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The New Star Tours Update: Everything You Need, and Want, to Know

Characters from the mandalorian, ahsoka, and andor are now part of the legendary disney attraction..

Before Disney bought Star Wars , the two brands began their courtship with a ride . Star Tours opened in 1987 and has seen many new upgrades and additions over the years . This week, for its Season of the Force event , Disney gave the ride another refresh. And this time, for the first time, it’s with characters from Disney+.

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So, starting today, if you are at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or Disneyland Paris, Star Tours now features characters from Ahsoka, Andor and The Mandalorian . But what’s new? How does it work? io9 was among a group of journalists Disney invited to an early preview of the new Star Tours at Disneyland in Anaheim, so we’ll explain.

How many new Star Tours locations are there?

Though you may have assumed otherwise, only one new, full planet has been added to Star Tours this time around: Seatos from Ahsoka. However, there are three different variations going into that. One featuring Ahsoka (with Rosario Dawson reprising the role), one featuring Cassian Andor (with Diego Luna reprising), and one featuring both the Mandalorian and Grogu.

What can happen on the new Star Tours ?

So, you get on the ride and start to pull out of the spaceport. Here’s where, potentially, your first new change will be. In the past, riders would usually see the Millennium Falcon sitting there as the ship was stopped by Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, or a Probe Droid. And while that’s still more likely to happen than not, if you happen to see a new ship there, you know exactly where this particular ride will take you.

Yes, in some Star Tours rides not only is Ahsoka Tano’s T-6 Jedi Shuttle in the first scene, you can see Ahsoka herself there in the frame. She’s talking to Stormtroopers and, when they discover the Rebel spy, Ahsoka turns on her lightsabers and battles off the troopers before jumping in the ship.

If you see that, you can impress your friends and tell them what’s going to happen next. After you visit one of many, many planets that were previously on the ride (I did it twice on Friday and both times it was podracing on Tatooine from Episode I ), you’ll then get one of the three new transmissions. However, if you got Ahsoka’s ship at the start, you are guaranteed to get Ahsoka in this moment. She’ll say “Hi” to C-3PO, and be excited to see her friend R2-D2 again, before asking to deliver a very important person—the Rebel spy. As she’s talking, we see Chopper and Huyang in the background, getting into shenanigans.

What are the two other transmissions?

These transmissions is the part of this new Star Tours that will be the most random. If you don’t get Ahsoka, maybe you’ll get the Mandalorian and Grogu. As Mando (who does not sound like it’s Pedro Pascal but we’ve asked Disney for confirmation) talks about a dangerous mission and fight, Grogu is eating one of his frogs. He then spits it out and it floats toward your face in 3D. It’s very cute and funny and just as the one-eyed creature gets close enough to almost touch it, Grogu sucks him back in. “This is the way,” Mando says, and you’re off to the final part of your mission.

Note: unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Cassian’s transmission but, from what we were told, it’s very different tonally than the other two, on purpose. While Ahsoka’s is friendly and Mando’s is funny, Cassian’s is mysterious. He comes out in a hood, lurking in a shadow, then reveals himself to the audience and asks for help with the spy. The key was that each one feels completely unique.

What happens on Seatos?

No matter what transmission you get though, everything is the same after that. Star Tours is off to Seatos, the planet from the final episodes of Ahsoka where they showdown with Thrawn. You arrive in some kind of shadow, only to emerge from the clouds flying among the majestic Purrgil (aka Space Whales). Ahsoka hails you on the side monitor and asks for help with the two ships attacking her, which R2 is more than happy to do. You fly up and around the Purrgil, along their backs, weaving in and out of its fins, and at one point almost even getting sucked in and eaten. Finally, there’s a perfect moment, which R2 uses to land the perfect shot and save the day. Ashoka thanks you, has a special goodbye for her old pal R2, and it’s back home.

Are the new additions to Star Tours good?

Yes and no. Yes, because anytime you can get to sit down and experience a new piece of Star Wars , especially on a ride that’s been around for almost 40 years, that’s a good thing. However, do I think Seatos as a planet is one of the better destinations in the ride? No. In fact, it may be one of my least favorites. It’s drastically lacking in drama compared to, say, Geonosis, Coruscant, or Naboo. But Ahsoka is great and it’s fun to follow a different ship around.

Oh, and the new transmissions (at least the ones we saw) were phenomenal. Much more detailed and eventful than the previous ones.

How long is the new ride happening?

“For a limited time” everyone who boards Star Tours will get the new planet of Seatos every time, as well as one of the new transmissions. Whether or not that’s just through the Season of the Force event or longer is unclear, and Disney wouldn’t commit to specifics. It might be a park to park decision. But, for at least a few weeks or months, if you go on Star Tours , you’ll get the new stuff.

Then, eventually, the three new transmissions and one new planet will be slotted into the ride’s randomizer. When that happens, it takes the number of possible combinations up to over 250.

Why Seatos over anything else?

In the last few years, thanks to Disney+, Star Wars has seen more new planets, characters, and creatures than ever. So why Seatos and the Purrgil? Well, Tom Fitzgerald, one of Star Tours ’ original Imagineers—who also worked on this one —said it was all about picking a planet that was different from all the others. Something unique. Maybe that’s colors or maybe, in this case, it’s a unique creature. So by choosing Seatos, not only do you get to see these massive, new, unique creatures, but those creatures allow the ride to do moves it’s never done before. That’s how we get the first barrel roll ever in Star Tours as well as a sequence he refers to as the “slalom ski run.”

How long did the new upgrade take?

Fitzgerald said he and his team first started working on these new additions sometime between 18 months and two years ago.

Could another ride get this treatment?

Since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, Star Tours has been updated about every two or three years. This update is the first since 2019 though—so it makes you wonder, what’s next? And, will it even be Star Tours ?

When Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019, Disney said that the Millennium Falcon ride, Smugglers Run , was designed in a similar fashion to Star Tours and that the actual visuals in the ride could be changed to take guests on new adventures. But now, that ride has been the same for five years. Could a change be coming? Unfortunately, no one from Imagineering or Lucasfilm would comment, confirm, or deny—but, fingers crossed.

