Trust me: Even the biggest Star Tours enthusiasts may not know these out-of-this-world facts.

Since it first debuted in 1987 at Disneyland Park, Star Tours has been a huge hit. It almost immediately spawned a duplicate version at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (which opened in 1989), and made history as the first Star Wars attraction in Disney’s theme parks, setting the stage for many more to come.

While Star Tours has certainly changed over the course of its 30-plus years (including upgrading its name to Star Tours – The Adventures Continue), much of its original magic remains. And even as someone who’s ridden the ride at both Disney World and Disneyland many, many times, I’m still surprised by it.

Below, I’m sharing some of the coolest fun facts you need to know before your next spin through space on Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

1. Star Tours Was the First Disney Attraction Based on a Non-Disney Intellectual Property

We’re all quite familiar with Disney’s love of infusing its intellectual property (IP) into the theme parks. Both Disney World and Disneyland (along with all of Disney’s other parks worldwide) are filled with attractions and entertainment inspired by the company’s IP. That practice started way back in the 1950s – when Disneyland first opened, it featured Disney-owned IP like Davy Crockett.

But Star Tours was quite different. When the attraction first opened at Disneyland in 1987, it marked a key moment in history as the first-ever Disney attraction based on a non-Disney licensed IP.

Disney and George Lucas were forging a partnership, one that started with the two working together on Captain EO at Disneyland. After Captain EO premiered in 1986, Disney approached Lucas with the idea for Star Tours, and the attraction was given the green light.

Now, Star Wars and all of its many galaxies and stories are part of Disney’s IP. But Star Tours certainly paved the way for that partnership way back when.

2. The Queue and Ride Experience Both Feature Hidden Nods to Star Tours’ History

Keep your eyes peeled for familiar droids in the queue. Photo by Jaysen White

If you ever find yourself missing Captain Rex from the original version of Star Tours, don’t worry. He’s still around – if you listen carefully, that is. 

While you’re waiting in the ride’s queue at both Disneyland and Hollywood Studios, you just might hear a familiar (and familiarly glitchy) voice saying some familiar lines of dialogue. Drown out the noise around you and listen to the announcements in the background, and you just might catch some of Captain Rex’s classics, like “T-this is C-c-captain Rex.

You can even spot Captain Rex in the queue, boxed up in a crate labeled “DEFECTIVE.” His glitchy voice is a hint that everyone’s favorite former pilot is headed to a new destination where, hopefully, those defects will be fixed. 

Additionally, while you’re on the ride, C-3PO makes another reference to Captain Rex. The shiny golden droid repeats one of Rex’s famed lines if you’re lucky enough to get the pod racing scene: “I’ve always wanted to do this!”

Lastly, in addition to these nods to Star Tours’ former captain, the queue is also home to some subtle references to Disney history. The announcements you hear while you wait include “Paging Egroeg Sacul” – a call for Star Wars creator George Lucas, spelled backwards – and “Paging Mot Worromm,” which is the name of former Disney attractions like Innoventions and Flight to the Moon (also spelled backwards).

3. Adventure Thru Inner Space Lives on in Star Tours

Before Star Tours opened in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, Adventure Thru Inner Space lived in its location. That attraction, which existed from 1967 to 1985, was a dark ride that shrunk guests down to the teeny-tiny size of an atom and guided them through the exploration of a snowflake. To shrink, guests passed through a gigantic Mighty Microscope.

And though you’ve probably never noticed it, Star Tours still pays homage to that long-gone attraction. 

The next time you ride Star Tours at Disneyland, you just might be lucky enough to catch a reference to Adventure Thru Inner Space. The Mighty Microscope makes an appearance in one of the ride’s many, many storylines: If you wind up on the Death Star as your adventure winds down, you’ll fly past the Mighty Microscope as you escape. (Hint: Look to your left!)

This isn’t the first time Star Tours has paid homage to its predecessor. Adventure Thru Inner Space and the Mighty Microscope also appeared in the original version of Star Tours – you could spot it on the right-hand side, just before flying out of the eminence bay in the ride’s very first storyline.

4. Some of the Star Tours Droids Used to Have Quite the Singing Career

You can spot a total of four “Goose droids” in the Star Tours queue – two at Disneyland, two at Hollywood Studios. Photo by Danny Shuster

Adventure Thru Inner Space isn’t the only classic Disneyland attraction that makes an appearance in the Star Tours queue. Eagle-eyed guests might also spot some of the animatronics from America Sings.

As you move along the Star Tours queue, you’ll pass “Goose Droids” (officially named G2-9T and G2-4T) with robotic webbed feet and tails. You’ll find these droids scanning guests and their luggage. Previously, these droids had different jobs. Before the ride became Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, they could be seen repairing R2-D2. And before that, they were part of the ensemble animatronic cast of America Sings.

Both of these web-footed goose droids were part of the attraction’s quartet of singing geese and crooned tunes like “Singing in the Rain” and “I’ve Been Working On the Railroad.” Now, they aren’t doing much singing… but if you listen closely, you just might catch G2-9T singing “I’ve been lookin’ at the saaaame bag, alllllll the live long day!” as you pass by.

5. Other Disney Attractions Pop Up in the Star Tours Queue

In addition to Adventure Thru Inner Space and America Sings, you can catch even more classic Disney attractions (and even films!) if you keep an eye on those warbling “Goose droids.” As G2-9T scans luggage in the ride’s queue, there are all sorts of references and hidden Easter eggs that pass by.

If you get the chance to stand in front of G2-9T and his scanner for any length of time, keep your eyes trained on that luggage. You might spot:

• Madame Leota’s head
• Major and Minor Domo from Captain EO
• Mickey Mouse’s gloves
• Genie’s lamp
• Buzz Lightyear
• Toy Story aliens, in squeeze-toy form
• WALL-E
• Space helmets and oxygen tanks with the DASA logo (a nod to Space Mountain)
• Mickey’s sorcerer hat
• Indiana Jones’ fedora and bullwhip
• Woody’s cowboy hat
• Little Mike, Mike Wazowski’s doll
• Chip and Dale

6. Star Tours Does Reference Star Trek

Photo by Jaysen White

Star Wars and Star Trek are both beloved space-themed franchises, but they never overlap or intertwine. Well, at least not onscreen – but they do come together at Star Tours.

Disney Imagineers did include two nods to Star Trek in the Star Tours queue: two white plates with numerical, lettered codes.

One of these white plates bears the code JK 0966. The initials stand for James Kirk, legendary Captain Kirk of Star Trek. The numbers 0966 are the date Star Trek first debuted: September 1966.

The second code requires a bit more insider knowledge. That code is N1C7C01. Separate the letters and numbers, and you’ll get NCC 1701 – the identification code and number of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek.