Let’s Celebrate 35 Years of Star Tours at Disneyland
Can you believe that Star Tours at Disneyland theme parks is 35 years old! That’s right, the attraction opened on Sunday, January 9, 1987!
The attraction was brought to life by Walt Disney Imagineering, George Lucas and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM.) The opening of Star Tours marked the first time that guests could step into a Star Wars story! It was just the starting point of Disney’s commitment to immersing guests in Star Wars storytelling at Disney Parks which now includes the recently opened Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
For the official grand opening of Star Tours in 1987 Disneyland stayed open for three days and three nights for an incredible “60-hour party” in order to accommodate all those eager and excited Star Wars fans.
The opening ceremony was a massive affair and featured Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Ewoks, Darth Vader and some Imperial Stormtroopers. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse also joined up with C-3PO and then Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner along with George Lucas for the official ribbon cutting ceremony!
The attraction has continued to evolve over the years. In 2011, Star Tours- The Adventures Continue made its debut adding new 3D technology and new destinations to open up the Star Wars galaxy to a whole new generation.
Since then, even more amazing worlds were added including those featured in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Thanks to the geniuses at Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm, and ILM, guests are able to experience more than 100 different storytelling combinations meaning that its rare that you get the same ride twice!
Star Tours proved so popular at Disneyland that it inspired additional attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
If you love this attraction as much as we do, then we encourage you to check out “Behind the Attraction” on Disney+. Episode 3 takes you through the story of how “blue sky” dreaming led to the beloved attraction fans have been enjoying for three decades!
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for further theme park news and updates.
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