The Ahsoka, Andor and Mandalorian additions to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue are now running at Disneyland, Hollywood Studios, and Disneyland Paris as part of the Season of the Force event. For more on that, check out this link.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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8 Awesome Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland Paris (2024)

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With two huge Star Wars fans in our family, we’ve done everything Star Wars that Disneyland Paris has to offer. From building lightsabers to catapult launches on Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and crossing over to the Dark Side with Darth Vader, Star Wars fans are in for a treat at Disneyland Paris!

Table of Contents

Star Wars at Disneyland Paris

There’s plenty to keep Star Wars fans entertained in Disneyland Paris!

1 | Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain

Location: Discoveryland, Disneyland Park Minimum Height Requirement:  1.20m

Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain is one of the best rides at Disneyland Paris. Going from 0 to 44 miles per hour in 1.8 seconds, riders are launched uphill in the distinctive Columbiad cannon which towers over Discoveryland

Riders enlist in the Rebel Alliance and are on a mission to spy on an Imperial Star Destroyer while doing battle with the evil Empire. The ride hurtles through a lightsaber-inspired blaster fire to the backdrop of a Star Wars soundtrack.

Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain boasts 3 inversions (Indiana Jones and Avengers Assemble also have inversions at Disneyland Paris).

Star Wars Disneyland Paris tip: Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain was originally Space Mountain and, prior to its Star Wars retheming, it was themed to the Jules Verne book, From the Earth to the Moon.

Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain is one of the most popular rides at Disneyland Paris. Our favourite time to ride is during Extra Magic Hour (guests of Disneyland Paris Disney hotels are able to access the park one hour in advance of regular opening, it’s one of the best perks of staying in a Disney hotel!) when wait times are minimal.

2 | Meet the Mandalorian and Grogu

Location: Discoveryland, Disneyland Park (adjacent to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue)

Star Wars Disneyland Paris tip: Meet Mandlorian and Grogu is scheduled to return on March 4 2024 after taking a break in February 2024.

Meeting the Mandalorian and Grogu is one of favourite Disney meet-and-greets ever!

Located in Discoveryland, the Mandalorian has his own meet-and-greet set and the interaction is wonderful. A Photopass Photographer is present to capture the photos or you can take your own.

Star Wars Disneyland Paris tip: the Mandalorian and Grogu are extremely popular. Make sure to check the meet and greet times listed in the app.

3 | Star Tours: The Adventure Continues

Location: Discoveryland, Disneyland Park Minimum Height Requirement:  1.02m

Star Wars: The Adventure Continues is a 3D space flight to outer space. As you board the ship, a few mishaps cause it to launch too soon and C-3PO takes the controls as the First Order intercepts in search of a Rebel Spy.

Depending on your mission, there are appearances by Star Wars favourites including Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Admiral Ackbar. 

With over 60 mission combinations, we’ve always had a unique ride through the farthest reaches of the galaxy!

4| Welcome to Starport: A Star Wars Encounter

‘I’ll show you the way to the Dark Side, in time we can rule the Galaxy!’

Starport: a Star Wars Encounter is another magnificent meet and greet at Disneyland Paris. Darth Vader greets guests in the Starport and, prepare yourself, he is terrifying!

A Photopass Photographer is present to capture the photos or you can take your own.

Star Wars at Disneyland Paris tip: Darth Vader has long been the sole host of this meet and greet but, before Christmas 2023, more Star Wars characters were added to the line up including Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett and Rey. It seems to have resumed to Darth Vader in 2024 but time will tell.

5 | Star Traders Boutique

Star Traders is a merchandise store dedicated entirely to Star Wars. It is located at the exit to Star Tours: The Adventure Continues (you can also enter directly from the park).

The store sells everything from lightsabers (including special editions) to clothing and character figures and costumes.

6| Build a Lightsaber and Build a Droid

Location: Star Traders, Discoveryland, Disneyland Park Cost: €35 for a single lightsaber, €55 for a double, €15 for a mini Droid Figure

Two of our favourite Star Wars activities at Disneyland Paris are in the Star Traders store – they are Build a Lightsaber and Build a Droid.

Guests can Build a Lightsaber in an 8-step process and you can choose between a single or double lightsaber. First up, you choose an emitter, a blade and a handle and then customise with switches, rings and a hilt sleeve. Then choose a cap and assemble the lightsaber.

You can also opt to build a miniature droid – each droid has a body, a head, two legs, a stand leg and a cap. There are a variety of each available to choose from and there are Disney options like Mickey or Goofy ears for the cap!

We love both activities and they’re a fun way to purchase souvenirs from the parks.

Star Wars Disneyland Paris tip: if you’ve been to Walt Disney World or Disneyland California, then be aware, the Disneyland Paris build a lightsaber is a much more low key experience. It’s an aisle within the Star Tours Store and the light sabers are plastic. It’s awesome for younger kids – our 4 and 6 year old love the experience and the lightsabers hold up well to their extensive play fighting!

7 | Star Wars Snacks

There are some fun Star Wars-themed snacks available in Disneyland Paris:

Rocket Cafe

Located in Discoveryland (close to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue/opposite the Mandalorian and Grogu Meet and Greet), Rocket Cafe is a small food kiosk with a Star Wars-themed snack menu.

There are delicious Stormtroopers and Darth Vader Waffles served with Nutella or Sugar and a tasty chocolate hazelnut and pistachio Boba Fett shortbread.

Cool Station

Another Discoveryland Kiosk, Cool Station is located opposite Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. It sells a fantastic chocolate hazelnut-filled pistachio Grogu Biscuit. It’s one of the cutest snacks in Disneyland Paris.

Cafe Hyperion

The distinctive Cafe Hyperion in Discoverland offers a BB-8 burger-stamped burger.

Disneyland Paris do like to change up the snacks periodically but Star Wars has featured on the menu consistently in recent times .

