When the original Star Tours opened at Disneyland in 1987, the story of the attraction was designed to fit right into Tomorrowland. As it was told, Star Tours takes place after Return of the Jedi, when R2-D2 and C-3PO have gone to work for a tourism outfit offering trips to various points of interest throughout the galaxy. From Star Tours' Tomorrowland spaceport, passengers board a Starspeeder 3000 for a relaxing trip to the moon of Endor. Along the way, their inexperienced pilot winds up off course and in the middle of a battle to stop a resurgence of Imperial power.
Star Tours was an immediate hit, so it was natural that it would be added to the menu of attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort, but it wasn't clear at first just how it would fit in. Disney's Hollywood Studios was under construction at the time, and there was a desire to start work on Phase II of the park right away. Star Tours seemed a perfect choice, since it would bring a Hollywood blockbuster to a park that celebrated Hollywood, but it didn't make sense to place a futuristic spaceport into the Studios setting.
To make it work, the attraction was re-conceived as a movie shoot. Guests on the Studio Backlot visit the set of Star Tours, a motion picture now in production on Stage 12. To promote the new film, the outside walls of the stage are adorned with billboard-size movie posters, just like those promoting other movies and TV shows throughout the Studios.
On the western end of Stage 12, an exterior set has been built to match some of the location footage shot in California's Redwood National Park. This set, complete with facades of an Imperial bunker and All Terrain Armored Transport, is for special effects shots which couldn't be accomplished on location. As with many movie sets, though, the production team only built what the camera needed to see. Leaving the backs of the trees and the Walker open not only saved money, but allowed for the placement of lighting just out of camera view.
Take a closer look, and you'll notice some of the pieces of the set were labeled with a production stamp back at the Shops, so they would be sure to make it out to the right part of the Backlot. This set is marked with the Star Tours title, along with production number 120789 (December 7, 1989 was the day the attraction opened; although it wasn't officially dedicated until January 1990).
Just inside the soundstage, a couple of chairs stand ready for two of the stars of the film, so they can take it easy or review their lines between takes. They're not here now, though, because they're involved in a scene.
The lights are flashing. It's a Hot Set. Filming is currently in progress, but you're clear to pass. After all, you've been cast as extras!
Take a look to the left, and you'll see the inner wall of the soundstage. It's relatively nondescript, with bulletins posted for the crew and padded walls to help muffle extraneous sound. To the right is the plywood back side of the standing set currently occupying the stage: the set of the Star Tours spaceport.
Once you round the corner, you are on the set. All the functional realities of motion picture production disappear, and movie magic takes over. Lights... Camera... Action! May the Force be with you!
I'd REALLY like to see R2-D2 even TRY to sit in that chair! Would C-3PO lift him up and place him there? (Laughing in my mind).
ReplyDeleteAnyways, another home run of a blog post. I'd never considered the differences between the purposes of the two separate Star Tours (CA & FL).
I'm typically very observant, but I am learning all kinds of things here. Thanks, Shawn!