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When Disney announced they were making a Star Wars themed land I was so excited! I have been a huge Star Wars fan since I saw the first movie with my Dad back in the fourth grade (don’t do the math, you’ll find out I’m old). I became Star Wars obsessed! I had Star Wars sheets, a Star Wars lunchbox and I listened to the movie on a record in my room every night before I went to bed. My favorite character from the movie was Darth Vader and I thought the Stormtroopers were super cool too! I guess you could say I am a fan of the Dark Side (not in real life, I’m all light and goodness – I promise)! That’s why I was so excited to get to go to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
When I was finally able to set foot on Batuu, the feeling was magical. Getting to experience my favorite childhood movie in my favorite theme park was truly a dream come true. You do not have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate the amazing theming of Galaxy’s Edge. It is so stinking cool and way better than I could have ever imagined! If you are in fact a Star Wars fan, you may even shed a tear!
If you plan to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge before June 23rd you will need a reservation into Galaxy’s Edge in addition to your park tickets. There is no fee for the reservations, but all the regular reservations have been claimed. The only way to get a guaranteed reservation now, is to stay at one of the three Disneyland hotels. I recommend booking your Disneyland vacation through Get Away Today. I have used them many times, they have great customer service & their prices can’t be beat. If you book a vacation package, use the code THRIVING10 at checkout to save an additional $10 off the package price.
I’m giving you a complete overview of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge so you will be able to make the most of your visit.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a totally immersive land, you will feel like you left Disneyland and landed on another planet. One of the coolest things is that all the cast members act as if they truly are residents of Batuu. They even have their own language, here are a few things they say and what they mean:
Bright Suns – Good Morning
Rising Moons – Good Evening
Til the Spire = Farewell
Refresher = Bathroom
Hydrator = Water Fountain
Credits = Currency
Characters
The character interaction is different at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you won’t line up to take photos with the characters, instead the characters roam throughout the land and interact with everyone. Some kids may be afraid of the characters (I get it, Kylo Ren freaks me out too). The characters are very good with the kids, none of them do anything scary, all the interactions I saw with children were fun.
The Stormtroopers may stop you to ask for your ID or to see what kind of business you have on Batuu. They are out looking for rebels and it is so cool! My husband got stopped by two Stormtroopers asking for his ID. It was so much fun to see my husband interact with some of my favorite childhood characters.
Attractions
There are two main attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. One is open now and the other is scheduled to open in the fall.
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run – Ride in the famous cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, you will get to play one of the roles of pilot, engineer or gunner.
You are given a color coded card and put in groups of six, each group consists of 2 pilots, 2 gunners and 2 engineers. These are handed out at random, but you are welcome to trade with the people in your group. If you suffer from motion sickness I do not recommend that you be a pilot. The pilots are up front and see the images up close. I tend to get sick on Star Tours, but I was a gunner both times and I didn’t have any problems feeling sick afterwards.
There is a holding area where you wait for your color to be called. This gives you the opportunity for a photo op at the famous chess table.
Once you are called forward, you take your seats in the cockpit. The pilots sit up front, then the gunners and lastly the engineers. The height requirement for this ride is 38 inches. If you have a small child you will not be able to sit directly next to them, so keep that in mind. Whenever you need to push a button or pull a lever it will flash at you. There isn’t a ton of instruction given prior to take off, but the more you ride the more you will get the hang of things. Every person is given a score and the total of all 6 people gives you an overall score. The ride is a little chaotic, but a whole bunch of fun, especially if you are with a vocal group. It’s fun to yell, scream, cheer, and really get into the ride. It’s the Millennium Falcon for goodness sake! The pilot is the most active and exciting role in the ride (as long as you don’t get motion sickness). I was happy being a gunner both times.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – This attraction isn’t currently open, but is scheduled to open January 17, 2020. This is supposed to be the headlining attraction of Galaxy’s Edge and I can’t wait to experience it.
Food & Drinks
Oga’s Cantina – This is a popular place! This is the only place in Disneyland where alcohol is served, and it must be consumed in the Cantina and there is a 2 drink limit. I don’t drink alcohol, but they have great non-alcoholic drinks too. The theming of the Cantina is just like you see in the movie.