8 | Stormtroopers

Location: Discoveryland outside Welcome to Starport: A Star Wars Encounter, Disneyland Park

In recent weeks, Stormtroopers have been spotted patrolling in Discoveryland outside the line for Welcome to Starport: A Star Wars Encounter, Disneyland Park (the Darth Vader Meet and Greet).

Everything Star Wars at Disneyland Paris

Here’s everything else you need to know about Star Wars at Disneyland Paris:

Which Star Wars Character can I meet at Disneyland Paris?

At the moment, you can meet Darth Vader, the Mandalorian and Grogu.

If the Stormtroopers are patrolling you might be in luck with an interaction and a photo but they do choose who they stop with – there’s no line or structured meet and greet.

At times there are other Star Wars characters in the mix: as recent as December 2023, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett and Rey met with guests in the Starport.

Is a Star Wars Land coming to Disneyland Paris?

Unfortunately, despite an announcement by Disney in 2018, it doesn’t seem as though a Star Wars Land is on the horizon at Disneyland Paris. There has been no mention of it in recent years, much to the disappointment of Star Wars fans. We love Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in California and Florida and Rise of the Resistance is one of our all-time favourite rides – we would have loved to see even a small part of this Star Wars Magic coming to Paris!

The current focus is on a Frozen-inspired Land, a new extension to the Walt Disney Studios Park which should open in the next year or two.

Is there anything Star Wars themed in Walt Disney Studios or the Disneyland Paris hotels?

Star Wars currently only features in Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris.

4 thoughts on “8 Awesome Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland Paris (2024)”

I remember waiting just shy of 4 hours to met Mando and Grogu when they first came to Disneyland Paris. And it was still worth it! They are truly amazing. Do you know what the current wait times are?

I’ve never seen Stormtroopers in Disneyland Paris, when did you experience that? Was it for a special event? How exciting!

Totally worth it! I think the lines are still pretty long but the Cast Members cut the line when it’s full and tell guests to return at the next time listed in the app so no one is waiting around for hours at least!

The Stromtroopers have been out on random days so hopefully it becomes a regular thing like the US parks!

Are the Star Wars characters every day, or only on certain days?

Darth Vader is usually there every day but the Stormtroopers only make ad hoc appearances. The Mandalorian and Grogu are scheduled to meet guests everyday but they’ve taken a few extended breaks in recent months – you can see if they’re out on the Disneyland Paris App.

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Disney's Star Tours - The Adventures Continue

Disney's Star Tours - The Adventures Continue improves on the original attraction in every way—and sets a new standard for motion simulator rides. What had become a slightly tired trip to a Star Wars galaxy far, far away is now a giddy jaunt to... well, half the fun is you never know where in hyperspace the ride will whisk you.

• Thrill Scale (0=Wimpy, 10=Yikes): 4.5. Relatively mild motion simulator thrills. Those prone to motion sickness may experience discomfort (although closing your eyes should quell any queasiness). The ride also offers Star Wars -style action. It makes our list of Disneyland's most thrilling rides .
• Location: Disneyland , Disney's Hollywood Studios at Disney World , Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland.
• Height requirement: 40 inches

Disney Raises Its Own Bar

When it debuted at Disneyland in 1987, the original Star Tours was the first major motion simulator attraction at a theme park, and the newfangled virtual reality concept ushered in a new era for park attractions. If theme parks are about escaping from the everyday world, motion simulators offer an ideal means of escape. Using seats that move in sync with filmed action projected onto a screen, the destinations are only limited by the imagination of the attraction's designers. Star Tours was also a bold departure for Disney which, up until that point, had used its own content as the basis for its attractions.

Since the ride film made its debut, developers have added Omnimax screens (such as The Simpsons Ride ), roving motion base vehicles (such as Transformers: The Ride 3D ), and other features to enhance the you-are-there experience. The movie ride space cowboys at Walt Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm, and Industrial Light & Magic (Lucasfilm's visual effects mavens), have upped their own ante with a retooled version of the attraction that launched in 2011.

The impetus for the re-imagined ride dates back to the late 1990s when Episode 1 of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was being filmed. According to Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president and senior creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering , "George Lucas contacted us and said the pod racing scene in the movie would be perfect for Star Tours." Anyone who has seen the movie would agree; the largely point-of-view sequence, with the hover vehicles tearing through a desert course, seems tailor-made for a park ride. So what took so long? "We needed to raise the bar," says Fitzgerald. Thankfully, the bar has indeed been raised.​

3-D Without the Gimmicks

The infrastructure of the attraction remains essentially unchanged. Guests still make their way through a mythology-packed "spaceport" en route to their Starspeeder 1000 boarding gate and an allegedly uneventful journey to some friendly planet. Star Wars stalwarts R2-D2 and C-3PO are on hand to help ready the vehicles (and entertain riders stuck in line). After some pre-flight safety instructions, guests enter the familiar Starspeeder cabins and buckle up for a bumpy ride.

Once the ride begins, however, it's clear that this is not the same Endor-bound Star Tours that lurched ad nauseam through the cosmos for 24 years. Speaking of clear, the super high-def clarity of the digitally projected film is remarkably crisper than the original ride. And by adding 3-D to the mix, the attraction offers a vivid sense of depth, while the dorky 3-D goggles don't noticeably dim the alluring brightness of the images.

Unlike the gotcha gimmickry of most 3-D park rides, the extra dimension of the spiffed-up Star Tours is more understated. With its easy availability at the local cineplex, the novelty of 3-D has long since worn off. Wisely, the Imagineers have seamlessly incorporated the effect in a largely unself-conscious and elegant way that helps bring Lucas' alternate-universe to life.

You Are There. But You Never Know Where.

The most compelling improvement over Star Tours 1.0 is the ride's random sequence generator. By slicing together many different destinations and transition scenes, Disney says that there are over 50 possible story combinations. No two rides, therefore, would likely be the same (unless uber-fans boarded Star Tours a lot ). That keeps the attraction fresh and makes it eminently re-rideable. It also makes other motion simulator attractions, with their fixed been-there, done-that plots, seem so 20th century.

