relief. Even though I rather like the Three Stooges, in the wrong context they don't work.

[Snowflake]

Well, I am all for something new in Tomorrowland. My one experience on Star Tours was lame-A-tude, to me. but I am lacking in the Star Wars geekatude, as well.

I still vote for refurbishing (if they can) the old Peoplemover track to change it to an Incredibles Pod travel thingie. In today's economy, not bloody likely is my bet. Aside from the logistics of the track no longer being available through the various other show buildings like Buzz.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Speaking of Tomorrowland, to tangent for a moment, anyone know what's up with Astro Orbiter. We were surprised to glance over the construction wall and see just a stump. Just a major maintenance refurb, or something more involved?

[Stan4dSteph]

Speaking of Tomorrowland, to tangent for a moment, anyone know what's up with Astro Orbiter. We were surprised to glance over the construction wall and see just a stump. Just a major maintenance refurb, or something more involved?It's under refurb and scheduled to reopen on June 13. But of course, that is always subject to change. Today's MP Update (http://www.mouseplanet.com/8825/Disneyland_Resort_Update).

[Kevy Baby]

Speaking of Tomorrowland, to tangent for a moment, anyone know what's up with Astro Orbiter. We were surprised to glance over the construction wall and see just a stump. Just a major maintenance refurb, or something more involved?I would love more than anything if it were moved back to its original location. And I know I am not alone on that.

Not only would it reopen the entrance to Tomorrowland, it would give the ride some better flare (IMO).

Though I am curious: would younger kids be frightened of the ride if it were back up there? That may be one argument against moving it back.

[Moonliner]

Is there any word on what the update will look like?

I would assume it will jump to Hi-Def, perhaps even 3D?

[Kevy Baby]

Is there any word on what the update will look like? Astro Orbitor is already in Hi Def and 3D.




Oh, you went back to the original topic. I was confused.

[Moonliner]

I was confused.

Then my work here is done.

[innerSpaceman]

And the A.O. is simply being repaired so that the planets will spin again, and painted to match the revised Blue and Silver color-scheme.

It will not yet be moved back to the top of the Peoplemover platform, nor will the lame lava offshoot rocks blocking the entrance to Tomorrowland that only make sense in the France Discoveryland from which they were misguidedly borrowed from be removed as they were supposed to be over a year ago already.

[Not Afraid]

May the 4th be with you.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Though I am curious: would younger kids be frightened of the ride if it were back up there? That may be one argument against moving it back.
Bah, that's the best argument FOR moving it back. The ride TERRIFIED me as a child...and was one of my favorite rides in the park. Why must everything be dumbed down?

[JWBear]

Why must everything be dumbed down?

Because nowadays, children must be protected from any and all possibility of any hint of danger or discomfort. They must never be allowed to explore and deal with adversity and fear on their own terms. Children are so fragile now... The precious little dears must be protected from life at all costs. :rolleyes:

[Moonliner]

Bah, that's the best argument FOR moving it back. The ride TERRIFIED me as a child...and was one of my favorite rides in the park. Why must everything be dumbed down?

For people like Kevy. Don't hate. Pity.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Because nowadays, children must be protected from any and all possibility of any hint of danger or discomfort. They must never be allowed to explore and deal with adversity and fear on their own terms. Children are so fragile now... The precious little dears must be protected from life at all costs. :rolleyes:
No, it's worse than that. Children must be protected from life at all costs...by making sure that we're ALL protected from life at all costs. Fine, you don't think your child should be put on anything they consider scary. Whatever. By why does that mean I can't either allow my child to try something scary, or allow my(ADULT)self to? Laaahhaaaaame.

[JWBear]

It's the same "logic" used by those who think that a book of fairy tales should be the basis for laws for everyone - including those who don't believe in the fairy tales - just because it's their special book of fairy tales.

[Not Afraid]

Being terrified on the Matterhorn, Pirates, Mansion and Rocket Jets was one of the best things about a trip to Disneyland as a kid. Not to mention being shrunk into molecule sized person just to go into someone body! Now, THAT was super scary! I'm surprised I went back to my normal size. how DID they do that?

[scaeagles]

I remember taking my now 15 year old on the Matterhorn when she was 4. She didn't want to go and she was screaming at the top of her lungs as we got on. People in line were looking at us as if we were torturing her.

She wasn't afraid of the ride, she was afraid of the unknown.

I say screw all the judgmental people out there that looked at us as if we were horrible people. How can someone grow - particularly a kid - if they are not stretched beyond their comfort zones?

[DisneyDaniel]

The annual "Star Wars Weekends" is a fun event at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but I wish it would take place at Disneyland, too. Maybe after Star Tours is upgraded?

[Tref]

The annual "Star Wars Weekends" is a fun event at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but I wish it would take place at Disneyland, too. Maybe after Star Tours is upgraded?

Not if I have any say in it. And I don't.

[CoasterMatt]

I think it would be funny if they replaced the spinning planets sculpture with a new version of the Clock of the World that used to be there

[€uroMeinke]

I noticed there were construction walls around the old Cosmic Waves site - think they'll bring that attraction back?

[scaeagles]

I think they should paint Space Mountain kind of a brownish color.

[innerSpaceman]

I noticed there were construction walls around the old Cosmic Waves site - think they'll bring that attraction back?
They're just removing the plumbing for the old cosmic bidet and surrounding Really Bad Idea water jets.

Gee, when they patch it all back up, I hope they remember to put back that ring of calf-high hitching posts that I painfully walk into every now and then.

[Andrew]

I think they should paint Space Mountain kind of a brownish color.
Bite your tongue!

[DisneyDaniel]

May the 4th be with you.

Happy Star Wars Day! (http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2009/05/04/may-the-4th-be-with-you/)

[RStar]

I didn't know my birthday was Star Wars Day! Cool! :D

[Cadaverous Pallor]

May the 4th be with you.I didn't even know this existed. Did NA just out-Jedi me?? :p