Feel the Force at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has officially opened at the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, California, and we have all of the details to help you make the most of your visit to the Black Spire Outpost on the Outer Rim planet, Batuu. Whether you’re already an expert in the Ways of Force or just learning, the 14-acres of Galaxy’s Edge are an incredibly immersive experience that the whole family will enjoy. Once you walk through one of three entry tunnels, you have instantly transported to a galaxy far, far away, and you’re definitely no longer in our star system.

What to Know Before You Go

First, it’s important to know that between now and June 23, 2019, you’ll need a reservation to gain access to Galaxy’s Edge. If you don’t have a reservation, you can still get one by booking a stay at one of the three on-site hotels. Click here to request a quote from a Key to the World Travel® advisor.

Here’s some other important info to make the most of your visit:

Reservations will no longer be required to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge after June 23. As needed, to manage demand, Disneyland Resort will implement a virtual queuing system to visit the new land so you can enjoy the rest of the resort while waiting to visit Batuu. The Disneyland app will have a dedicated module, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Status and Access, available from the main page, on which you can request to join a boarding group to visit the land, once you have entered the park. Boarding groups will be sent a push notification when it is their turn to enter the land and you can monitor the status of boarding groups from the app. There will also be the ability to join a boarding group from select locations inside Disneyland® park, if you are not using the app. The boarding group is tied to admission media that will be scanned upon entry into the land. Signage throughout the park will also display boarding group status. Admission into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be subject to capacity, and having an assigned boarding group will not guarantee entrance to the land, so get a boarding group as early as possible in the day

• The current Disneyland® Resort costume policy will be in effect in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Costumes may not be worn by guests 14 years of age or older. Appropriate Disney bounding – dressing in outfits inspired by favorite characters – is permitted.
• If you haven’t already, download the official Disneyland® mobile app to plan ahead and make the most of their visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The Disneyland® app allows you to check the attraction wait time, locate character encounters and even utilize the mobile ordering feature at select dining locations when you are in the new land.
• Prepare for your visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge by downloading the Play Disney Parks mobile app in advance of your arrival. The Play Disney Parks app allows you to deepen your engagement with the land and interact with the world around them on the planet Batuu. Should you choose to engage through the app, you will be able to interact with droids, translate Aurebesh, scan cargo crates and other containers to collect virtual items, and more.
• While in the queue at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, you will have the ability to purchase snacks, utilize a continued process to visit the restroom, enjoy cast interactions, and also engage with an in-queue game while using the Play Disney Parks mobile app to make wait times fun, interactive and enjoyable.

What to See and Do in Black Spire Outpost

Galaxy’s Edge takes you to the Outer Rim planet of Batuu, to a settlement called the Black Spire Outpost. Both the First Order and the Resistance have a presence here at Black Spire. The residents of Black Spire will greet you, the Traveler; here are some of the phrases you might hear:

• Bright Suns/Rising Moons – good morning and good evening
• Travelers – visitors not native to Batuu (that’s you!)
• Good Journey – goodbye
• May the spires keep you! – a more formal way to wish you well when you’re leaving
• Refreshers – bathrooms
• Younglings and Padawans – two terms for children; “padawans” are Force sensitive and may be training to be Jedi
• Hydrators – drinking fountains
• Til the Spires! – a rallying cry among the Resistance on Batuu
• Data Pad – you’d call this your phone
• Credits – the monetary unit in the Star Wars Universe
• Only the Ancients Know – as far as I can tell, this means “I don’t know”

For now, only one attraction is open, Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. This is your chance to climb aboard the Millenium Falcon, and you’ll either be a pilot, a gunner or an engineer. You’ll definitely want to use your Data Pad (loaded with the Play Disney Parks App) in the queue – there are a lot of interactive elements built in, and for now, the attraction won’t be using the FastPass system.

Once through the queue, Hondo Onaka will recruit you to fly the Falcon on a smuggling run. You’ll be assigned to a team of six people (two pilots, two gunners, two engineers) and loaded onto the Falcon. You’ll have a few minutes to explore before heading to the cockpit, and I can promise you, this part is spectacular. You really feel like you’re on the Millenium Falcon. Holographic chess, anyone? Make sure to have your Data Pads ready to take photos.