Like the original Star Tours (and nearly every other motion simulator ride), what all versions of the attraction have in common is that things very quickly go horribly wrong. Rookie pilots R2-D2 and C-3PO are unexpectedly drafted into action, rebel spies are discovered lurking among the passengers, and the Starspeeders must periodically engage in evasive maneuvers and travel to distant planets to avoid certain calamity. Other destinations include the ice planet of Hoth, Naboo, and the ominous Death Star.

It's quite impressive to experience the attraction more than once and be treated to an entirely unique story arc each time. Different characters (which might include, among others, Boba Fett, Yoda, Princess Leia, and supreme baddie Darth Vader), different missions, different locations, and even different gags will have you marveling at the audacity of the ride. "It was a challenge to sync everything," says Spiegel, referring to the on-the-fly nature of the stitched-together film, the corresponding motion sequences, and the in-cabin effects. “We wanted to be able to take guests to many places in the Star Wars universe. And now we can."

Even More Places to Visit

Because it is screen-based, Disney has the ability to add sequences and make updates to the attraction, which it periodically does. For example, in late 2019, the parks introduced new scenes inspired by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , the latest installment in the movie franchise. Among the places added to the Starspeeders' itineraries was the ocean moon Kef Bir.

Since the introduction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , the groundbreaking lands at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it has been a bit disconcerting to have Star Tours exist outside of the contained Black Spire Outpost, the trading port on the planet Batuu. It is especially strange at the Disney World park, where Star Tours is just a couple of blocks away from Galaxy’s Edge. Disney has explained the disconnect by saying that the Star Tours attractions pay homage to the movies and mythology while Galaxy’s Edge represents the “real” Star Wars lands.

It may be some time before we actually have the technology to fly off to faraway stars. Until then, the mighty impressive technology that fuels Star Tours - The Adventures Continue can virtually transport us, if only for a few minutes at a time, to places that were previously unthinkable.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, TripSavvy believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our  Ethics Policy .

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Star Tours - The Adventures Continue (Disneyland Paris)

In 1987, the original version of Star Tours opened in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. The motion simulator ride based on the Star Wars franchise featured Captain Rex, a droid that attempted to fly guests to the planet Endor.

In 2011, Disney debuted an updated version of this ride: Star Tours – The Adventures Continue . The new ride uses advanced 3D technology, randomly chosen alternate scenes, and frequent updates with new characters and locations as new Star Wars films come out.

The new version also exists at other Disney Parks around the world: Disney’s Hollywood Studios , Disneyland Park  and Tokyo Disneyland .

Queue Details

• Captain Rex can still be found in the new version – the droid is near the entrance to the queue’s cargo bay, ready to be shipped far, far away as DEFECTIVE stickers are now stuck to him.

• The droid found during the boarding pre-show is Aly San San . She is inspired by  Attack of the Clones ‘ waitress droid, WA-7 . In the US versions of the ride, this character is voiced by actress Allison Janney which has a “glitch” to provide safety information in Spanish. In this version of the ride, the droid is voiced by a French actress with her “glitch” being part of Janney’s English spiel. You may recognize Janney as the voice of Peach in Pixar’s Finding Nemo (2003) as well as Doofenshmirtz’s ex-wife Charlene in Disney’s Phineas and Ferb .

Ride Details

• The original French version of the ride featured Luq Hamet as the voice of Captain Rex. Hamet has a few Disney roles under his belt as the French voice-over actor for Milo in Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) as well as the titular character in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) . In the new version, our pilot is C-3PO, voiced by the film’s original English voice actor/performer Anthony Daniels , who although doesn’t provide the voice-overs for the French dubs of the  Star Wars films , does speak fluent French.
• The ride doesn’t have an original score, but rather a compilation of music from the Star Wars films by John Williams . Composer  Richard Bellis  was in charge of arranging and orchestrating the melody including some original elements such as the infamous chime . Bellis played a similar role in Disneyland’s Indiana Jones And The Temple Of The Forbidden Eye as well as a number of original projects for Disney including The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter and Dinosaur .
• One of the sequences takes riders to Crait , the mineral planet seen during  Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) . Crait was inspired by and filmed on Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flat . The portions used during the ride are likely to be completely CGI.
• Another sequence takes riders to Hoth , the ice planet seen during  Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) . Hoth’s battle scenes were filmed on and near Norway’s Hardangerjøkulen (Hardanger Glacier) , although the ride footage appears to all be CGI.

Be sure to take a look at the other versions of Star Tours on our site:

• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (Disneyland Park)
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (Tokyo Disneyland)

Official Information: DisneylandParis.com

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Key Information

Disneyland Paris is finally set to debut an updated version of Star Wars in spring 2017.

Aboard the Starspeeder 1000, you never know where in the Star Wars universe you'll end up. This motion simulator - enhanced with all new technology for 2011, allows you to feel the force of lightspeed as you encounter different characters and locales each time you ride.

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Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald Explains the Latest Additions to Star Tours — The Adventures Continue

by Justin Hermes · April 29, 2024

After 37 years, Diseny’s original Star Wars attraction may still be its best.

Star Tours — The Adventures Continue has fulfilled fan’s desire to enter the galaxy far, far away and rub elbows with the franchise’s great heroes and villains for almost 40 years now. Earlier this year, however, the attraction got another infusion of Star Wars magic when new scenes based on the popular Disney+ streaming series Ahsoka , The Mandalorian , and Andor were added to the attraction .

“Each time we look at updating Star Tours, we search for iconic moments from Star Wars that would lend themselves to a unique adventure,” says Tom Fitzgerald, senior creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering.

“George Lucas once referred to Star Tours as a ‘Greatest Hits Attraction,’ and we are excited that with our partners at Lucasfilm the adventures can continue to…continue. We have many sequences featuring various ships, but the idea of flying through a pod of space whales was too good to pass up!”

Purrgil, Peridea, and Peril

In the new Ahsoka scene, guests must rendezvous with the former Jedi to help deliver the Rebel Spy.

