Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

[DisneyDadfromPittsburgh]

Just booked our next trip for January 2020. So.....I am not a Star Wars fan at all..but the rest of the family wants to see it........for those that have experienced it....what is there to do at the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge..............

[ryca1dreams]

I'm a big Star Wars fan. The Smugglers Run ride was fun but complicated the first time - very interactive. Other than that, there is a lot of shopping and some interesting things to see - mock ups of space ships and stuff. I did not get into the cantina - it seemed to have a long wait - so next time I'll make a reservation. I didn't have a lot of time to spend in the land itself. It was not crowded as I thought it would be. They weren't even doing the boarding groups. You could just walk in. As a fan, I'm confused why Disney themed this land after the newer films and not the classics which most people identify with Star Wars. I plan on going back in October so I'll update.

[NewDVCowner]

I might be wrong, because I haven't been following it, but I think the second ride is going to be opening in December, so there will be two rides in the land.

[DizneyFreak2002]

As a fan, I'm confused why Disney themed this land after the newer films and not the classics which most people identify with Star Wars.

Iger's ego is larger than the Star Wars galaxy... Plain and simple, leveraging DISNEY'S creation, not George Lucas'... And so far, it hasn't worked...

Crowds are low... They didn't flock like Disney thought they would... I'm calling it a failure yet... Waiting to see what happens once Resistance opens... But if the crowds remain low into 2020, Disney has a problem on their hands, and a disaster... And a failure... They expected Harry Potter level crowds... They got SeaWorld instead...

[DizneyFreak2002]

I might be wrong, because I haven't been following it, but I think the second ride is going to be opening in December, so there will be two rides in the land.
Maybe... There are a lot of issues with the ride... December is cutting it close... I would expect, if they get it open on time, a lot of down time...

[DisneyDadfromPittsburgh]

Thanks everyone. Does not sound like we will need a lot of time in that section of the park................

[CaptSmee]

Maybe... There are a lot of issues with the ride... December is cutting it close... I would expect, if they get it open on time, a lot of down time...

I thought the reports that I read was the issues were on the west coast and that the fixes were already found before east coast was heavily constructed, that’s why California is opening later because they had to go back and find fixes to what was already done

[Altair]

I thought the reports that I read was the issues were on the west coast and that the fixes were already found before east coast was heavily constructed, that’s why California is opening later because they had to go back and find fixes to what was already done

They seem to be having issues at WDW too. The rumor I saw said opening could be delayed until mid January or into February.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I thought the reports that I read was the issues were on the west coast and that the fixes were already found before east coast was heavily constructed, that’s why California is opening later because they had to go back and find fixes to what was already done
Both coasts are having issues... The ride system is truly complex... Disneyland did have a construction issue, which was rectified in planning during DHS construction... The newest issue is with ride system...

Think Hagrid's... Complex ride that has suffered from issues due to complexity... I don't believe they will postpone the December opening in DHS, but it could still be a possibility... However, I do believe there will be considerable downtime as issues and bugs get worked out... Of course, if they work round the clock fixing things as they test, then maybe this won't be an issue... I hope things get worked out quickly... It will be a disaster if they have to have 10 hour wait times cause the ride keeps failing...

There is a reason that RotR will be the best ride Disney ever built... Cause it will be, once all the kinks are worked out...

[faline]

We've only been to the area once - as part of the passholder preview prior to the official general public opening. The area was interesting to walk through with lots of things to look at. There are supposed to be two rides open by time you go. There are some dining places and a lounge. The rest of the area is comprised of shops including the build a light saber section. During our visit, we rode the Falcon ride twice, visited the cantina and walked around taking pictures. We spent about 2-1/2 hours in the area. If the lines for the rides are long that might extend the time you spend in the area.

[DisneyDadfromPittsburgh]

Thanks again everyone, so what are the names of the two rides that arae open in Star Wars area and what type of rides are they?

[Giggy]

The ride currently open is Millennium Falcon: Smugler's Run. This is a motion simulator ride in which a crew of up to 6 guests fly the Millenium Falcon on a mission.

The ride scheduled to open in December is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Not everything has been revealed about this one as far as I can tell but it is described as putting the guest into the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. A trailer was released recently and can be found online quite easily. It looks good though!

I haven't seen Galaxy's Edge yet, we're hoping to end a 3 year absence from WDW next year with an April/May visit, so let us know what you think! :mickey:

[ransam]

I like star wars, but not a huge fan, my buddy LOVES Star Wars, reads all the back stories. We both went, and as an average fan, and a total star wars geek, we both loved it. there's a lot to see and interact. Talk to the characters, talk to cast members, they are all part of the show. We did the build a light saber thing and while it was cool, not worth the price. Olgas Cantina was awesome! The ride was cool. think mission space and star tours combined. It's even cooler at night.
Look up a lot, there are storm troopers on buildings keeping guard.

