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Complete Guide to Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Hollywood Studios

Complete Guide to Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Hollywood Studios

May the force be with you on this thrilling 3D space flight to legendary destinations from the Star Wars saga.

You’ll take to the stars with C-3PO and R2-D2. But watch out for some familiar, less-than-friendly faces like Kylo Ren or Darth Vader!

In 2024, more stories and characters will be added to Star Tours at Hollywood Studios. Further details haven’t been announced just yet, but we will let you know about the changes as soon as we learn more.

Blast off with our complete guide to Star Tours – The Adventures Continue!

New Adventures Coming April 5, 2024

As announced at 2023 Destination D23, beginning April 5, Star Tours will include new locations and adventures from Ahsoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian.

Once added, the ride will have over 250 different adventure combinations for guest to experience.

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Quick Facts

  • Location: Echo Lake, Hollywood Studios
  • Height req: 40 inches
  • Suitable for: Anybody 40″ or taller who can handle simulators and some rough movement.
  • Attraction length: About 7 minutes
  • Do we recommend? Yes, especially for Star Wars fans
  • When to visit: 2nd hour
  • Lightning Lane available: Yes
  • Eligible for Early Entry: Yes
  • Scheduled Refurbishments
  • Tip(s): The exit area is a great Star Wars gift shop that has areas to build LEGO Star Wars characters and affordable light sabers. If this store seems too busy, you may have better luck at Once Upon a Toy store in Disney Springs where you can get the same items.
  • Description: 3D flight simulator that takes guests through one of dozens of different Star Wars experiences including new characters and adventures from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as well as Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Batuu, the home planet of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Location

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is located in Echo Lake near Backlot Express, a Quick Service restaurant.

Here is the location on the map:

star tours location in hollywood studios
hollywood studios map
hollywood studios map

How to Ride Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue has a Standby Line and a Lightning Lane. There is no Single Rider Line.

Do I need to use Genie+ at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue?

Genie+ is available at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue however this wouldn’t be an early priority ride to grab those Genie+ reservations because availability rarely runs out.

star tours lightning lane

This ride is also available for Early Entry to those who qualify.

Be sure to check out our touring strategies for Hollywood Studios for more Genie+ advice.

Rider Switch/Child Swap

Since you must be 40″ to ride Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, this attraction does offer Rider Switch.

Rider Switch is Disney’s system that allows guests with small children to take turns riding bigger rides, while another person/people wait with the little one.

You can learn more about Rider Switch via our handy guide.

What to Expect when you Ride

Queue

The queue at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is designed to resemble a spaceport terminal.

You’ll see posters advertising voyages to different planets with Star Tours and a large LCD screen informing riders of flight statuses and planetary weather forecasts.

star tours hollywood studios

You’ll also see some of your favorite characters like C-3PO and R2-D2, as well as Captain Rex from the original attraction. He occasionally has a power surge and delivers a line from the first Star Tours ride.

Two G2 droids process passengers’ “luggage” on a scanning system that reveals the contents to you as you wait in the queue.

You’ll then retrieve your 3-D “flight glasses” before you are directed by a flight agent to a gate where you’ll wait to board.

star tours hollywood studios

While you wait, you’ll be entertained by a pre-show on the screen above you. C-3PO has been assigned to maintenance on the StarSpeeder 1000 that you’re about to board and he gets trapped in the cockpit after the ship’s captain leaves!

Make sure you then pay attention to the safety instructions before you board.

Play Disney Parks is available for Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. This free mobile app is only available for select attractions and allows guests to pass the time as they play games, trivia, and earn achievements along the way.

Ride Vehicles

The ride vehicles at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue are large 3D flight simulators.

When the door to your flight simulator opens, make your way inside to the last available seat. There are four rows in the simulator and each row contains 10 individual seats with armrests and a place to store your personal items below.

Make sure you buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Accessibility Information

Guests who wish to ride Star Tours – The Adventures Continue must transfer from their ECV to a wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle.

Keep in mind, Disney has issued a warning that those who ride Star Tours – The Adventures Continue should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back, or neck problems. Expectant mothers should not ride.

star-tours-the-adventures-continue

Video and handheld captioning are available and those under 40″ are not allowed to ride.

Motion Sickness

Since Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is a 3D flight simulator, this ride is highly turbulent and includes sharp turns and sudden bumps which can aggravate motion sickness.

If you experience motion sickness in general, check out our guide on motion sickness for any Disney World attraction.

On the Ride

If you prefer to experience Star Tours – The Adventures Continue without spoilers, make sure you skip over this section!

Board your Starspeeder 1000 and prepare for takeoff! While you’re supposed to be heading off on a relaxing tour (hence Star Tours), a series of mishaps ends up launching you early, forcing C-3PO to take control.

But as soon as it appears that your trip is back on track, your ship is intercepted by Imperial — or First Order — forces searching for a Rebel spy. This spy is chosen from one of the guests on your ride vehicle— it could even be you!

star tours bypass hallway at hollywood studios

To avoid capture and not give up your rebel passenger, you’ll be taken on the ride of a lifetime to the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Since the attraction features several different segments that are selected randomly, your ride will be different each time! You may end up facing off with First Order villain Kylo Ren, bounty hunter Boba Fett, Princess Leia, or Jedi Master Yoda.

lando on star tours - the adventure continue

Just a few of the scenes you may encounter is a narrow escape from a battle on the planet Crait, following Scout Troopers as they chase after Chewbacca and a Wookiee warrior on Kashyyk, or discovering the still-to-be-finished Death Star.