Jumping through hyperspace, guests find themselves in the midst of a firefight high above the planet Peridea. Surrounded by purrgil (the giant space whales seen in Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka ), R2-D2 must maneuver the Starspeeder to safety.

Interestingly, when creating the new scene, Imagineers had a tough time tackling the massive scope of the purrgil.

“One of the key challenges with the purrgil was how to establish their massive scale,” Fitzgerald says.

Working With Industrial Light & Magic

To come up with a solution, Imagineering turned to Industrial Light & Magic and their longtime visual effects supervisor, Bill George.

Image: Star Wars

“With the stereoscopic format, we were able to use tricks of the trade to convey their size,” notes Fitzgerald. “Since the motion of our simulator is a key storytelling device in Star Tours, we look for ways to add moments and movements that are unique to our show yet feel like a natural extension of what the audience would see in the original shows.”

In the end, the Star Tours experience has always been about putting fans in the middle of the Star Wars action. Now, they can do so with the latest batch of heroes.

“In Star Tours, the main focus is clearly the action sequences, yet we know guests also want to see their favorite characters,” Fitzgerald says.

“Over the years, we’ve tried to incorporate as many as possible to keep the show surprising.”

A Unique Experience

With the addition of the three new scenes, there are now 250 variants of Star Tours — The Adventures Continue that guests can possibly experience. The goal is for each one to be unique.

“With Grogu, we put the emphasis on comedy, Andor a darker more mysterious tone, and Ahsoka a warm and friendly tone since she knows R2-D2.”

Photo: Also Disney

You can experience Star Tours — The Adventures Continue at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris.

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Star Tours: The Adventures Continue Launches as Part of Disneyland Paris’ 25th Anniversary

To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, Disneyland Paris is offering a new and completely redesigned version of the Star Tours attraction, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue .

Since it first appeared in Discoveryland, Star Tours has established itself as a flagship attraction at the park. Its mission: to take guests on a spectacular voyage to the heart of the Star Wars films.

Opening March 26, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue has a number of surprises in store including new experiences, new destinations, new characters, a new pilot to take passengers on their journey, and more. The attraction returns with an all-new, action-packed, epic intergalactic voyage…all set in 3D.

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue will now give guests the opportunity to explore the galaxy far, far away through a selection of new 3D journeys. With more than 70 different mission combinations from the Star Wars saga,  Star Tours invites guests to enjoy an experience that is unique for every flight.

Each destination offers its own surprises, with journeys through worlds such as Jakku, Naboo, Hoth, Tatooine, the Death Star.

Guests travel through the galaxy with a new pilot, C-3PO.  Along the way, they will have the chance to meet heroes and villains never encountered until now, including Darth Vader. Each scenario, journey and unexpected development is generated at random to ensure guests can enjoy an original experience every time.

With state-of-the-art technology, flight simulators, digital 3D, Audio-Animatronic characters, special effects in the cockpit and epic music, guests are fully immersed in the universe of the Star Wars saga from Episode I to Episode VII.

Guests join the Rebellion aboard a Starspeeder 1000. The ship, meant to be piloted by droid AC-38, actually has C-3PO behind the controls at take-off. With many posibilities throughout each journey, including the chance to  meet up with Princess Leia, Yoda, Boba Fett to name a few, one thing is certain: each flight will become a very memorable experience.

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{:title=>"Disney Parks", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/disney-parks"} {:title=>"Ahsoka", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/ahsoka"}

Behind the scenes of the latest star tours - the adventures continue update.

Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald gives StarWars.com a peek behind the curtain of the latest updates to the beloved Disney Parks attraction.

As Lando Calrissian once said, “You truly belong here with us among the clouds…of purrgil .”

OK, we may have added that last bit. Lately, some travelers aboard the Star Tours - The Adventures Continue Starspeeder have been finding themselves sailing through the air above Seatos , a new destination where a pod of purrgil puts you smack in the middle of a moment inspired by the Ahsoka series, now streaming on Disney+.

Associate Editor Kristin Baver is the author of Star Wars: 100 Objects and other books, host of This Week! In Star Wars , and an all-around sci-fi nerd who always has just one more question in an inexhaustible list of curiosities. Sometimes she blurts out “It’s a trap!” even when it’s not. Follow her on Instagram @KristinBaver .

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‘I took the kids to Disneyland Paris and walked 20,000 steps a day’

It's a physical and emotional work out...

I was raised by (lovely) parents who spent holidays hiking the Pembrokeshire coast path while staying in an off-grid cottage way before a digital detox was even a thing, so a trip to somewhere like Disneyland was never on the cards growing up.

Fast-forward to my own parenting years (two sons aged 8 and 12) and I have a more open outlook when it comes to family travel, in that I'll go pretty much anywhere with them - the best being a trip to Petra in Jordan, the worst being a choppy ferry journey to Ireland during which they vomited on me so I arrived on the Emerald Isle covered in sick. Happy days.

So when the kids said their dream holiday was Disneyland, it wasn't an initial 'no way', though Orlando was instantly ruled out due to cost. But Disneyland Paris? The French capital's cheaper and easier to reach in a weekend and, after some excellent campaigning from the kids outlining the charms of its exciting rides, restaurants styled like Ratatouille and Sleeping Beauty’s iconic pink castle (ok the last one was me), I booked.

How do you get there?

The journey was equally as efficient, particularly the meal served at our table, aeroplane-style, with a hostess serving a choice of two meals from a trolley - I opted for beetroot salad and a glass of wine. How civilised.

A couple of hours later we glided into Gard du Nord in the heart of Paris, from where we took a 30-minute transfer to Hotel L’Elysée Val d’Europe, our base for two nights and just a (free) ten-minute shuttle ride from Disneyland Paris.

First impressions of the parks?

First surprise? it’s two parks: Disneyland Paris and the smaller (though size doesn’t matter, right?) Walt Disney Studios Park. Second surprise? It's SO. BIG.

The moment you step through the gates (there are two sets, security and then each park has its own entrance), you’re transported to another world, one where you can chat to Cinderella, have an Avenger’s burger for lunch and get lost in an Alice in Wonderland’s labyrinth.