How well you do your job, whether you’re the pilot or the engineer, will change your experience. If it’s your first time as a pilot, expect to crash into everything! You may also be offered some “feedback” about your performance when you land the ship and exit the cockpit.

The height requirement for Smuggler’s Run is 38 inches.  Sometime later this year, the second attraction, Rise of the Resistance, will open. As soon as we have more information about that attraction and its opening date, we’ll let you know.

You’ll also want to spend a lot of time just wandering around – and get your photo taken next to the full-sized Millenium Falcon parked here. See the marketplace and soak up the atmosphere! You’ll find both the Resistance and the First Order are everywhere – watch out especially for Kylo Ren and his First Order Storm Troopers. I rounded a corner and had the misfortune to run into Kylo; he interrogated me about the whereabouts of Chewbacca. He didn’t like my answers…

What to Eat

The food is really well themed and adds to the overall atmosphere. You’re going to want to buy Coca-Cola products; they’ve been specially themed for Galaxy’s Edge, and they’re going to be as highly sought after as the special merchandise. You’ll also be able to sample blue and green milk at the Milk Stand – we tried them both and thought the blue was the best.

• Ronto Roasters –the BBQ joint in Black Spire, a droid roasts creatures using a pod-racing engine. Try the grilled sausage or a roasted pork wrap, both are excellent.
• Oga’s Cantina– where you can enjoy a cold beverage (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and enjoy the musical stylings of DJ Rex. This is the hottest ticket in town – expect long lines to get in! The must-have souvenirs here are Star Wars themed tiki mugs.

• Kat Saka’s Kettle– this is where you can find Outpost Mix, a sweet and savory popcorn snack
• Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo– the offerings here may seem other-worldly, but they’re delicious! You can find plenty of places to sit and eat in this working cargo bay. Try the Endorian Tip Yip (a fried chicken dish) or the Kaadu Ribs (smoked pork ribs and blueberry cornbread).

What to Buy

This is the really important information, am I right? The merchandise in Galaxy’s Edge is really over the top. There’s something for everyone, but here are the top items we think are going to be the most popular:

• Savi’s Workshop – Hand Built Lightsabers: this is not just a souvenir, but an entire experience. You’ll get to craft your very own lightsaber, and these are true collector’s items, not just toys. You start in the marketplace outside and are then led inside the workshop for the full experience. While not cheap (each lightsaber costs $199), the experience is definitely worth it for true fans. Each lightsaber comes with a Kyber crystal, a hilt, a detachable blade, a few other components, and a custom carrying case. Only Travelers who have purchased a lightsaber (plus one guest) are granted access to the workshop. One thing to note, Travelers aged 13 and under must be accompanied by someone 14 or older.

• Droid Depot:If you’ve ever wanted your own droid, here’s where to get one! You can build an R-series or BB-series droid, complete with a personality chip that will make your droid interact with the surroundings. You can even find a handy droid-carrying backpack to transport it home.

• Creature Stall: This is where you’ll find Loth Cats, porgs, wompas, tauntauns and more. There are two animated insect-like creatures sure to scare and delight! My favorite part about the creatures are the boxes they send them home in – they look like little cargo crates.

• Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities: The atmosphere of this shop is even better than the merch you can find here; sharp-eyed fans will spot a baby Sarlac, a tauntaun head mounted on the wall, and many other “Easter Eggs” from the films. This shop is where you can buy legacy lightsabers and many Jedi and Sith relics.

• Toydarian Toymaker– This is the shop for your younglings and padawans to find toys, games and plush characters.
• Black Spire Outfitters– From formal robes to casual garb, you can find it all here (they have some really great Jedi robes!)

Several other shops and stands throughout Batuu sell a wide variety of merchandise, including really high-quality, authentic costumes and gear (both Resistance and First Order).

Overall, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lives up to the hype. Expect crowds all summer, but opening weekend experiences have shown that Disney has developed a very good system for controlling the crowds and keeping the guest experience the best that it can be. Stay tuned for more reports after the reservation period at Disneyland® has ended, and for our report from Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World® Resort at the end of August!

Til the Spires, Travelers!

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