Brand New Star Tours Highlights New Disney Rides

More than 20 years after the original opened in Disneyland to thousands of excited fans, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo announced plans for a brand-new Star Tours attraction for its California and Florida parks in 2011.

"Storytelling is the DNA of Disney dreams and we're always exploring new ways to tell new stories in new places," Rasulo told a crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

The new ride will feature 3-D video and interactive elements as guests take a tour of the characters and planets of the Star Wars galaxy.

As Star Wars fans anxiously anticipate the ride’s completion, there’s still no word yet on whether the much-maligned “Jar-Jar Binks” (a toad-like creature with the IQ of a bean and the linguistic skills of a Myna bird) will be making an appearance. However, Disney did assure fans that many of their favorites would be represented.

In addition to the new Star Tours ride, Rasulo outlined plans for an expansion of Fantasyland for Walt Disney World in Florida by 2013. As a part of this expansion, the circus grounds below the Dumbo rides will soon house an interactive, three-ring circus tent, while an adventure ride for The Little Mermaid will allow guests to venture “under the sea” as Tinker Bell gets a new home in Pixie Hollow.

A 12-acre Cars Land is also in development for Disney’s California Adventure for 2012, allowing guests to walk through the town of Radiator Springs.

Internationally, Rasso states that several attractions will be added to its theme parks worldwide, including three new lands to Hong Kong Disneyland by 2014.

Check out a video of the new Star Tours: