In honor of May the 4th and 5th being Star Wars days – May the Forth Be With You and Revenge of the Fifth.  I’d like to take the opportunity to throw a little love toward the Star Wars area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, particularly the Star Tours attraction.

We really love the Star Wars section of the Studios, but I believe it’s kind of an underappreciated area of the park.  Yes, we first rush to Toy Story Midway Mania, then Rock’n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror – we may not make our way to Star Tours until much later in the day, but we WILL visit every time and, like many other places in Walt Disney World, I always notice something I’ve never noticed before.

Before you even enter Star Tours, the Star Wars area has some pretty awesome photo props.  You don’t have to be a dyed-in-the-wookie Star Wars fan to appreciate the coolness of the environment here.

Then there’s the queue.  I consider myself a bit of a standby line aficionado – while I’m the most impatient person you will ever meet in my everyday life – when at Walt Disney World, I’m one of the most willing-to-wait people!  I’ve been known to regularly wait 40-45 minutes and, on occasion, wait up to 60 minutes for an attraction I love.  YES!  I do know how the FastPass system works AND I’m a rope-drop fan, but while on vacation, I’m living in the moment and meet the most amazing people on occasion if I choose the standby line.  (Hello to that super interesting lady from Canada and her son from the queue for Toy Story Midway Mania!)  Okay, back to the queue, sorry for the tangent….the wait for Star Tours is full of fun and interesting things to see and hear…

One can’t help but appreciate all the gems hidden in the Star Tours waiting area.  Seriously, there’s some cool stuff – even for those of us who do not count ourselves among the Star Wars geeks’ inner circles.  Watch the baggage screening area – too funny!  Listen to the public address system’s announcements – you may hear one looking for Egroeg Sacul or Tom Morrow.  Don’t get the joke?  Holler at me and I’ll explain.  Do not forget to look closely at the shelves for a Muppet-related surprise.  The list goes on and on.  Look up, look down, but look closely!

Now for the actual ride – if you’re prone to motion sickness even a tiny bit, this attraction could trigger an episode.  Guests must be 40″ to ride – Personally, I think this ride is best for kids 9 and older that are experienced or “street smart” riders.  It doesn’t hurt if you’ve taken the time to introduce them to the joy and excitement of the Star Wars movies prior to this experience.

The best part – there are more than 50 possible ride sequences/endings!  Ride everyday for your entire vacation and the chances of having the same experience twice are practically nonexistent.  Who will be the Rebel Spy?  It’s pretty funny when you see the shock of a random stranger, but absolutely priceless when it’s a member of your own party.  In our case, during the last visit, Megan was the Rebel Spy – and has the t-shirt to prove it!

What do you think?  Star Wars area of the Studios and Star Tours – a must-do?