Note: This is a review of the Orlando version of the attraction, though I imagine it's likely identical at the other parks. And pictures would have been great for this review, but as they don't want to reveal much leading up to the grand opening, pictures inside the building are prohibited.
The original Disneyland version of Star Tours opened in 1987 and was imported to Orlando, relatively unchanged, in 1989. Created more than a decade prior to Episode I, it focused on a rebel assault on a Death Star similar to the finale of the original Star Wars (I could do a complete nerd rage post on why I refuse to call the original film Episode IV). The renovation, then, was not just to modernize a 20 year-old ride but to update the attraction with elements taken from the prequel trilogy.
Queue
The exterior queue, and for the most part the first room (the maintenance bay with R2-D2 and C-3PO) remain relatively unchanged. The most noticeable update is to the video screen on the far wall, updated to show the new "tours" being offered. 3PO, still in his same spot, will comment on the tours while occasionally yelling at R2 for his incompetence. You then enter the second room, formerly the a droid maintenance facility, which is now a luggage & cargo inspection area. For a cute shout-out to the original attraction, look immediately to the left as you enter this room. The new area now features two new droids: a luggage inspector (really cool & funny scene) and a security guard you could liken to a TSA agent. Also keep an eye on the window into the terminal in the corner of the room.
While the actual preshow room is virtually unchanged, the preshow video obviously is different. Like in the original, you view a live feed of your Speeder being prepared for your journey with the customary safety spiel.
Ride
So before you board you'll notice the first difference, the need to pick-up a pair of 3-D "flight glasses". Which leads me to my first, well complaint's not the right word for it, but the 3-D doesn't add much of anything to the experience. Muppet-Vision next door, an attraction which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, makes better use of 3-D. It's there and it works but if it wasn't there I think you'd feel the same coming off the ride. As most know by now, the "tour" you take is supposed to be different with each ride. I believe a cast member said there are roughly 50 different possible iterations. (To dispel a rumor I had heard during the renovation, you do not get to pick the scenes you'll be experiencing, Horizons-style.) After an opening encounter, which I believe is the same for everyone, the ride breaks into 3 different segments which changes each ride: 2 action scenes and a finale. Which brings me to my second... I'll go with concern. If you're just an average tourist with limited exposure to the Star Wars universe (like someone who would recognize Luke Skywalker but can't name off-hand what planet he's from), you'll likely enjoy the ride's "story". If you not only can name Tatooine but also the output of moisture vaporators, the storyline will likely confuse you. Because the different segments are independent, it's hard to nail down when in the Star Wars continuity this supposedly takes place. The opening scene I mentioned is definitely in the "original trilogy"-era with stormtroopers, TIE fighters, and Star Destroyers. But after that it can vary. On my second ride-through, we went from the Battle of Hoth from the beginning of 'Empire Strikes Back' to a battle over the planet Geonosis, likely an homage to the end of 'Attack of the Clones'. In addition, the Geonosis scene has a couple other major continuity issues that I won'g spoil but will definitely baffle a Star Wars fan.
Finally is the actual movement of the ride. The original version, the first mainstream flight-simulator, was a fairly intense action ride. Obviously not as extreme as a roller-coaster, there were instances where it'd toss you around and shake you a bit. But the new generation ride is toned down quite a bit. If the original was akin to the Back to the Future/The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios, the new one is closer to EPCOT's Soarin'. The lightspeed jumps are probably the most extreme parts while the actual "action" scenes were relatively tame.
Conclusion
While definitely worth a ride, it didn't live up to the build-up that it's receiving on the Internet. I did go on it twice last night, but not because it was such a great ride, more because I wanted to see if the experience changed significantly based on the scenes you go through (it does, but it didn't seem like the scenes make the ride any calmer or rougher) and the line was only 10 minutes because Fantasmic! was just starting. So yea, not to disappoint, but I found it kinda meh. Nothing wrong with it but nothing overly great. This original type of motion simulator style ride is growing kind of stale, and really the only cool aspect of this ride is the different scenes you can go through. Still, I had fun both times I rode and would recommend to anyone to give it a shot.
