Star Tours - The Adventure Continues!

Star Tours has been under renovation for months and months now! It is slated for a June 3rd opening.

However, Disney recently did a contest on their blog and twitter which allowed guests to enter for a chance to view Star Tours early. Well, I wouldn't be writing this if I lost! I entered the contest with little hopes of winning, days letter I received an email that said to report to the Disneyland Resort between 4am and 7:30am. The ride was to start letting people in at 9am.

We parked in the Toy Story parking area and were shuttled over to see this huge line.

Check-In for the Early Preview of Star Tours.

Here we had to turn in signed releases that allowed Disney and/or the news to take pictures of us and use them.

 

My Girlfriend and I. :)

 They had this small photo-op booth set up for people to take pics.

There were several news agencies there. KCAL 9, NBC, ABC, etc.

 

The park was closed except for those of us that were going to see Star Tours early. I estimate we were near the middle of the line. You can't see the beginning of the line, there were so many people there.

The line wrapped up towards the beginning of the ride and back down towards the amazing corn dog stand and back up the side of Star Tours towards Space Mountain and back into Star Tours. It was a long wait.

 

Scattered around the outskirts of the line of people there were several corporate-looking Disney employees, photographers and videographers.

John Gregory of ABC7

One of the first in the galaxy. :)

The line wrapped around in front of the gift store exit and I happened to catch the first people exiting the ride. They were greeted by lots of cameras.

This guy was on ABC7's story they did on this Disney Event. I was right there! 

Now for the part you've been waiting for... almost.

The view when you first walk in to the inside of Star Tours

In the top of the window you can see 2 Mon Calamari that are overseeing the area.

And to the right is C-3P0 and R2-D2.

There is a large screen to the right of R2 as the line wraps down and around near him. The screen displays Arrivals, Departures and the Forecast on different systems. (Mustafar's forecast is Ash Clouds, for example, lol). My girlfriend took video of the screens, I will upload them to YouTube when I can.

The large screen also previews some of the destinations that you can visit. Pictured is Tatooine.

Large Star Tours Logo on the large screen.

This little guy was scanning baggage. When I was there a Storm Trooper helmet appeared in the scanner and he said, "You know what this means... Someone's going to be a Storm Trooper for Halloween!" and let it pass through security. He seemed to be pretty funny but the line started to move while we got here.

That person in the thermal image on the LCD screen taking the picture is ME! This is one of the coolest parts of the line. There is a camera pointing at the line that is "scanning" people. The droid in the picture also says lots of funny things. We recorded a video of this too and will upload it to YouTube when I can.

Sorry for the blurriness of this picture, I was really excited. After you grab your 3D glasses you are seconds away from being assigned to a shuttle. My girlfriend and I were placed here last minute. FYI if you get Row 5 you are in the very front of the shuttle, that is where we ended up sitting.

I didn't take any videos of the ride itself because I wanted to enjoy it, sorry. But its not like you could have enjoyed it anyways since the ride is in 3D, it would have looked weird. If you don't want to know about the details of the ride itself and any possible spoilers DO NOT CONTINUE.

WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!

The plot basically is on the ship that is departing someone is a hidden rebel spy. (A person is actually chosen from the group and their picture is flashed on the screen for everyone to see). When Star Tours departs from the hanger Darth Vader leads a charge against your shuttle along with a cadre of Storm Troopers and TIE fighters. This part was very epic.

When you ride the ride you visit 2 different destinations. We visited Hoth and flew around in the Battle of Hoth. Then we escaped to the asteroid belt of Geonosis and dueled out with what I thought was Boba Fett in Slave 1 but it could have been Jango. Now according to an employee I talked with later in the day, there are 54 different combinations of systems that you can visit on your tour. The person I talked with said they experienced Hoth and Kashyyk (Chewbacca's homeworld). Another person we talked to said the experienced Naboo and Kashyyk.

Let me just say, as a Star Wars fan, I was impressed and excited. The most exciting part was finding out which planet you initially land on. The graphics are smooth and the 3D looks crisp. Disney did a really good job revamping this ride.

