Star Wars Appreciation - Launch Date for Star Tours II - Pod Racers

So if you are a fan of Star Wars, been to Disneyland or Disneyworld...

you most likely have been on Star Tours. One of the first motion simulator rides in the world, designed by George Lucas, Star Tours takes you into the movie as you do the Deathstar Trench run and you help the rebel alliance blow up the Empire's evil base of planetoid destruction.

There is one thing I never quite understood about Star Tours. For starters how/ why does a civilian transport ship have missiles and lasers attached that are able to destroy the most powerful ship in the galaxy. This always seemed illogical to me but then again Star Tours is in a Galaxy far far away...

That being said, I always liked this great ride but as time has gone on the ride has started to show its age. Disney in their infite wisdom has decided to update Star Tours for the next generation, similar to what they did to Pirates of the Caribbean by adding Captain Jack Sparrow.

I say similarly but in reality they are giving the attraction a complete overhaul. Instead of flying on the Star Tours express to one of Endors moons you are going to strap into a pod racer and speed around Tatoonie. There are also rumors of the ride adding 3-D to the ride thus allowing for a small "Avatar" everything must be in 3-D boost.

I never really liked the Pod Racer scene from Episode 1 of Star Wars. I don't know if it was because I just hate that movie on a level that cannot be verbalized or if I just didn't think Pod Racing looked cool, but Pod Racing as a ride will work and the new ride should be very succesful.

Disney has announced that the ride will open on the following dates:

May 10th 2011 in Walt Disneyland in Anaheim (current ride closes on September 8th 2010)
May 17th 2011 in Walt Disneyworld in Orlando (current ride closes on July 27th 2010)

{UPDATE}

The ride isn't only going to be Pod Racing, there is also going to be flying around the Empire's home world of Coruscant...How they are going to transition between planets/ scenes should be pretty interesting...

Here is the trailer for the new ride that released at D23 last year...