Everywhere you look people of all ages are wearing Mickey and Minnie headbands – we even saw some excited punters dressed in head-to-toe Disney merch (yes, they were adults). When we arrived a parade along Main Street USA had just started, so we were instantly immersed in a carnival atmosphere complete with colourful floats carrying characters from Frozen, Peter Pan etc .

Okay tell me about the rides...

I’m starting with the rides my sons BOTH voted the best. Number one – the shiny new Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure in the Marvel-themed Avengers Campus (Walt Disney Studios), where we climbed aboard a W.E.B slinger vehicle and shot spider-bots with web from OUR HANDS *Spidey web hands gesture*. It’s fast, furious and, even though I caught the least bots, I get why this one was such a hit.

The rest of the Avengers Campus went down a storm, including Flight Force (warning, this twisty, turney coaster isn’t for the faint-hearted). Meeting Spider-Man in the Hero Training Centre was a great photo opp, though we left feeling like we probably didn’t have enough training to rid a city of criminals. Sadly, I couldn’t drag them into the Pixar Musical Adventure , ‘a journey through Toy Story, Monsters and Finding Nemo ‘ (too babyish, apparently),

Over in Disneyland Paris, the kids’ favourite ride was Star Tours: The Adventures Continue found in the Discoveryland area. We put on a pair of 3D specs, stepped aboard a Starspeeder 1000 and sped through a galaxy far, far away, with thrilling glimpses of the Death Star, C-3PO and underwater realms. It’s incredibly realistic and everyone wanted to go on it again (me included!).

We gave Stars Wars Hyperspace Mountain a swerve, though it did look thrilling, and headed instead for another white-knuckle coaster: Temple of Peril , a slightly terrifying Indiana Jones-style coaster where putting your hands in the air and screaming is obligatory. You can get more adrenaline rushes on Big Thunder Mountain plus Crush’s Coaster and The Twighlight Zone Tower of Terror in Walt Disney Studios.

Rides aside, the shows are not to be missed. Frozen fans will want to make a beeline for Elsa and crew at Frozen: A Musical Invitation (Walt Disney Studios) where you can belt out Let It Go . The Lion King’s equally enticing and apparently Alice in Wonderland is due to take the stage in Walt Disney Studios this spring.

All three of us thought Adventureland was excellent, a lush land of towering bamboo, spooky caves, wobbly rope bridges, an enormous (fake) tree housing the Swiss Family Robinson’s cabin, souks from Aladdin and a massive pirate galleon. Think the best play park you’ve been to on steroids.

Got younger kids? There’s loads for little ones, particularly in Fantasyland, where we saw Peter Pan’s flight (you get to fly through a virtual Never Land) and tots can spin around in the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, fly in Dumbo and ride on the gentle Le Petit Train Du Cirque .

And is the food any good?

It’s a good job you easily walk more than five miles exploring the parks, because the restaurant offering at Disney’s off the scale. Seriously, I’d be happy to just do a food tour. If your main aim is to meet Disney characters, you’re going to want to book a table at fancy French restaurant Auberge de Cendrillon in Disneyland Park, where Cinderella, Elsa and co make an appearance. Or Plaza Gardens pavilion for a chance to meet Mickey over the all you can eat buffet.

For an authentic Ratatouille vibe, it has to be Bistrot Chez Rémy – think over-sized cocktail umbrellas, cookbooks and cutlery. While Marvel fans will want to refuel at PYM Kitchen in the Avenger Camp for the novelty value – the food, zapped by PYM particles (see Ant-Man and the Wasp ) is fun-sized, from mini burgers to massive pretzels.

For snacks/pit stops, March Hare in Fantasyland is very sweet (literally, it sells lots of ice cream), and we couldn’t resist a round of Nutella-loaded waffles from one of the many food trucks. See more dining options here .

Where's the best place to stay?

We slept 10 mins (by complimentary shuttle bus) from the parks at super four-star Hotel L’Elysée Val d’Europe . If you're not a die-hard Disney fan, believe me you'll appreciate arriving back in the real world after 10 hours of fantasy.

Our spotless family room had two enormous squishy double beds, WiFi faster than a Disney ‘coaster and a tub, the perfect place to wallow in bubbles (the foamy kind) and ease tired legs. If there are more than four in your clan, book an XL Family Room which can fit up to eight people.

Although the food at Disneyland Paris is great, our favourite meal of the weekend was at Le George, the hotel’s swish restaurant. Starters of light tuna tempura and duck, followed by succulent steak frites (the kids menu is simply smaller portions of the adults, so French). Even the wine, a glass (ok two) of recommended Cote-Rotie (€12), was superb.

The boys left the table between courses to explore ‘the jungle’, a mini Kew-like double-storey glass room filled with trees, tropical ferns, banana plants and flowers. There’s a long dining table in the middle of all the foliage which you can book if you’re in a bigger party.

L’Diplomat Bar’s a cosy spot for a post-Disney cocktail - it looked like that’s exactly what many of guests were doing, though most had removed their Minnie ears - and it also serves a rich hot chocolate for kids.

Try and carve out a little free time to visit huge shopping centre Val d’Europe opposite the hotel, which is like adult Disneyland – upstairs dedicated to fashion and beauty and a lower floor full of French food. I picked up a tube of French beauty editors’ must-have secret potion A313 Pommade from the pharmacy and a pair of black ankle boots, not bad for a 25-minute dash.

Want to stay in-park? Disneyland Hotel (themed around Disney royalty) has just reopened its doors (after a two-year, multi-million pound reno) and it’s gone down a storm with reviewers. The upsides? Reception resembling Sleeping Beauty’s castle, getting to eat breakfast with Disney characters, pillow menus, five-star Clarins spa and a private entrance to the park. The downside? It’s £1,501 per night in April, though this is for a family of four and does include two-day park passes.

Download the Disneyland Paris app: BEFORE you go. Seriously, everything you could possibly ever need is on the app , from interactive maps, to opening times and the ability to book lunch. And take a phone charger, because if your phone shuts down, the magic will too.