If you are a Star Wars fan I can say that you likely won't be disappointed and as soon as you exit the ride you will get right back in it.

FAQ: What about the differences in the Gospels?

Let me try to keep the answer to this question to a minimum. Firstly, 3 of the 4 Gospels bear incredible similarity to one another, this has earned them the nicknames of the Synoptic Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke. Obviously while they are similar there are differences, otherwise they'd just be copies of one another. Certain passages are in all 3 Synoptic Gospels and very few are in all 4.

Take the transfiguration for example: Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36 all record the same event and highlight different parts of it. Luke points out in verse 9:28 that they went to the mountain to pray. Matthew and Mark both omit this fact. After Jesus becomes transfigured Mark notes in 9:2 that Jesus' clothes become dazzling white as no one on earth could bleach them. Matthew and Luke do not mention that detail. And only Matthew notes that in 17:6-7 that when they heard the voice from Heaven that the disciples fell to the ground and were overcome with fear.

So how do we deal with details in the narratives of the gospels that differ?

Neither Mark or Luke record the disciples reaction to hearing the voice. Does that mean its a fabrication? Not necessarily.

Imagine you were standing on the corner of an intersection with some friends. You and your friends all witness a car speed through a red light and t-bone another car crossing on a green light. The police and ambulances arrive and ask you and your friends for details on the incident. One friend mentions that the person who ran the red light was an older woman who was distracted by texting on her phone. Another friend of yours reports that a lady was driving a blue ford mustang and wasn't paying attention. You notice that a mother stopped her child from crossing the crosswalk where the 45 year old woman would have ran them over. Which story is the correct one? Clearly, that is the wrong question to ask. Each person provides a different perspective on the same event, with certain details highlighted greater than others.

The same thing is true of the Gospels. In (almost?) all of the cases of differing details in the Gospels can be attributed to the fact that there was more than one witness. And just because there are differences does not mean there are contradictions. The same is the case with the Angels at the tomb. One gospel highlights that there was one, another that there is more than one. It is true that there is one but it is also true that there is more than one.

FAQ: Homosexuality

Homosexuality is referred to many times in the Bible, some of which you may be aware. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 18:22 it says, “You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act.” (New English Translation). (The reason the Old Testament is cited in this manner is because this is a moral aspect of the old law. The moral aspects are based upon God who does not change. What God “detested” in the OT he detests in the New Testament.) Likewise, in Romans 1:26-27 Paul notes that homosexuals have abandoned their natural sexual relationship for an unnatural one. (Side note: Darwinistic Evolution struggles with a reasonable explanation as to why homosexuality occurs in nature; as it is counter-productive to natural selection.) Then also in 1 Corinthians Paul makes a point about homosexuality that isn’t quite understood by seculars in the Christian/Homosexual dialog.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NET) says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

The point is that Paul makes is Christians don’t view homosexuality as different as any other sin. They are all morally reprehensible in God’s eyes, and for the Christian that means conforming their lives to what God asks of us (not unreasonable). It’s not like homosexuality is a special sin to Christians, we are just as against pride, sex outside of marriage, greed, hatred and jealousy (for example) as we of homosexuality. It’s all sin! God has nothing to do with sin; sin disqualifies you from Heaven and fellowship with God. James wrote in James 2:10, “For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” James is saying by committing that one sin makes you just as guilty as someone who has committed thousands of sin. You are both equally in need of forgiveness from your sin. That forgiveness can only come from turning from that sin (whatever it is) towards Christ.

Homosexuality is difficult to handle today not because the truth is difficult to understand but because of how Christians have historically handled the issue. Over the past decades Christians have, in my opinion, misbehaved in their approach towards Homosexuals. Instead of trying to win them over to Christ with love many engaged in persecution and shunning of homosexuals. That, in turn, was counter-productive and has spawned a lot of hate from the homosexual community towards the Christian community. Even some Christians still don’t understand that it’s not about winning the argument; it’s about winning the soul.

FAQ: What is the Prosperity Gospel? Is it biblical?

