Origins
The early phases of the ride that would become Star Tours weren’t Star Wars-themed at all. Disney originally envisioned a ride simulator attraction in Tomorrowland based around the 1979 box office flop The Black Hole. But the combination of a massive cost for the ride’s simulation technology—which planned to let guests more directly interact with the ride experience, controlling the path they went on—and the fact that, well, people were not exactly clamoring for Black Hole nostalgia, after six years of development plans were scrapped.
But Disney still wanted a new simulator ride, and decided to take a rare step—go outside the Magic Kingdom and follow up on a partnership with an outside brand that could help ameliorate the cost. Having worked together on Captain EO—1986 the 3D Michael Jackson sci-fi short film/stage attraction shown in Disney parks—Disney decided to approach George Lucas, and ask if Star Wars could make its way into its parks.
