Flashback to the 80s: Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald Recalls How Star Tours Began
posted on May 22nd, 2011 by Gary Buchanan, Social Media Managing Editor
In the final episode of her series of inside-look videos featuring “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” Star Wars: The Clone Wars star Ashley Eckstein sits down for an interview with Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald. As he has outlined throughout the year with his posts on the Disney Parks Blog, Tom worked closely with Star Wars creator George Lucas on the original Star Tours attraction. And he’s been working since that time with George and the talented teams at Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd. to create the new 3-D, multi-sensory attraction for Guests visiting Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Join us as Ashley takes Tom on a trip back in time to recall the original idea for Star Tours and how the “galaxy far, far away…” came to life.
A Look Inside ‘Star Tours – The Adventures Continue’ with Ashley Eckstein and Some Star Wars Friends
posted on May 21st, 2011 by Gary Buchanan, Social Media Managing Editor
Our good friend and former Disney’s Hollywood Studios Cast Member Ashley Eckstein returns today to take us on a quick video tour behind the scenes of “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.”
Ashley, the voice of Anakin Skywalker’s eager Padawan Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, has had quite a busy and exciting week in the Walt Disney World Resort galaxy. In addition to shooting a series of “Star Tours” sneak peek videos for you and other Disney Parks Blog readers (keep a lookout for the next one, an interview with Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald), on Friday she stood alongside fellow Star Wars celebrities and characters, Star Wars creator George Lucas and Walt Disney Co. president and CEO Bob Iger for the gala Grand Opening Ceremony. Then she began her month-long duties as Celebrity Host of Star Wars Weekends 2011 and prepped for the premiere of the newest designs from her popular “Her Universe” line of Star Wars-themed fangirl fashion (she’s debuting new designs that will be available exclusively for a limited time for Star Wars Weekends Guests).
Let’s join Ashley inside the attraction as she talks about some of the exciting new additions to the Star Tours Spaceport. And look for some cameos by some of your favorite Star Wars characters.
Let us know in the comments if you’ve had a chance to experience the attraction yet or if you have a favorite character or destination in the 3-D adventure! (If you’re wondering, I am quite partial to navigating the ice planet of Hoth and the splash-tastic underwater journey through Naboo with its jump-in-your-seat ending. And I love when Admiral “It’s a trap!” Ackbar beams a transmission into our Starspeeder 1000).
Take 5: The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
posted on May 21st, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
With the grand opening of The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure quickly approaching on June 3 at Disney California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort, we wanted to take a look back at the progress Walt Disney Imagineers have made and some fun events we’ve hosted to give Guests an inside look at the attraction’s progress.
Take 5: The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Celebrating the Art of…Larry Nikolai and Chris Crump – We recently “Celebrated the Art of….” two Walt Disney Imagineers and creative minds for the new little mermaid attraction, Larry Nikolai and Chris Crump.
Guests at “Little Mermaid Meet-Up” Enjoy Rare Opportunity to Meet Imagineers, Animators – Earlier this month the Disneyland Resort hosted the “Little Mermaid Meet-up” and Guests were given the rare opportunity to meet the Walt Disney Imagineers and animators that are working on the new ride.
“The Little Mermaid” Animators Tour The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure Attraction at Disney California Adventure Park – In this video, we shared with readers a special moment: animators seeing their work come to life in a Disney Parks attraction.
The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure Time Lapse – To give our loyal readers an update on the progress of The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, we shared a time lapse video which shows the façade of the new ride in various stages of construction.
Ursula Moves Into Her Lair at Disney California Adventure Park – Come with us behind-the-scenes as we showed you Ursula being installed, and meet some members of the amazing team of Walt Disney Imagineers who brought Ursula to “life.”
Disney Parks Blog Readers Among First to Experience Star Tours at Disneyland Park
posted on May 20th, 2011 by Erin Glover, Manager, Social Media and Print
We had a great turnout early this morning as Disney Parks Blog fans gathered for the “Star Tours Early Departure” at Disneyland park. As we announced earlier this month, 1,200 randomly selected readers had the opportunity to bring a guest for the special event to celebrate the upcoming Star Tours relaunch on June 3.
