Star Wars Fan Builds Home-Made Star Tours and It’s Incredible

It’s hard to get to Disneyland. Even when there isn’t a global pandemic that makes travel difficult, the parks are expensive, and there are long waits, especially for the most popular activities. And then there’s that other little thing, where they retire your favorite ride. There’s a fix for that, too, though: make it yourself! That’s what one father did for his daughter’s Disneyland-themed party, constructing his own version of Star Tours, a ride that ran from 1987 until 2016 (although there is a sequel ride — Star Tours: The Adventure Continues — at the parks in Florida, California, Paris, and Tokyo).

Given the fact that there’s a video component, live actors in costume, and a motion simulator involved, it’s a tough thing to build. That makes this version all the more impressive, and the fact that he was able to fit a StarSpeeder 1000 and good ol’ Captain Rex into his garage is pretty damn cool.

You can see the video below.

Here’s the basic rundown of the Star Tours history, per its Wikipedia page: Star Tours was a motion simulator attraction at several Disney theme parks, based on the successful Star Wars film series created by George Lucas. Set in the Star Wars universe, the attraction sent guests on an excursion trip to Endor, whilst being 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.

At its debut at Disneyland in 1987, it was the first attraction based originally on a non-Disney licensed intellectual property. The first incarnation of the ride appeared in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in 1987, replacing the previous attraction, Adventure Thru Inner Space. The attraction had subsequent openings at Tokyo Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disneyland Paris.

The attraction at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed in 2010 to allow conversion for its successor attraction, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. The latter location was completed on May 24, 2011. Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris closed their versions for conversion in 2012 and 2016, marking the original ride’s final run of 29 years.