Attractions: Traditions - Star Tours

Continuing in our brief series on Disney's adherence to traditions in order to pay homage to their rich history, this week we will look at Star Tours.

Star Tours:   Although this ride is still active, it has undergone some changes.  One such change happened long before the 2011 update to a new 3D version of the ride.  Originally, the outside of the attraction featured a Snow Speeder from the Empire Strikes Back.  This was later removed and can be seen in the Backlot Tour. 

 

(Image Courtesy of StartedByAMouse.com)

 

The original pilot “Rex” has since been replaced by C3PO.  However, he can still be seen in the second queue room for the attraction.  Rex is now marked “defective” and is on the way out for repair. 

 

Also, the two robot birds that once sat over the entryway near the G2 droid in the original queue are now caged near Rex, and are no longer animated. 

 

Look for the G2-9T droid in the queue as well.  This was the droid that originally sang “I’ve been working on the same droid, all my livelong day.”  He now says “this job is a lot better than, say, fixing broken droids all day.” 

 

(See G2-9T in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf7HMyW49XI)

 

Lastly, the lady in the original safety video for Star Tours reappears in the new safety video, but is merely a passenger in the second row of the speeder (wearing purple).

 

(Watch the original Safety Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Si3D5YHC4U)

 

(Watch the Updated Version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvUATOx2yiw)

 

How many references to old attractions can you locate?  Have you found Mr. Toad?  Have you witnessed any of the continued traditions from EPCOT?  How about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?  Let us know which ones you have found and send us a photo DLuminations@gmail.com.