Hollywood Studios- Galaxy's Edge
It’s 2022, Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been open for a few years now, and it’s the down season for central Florida theme parks, which means it’s finally time for us to check it out. I invited Tim along on the adventures, and here’s his take on the park:
Blackspire Outpost
If you’ve been to Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, you know that recently, the bar has been set very high for an immersive branded experience at theme parks. Gone are the days where you could have a prop replica set up at the entrance of the Jurassic Park area, blare the theme song over and over, and people were happy until they got to the actual rides.
Galaxy’s Edge is amazing. The 14 acre area offers so much to explore. From the second you turn the corner from Toy Story Land or Hollywood, you are hit with incredibly detailed design work by the Disney Imagineers. The main section, Blackspire Outpost, is a remote traders’ outpost based on the planet Bantuu in the outer rims of the Star Wars Universe. The design instantly puts you in the mind of that frontier setting with run down, but familiar vehicles, weather worn buildings, old beat up droids, and small callouts to Star Wars films and the Extended Universe. This is the kind of immersive experience you expect when you hear that someone’s making a “Star Wars land” and I’m excited to see what theme parks do going forward with these kinds of brands.
The various star fighters and vehicles scattered around the area are amazing, but when you round a corner and see the full size Millennium Falcon sitting there, it kind of takes your breath away. Anne’s not the biggest Star Wars fan, but even she was amazed by the scale and detail of the ship. It was also fun to see Ray, from the latest trilogy, hanging out around the Falcon, interacting with guests.
If you want a deeper dive into the work that went into the park, check out Disney+’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: Adventure Awaits.
There are a ton of shops ready to help you join the Resistance or the First Order (this area is based in the era of the newest trilogy), including costumes, weapons, droid building, lightsabers, themed food and drinks, and more. The two main rides are Rise of the Resistance and Smuggler’s Run.
Smuggler’s Run
The lines in Galaxy’s Edge are pretty epic, so we missed out on the newer Rise of the Resistance this time, but we were able to get the Lightning Lane Pass for Smuggler’s Run. From the moment you enter the line, you’re treated to more incredible details in Hondo Ohnaka’s smuggler headquarters, and eventually a mission overview by the man himself. You then enter the Millennium Falcon and it’s fun to see the Dejarik board (the chess-like holograph game seen in the movies), and other details of the iconic spacecraft.
Six crew members load into the ship’s controls and each has a unique role to play. Pilots, Gunners and Engineers are set two by two and are responsible for the actions on their side of the ship. Pilots must fly the ship and dodge enemies, Gunners have to take down any obstacles in your way, and Engineers have to make repairs when your ship is blasted and snag loot.
This would definitely be a better experience if you had your own six person crew of friends/family. When you’re jammed into a small space with strangers who are directly responsible for your enjoyment of the experience that you waited in line for so long for, it’s a bit of a crap shoot. Our Pilots were admittedly not equal to the task, and the Gunners were bratty snobby teenagers, so while the potential for a great time was there, it wasn’t really the experience we walked away with.
Anne and I ended up as Engineers and found it a bit distracting to always have to mash buttons while we’re also trying to watch the immersive scene play out. Fortunately, the way the ride is set up, the replay value is really high, and it didn’t surprise me to hear people had jumped back in line multiple times that day to try out all the different roles.
Oga’s Cantina
Oga’s Cantina is another one of those experiences that you’re going to want to get reservations for. There were a lot of people waiting outside to get in when we showed up for our reservation, and we had to standby for 15 or so minutes even with one.
Inside Oga’s was a good time. Again, the amount of detail they put into this cantina is worth checking out alone. DJ R3X is spinning tunes similar to what you’d expect from the cantinas and bars in the movies, and the bartenders are so in character that while we were trying to figure out what was in one of the drinks, they cut in to ask what kind of off world fruits we were talking about.
Unfortunately, we can’t recommend the food options in the cantina. Go in, get your drinks, eat elsewhere. We tried the Bantuu Bits, which were basically just various veggie chips from sunchips to some more gross options with an admittedly tasty salsa to dip them in. There’s also a charcuterie cup that we didn’t see anyone with, but for the price, I’ll continue to avoid it.
It’s a cantina though, and we were there to drink, and they had some pretty great (if pricey) cocktails to enjoy. We tried the “Jedi Mind Trick” (a nice grapefruit flavored vodka drink), “The Outer Rim” (a tequila concoction with black salt and fruit notes), and the Bespin Fizz (rum) which is a bubbling concoction that has to be seen to be believed. Everyone inside was having a great time with the drinks that we didn’t order, and I never heard any complaints, so get in there and try whatever calls to you through The Force. They also have beers and ciders for those who want to avoid hard liquor.
A surprising part of Oga’s is that it is technically family friendly. The Non-Alcoholic part of the drinks menu is just as varied and fun as the boozy part. We tried the Blurrgfire, which is a lemonade and habanero lime drink, the young ladies next to us enjoyed their Cliff Dweller, Hyperdrive (Punch It!) and we were also recommended the Black Spire Brew, a cold brew with honey, passion fruit, and more.
Go to Galaxy’s Edge!
The energy of Galaxy’s Edge is unlike anywhere else at Disney. It truly gives the vibe of a thriving trading outpost in space. From the chaos of the droid building facility, to the reverent lightsaber construction. From the massive vehicles replicas to the unique restroom design. There’s a lot to experience.
I’m a mid-level Star Wars fan. I’ve seen all the movies multiple times and most of the modern shows, but I haven’t immersed myself much in the extended universe of books, comics, toys, etc. Along with the Disney+ series that have come out, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is pushing me to want to dive deeper into this brand. It is impossible to see and experience everything in one day, and I will definitely be back at some point to try to take more in. There is so much love put into this area of Disney World that it’s hard to resist the pull of The Force, and why would you want to?