As you can see, hundreds of fans lined up to be among the first guests to experience the new 3-D attraction. They sipped coffee and hot chocolate in the early morning hours, then made their way into the park and the attraction queue.
Just before 3 a.m., Samantha and her father, Ramon (pictured above) were the very first guests to arrive at the event. Samantha was excited to be the very first guest to experience Star Tours this morning, and she said her father was the reason she became a Star Wars fan.
Just behind Samantha and Ramon was another Star Wars fan, Joel (also pictured above, right) who traveled from Flagstaff, Ariz., for this event. Joel’s older sister kindly agreed that he should be the one to attend the event with their mother, since he was such a huge fan and so excited to experience the attraction.
Miki, from Covina, Ca., truly arrived “in character” – wearing an Ewok costume that she made herself. Beverly and Steve traveled from Vancouver, Wa., to celebrate their anniversary (and Steve’s birthday) at the “Star Tours Early Departure.” They were encouraged to attend the event by their daughter, Jessica – Disney fan and loyal Disney Parks Blog reader. (Hi Jessica – thanks for reading!)
Check out the video below for even more highlights from this morning’s “Star Tours Early Departure” at Disneyland park.
Did you attend the “Star Tours Early Departure” this morning? Tell us about your favorite memory from the event in the comments!
And be sure to visit Star Tours when it opens at Disneyland park on June 3.
Catch Disney on the Season Finale of ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ May 22
posted on May 20th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Did you catch last week’s Grand Prize Spectacular episode of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” which was taped aboard the Disney Dream? Part two of the season finale, which was filmed aboard the cruise ship and at the Disneyland Resort, will air Sunday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. on ABC.
This year’s grand-prize winner will receive an amazing series of Disney vacations, including a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, in Ko Olina, Hawaii, a guided family group vacation with Adventures by Disney and a cruise aboard the Disney Dream.
Check your local listings for channels.
The Force is Strong at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
posted on May 20th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Anyone who has been lucky enough to witness the opening of a major Disney attraction isn’t likely to forget the experience anytime soon. This was exactly the case for the Disney Parks Blog team and thousands of spectators earlier today when “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – in a way that was truly out of this galaxy.
The celebration kicked off with a procession of Star Wars characters through the park. Bree Starlighter, host of the ceremony, welcomed the crowd and introduced actor Anthony Daniels, who portrayed C-3P0 in the films.
The fun was suddenly interrupted by a team of stormtroopers, followed by Darth Vader, who vowed to stop the opening at all costs by placing a force field over the attraction. Two brave Jedi Knights stepped in to fight back – and later revealed themselves as Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger and Star Wars creator George Lucas.
With some help from R2-D2, the forcefield was removed and the attraction opened to all guests.
Based on the Star Wars film franchise, the attraction takes guests on a wild 3-D adventure to multiple Star Wars destinations where they interact with famous faces from the film series.
Star Tours Meet-Up: Recap of our First Meet-Up at Walt Disney World
posted on May 20th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Wow, what a first meet-up. Hundreds of Star Wars fans and Disney Parks Blog readers joined us at midnight for a first experience on “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” at Walt Disney World Resort.
Meet-up attendees got the red carpet treatment at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before a galactic welcome by Bree Starlighter and other favorite Star Wars characters.
There were also a few extra-special opportunities, including a discussion and Q&A with Walt Disney Imagineers Steven Speigel and Kathy Rogers. Both answered questions about the attraction and shared behind-the-scenes details on how it was created. Senior Character Artist Casey Jones and Senior Design Manager Jonathan Bishop also signed special posters.
Sure, there were some unique experiences but it was you who really made our meet-up extra special. We made many new friends, including Adam Pitzer and Stephanie Weis, who traveled here from Jersey City. Both are getting married on Saturday and decided a Star Tours Meet-Up was the perfect way to kick off a special weekend.
Kevin and Jennifer Thomas also traveled from Illinois for the experience and during the night, their daughter Zoey learned the ways of a Jedi Knight. Of course, we met too many people to name in this post but take a look at who else joined in the party.
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Thank you to everyone for an amazing meet-up. If you attended this morning, please let us know what you thought. Did you meet someone new?
