Star Wars Star Tours updates: Are they worth another visit?
Disney Hollywood Studios announced that Star Wars Star Tours will have some updates. But are these changes worth another visit to the theme park?
For many Star Wars fans, a trip to Disney Hollywood Studios is a high priority. The two current attractions, Star Wars Star Tours and Launch Bay, offer Star Wars fans a chance to interact with their favorite characters. While Launch Bay offers more interaction, Star Tours offers the only Star Wars ride on the property. To coincide with the release of the new movie, The Last Jedi, Star Tours will have a few updates. But, are these updates really worth another admission ticket?
The first update to Star Wars Star Tours is the addition of a new clip to the attraction’s movie. Apparently, a clip from the new red planet Crait, featured in TLJ, will be added. While the update has been confirmed, it is unclear if everyone will see the new clip.
Star Tours has many different movie clips played during the ride. The various film clips help to keep the ride from becoming monotonous. So, no rider is guaranteed to see this newCrait clip. Even if the guest rode Star Tours four times, that person isn’t guaranteed to see the new clip. True fans can hope to be lucky and get the glimpse.
Star Wars Star Tours experience, photo by Cristine Struble
Another announcement says that Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron are coming to Star Tours. Most likely these updates are coming to the queue area. As guests wait to ride, there are many Star Wars items to see. If you walk through the Fast Pass line, you may not see all the queue details. Truthfully, most people would prefer a Fast Pass option to a long wait.
Realistically, these two ride updates aren’t that big. Granted, it make sense that Disney would want to make some changes with the Last Jedi movie coming out. Unless you are an annual passholder, the Hollywood Studios admission fee may not be worth it.
A better option would be the new Disney Springs Star Wars virtual reality experience. This new attraction, called Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, is a 30 minute attraction. Guests will explore an imperial base on a new mission.
The VR experience is totally new and is much longer than the few minutes on the Star Tours ride. Plus, the new Star Wars VR experience will cost just $29.95 versus a much higher theme park ticket.
Next: Disney Springs, the Disney theme park without the admission fee
For the Star Wars fan, I recommend passing on Star Tours and opt for the new Star Wars VR experience. From the length to the cost, the VR experience seems a much better option.