Re: Disney Star Tours STARSPEEDER 1000 Vehicle Playset

Great review and pics!

Disney Star Tours STARSPEEDER 1000 Vehicle Playset

All that's missing is a place to store the luggage...

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There’s a new Star Wars related vehicle that is the perfect gift this holiday season, but you won’t find it at your usual retailer. This exclusive playset can only be found at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts and for fans of the ride, it is one of the most anticipated toys this year. Note: This is not a Hasbro product but 100% compatible with your Hasbro Star Wars figures.

Much like the way Star Wars changed the way we see movies, Star Tours, the original 1987 attraction at Disneyland, changed the way we see rides that are inspired by film properties. Earlier this summer, the updated Star Tours: The Adventures Continue changed the game once again offering 54 combinations of the ride, almost guaranteeing a different adventure (albeit slightly) each time you visit. Star Tours, the travel agency providing the backdrop of this ride which is now also enjoyed in Florida, Tokyo, and Paris (the latter two still with the original version of the ride), provides convenient daily departures in their luxurious spaceliner, the STARSPEEDER 1000.

The original version of the ride takes place later in the Star Wars timeline and was called the STARSPEEDER 3000 and while I’m a bigger fan of the original white and blue color scheme, I’m more than happy to have this as a substitute. Both are based on the same mold so I actually look forward to seeing a possible repaint down the line or seeing what customizers do with it.

Getting to the toy itself, it is big. It’s heavy. And it’s loaded with play features. The packaging is similar to previous Disney Star Tours merchandise but contains a lot of detailed photographs on the back describing the features. The front and sides are clear, showing off the size of the vehicle as well as a “Try Me” light and sound feature. Getting the ship out will require a decent pair of scissors and nothing else. Everything you need is self-contained within the ship so there aren’t any loose items you’ll need to worry about.

The backdrop art behind the ship is an interesting choice: Tatooine Podracing, reflecting one of the destinations in the ride. I think they could have gone with the Star Tours hangar and that would have worked out nicely too. Still, it’s great that they gave something and I actually saved that backdrop for my Hasbro Tatooine display.

There are a few loose contents or accessories that I’ll go over. First, are the two included droids R2-D2 and IC-360. R2-D2 (pictured below) is a very basic plastic toy with a rotating dome. It’s not much of an action figure but more or less a place-holder for your preferred astromech droid. It’s painted decently though and does its job in its place. The IC-360 (pictured above and below) is a Camera Droid that records and documents the activities outside of the ship as it tours the various galaxies. It’s part of the ride so it’s great that it’s included.

Other loose items is a removable pilot chair and four changeable destination screens: 1 x Tatooine Podrace, 1 x Hoth, 1 x Holographic Yoda, and 1 x Death Star. I’ll go into further detail about these below.

The ship itself is an accurate representation of the vehicle that is on constant display in the attraction queue. Great paint work and decals make this a real treat to have on the shelf. It’s like having a piece of the ride in your home. The front windshield is painted black so there will be no looking through it, but that’s a minor gripe.

There’s a compartment for the IC-360 camera droid as well as a socket for R2-D2 or any astromech droid you desire to use. A button at the base triggers Artoo sound effects when pushed. Four buttons on the back of the SS1000 also perform certain tasks. The top left activates the left side doors and the top right button activates the same on the right. With a push of the button, the doors open and the familiar Star Tours chime can be heard. Press the button again to close. Interior cabin lights are turned on during this feature as well.

The bottom left button triggers a bit of C-3PO dialogue “Thank you for flying Star Tours!” while the cabin lights turn on. The bottom right button triggers dialogue and sound effects of C-3PO saying, “Lightspeed, Artoo, Now!” with front of the ship lights turned on, flashing blaster light, and lightspeed sound effect. A third button on the top of the ship activates the concealed laser cannons at the front of the ship. The canons pop out, lights turn on, and blaster sounds can be heard.

Getting to the inside of the cabin requires removal of the top roof. There are three rows of three seats for passengers to seat nine passengers (the real thing seats about 40 passengers) complete with one big safety restraint per row. There should be enough leg space for even figures without articulated knees.

The pilot chair can seat an additional figure. Choose from AC-38 or C-3PO or whoever you’d like to pilot. The chair is removable and can be swapped out with the RX-24 action figure, otherwise known as Captain Rex (voiced by Paul Ruebens) from the first Star Tours making this ship truly forwards compatible.

The four plastic changeable destination screens when not in use can be stowed in the back of the cabin. Each one when plugged into the front activates a different sound effect:

* Tatooine – C-3PO dialogue: “Oh my, a Podrace! I always wanted to do this!”
* Hoth – C-3PO dialogue: “Hold onto your circuits!”
* Yoda Hologram – Yoda dialogue: “May the Force be with you.”
* Death Star – C-3PO dialogue: “I have a bad feeling about this.”

The Starspeeder 1000 Vehicle Playset - priced at only $54.95 - is the best product Disney has produced for its theme parks. It’s always great to have ride-specific merchandise and toys, but to also have one that can be used in conjunction with Hasbro Star Wars action figures, you have a recipe for success. All that’s missing is a place to store the luggage...

This playset and other exclusive Hasbro figure sets - "Star Tours Travel Agency" and "Ambush at Star Tours" - are available now at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. For those unable to buy a plane ticket, try Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Merchandise Guest Services at 1-877-560-6477 or send an email to merchandiseguestservices@disney.go.com to order directly from the Disney Parks.

CLICK HERE FOR OVER 40 NEW PHOTOS OF THE STARSPEEDER 1000!

Review and Photography by David Yeh

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