January 9, 1987 – Star Tours Opens in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland
“A galaxy of trouble awaits, but don’t worry, the Force will be with you, always!”
On January 9, 1987, Star Tours, the new Tomorrowland attraction, opened in Disneyland. Originally, the idea for a space-themed ride was to be based on the 1979 live-action film The Black Hole, but was shelved due to the film’s dismal box office. The ride was done in cooperation with George Lucas at a time when Disney was not creating any blockbuster animated films, but wanted to bring something new to audiences in the park. The attraction became immensely popular, and was updated in 2011.
The ride was a military simulator-like experience that told a story. In the original attraction, guests entered vehicles called StarSpeeders, with a robot trainee pilot named REX (voiced by Paul Reubens). Forty passengers could fit in the StarSpeeders, which in the Lucas version, traveled to the moon of Endor and back.
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