Another longtime Disney World attraction has appeared in construction paperwork, raising questions about whether visitors could eventually face another temporary shutdown.
Disney's Hollywood Studios has experienced plenty of changes over the years, with older experiences making way for new attractions and entertainment.
However, not every construction project signals the end of an attraction.
Sometimes, Disney simply needs to maintain aging equipment or make improvements behind the scenes.
Now, a newly reported permit involving one of the park's oldest operating rides has fans wondering what could happen next.
Disney World Authorizes Construction at Star Tours
The latest construction permit involves Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, the longtime Star Wars motion simulator at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Engineering Design Services has been named as the contractor for the newly authorized project.
The company provides engineering services involving mechanical, electrical, structural, and other technical systems.
However, the permit doesn't identify which part of Star Tours will receive attention.
There is no mention of replacing the ride's motion simulators, installing new projection equipment, or modifying the attraction's queue.
The filing also doesn't confirm that Disney is preparing any changes to the attraction's storyline.
Instead, the paperwork describes general construction work, leaving the project's actual purpose unknown.
That distinction matters because Disney files construction permits for many different reasons.
Some projects involve major attraction changes, while others address maintenance issues that visitors may never notice.
And although the latest filing raises questions about a potential refurbishment, Disney hasn't announced any extended closure.
Disney Previously Shut Down Star Tours for a Major Overhaul
While Star Tours remains operational today, the attraction has already experienced one significant shutdown during its long history.
The original Star Tours opened at Disney-MGM Studios in December 1989.
At the time, the motion simulator offered something different from the park's other experiences, allowing visitors to board a Starspeeder and embark on a chaotic journey through space.
Captain Rex served as the attraction's pilot, becoming a familiar character to generations of Disney visitors.
However, the original experience eventually reached the end of its run.
Disney closed Star Tours in 2010 to prepare for a major transformation.
When the attraction reopened in May 2011, it featured updated technology and a completely different storytelling system.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue introduced randomized sequences, meaning visitors could encounter different destinations and characters each time they boarded.
The attraction has continued receiving updates since then.
Most recently, Disney expanded its adventures in April 2024 with additions inspired by Ahsoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian.
The update brought new character appearances and increased the number of possible storyline combinations to more than 250.
However, Disney hasn't connected the latest construction permit to another expansion.
Disney Has Already Filed Paperwork for the Area
The newest permit also follows an earlier construction filing involving Star Tours.
In March 2025, Walt Disney Imagineering submitted paperwork for the installation of set elements near the attraction.
That project listed ThemeWorks as the contractor and included the area around Star Tours and the former Jedi Training Academy stage.
Although the filing suggested additional work was planned, Disney didn't announce a major ride transformation connected to it.
The 2026 permit involves a different contractor and provides even fewer details.
For an attraction that has operated for nearly 37 years, continued maintenance and construction work aren't particularly surprising.
However, without knowing the project's scope, it's difficult to determine whether Disney will need to interrupt operations.
Is Another Hollywood Studios Closure Coming?
For now, visitors hoping to experience Star Tours have no confirmed extended refurbishment to worry about.
Disney hasn't announced a closing date, and the newly reported permit doesn't establish that the attraction will temporarily shut down.
It also provides no evidence that Disney intends to permanently remove Star Tours from Hollywood Studios.
That doesn't mean a future refurbishment is impossible.
Disney could eventually announce operational adjustments if the construction work requires them.
However, until the company provides more information, any potential closure remains speculation.
For visitors, the best approach is to check Disney's official attraction calendar before arriving at Hollywood Studios.
Star Tours remains part of the park's operating attraction lineup, and there's currently no confirmed timeline for the newly authorized work.
Whether the project brings improvements visitors can actually see or simply helps maintain the aging attraction, Disney's latest filing suggests there's still work to be done on this longtime Star Wars favorite.
