The new Star Tours permit lists just "General Construction," an industrial engineering contractor and an expiration date of Nov. 2, 2027. Disney hasn't announced a closure or any change to the ride.
A new permit for Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is making the rounds online. The paperwork, as reported, says very little.
WDW News Today reported Thursday, Nov. 5, that Walt Disney World filed a permit for work at the Disney's Hollywood Studios ride. Its description reads, in full, "General Construction."
The contractor is Engineering Design Services, which bills itself as a multi-discipline industrial engineering firm. Disney's Facility Asset Management team filed it, and WDWNT said that group usually handles general maintenance. The permit expires Nov. 2, 2027, one year after it was issued.
That's it. WDWNT's report lists no dollar value and doesn't say what part of the building is involved.
Disney hasn't announced a refurbishment, a closure or new scenes for Star Tours. Some sites have run "is Star Tours next?" headlines anyway, without naming a source for a closure.
WDWNT's own take was two-sided. Depending on the scale, it said, the work could happen out of guest view after hours, or Star Tours "could potentially close for refurbishment." Both are guesses for now.
Here's a ride-through of Star Tours as it runs today:
What does the Star Tours permit actually say?
Here's everything WDWNT reported from the filing:
Description: General Construction
Contractor: Engineering Design Services
Filed by: Disney's Facility Asset Management team
Expires: Nov. 2, 2027
Engineering Design Services is based in Corpus Christi, Texas, and also has an office in Orlando. Its website lists mechanical, electrical, civil and structural engineering. "Themed Entertainment" appears in its list of industries, right next to petrochemicals and aerospace. It doesn't name any Disney projects.
So no, the permit doesn't mention new destinations, new characters or a new ride system. Anyone who says otherwise is reading tea leaves, or a Starspeeder flight manifest we haven't seen.
Is Star Tours closing at Hollywood Studios?
Not that Disney has said. There's no announced closure and no refurbishment window for the ride.
If a long closure does happen, Disney typically lists the dates on its website ahead of time. Until then, the Starspeeder 1000 keeps flying.
Has Disney filed Star Tours permits before?
Yes, and the last one also sparked chatter. In March 2025, Walt Disney Imagineering filed a permit to "Install set elements," with ThemeWorks as the contractor, WDWNT reported at the time. The address covered Star Tours and the old Jedi Training Academy stage next door.
No big Star Tours change followed. Darth Vader's meet and greet did later move to that former Jedi Training stage, WDWMagic reported, though Disney never linked the move to the permit.
Different permit, different filer, different contractor. The 2025 filing came from Imagineering, which designs new things. This one came from the team that maintains existing ones.
When was Star Tours last updated at Disney World?
Star Tours has had a few upgrades since it first opened:
December 1989: The original Star Tours opens at what was then Disney-MGM Studios.
2010: The original version closes for a full overhaul.
May 2011: Star Tours: The Adventures Continue opens with 3D and randomized trips.
April 2024: New scenes with characters from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and Andor join the rotation.
When The Mandalorian and Grogu hit theaters in May 2026, its new park mission went to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Galaxy's Edge, not Star Tours.
How tall do you have to be to ride Star Tours?
Star Tours sits in the Echo Lake area of the park. It's a motion simulator with a 40-inch height requirement, and each flight mixes up its stops, so repeat riders often land somewhere new.
The April 2024 update added stops tied to The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and Andor to that random mix. The ride's AT-AT walker still stands guard out front, permit or no permit.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today (Nov. 5, 2026), the permit's description, contractor, filer and expiration date
WDW News Today (March 21, 2025), the 2025 Imagineering permit for Star Tours
WDWMagic (2026), the Darth Vader meet and greet move and Star Tours update history
Engineering Design Services (Nov. 5, 2026), the contractor's location, services and industries
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.