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UPDATE: Hi everyone, we’re now replaying today’s Star Tours grand opening ceremony. Also, be sure and check back later for images and highlights from the celebration.
UPDATE: Hi everyone, we’re now replaying today’s Star Tours grand opening ceremony. Also, be sure and check back later for images and highlights from the celebration.
Star Tours Meet-Up: Recap of our First Meet-Up at Walt Disney World
posted at the Official Disney Parks Blog on May 20th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Wow, what a first meet-up. Hundreds of Star Wars fans and Disney Parks Blog readers joined us at midnight for a first experience on “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” at Walt Disney World Resort.
Meet-up attendees got the red carpet treatment at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before a galactic welcome by Bree Starlighter and other favorite Star Wars characters.
There were also a few extra-special opportunities, including a discussion and Q&A with Walt Disney Imagineers Steven Speigel and Kathy Rogers. Both answered questions about the attraction and shared behind-the-scenes details on how it was created. Senior Character Artist Casey Jones and Senior Design Manager Jonathan Bishop also signed special posters.
Sure, there were some unique experiences but it was you who really made our meet-up extra special. We made many new friends, including Adam Pitzer and Stephanie Weis, who traveled here from Jersey City. Both are getting married on Saturday and decided a Star Tours Meet-Up was the perfect way to kick off a special weekend.
Kevin and Jennifer Thomas also traveled from Illinois for the experience and during the night, their daughter Zoey learned the ways of a Jedi Knight. Of course, we met too many people to name in this post but take a look at who else joined in the party.
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Thank you to everyone for an amazing meet-up. If you attended this morning, please let us know what you thought. Did you meet someone new?
The Force is Strong at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
posted at the Official Disney Parks Blog on May 20th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Anyone who has been lucky enough to witness the opening of a major Disney attraction isn’t likely to forget the experience anytime soon. This was exactly the case for the Disney Parks Blog team and thousands of spectators earlier today when “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – in a way that was truly out of this galaxy.
The celebration kicked off with a procession of Star Wars characters through the park. Bree Starlighter, host of the ceremony, welcomed the crowd and introduced actor Anthony Daniels, who portrayed C-3P0 in the films.
The fun was suddenly interrupted by a team of stormtroopers, followed by Darth Vader, who vowed to stop the opening at all costs by placing a force field over the attraction. Two brave Jedi Knights stepped in to fight back – and later revealed themselves as Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger and Star Wars creator George Lucas.
With some help from R2-D2, the forcefield was removed and the attraction opened to all guests.
Based on the Star Wars film franchise, the attraction takes guests on a wild 3-D adventure to multiple Star Wars destinations where they interact with famous faces from the film series.
Disney Parks Blog Readers Among First to Experience Star Tours at Disneyland Park
posted at the Official Disney Parks Blog on May 20th, 2011 by Erin Glover, Manager, Social Media and Print
We had a great turnout early this morning as Disney Parks Blog fans gathered for the “Star Tours Early Departure” at Disneyland park. As we announced earlier this month, 1,200 randomly selected readers had the opportunity to bring a guest for the special event to celebrate the upcoming Star Tours relaunch on June 3.
As you can see, hundreds of fans lined up to be among the first guests to experience the new 3-D attraction. They sipped coffee and hot chocolate in the early morning hours, then made their way into the park and the attraction queue.
Just before 3 a.m., Samantha and her father, Ramon (pictured above) were the very first guests to arrive at the event. Samantha was excited to be the very first guest to experience Star Tours this morning, and she said her father was the reason she became a Star Wars fan.
Just behind Samantha and Ramon was another Star Wars fan, Joel (also pictured above, right) who traveled from Flagstaff, Ariz., for this event. Joel’s older sister kindly agreed that he should be the one to attend the event with their mother, since he was such a huge fan and so excited to experience the attraction.
Miki, from Covina, Ca., truly arrived “in character” – wearing an Ewok costume that she made herself. Beverly and Steve traveled from Vancouver, Wa., to celebrate their anniversary (and Steve’s birthday) at the “Star Tours Early Departure.” They were encouraged to attend the event by their daughter, Jessica – Disney fan and loyal Disney Parks Blog reader. (Hi Jessica – thanks for reading!)
Check out the video below for even more highlights from this morning’s “Star Tours Early Departure” at Disneyland park.
Flashback to the 80s: Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald Recalls How Star Tours Began
posted at the Disney Parks Blog on May 22nd, 2011 by Gary Buchanan, Social Media Managing Editor
In the final episode of her series of inside-look videos featuring “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” Star Wars: The Clone Wars star Ashley Eckstein sits down for an interview with Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald. As he has outlined throughout the year with his posts on the Disney Parks Blog, Tom worked closely with Star Wars creator George Lucas on the original Star Tours attraction. And he’s been working since that time with George and the talented teams at Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd. to create the new 3-D, multi-sensory attraction for Guests visiting Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Join us as Ashley takes Tom on a trip back in time to recall the original idea for Star Tours and how the “galaxy far, far away…” came to life.
A Look Inside ‘Star Tours – The Adventures Continue’ with Ashley Eckstein and Some Star Wars Friends
posted at the Disney Parks blog on May 21st, 2011 by Gary Buchanan, Social Media Managing Editor
Our good friend and former Disney’s Hollywood Studios Cast Member Ashley Eckstein returns today to take us on a quick video tour behind the scenes of “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.”
Ashley, the voice of Anakin Skywalker’s eager Padawan Ashoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, has had quite a busy and exciting week in the Walt Disney World Resort galaxy. In addition to shooting a series of “Star Tours” sneak peek videos for you and other Disney Parks Blog readers (keep a lookout for the next one, an interview with Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald), on Friday she stood alongside fellow Star Wars celebrities and characters, Star Wars creator George Lucas and Walt Disney Co. president and CEO Bob Iger Friday for the gala Grand Opening Ceremony. Then she began her month-long duties as Celebrity Host of Star Wars Weekends 2011 and prepped for the premiere of the newest designs from her popular “Her Universe” line of Star Wars-themed fangirl fashion (she’s debuting new designs that will be available exclusively for a limited time for Star Wars Weekends Guests).
Let’s join Ashley inside the attraction as she talks about some of the exciting new additions to the Star Tours Spaceport. And look for some cameos by some of your favorite Star Wars characters.
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