While rough plans were being made for the motion simulator attraction, Michael Eisner invited George Lucas to visit the Imagineering department. Eisner had known Lucas since is his days at Paramount Pictures. Eisner wanted Lucas to help him attract more teens to the park, and when Lucas saw the plans for the outer space flight simulator, he agreed to work on the project. As part of the partnership, Disney agreed to give Lucas a percentage of the merchandise fees from the attraction, as well as a six million dollar fee to create the film for the attraction. After reaching an agreement, Lucas told the press that if he was going to work on a theme park attraction wanted it to be Disney. The motion simulator project was then given a 27 million dollar budget, and a November 1986 opening date.
The original plot for the space motion simulator, focused on an intergalactic travel agency. The attraction itself would be housed within a spaceport. The stars of both the preshow and the attraction would be R2D2 R2-D2 and C3PO C-3PO from the Star Wars franchise. A new character, known as RX-24, or Rex would pilot the attraction. The initial film created by George Lucas's ILM was 20 minutes long, and featured various special effects. The film was then cut down to three minutes, before it was changed again to a four minute film.
During construction, four 40 person simulator cabins were dropped in through the roof, before being sealed in. Although the construction started smoothly, the attraction soon ran into a series of delays. The first problem Imagineers faced, was that they could not get the motion simulator to synchronize with the film properly. Then, it was discovered that the roof of the building would need to be raised, meaning that the structural work of the building would also have to be redone. Furthermore, George Lucas decided that the Audio Systems in the ride vehicles would need upgrading, this cost another 100,000 dollars. Despite being over budget and 3 months late, Star Tours eventually opened to the public in Disneyland on January 9th 1987.
====Preshow====
In the preshow for Star Tours, is themed to look like a galactic travel agency. Guests are about to take a trip to Endor, although posters around the room advertise for services to various planets. Inside the preshow, guests see R2D2 R2-D2 and C3PO C-3PO working as Starspeeder maintenance workers. C3PO C-3PO informs guests that R2D2 R2-D2 will be traveling with them on their trip to Endor. R2 and C3PO C-3PO seem to be inferring that something is wrong with the ship they are working on, although nothing specific is mentioned. While the robots are talking, an advertisement appears on a large screen in the room. A male announcer then tells guests:
{{Quotation| Star Tours is now offering convenient daily
delay. Visit Endor today. }}
C3PO C-3PO then comments that Endor has certainly changed since the last time they were there. He then mentions that last time they were there, he thought they were doomed for sure but that in the end they survived. After a short exchange with R2D2R2-D2, a female announcer informs guests that flight 55 (guests flight) is now ready for boarding at gate number 3.
R2D2 R2-D2 and C3PO C-3PO the systems check on the ship they are working on. Following a slight scare with the laser system, C3Po C-3Po once again tells guests that he wishes he was going with them to Endor. After this exchange, guests move into a second room, where more repair droids are station. On the way, guests pass by the Starspeeder that they will soon by riding in.
The droids in the next room are known as G214 and G219. These robots interact with guests, informing them about the Starspeeder. Following the interaction with droids, a cast member explains the boarding process, and informs them that they will be boarding in a few moments. Following one more announcement, guests board their Starspeeder.
====Main Ride====
The original Star Tours began, with the robot pilot (rex), informing guests that this is his first flight. Guests are traveling to Endor, with R2D2 R2-D2 as their navigator.
As the ship takes off warning sirens begin to sound. Rex has inadvertently sent the ship in the wrong direction. The starship then hectically maneuvers through a maintenance bay, narrowly avoiding being crushed in the processes. Rex is finally able to navigate the ship out of the bay and into space. He then tells R2D2 R2-D2 to put the ship into light speed, so that the ship can reach Endor. After jumping out of light speed, Rex nervously exclaims, "We've passed the Endor moon". Instead of reaching their destination safely, guests have been taken into the middle of a comet field. After a series of close calls, Rex is able to get out of the field. He then assures guests that they will soon be on their way to Endor without any further delays. Right on cue, the Starspeeder runs into a large Star Destroyer, one of the capital ships in the Empire's fleet.
Guests Starspeeder is quickly caught in the Star Destroyer's tractor beam, and the ship is slightly damaged. Fortunately, a rebel fighter flies by and frees guests from the tractor beam by shooting its generator. Rex then follows the Rebellion ships as the launch an attack on the Empire's Death Star. Rex participates in the battle with the Death Star, while a rebel destroys the ship, in the same manner that Luke Skywalker did in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Rex, along with the rest of the rebel fighters, then jumps into light speed. The jump to light speed takes guests back to the spaceport where the attraction started, with guests narrowly avoiding a collision with fuel truck.