Bethany Curl, fangirl and recurring blog and podcast contributor, has a demonstrated expertise in theme parks. She shared her knowledge and provided tips to enjoying Dapper Day in a previous blog. Now, she returns to pen another guide to a new facet of the Disney Parks: the Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge.
A long time ago on a D23 stage far, far away a Disney Parks Star Wars-themed land was announced. Star Wars fanatics and theme park enthusiasts, like myself, rejoiced.
Over the course of the four-year waiting period between announcement and the first time I got to stroll down the marketplace of Batuu, I could only imagine what getting to “be” in Star Wars was going to be like. I gobbled up every piece of information that Scott Trowbridge (lead Imagineer on Galaxy’s Edge) and his team could give me. It got to the point where if I had to hear that man say that I was going to get the chance to “live my own Star Wars story” one more time, I was going to scream. I didn’t want to see any more concept art or hear about what to expect; I wanted to actually get to experience it myself!
On December 5th after getting off the new Rise of the Resistance ride, I am not ashamed to admit that, with tears in my eyes, I said the cheesy line that had been regurgitated to me over the four-year waiting period. “Guys, I just lived my own Star Wars Story!” I’d like to blame the emotional moment on the lack of sleep, since we had to get up super early for the opening day of the attraction, but the truth is I said it because the wonderful people of Imagineering had done it. They had transported me to a place I had only dreamed of visiting since the first time my parents popped in a VHS copy of Star Wars when I was eight. They had taken me to a galaxy far, far away…
Galaxy’s Edge is a feat in theming and immersion. When you walk down the cobbled pathways of the marketplace you half expect Baby Yoda to come around a corner sipping bone broth. When you walk past the Millennium Falcon, you might just see Rey and Chewbacca fixing a part on the ship. You’ll definitely hear the sweet melodies of jizz music (a terrible name for a genre of music) blasting out of the speakers of the Cantina. No detail is too small when it comes to this land. As a massive Star Wars fan and an equally huge theme park nerd it’s like Heaven to me. Every time I visit I discover something new and exciting, but the experience can be a bit daunting. In my travels to Batuu I have compiled a few tips and tricks that might help other travelers’ journeys to the planet with three suns a little easier, and hopefully, enjoyable.
Plan Ahead
It may seem pretty obvious, but the trip from our home planet of Earth to Batuu takes a lot of prep work. Just like a pilot needs enough fuel to jump to lightspeed, you need to be prepared. Make sure you have the proper reservations to do everything you want to do.
- Oga’s Cantina is a great spot to grab a drink and listen to some jams played by DJ Rex, a droid that may be familiar to some Star Tours fans. Oga has a lot of rules, though, and one of them is that she does require a reservation. Reservations are available six months in advance. I would recommend booking as soon as possible, but of course, always check back close to your visit as reservations do pop up from time to time. Oga also requests that your visit be brief. She has a pretty strict 45-minute rule. I would suggest taking a good look at the menu while waiting in line to get in so that when you do finally get to enter you can enjoy your time and not waste any of it looking over the menu. Menus are also available online if you want to really get a head start. I highly recommend the Yub Nub and Bespin Fizz. Fortunately, if you weren’t able to snag that reservation Oga is kind enough to open up a standby line on evenings where there aren’t as many travelers in Black Spire Outpost.
- Savi’s Workshop (the lightsaber building experience) and Droid Depot also require reservations. Both are also available six months out and can go fairly quickly, so if taking home a droid or custom lightsaber is something you want to do make sure you head to the My Disney Experience App to book your chance to do so.
- Looking at a map is definitely going to help you navigate your way across this new foreign land. None of the stores or Cantina have signs and things can be a little tricky to find. A map at the entrance to the land is going to be your friend, trust me. If you are truly a little turned around on this new land, a helpful Cast Member will also be able to point you in the right direction. The map also has a helpful little glossary, which will help you learn the lingo of Batuu. For instance, a bathroom is called a refresher.
Rides
Now for what we really all want to know, what is it like to pilot the Millennium Falcon? The short answer is: it’s pretty awesome. Here is what you will need to know when it comes to both epic rides at Galaxy’s Edge.
- Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: This ride is essentially a fancy version of Star Tours. It’s a simulator ride that puts you in the cockpit of the galaxy’s most beloved hunk of junk. There are three positions you may be given. You can either be a pilot, a gunner, or an engineer. Pilot is definitely the best experience of the three. While the ride is enjoyable, it’s certainly not reinventing the wheel. Simulator rides are a dime a dozen, but what makes this one worth checking out is the experience of being inside the Falcon. Plus, the interactive nature of the ride does give it a little edge. The first time I rode it and got to be pilot, I did get to punch it into lightspeed, and it was an amazing moment that got me a little misty-eyed (for those counting, the Galaxy’s Edge cry count is up to two). The ride currently does not have Fastpass access so you will have to wait in good old standby queue if you want to ride it. The good news is the queue is pretty fantastic so you will have plenty of things to look at while waiting. There is also a single rider line that will cut your wait down substantially, but like all other single rider lines you will be separated from your party, and you’re most likely going to be an engineer if you choose to be single-rider. Engineer is by far the least fun position you could be given.
- Rise of the Resistance: Now this is definitely the “E-ticket attraction” of the land. The ride that was touted as the most technologically advanced and most immersive ride experience definitely lived up to the hype. There really is no ride to compare it to. The whole experience from start to finish is approximately 15 minutes. There are many aspects that will make your jaw drop, and one part of this ride that will make your stomach drop. This ride is currently a virtual queue only. Upon entering the park all guests that have scanned in at Hollywood Studios may go onto the My Disney Experience App and join the virtual queue. You will get a boarding number and an estimated time of day to return (such as morning, afternoon or evening). The virtual queue does fill up quickly. It’s usually at capacity about an hour into the park’s operating hours for the day. If this attraction is a must do, you’ll want to arrive before the parks listed hours of the day to make sure you can experience it. I waited six and a half hours in the virtual queue, and then when my boarding group was called, I spent about 20 minutes in the actual queue. When your boarding group is called you will be sent a push notification on your phone, and you have up to two hours to return to the ride. So don’t worry if you have lunch reservations or a Fastpass set up, you’ll have plenty of time to get back. While waiting in the virtual queue you can go about your day in the park — see what else Galaxy’s Edge has to offer. You can also check your status at any point on the app.
Have Fun With It
There really is so much to see and do in Galaxy’s Edge. Don’t stress yourself out and try to cram too much into a day. Take your time and enjoy all of those little details. You’re a traveler to a foreign planet — play into that!
- Speak the lingo: The cast members do such a good job to build the immersive aspect of the land by using the lingo. Talk to them using the lingo and just talk to them in general. They’re all so great and into it. The inhabitants of Batuu are all fascinated by the Mickey ears the people of our home planet enjoy wearing. I’ve had cast members ask me if they are like transmitters. They have asked me if they help me hear. I often tell them that I come from a strange planet that just really worships a mouse. I also explained our custom of Christmas to them by comparing it to Life Day. The interactions are silly, but so much fun.
- Take all of the pictures: They have so many fun photo opportunities throughout the land. Pro tip though, most of the image specialists (Disney Photopass photographers) who take your holoscans are hard to find later in the evening so if there is a wonderful picture you want to take in front of the Millennium Falcon, I would recommend doing that sooner in the day rather than later.
That’s all from me travelers! Remember that the force will guide you on your journey and be with you always. And as they say on Batuu, may the spires keep you.
–Bethany Curl
Follow Bethany on her adventures in Batuu on her Instagram.
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