Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker inspires new destinations for Disney Parks ride Star Tours
Trips to the ocean moon Kef Bir are coming to Disneyland, Disney World, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney.
Buckle up.
The Star Tours attraction at Disney's theme parks is getting another update, with rides to tie into Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker. The news comes just days after Disney released the final Episode 9 trailer ahead of the movie's release on Dec. 20. On the same date, new destinations will be added to Star Tours, including to the ocean moon Kef Bir.
The Starspeeder 1000, piloted by C-3PO and R2-D2, takes guests to a surprise destination each time. To celebrate the latest Star Wars trilogy, Disney Parks has partnered with Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic to add flights to Jakku, Crait and Batuu over the past few years.
The new Rise of Skywalker destinations are being added to Star Tours at Disneyland in Anaheim, California; Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; Disneyland Paris, France; and Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan.
The additions to Star Tours, a ride located in Tomorrowland (or Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris), comes despite Disney opening up its Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge areas in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The newest resort area launched May 31 in Disneyland, and at Disney World in August. So far, you can visit Batuu to build your own droid and lightsaber, and experience all the Star Wars-themed food and drink the land has to offer, including the infamous blue milk.
The Star Wars-specific land currently features just one ride: the interactive Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, which is a similar concept to Star Tours, except that you get to help steer or repair the ship, or even fire the missiles.
The second attraction slated for Galaxy's Edge, Rise of the Resistance, is scheduled to open Dec. 5, 2019 -- Walt Disney's birthday -- in Walt Disney World, Florida, and then not till Jan. 17, 2020, in Disneyland, California.
Disney is calling Rise of the Resistance a multiplatform experience, and "the most immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined in a Disney Park."
"When it opens, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will blur the lines between fantasy and reality and will put guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance," the Disney Parks Blog said in July.
The ride will see guests recruited to join General Leia Organa and Rey at a secret base, before they're captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. Guests will then escape with the help of the Resistance, protect the secret base and fight off Kylo Ren.