With so many story twists, you never know where you’ll go or who you may encounter on your Star Tour! 

May the Force be with you as you and your fellow passengers attempt to elude capture and make it back to the base on Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

Is Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Kid-Friendly?

The height requirement for Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is 40″ and there can be some dark moments during the action so this ride is more for older kids, tweens, teens, and adults.

We have a list of things that may scare little ones at Disney World that you can check out, if you’d like.

Strollers

Strollers are not allowed in most queues or theaters at Walt Disney World.

You’ll need to leave your stroller in the designated stroller parking area near the entrance to the queue at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

History

In 1986 Disney and George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, partnered on the Captain EO attraction, a 3-D musical film starring Michael Jackson at Disneyland. Since the partnership was so successful Disney then approached Lucas with the idea for Star Tours.

The original Star Tours ride opened on January 9, 1987 in California’s Disneyland. Two years later, Star Tours opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, then known as Disney’s MGM Studios.

star tours opening day at disneyland park

Set in the Star Wars universe, the motion simulator attraction sent guests on a tour to Endor, where they got caught in an altercation between the New Republic and an Imperial Remnant. The attraction featured Captain “Rex” RX-24 along with series regulars R2-D2 and C-3PO.

In 1998, Disney began planning to upgrade Star Tours as part of the release of the upcoming 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the first film of the new prequel trilogy.

This version would be in 3D and feature new flights. However, since more films for the franchise were in pre-production, officials chose to wait until 2003 when production began on Revenge of the Sith before remodeling Star Tours.

star tours ride vehicle from disneyland opening day

In April 2005, at Star Wars Celebration III, creator George Lucas confirmed that a revamp of Star Tours was in production. Then at the 2009 D23 Expo it was announced that Star Tours at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios would close in October 2010 for renovations.

The rides would reopen in May and June 2011 as Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

On August 14, 2010, Hollywood Studios hosted the “Last Tour To Endor” event for Celebration V attendees. This extravaganza included an appearance by George Lucas, character appearances, Jedi Training Academy, Death Star Disco, Raiders Of The Lost Jedi Temple of Doom: A Fan Film of Epic Proportions live show, Hyperspace Hoopla, and Symphony in the Stars fireworks.

star tours rise of skywalker concept art

It also included the Star Tours shutdown ceremony which was a live show with C-3PO, R2-D2, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, as well as a few Stormtroopers, culminating in the official power-down of Star Tours.

The ride remained open until September 7, 2010, when the attraction held its “Final Flight to Endor” for D23 members.

In Orlando, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue began soft openings on May 14, 2011, with the official opening held at midnight on May 20, 2011.

Since its opening, the planet Jakku from The Force Awakens has been added to the attraction as well as the planet Crait from The Last Jedi and Batuu, from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Finally, the ocean moon Kef Bir from The Rise of Skywalker was added on December 20, 2019, the film’s release date.

In 2023, Disney announced at Destination D23 that Ahoska would be added to Star Tours in spring 2024.

Other Fun Details

  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is inspired by all nine films of the Star Wars Skywalker saga: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV – A New Hope, Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Empire VI – Return of the Jedi, Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, and Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
  • There are Star Tours attractions at four different Disney Parks around the world: Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland in California.
at at outside star tours
  • The exteriors of all four Star Tours attractions are different in their respective parks. The attraction in Florida is inspired by an Ewok village on the forest moon of Endor.
  • Listen closely just before boarding your spaceship. You may hear a reference to THX1138. THX1138 was in all of the Star Wars movies because it was the name of George Lucas’ first movie, so he included it in all of the Star Wars films as a nod to his origin.
  • Other boarding call announcements in the first area of the indoor wait queue gives names that are actually anagrams for people like Star Wars creator George Lucas (“Egroeg Sacul”) and Tom Morrow (“Mot Worrom”). When you reach the baggage check area, many different Disney attractions and franchises like Haunted MansionToy Story, Aladdin, WALL-E, The Incredibles, and Captain EO get cameos as G2-9T scans boarding IDs. 
  • Paul Reubens, perhaps better known for his famous character, Pee Wee Herman, was actually the voice of Captain RX-24 (Rex) in the original Star Tours ride. He was the pilot talking as R2-D2 was being loaded. In the new version of the ride, you can see him in the droid maintenance section in the queue.
c3p0 on star tours
  • Patrick Warburton, who is known for delivering the safety spiel before boarding Soarin’ at Epcot and for also voicing Kronk in Emperor’s New Groove, is the voice of security officer G2-4Ton Star Tours — The Adventures Continue. You can spot him as you pass through a series of security scanners.
  • As part of the attraction, you’ll see scenes with archival footage of Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher. The dialogue, however, is re-recorded. Carrie Fisher collaborated with Imagineers to re-record her dialogue so that it fits the attraction seamlessly.
  • While the original Star Tours ride didn’t open until 1989, Imagineers originally had an idea for a simulator ride themed to another Disney movie. The 1979 live-action film The Black Hole followed astronauts investigating a mysterious spaceship inside a black hole, but it was a commercial flop. This, combined with the high costs for the planned ride, led to the concept being scrapped. It wasn’t until Disney partnered with George Lucas and Lucasfilm in 1986, that the simulator idea was revisited, this time with Star Wars in mind.