Don’t try and cram in too much : These parks are BIG. Better to go for two days and spread it out, if you can.

Pack like you’re going on a hike: You’ll walk for miles (I’m talking 20,000 steps a day), so it’s important to be prepared. Trainers, tick. Comfy clothes, tick. Waterbottles (there are plenty of drinking fountains), tick. Snacks, tick.

Beat the queues for rides with Disney Premier Access Ultimate : If you’re not prepared to wait for up to 45 mins to get on some of the more popular rides and attractions, you can snap up premier access on the app (around €90pp per day for up to 16 rides low seasons, up to €190pp per day in peak) then simply scan the QR code at the entrance to the ride and, voila , you’re in the fast lane.

Arrive early, but not too early: The parks open at 9.30am and the queues were pretty lengthy even in low season (Feb), however by 10.30am they appeared to have eased off a little.

Take rain gear : You’re in FRANCE not FLORIDA. Rain happens, and you don’t want to spend extra money on see-through ponchos you’ll never wear again.

More family holiday ideas...

• A babymoon with a toddler in tow at Sani Resort in Greece
• All aboard a half-term family Euro cruise with Norwegian Viva
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Will Disneyland get an Avatar land? It’s likely. Here’s what else may be in store

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With the city of Anaheim unanimously voting to pass DisneylandForward , the Disneyland Resort will be forever changed.

Twice in the last 69 years, Disneyland has been significantly transformed. Four years after the park opened in 1959, Disneyland added its monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and a submarine ride and expanded Autopia. It was a message that would begin to fulfill Walt Disney’s promise that Disneyland would never be completed.

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More than that, however, it revealed that Disneyland would continue to look to the future. Disneyland in 1959 showed its guests possibilities — a transportation system in the monorail that could remake urban communities, a tease of the freeway system that would reshape travel and a glimpse at the sort of deep-sea excursions only a lucky few could witness. The Matterhorn, while inspired by the film “Third Man on the Mountain,” also was meant to be a transportive experience, to not only bring to Disneyland a new kind of thrill ride but give visitors a taste of international adventure.

Disneyland’s second reimagining came much later. In 2001 the Walt Disney Co. would open Disney California Adventure, the Grand Californian hotel and the Downtown Disney District. These additions would attempt to make Disneyland, the company’s original park, one that could, in theory, rival Florida’s Walt Disney World by becoming a resort that could demand multiday stays.

This expansion succeeded as well, but not overnight.

The original vision of Disney California Adventure proved to be lackluster, relying heavily on on-the-shelf rides and lacking emotion-driven experiences that take visitors out of their daily life. While the Grand Californian is a Craftsman-inspired triumph, Downtown Disney is in the midst of a transformation and is still attempting to outgrow its reputation as a home for chains and midtier eateries.

And now we’re entering a new era of possibilities, one that likely will look much different from the prior two. Modern Disney is centered on intellectual property — or IP, in corporate speak — rather than Walt-era idealism, and the most tantalizing prospects of DisneylandForward center on building around existing structures rather than erecting a new park.

With DisneylandForward, the company won the flexibility to redesign the resort. Zoning rules will be amended so that Disney can add new attractions alongside hotels on the west side of Disneyland Drive. These will, if they come to fruition, likely be extensions of Disneyland or Disney California Adventure rather than a third park. Additionally, a new shopping, dining and entertainment district can be created to the southeast on what is currently the Toy Story parking lot at Katella Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.

Company brass and the DisneylandForward materials have offered teases of what could be built. Most of these have centered on recent expansions at Disney’s international parks, such as the World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland or Zootopia at Shanghai Disney Resort. There’s been little ideological talk about the future of Disneyland, as the focus has centered squarely on popular properties and franchises rather than the resort’s status as a cultural hub and gathering space.

But DisneylandForward came with a pledge. The Walt Disney Co. has promised to spend a minimum of $1.9 billion on Disneyland attractions, lodging, entertainment, shopping and dining in the next 10 years. That money can go quickly, with modern attractions costing sometimes in the high six figures, but the Walt Disney Co. also is in the midst of doubling down on its theme parks. Disney has guaranteed to spend $60 billion over the next 10 years in its experiences division, with at least half of that total dedicated to parks and resorts, according to a recent SEC filing .

It’s safe to say that the next 10 years will shape Disneyland for decades to come. While there’s much to be revealed, there are, perhaps, some safe bets. Here are a few educated guesses as to what to expect with an expanded Disneyland in the near term.

Get ready for Pandora

DisneylandForward materials reference everything from “Tangled” to “Peter Pan” to “Tron” as possible experiences that could come to Anaheim. One word, however, is missing, and it’s one that’s been regularly referenced by Disney brass in recent weeks: “Avatar.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger mentioned it at a recent shareholder meeting, even sharing the “Avatar” concept art, which was referred to as “inspirational artwork.” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, wrote in a blog post after the shareholder event that further news on Disneyland-related attractions such as the “Avatar” experience was tied to the approval of DisneylandForward.

“We are excited about the stories our guests could experience at Walt’s original theme park destination after approval of DisneylandForward — including the chance to experience all-new Avatar adventures with a visit to Pandora,” D’Amaro wrote . And last night in Anaheim, Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock again teased “Avatar” at the DisneylandForward hearing and vote. Finally, one of Disney’s most respected theme park creatives even posted the “Avatar” concept art on Instagram , expressing the hope of sharing more on the project in the future.

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Consider a large-scale “Avatar”-inspired land all but a done deal, and the art shared for Disneyland isn’t an exact replica of Florida’s Pandora — The World of Avatar, which resides in that coast’s Animal Kingdom park. Now where to put it? Expect Pandora to be bound for Disney California Adventure. There’s been speculation that it could replace the area currently served by water ride Grizzly River Run or move into a largely vacant slot of Hollywood Land, but neither is ideal. The latter requires a rerouting of the monorail, and Grizzly River Run remains a popular attraction.

