How George Lucas Helped Bring Star Tours to Disneyland (Ep. 93)

Jim Hill and Len Testa continue their chronological Disneyland series with the park’s 30th anniversary and the early development of Star Tours. Jim explains how Ron Miller’s outreach to George Lucas started a collaboration that survived Disney’s management change, and why an ambitious roller-coaster concept gave way to a motion simulator. Recorded shortly before The Force Awakens opened, the conversation also explores movie-inspired attractions, Disneyland’s anniversary giveaways, and Lucas’s changing relationship with Disney.

Original Air Date: December 15, 2015 (estimated)
Original Title: Episode 93

HIGHLIGHTS

• Disneyland’s Gift-Giver Extraordinaire and the prizes offered during its 1985 anniversary celebration.
• How annual passholders tried to time their entrances to win the larger prizes.
• The change from pellet guns to electronic targets in the shooting galleries.
• Adventures Thru Inner Space’s closure and the search for a new Tomorrowland attraction.
• Disneyland’s connection to John Hughes’s Vacation story and its transformation into Wally World.
• Ron Miller’s invitation to George Lucas and the relationship that brought Star Wars into the parks.
• The unbuilt Star Wars coaster and the move toward a larger motion-simulator ride.
• Lucas’s contributions to Star Tours’ robot pilot and opening sequence, plus the hosts’ anticipation of The Force Awakens.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.
View transcript here.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill: X and Instagram @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com
• Len Testa: Bluesky @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram @len.testa | touringplans.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• X and Instagram: @JimHillMedia
• YouTube and TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Produced by Aaron Adams

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/

Jim and Len trace Disneyland’s 1985 anniversary promotions and the early collaboration with George Lucas that led to Star Tours.

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