Webcast: ‘Star Tours – The Adventures Continue’ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
posted on May 20th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
UPDATE: Hi everyone, we’re now replaying today’s Star Tours grand opening ceremony. Also, be sure and check back later for images and highlights from the celebration.
Live from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, our new spaceport, Star Tours, is opening its first hub in the Earth System and life forms from across the galaxy are heading to the Walt Disney World Resort today to help commemorate this historic event. You, too, can see the grand opening of “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” as it happens this morning right here on the Disney Parks Blog.
Today’s live stream begins at 10:15 a.m. Eastern and will include the entire grand opening ceremony, including an appearance from Star Wars creator George Lucas and other faces you’ll certainly recognize. During the webcast, we’ll be answering questions in comments and on our @WaltDisneyWorld and @DisneyParks Twitter accounts.
Also be sure and check back later today, we’ll be posting photos and sharing highlights from today’s festivities here on the Disney Parks Blog. Thanks for watching.
Fantastic Experiences Await Guests on the Disney Fantasy: New Details Revealed Today
posted on May 19th, 2011 by Jason Lasecki, Public Relations Director, Disney Cruise Line
Blog readers…I wrote my first Disney Parks Blog post sharing exciting details about the Disney Dream. Today, I get to share details on her sister ship – the Disney Fantasy!
With the Disney Fantasy, guests will have a full seven days to explore every nook and cranny of the ship. The Fantasy will bring to life many of the same innovative features and guest favorites from the Disney Dream, including the AquaDuck water coaster, Magical Portholes inside the staterooms and Enchanted Art throughout the ship. In addition, I want to share some new design elements and experiences that will give the Fantasy an identity all its own.
One of my favorite new highlights is “Animation Magic” at Animator’s Palate. This is a dinner show that celebrates the magic of Disney animation and allows families to participate in a unique new way. Everyone will be a “guest animator,” as they will be invited to draw a character of their own using a simple template on their placemat. Later, these sketches will be revealed on several large screens along the walls to join in an animated sequence with beloved Disney characters. Check out this photo that illustrates some of the magic that will dazzle guests during their dining experience.
Adults – another new element aboard the Disney Fantasy is just for you…it’s a nighttime entertainment district called Europa. Guests 18 and older can escape and enjoy a collection of sophisticated bars and trendy lounges inspired by European travel. La Piazza is themed after Italian cities and their decorative outdoor plazas. Skyline is a chic bar that provides birds-eye views of stunning European city skylines that transform from day to night. O’Gill’s Pub is a rollicking Irish bar with modern day twists. Ooh La La is inspired by an elegant French boudoir adorned with velvet tufted walls. And finally, The Tube transports guests to a vibrant metropolitan club via the London Underground. Here’s a sneak peek…
We also have a new surprise that will delight our younger cruisers – Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! At this very special salon, aspiring young princesses and pirates receive the full fairy tale treatment with pixie-dusted and piratical makeovers. After making their royal entrance, young princesses-to-be are greeted by their very own Fairy Godmother-in-training, who will transform them with the most magical makeovers you can imagine.
And on pirate party nights aboard the Disney Fantasy, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique becomes a buccaneer’s dream – Pirate’s League, where we can help guests of all ages prepare for a swashbuckling evening with beards and bandanas, swords and scars, earrings and eye patches and more. If you like dressing up for the occasion, you arrrr going to love this place!
This is only a small sampling of what you can look forward to on the Disney Fantasy – there’s so much more that I can’t wait to share with you. Stay tuned as we continue to unveil additional details!
Greetings From Tatooine: Create Customized ‘Star Tours’ E-Postcards
posted on May 19th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
You never know where the Force will take you. And if you’re as excited as we are about the new adventures coming your way with the grand opening of “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” then you should check out our newly launched e-postcard app. You can now create your own customized Star Tours e-postcard and share it with friends.
There are several Star Wars destinations to choose from with more coming at the end of the month and in June. Try it out now at startourspostcard.com/wdw or startourspostcard.com/dlr. Creating and sharing an e-postcard is as easy as finding a photo and clicking upload.
Star Tours opens May 20 at the Walt Disney World Resort, the same day the annual Star Wars Weekends event begins at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. Star Tours and Star Wars Weekend event activities are included in regular admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.
The attraction will also open at Disneyland park in Anaheim on June 3, 2011.