Here’s betting it’s positioned in one of the DCA expansion areas near the Pixar Place Hotel, as that would allow the company to give the James Cameron property a plethora of space, especially if Disney must hide a large show building behind an illusion of floating mountains.

Expect more hotel options

With Disneyland lacking the acreage of Florida’s Walt Disney World, hotel prices in Anaheim are at a premium. Rooms for the recently revamped Pixar Place Hotel — Anaheim’s “budget” option — can routinely top $500 per night. More hotel space is needed, and if Disneyland goes all-in on “Avatar,” expect lodging and more entertainment options to follow close behind. Disney has long touted development of the Toy Story Lot as prime space for hotel, dining and entertainment modeled after Florida’s Disney Springs district.

The DisneylandForward materials mention the land as “the perfect location to cater to locals, conventioneers, hotel and Disneyland Resort guests with restaurants, hotels, live music, shopping, ticketed shows and theme park experiences.” A new proposed parking structure to the north would solve the parking issue, and Disney has done extensive research on this already, as it was part of an earlier, pre-pandemic planned development known as the “Eastern Gateway.”

Walkways to and from the new parking structure would connect the current resort to the new entertainment area. And while fans may want Disney to rapidly fill the available space with theme park attractions, if the resort is planning to increase capacity it’s first going to need a spot for those guests to park. Additionally, Iger at a recent media event said the company likely would hold back some of its theme park funds so the organization could move on the popularity of new films or franchises.

“We actually have a fairly good idea in the near term of what’s being built, but we’re purposefully not going to allocate it all,” Iger said. “Because who knows? In five years we can end up with a giant hit movie — think ‘Frozen’ — that we may want to mine essentially as an attraction, or a hotel or restaurant in our parks. So you want to maintain some flexibility.”

What about ‘Frozen’s’ Arendelle? Or a ‘Coco’-themed experience?

Beyond “Avatar,” which seems a sure thing as it’s been mentioned by Iger on multiple occasions, any future aspects of DisneylandForward become pure speculation. But a couple of franchises may have higher priority than others.

Disney now has a “Frozen” attraction in Walt Disney World, a land in Hong Kong and experiences in the works for Disneyland Paris and Tokyo DisneySea. Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s secretive arm devoted to theme park experiences, clearly has done the work on bringing “Frozen” to life in physical spaces, and it stands to reason that expansions to the original Disneyland Park, with its fairy-tale feel, would go more of a Fantasyland-inspired route.

What’s more, re-creating Arendelle in the expansion plots located near the Disneyland Hotel would give Disney the opportunity to construct a second castle, as any extensive changes to park centerpiece Sleeping Beauty Castle are prohibited due to structural limitations . The enduring popularity of “Frozen” seems relatively assured at this point, so bringing the franchise to Disneyland is far from a risk.

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But if the company opts to create something unique for Southern California rather than importing Hong Kong’s World of Frozen or Shanghai’s Zootopia, one franchise that seems to be routinely brought up by executives is “Coco.” When mentioning blue-sky concepts last year year at an investor event in Florida, D’Amaro teased “Coco” as a key film that has yet to be properly explored in the Disney parks.

Potrock again mentioned “Coco” in an op-ed in the Orange County Register touting the benefits of DisneylandForward, writing that the initiative could pave the way for “the chance to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in a ‘Coco’-themed experience.” Disney California Adventure, of course, is home to a Dia de Los Muertos celebration that does center a short “Coco” show, and the property seems especially ripe for Southern California and our heavily Latino communities. That makes it an opportunity to give Disneyland an unique land not found in other parks while also tapping into the region’s diverse fan base. Walt’s original park deserves no less as it looks ahead to closing out its first century.

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Offers & Discounts

Special offers may be available for tickets, resort stays, vacation packages and more.

You are currently able to view products and prices for Magic Key holders and Disney Plus. Offers for other affiliations may be available. Sign in or update your profile to check for additional offers.

Offers & Discounts for Affiliations

You are currently able to view products and prices for Magic Key holders and Disney Plus.

Disney Vacation Club Members

Please sign in to see if special offers and prices are available.

Southern California Residents

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View Southern California Resident Offers

U.S. Military Personnel

We offer discounts to eligible members of the U.S. military. For Military Promotional Tickets, visit your nearest Military Base Ticket Office for details. To check hotel offer availability and make room reservations, call (407) 939-7830†.

Please note: Discounts are not available for every offer for every affiliation indicated above. †Guests under age 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call.

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Save Up to 15% on Select Stays at a Disneyland Resort Hotel on Sunday Through Thursday Nights

Valid for Sunday to Thursday night stays from March 11 to June 6, 2024. Subject to availability and restrictions.

Book through June 3, 2024

Offer Type: Room

Discover Authentic Disneyland Resort Merchandise and Get Free Ground Shipping on All Orders of $75+

Shop the stories you love at Disney Store

Offer Type: Merchandise

Enjoy Savings and Special Disney Experiences with a Disney ® Premier Visa ® Card

Restrictions apply. Member FDIC

Magic Key Holders Can Save up to 20% on Select Stays at a Disneyland Resort Hotel on Sunday Through Thursday Nights

Magic Key Holders: Save 30% on Select Rooms and Villas at Aulani Resort in Hawaiʻi This Spring

Stays most nights April 12 through June 12, 2024; other savings available for villa stays most nights June 13 through July 31, 2024

Book through June 5, 2024

Magic Key Holders: Save Up to 35% on Select Rooms for Stays of 5 Nights or Longer at Aulani Resort in Hawaiʻi This Fall

Stays most nights from August 21 to November 23, and from November 30 to December 20, 2024; other savings available for 4-night stays, and for villa stays most nights from August 1 to August 20, 2024

Book through September 26, 2024

Eligible US Military Members: Enjoy Specially Priced Theme Park Tickets in 2024

Valid January 2, 2024 through December 13, 2024

Purchase through December 10, 2024

Eligible US Military Members: Enjoy Great Rates on Select Rooms at Disneyland Resort Hotels in 2024

Valid most nights through December 13, 2024

Book through December 10, 2024