Mouse Extra: Making the Most of Star Tours

Mike from MouseExtra has some interesting ideas for expanding the Star Wars presence at Disney/MGM Studios.

Perhaps the longest running rumor in Walt Disney World’s history is that of a new Star Tours attraction. Since the time of Pee Wee Herman’s movie theater fiasco, we have heard rumors that a new attraction was in development. Then with the prequel trilogy, rumors were hot and heavy that an updated movie would replace the old with a focus on the newer films. Now it seems every spring with the arrival of Star Wars weekends at Disney MGM Studios, these rumors start anew. The latest one had George Lucas spotted at the park discussing new ideas with Imagineers.

A newer film representing the prequels would be nice (especially if its 3D), but this, I feel, would be too small-scale. I think we need a Star Wars area or “land.” Universal has created a series lands based on movie tie-ins and this one is the best Disney’s got. With the continued hardcore fan base, merchandise bonanza, upcoming TV series, pending re-release of the movies in 3D, and the aforementioned weekends at the park, its a perfect choice for expansion.

Mike proposes some interesting ideas, one of which would leverage the existing technology behind my favorite DisneyQuest attraction, Cyberspace Mountain. It seems to me that creating a Star Wars themed area would be an interesting counterpart to the increasing presence of Pixar characters, and perhaps a way for Disney to continue its well-publicized (but perhaps not particularly successful) attempts to appeal more to boys.