Video: Star Tours 2 grand opening at Disneyland packs big Star Wars action into small ceremony

in Disney, Disneyland Resort, Entertainment, Events, Theme Parks

In a surprisingly small ceremony for such a large universe, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue grand opened at Disneyland on the morning of June 3, 2011. Following the updated attraction’s celebrity-filled grand opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida two weeks ago, which included Star Wars creator George Lucas, the Disneyland debut of this highly-anticipated ride revamp was on a much smaller scale, though still entirely entertaining.

Set on an intergalactic spaceport, the Star Tours 2 grand opening began with a red jumpsuit-clad host sporting a wacky hairstyle that was entirely familiar to fans of the original Star Tours attraction.

DSC_2291

In classic Disney fashion, the show that followed brought together Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, Jedi, and a bit of pyrotechnics.

Enjoy the full grand opening ceremony for Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland:

No special guests showed up this time, as Disney had decided in a synergistic move to give Florida the big opening for the newly-updated ride that was opening on both coasts. Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World in Orlando draws thousands of fans from around the world each year and despite the fact that the original Star Tours first opened at Disneyland more than 20 years ago, it seemed fitting to launch the new 3D ride during the kickoff of the annual special event.

For comparison, here’s the full Star Tours 2 grand opening ceremony from Orlando on May 20, 2011:

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is now delighting guests on both coasts, open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland in California. It’s the same ride at both parks, with subtle differences found in the queues. So whether on the east or west coast, Star Wars fans can enjoy flying to six different famous destinations, experiencing up to 54 different combinations of scenes featuring familiar classic characters. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Force is strong with this one.

Photos from the grand opening of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland:
(Photos by Josh Daws)

View Comments (3)