Reservations for Oga’s Cantina can now be made up to 14 days in advance. Additional same-day reservations will be made available each day at 7:00 AM Pacific Time for visits that day and are subject to availability. Eventually, Oga’s Cantina, will be available for reservations up to 60-days in advance.
Here is a peek at the menu.
The atmosphere in Oga’s Cantina was chaotic, crowded, noisy and lively. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it is a Cantina after all. When it comes to seating (or standing) there is a very good chance you will be with other people, they encourage you to socialize and get to know your fellow travelers.
There are a few tables that will seat large parties or a couple smaller parties.
They have tables for standing. You do not have to stay at the table the entire time, you are free to walk around. We were placed at a standing table with 2 other couples. Somebody will come and get your drink order. If you are at the bar area you can order directly from the bartenders.
I ordered the Carbon Freeze I and liked it a lot. My husband ordered the Blurgfire and neither one of us really like the Habanero Lime that was around the edge of the glass. We also ordered the Mustafaran Lava Roll which was a Cinnamon Roll with some cookie crumbles on top. It was yummy!
You’ll even find DJ Rex at Oga’s Cantina.
Mobile Food Ordering – Before I talk about more of the food, it’s important to stress how convenient and important it is to use mobile ordering. You can place your mobile food order via the Disneyland app. With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge being so popular mobile order return times may fill up quickly so order your food early. You can schedule your pick-up time for hours later if necessary. You can use mobile ordering at the following locations:
- Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo
- Ronto’s Roasters
- Milk Stand
Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo – There are lots of options here, we tried the Smoked Kaadu Ribs, sticky pork ribs served with a blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw. We won’t order this again, the coleslaw had too much vinegar. The ribs had a great flavor, but they were kind of fatty and very messy to eat. The cornbread was delicious though. We ordered the Moof Juice and we loved it! It was so refreshing, we will order this one again for sure.
I think the serving plates and utensils are perfectly themed. How cool is this spork? Some of the meal choices are a little out there, especially when it comes to kids meals, there aren’t a ton of great options for kids in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
For dessert we tried the Batuu-Bon, it was so good! I highly recommend it. It’s supposed to have a coffee flavor, but I really couldn’t taste any at all. Get this one for sure!
Ronto’s Roasters – Great place for wraps for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We had the Ronto Wrap and it was so good! It doesn’t look beautiful but the flavors are so good together. It’s a little spicy. I am not a fan of super spicy food and I could handle it just fine.
Here we chose the Meiloorun Juice and we loved this one too.
Milk Stand – I am once again going to stress how easy it is to use mobile ordering. The line at the milk stand was long. I checked my Disneyland app and I saw that you could mobile order the milk instantly and go pick it up. I placed my order on the app while standing next to the milk stand, I walked up to the counter and got my milk, it took less than 2 minutes. The line would have taken 15 minutes. Use mobile order my friends, it’s a huge time saver!
We of course had to try the Blue Milk. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing. I don’t think we’ll order it again. It’s totally fun to try once though. I have heard many negative reviews on the green milk we decided to pass.
Kat Saka’s Kettle – You will find colorful flavored popcorn here, the popcorn is a mix of a sweet and savory. In addition to the popcorn, you can also purchase the super cool detonator Coke bottles. They have Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite. It’s a drink and a souvenir in one.
Experiences
Savi’s Workshop: Handbuilt Lightsabers – This workshop combines entertainment and retail into a shopping experience. The only way you will be able to see this cool experience is if you shell out the $199 to make a lightsaber. The lightsaber is not a cheap plastic one, the pommel is made of metal and is more of a collector’s item. This experience is better for older kids, teens and adults. If your child really want’s to build their own lightsaber they still have the less expensive option over at Star Traders in Tomorrowland. This is a popular one, you will need to get in line early to get a return time reservation. Many people were turned away because they couldn’t keep up with the crowds.
My husband convinced me that in order to give a full report on the blog it was necessary for him to make a lightsaber. He’s a giver! He’s always thinking of you, my wonderful readers. I have a post in the works to give you a full and complete review of the Handbuilt Lightsaber Workshop which will give a more in depth review.
We had such a hard time finding the Lightsaber workshop because all the inhabitants of Batuu were adamant that they didn’t sell lightsabers, they only sold scrap metal. We were finally informed that we didn’t say the “L” word on Batuu. So, if you are looking for this place and they ask if you are interested in scrap metal, say YES!! Savi’s Workshop isn’t clearly marked, so look for the blue banner outside the building.
