One of the most consistent Walt Disney World attractions since the late 1980s, Star Tours is a motion simulator ride based on the Star Wars universe. Set in a strangely cheerful (and decidedly unofficial) storyline parallel to Return Of The Jedi, Star Tours takes a “spaceship” full of passengers on a sightseeing tour of the third moon of Endor – or at least that’s the idea. There’s just one problem – the droids driving that ship aren’t quite the professional pilots you’d like if you happened to be a paying passenger on that ship, and when you add to that the fact that the Empire seems to have built a second Death Star at Endor and is now engaged in a decisive battle with the Rebel Alliance in the space above the moon, well, naturally mayhem ensues.
In September 2002, Walt Disney World contracted with Hasbro to create a series of action figures based on the droids from the Star Tours ride. Packaged on blister cards bearing both the Star Wars and Disney logos, the figures are exclusive to Disney’s theme parks and gift stores.
Pilot RX-24, a.k.a. “Rex,” is the easiest figure to find of the Star Tours range, but also has some of the most interesting features – three arms, each on its own rotating section, and a “helmet-visor” style faceplate which can be lowered into place over his eyes. (Rex also had the dubious distinction of being voiced by Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens prior to the actor’s subsequent run-ins with the law.) G2-4T is a chatty maintenance droid who talks to ride-goers as they wait in line. The other droids in the Star Tours range are seen at various points in line or on the ride itself; missing from the lineup are perhaps the two most recognizable characters, C-3PO (who appears in a pre-“flight” safety video) and R2-D2 (who’s supposedly serving as the Star Tours astromech droid; how these two are also simultaneously getting captured by the Ewoks and whatnot isn’t really made clear). Equally mysterious is the variance in the two astromechs’ bodies: R4-M9 shares the body mold of the figure with the same name released in the fourth wave of Power Of The Jedi figures, while R3-D3 has a solid body (its third leg can’t retract into the figure) and wheels in its feet.
Though they can be purchased via phone or mail order from Disney, or found at outrageously scalped prices on eBay, there don’t seem to be any plans to release the Star Tours droids at retail.
RX-24.
G2-4T.
R3-D3.
R4-M9.
DL-X2.
WEG-1618.