I’m not a big fan of the prosperity gospel. Personally, I have not been influenced greatly either way with the prosperity gospel but there are several considerations we should notice and reflect on. So, I’m going to try not to be harsh, but observant and faithful to the message of the Bible.

The first consideration we should take is, “What is hiding in plain sight?” Think about it for a moment: What is hiding in plain sight about the prosperity gospel? If the prosperity gospel was the Gospel itself, we wouldn’t have to call it the prosperity gospel; we would know we are all talking about the prosperity gospel when we say the word Gospel. But we don’t. We have to indicate that we are talking about a different kind of gospel. A different kind of news. This distinction already sets the tone for the wary Christian. “What’s different about this gospel than the regular Gospel?”

The second consideration follows from the first, “What is the prosperity gospel?” Fortunately, this is not difficult to unpack. The context that this word normally is associated with is drawn from other synonyms that clarify the meaning. You’ve heard of the, “Health, wealth and prosperity gospel.” That is what the prosperity gospel is defined by: receiving health, wealth and prosperity. The idea is that God provides material prosperity for those he favors. Also, according to Wikipedia’s entry on “prosperity theology,” it centers around the idea that "believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the 'sowing of seeds' through the faithful payments of tithes and offerings.”

The third consideration we should take as Christians is, “Is this taught in the Bible?” Notice the consideration is NOT, “Are there bible verses that teach this?” or “What verses can I find that will back up my position?” The reason we believe what we believe in the Bible is because of the intention of the author(s) who wrote it. Some verses that the prosperity gospel proponents advocate in support of their view are Malachi 3:10; Deuteronomy 8:18; John 10:10 and 3 John 1:4. Do these verses teach that the believer in Christ is entitled to health, wealth and prosperity? Not as the leaders of the prosperity movement would have you believe. In each of these verse’s respective contexts there are unique situations that are driving the writer to say what he says. (Side note: The Bible also does not teach that God absolutely does NOT provide a degree of “health,” “wealth” or “prosperity.” So, please don’t misunderstand me.) In these contexts God is either providing a certain way for a certain reason or is promising spiritual “prosperity” that is found in Christ.

While it may seem that I am going easy on the prosperity gospel, you need to know that it is absolutely not taught throughout the Bible. As a general rule doctrines or teachings of the Bible should be established by their continued teaching and affirmations or examples found throughout the Bible. We should not create an idea and then feed it using whatever Bible verses we can find. Remember: the contexts determine the meaning of the verses and the verses that are used to support the prosperity gospel are not aligned with their proper contexts. That is why they are able to say what they can say: they have changed what the Bible verses actually meant by the original authors.

Promising health, wealth and/or prosperity to a believer when the Bible does not promise such things is dangerously misleading to the “un-Bibled Christian.” The promises from alleged health, wealth and prosperity verses are GREATLY outweighed by the verses that promise troubles, trials and suffering!

Consider promises such as “in this world you will have trouble (John 16:33); “consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2); “do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering” (1 Pet 4:12). The Bible never denotes money or celebrity status as a sign of God’s blessing (2 Cor. 6:3–10). Trouble or struggle in our lives does not evidence the lack of God’s blessing upon us or our families.

In 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 Paul writes, “We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. But as God’s servants, we have commended ourselves in every way, with great endurance, in persecutions, in difficulties, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet – see! – we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed; as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

Paul understood that the true Gospel is not the possession of wealth, material or prosperity; whatever that means. But the true Gospel is the possession of Christ and repentance within the believer! The prosperity gospel takes the focus away from Christ, away from the Cross and puts it on possessions and our status within our lives: the very thing Paul warned the Corinthian church to stay away from. Read Paul’s letters to Corinth and you’ll see evidenced that Paul is fighting a lot of what the prosperity gospel people are promoting.

In short, the prosperity gospel is bankrupt of truth and power. The prosperity gospel short changes the believer into thinking that he/she should be in possession of prosperity when rightfully they will be in possession of persecution because they have purposed to please Christ in all aspects of their lives regardless of possessions or position or power.