Whether this experience is worth the hefty price tag will be a personal decision, but for us, it was well worth the $199 price tag. We have a family filled with Star Wars fans and this lightsaber will be cherished. The actual lightsaber building experience was fun and if you are a true Star Wars fan you may even get a little choked up.
The good news is the experience includes a carrying case for your lightsaber so you can protect your investment. You are allowed to bring two members in with you to watch the experience. Reservations for Savi’s Workshop can now be made up to 14 days in advance. Coming soon, reservations can be made 60 days in advance.
Droid Depot – Another combined shopping and entertainment experience is available at the Droid Depot. The cost for this one is $99. This is another popular place, but I didn’t see anyone turned away. From what I have seen this isn’t going to be a relaxing, take all the time you want way to make a droid kind of experience. It is noisy, chaotic and crowded (Hey! It sounds a little bit like Oga’s Cantina).
Once you pay for your droid, you will get to choose the pieces from a moving conveyor belt. This is just so cool! I can see kids (and adults) having so much fun with this.
After you select your pieces, head to one of the stations to assemble and activate your droid. Once complete you will get a remote control and a box to store you droid. You are not allowed to use your droids on the ground in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. You can take them out to admire them and maybe snap a selfie, but using the droid on the ground is not encouraged.
If you don’t want to make your own droid, you can shop for other droid merchandise. Maybe you want this life size working model of R2-D2. It will set you back $25,000. That is more than I have paid for any of my cars!
They have R2-D2 and BB8 headbands that actually make noise.
This bowl is pretty cool!
Merchants
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities – You will find an eclectic collection of merchandise from many different planets and eras. The line to get in this store can get long at times, but don’t let that stop you, it moves rather quickly and this merchant is a must see.
The doors to the shop and many of the other doors in Black Spire open automatically, just like you see in the movies. Kids (and adults) will think this is the coolest thing ever.
In addition to all the merchandise for sale the theming at this merchant is amazing. It’s fun to take in all the details.
The items they sell are pretty cool too. You’ll find jewelry, clothing, robes, rare Kyber crystals and more.
They also sell several lightsabers here, you can purchase one from your favorite Star Wars characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker or Darth Maul.
First Order Cargo – Here you will find all your First Order merchandise from clothing, key chains, water bottles, pins and more.
Resistance Supply – You will find the Resistance Supply over where the Rise of Resistance ride will be.
Who wants a Chewie over the shoulder bag?
Kids were going crazy for the helmets. And by kids I mean men over the age of 18.
At the Market you find the following merchants.
Black Spire Outfitters – Pick up a robe or other casual attire to blend in with the locals. The interesting thing about this land is there are no items that say Disneyland or have pictures of Mickey Mouse on them, Disney really went all out in keeping with the theming of the land.
Jewels of Bith – This is a great place to pick up souvenirs from your stay at Black Spire village on Batuu.
They even have cooling fans that are Star Wars themed.
Creature Stall – Pick up exotic creatures and critters from around the galaxy at the Creature Stall.
I’m not gonna lie, some of the creatures are UGLY!
Toydarian Toymaker – Cute handmade toys that look like something you’d find at a galactic artisan market.
Disney Play app
If the amazing land isn’t enough, there is also an interactive component to the land that you can access through the Disney Play app.
You can scan codes, play mini games and translate signs.
Since our time was limited in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge we didn’t play with the app too much, but I can see this being super fun for kids and teens.
Theming
I can’t get over how amazing the theming is throughout the entire land. Just look at these drinking fountains and water bottle fill station.
Even the bathrooms are cool.
The garbage and recycling cans are neat too.
I was totally impressed with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and I can’t wait to visit again. It is truly an immersive land full of so much detail. I believe that people who aren’t Star Wars fans will also appreciate the land.
Once the land opens up to the public on June 24th, I recommend visiting during the day and the evening. At night it has a whole different feel to it.
If you stay until closing time you will be able to view fireworks from Galaxy’s Edge too. I hope you will be able to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge soon. It’s amazing! Plan on visiting? booking your Disneyland vacation through Get Away Today.
Thanks for this awesome advice! I can’t wait to go!!