The new ride will be open on December 5.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

We just got back from visiting friends in Long Beach, CA. We were able to squeeze a day at both DLR and DCA parks. First time to Disneyland in over 40 years.

Based on my first comment, I am an old school Star Wars fan. It was only called Star Wars when I first saw it when I was in middle school on its first release, so yes, I'm old. So that should be taken into context when reading my comments.

I was greatly disappointed in Galaxy's Edge. I'm assuming that GE in DLR is essentially the same as GE in DHS.

The ride: Smugglers Run, is basically a combination of Star Tours and Mission Space. I got to be the ride side pilot, controlling up and down. At times, got so fixated on that, didn't get a chance to experience what the ride really was. Very disappointed in the queue line (at DLR). Pretty much nothing, basically walking around a machine shop and hearing some voice over narrative about fixing stuff. But with wait times that can exceed 60 minutes, sometimes 120, an incredibly wasted opportunity to not have more Star Wars interactive stuff going on in the queue. Best moment for me was walking into the cockpit, that was pretty cool. The ride itself was good, didn't knock my socks off by any stretch, but it was enjoyable.

The Land: So on the upside, it looks pretty cool, better at night, lots of good detail, props (x-wings, droids, other ships etc) are abundant. That said, what is Batuu? They managed to put Batuu into the updated Star Wars, but honestly, there really was very little about GE that shouted Star Wars! to me. It would be like if at Universal they decided to open two Harry Potter lands, Cambridge and Oxford, neither of which is featured in any of the movies. Same with Star Wars, why open a fictional land instead of drawing on those already in existence in the Star Wars Universe? Biggest disappointment, and this goes to my prologue, is that there was nothing, other than the Millenium Falcon, that pulled me in to the original trilogy. Yeah, there were storm troopers wandering around and such, but nothing that made it feel special.

I've always been Disney way over Universal, but when we did our first Universal trip this past February and did the two Harry Potter lands, Universal wins hands down over Galaxy's Edge. The moment you enter Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley you feel like you've transformed and entered the novels (or movies). I can't say the same for GE. I entered the first time from Critter Country and took the long walk and it was a lot of unused space initially, with some background music.

As far as the shops and such go, basically same complaint. Couple of the stored did look really cool, had some nice props and such, but the product was primarily all post Disney franchise which I didn't really care about.

Getting a second ride in there will certainly be a big improvement, but as a life long Star Wars fan I found my first visit to GE to be a bit of a disappointment.

[DisneyFan1979]

I visited Galaxy's Edge twice two weeks ago, so thought I'd share some of my thoughts to help others with their planning:

My first visit was a Saturday early evening when it was still light out. I just walked around, took pictures, and generally explored the land. There's a lot of detail and different things to see. That Saturday the wait for Smuggler's Run was about 60 min.

I visited again later in the evening mid-week--at about 7pm the wait for Smuggler's Run was 40 minutes so I decided to try it. The queue is very interesting. I'm just a casual Star Wars movie viewer, not a huge fan. I think fans would take in way more details than I did. The ride itself is fun and family-friendly. The ship cockpit that you ride in seats 6, so if your group is less than 6 you'll be put with others. Due to the interactive nature of the ride, I think it would be particularly fun if you had a full group of 6 with you.

The Droid Depot is really cool, definitely go in and take a look around even if you're not planning to buy a droid. Same with Savi's Workshop for lightsabers.

While I would not characterize the whole park as particularly busy either time I was there, there was a line both times for the Cantina. I have reservations for a future trip.

The lighting in the land is REALLY impressive at night. So if you can only go once, I definitely recommend checking it out after sunset.

[azcavalier]

We just got back from Disneyland (first time in about 25 years), and we enjoyed Galaxy's Edge. However, I felt like it needed more.

Smuggler's Run was fun. The queue is underwhelming, but once you get in to the pre-show and staging areas, it is amazing. Loved seeing the hologram chess board and the inside of the Falcon. Entering the cockpit is amazing. The first time I was an engineer, and the second time I was a pilot. There was a lot of laughing and screaming going on, that's for sure. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

It doesn't bother me that the land is based on the newer movies. I know that most of us grew up on the original trilogy, but the new trilogy is what is current. And, regardless of how you feel about the new trilogy, why would they go back to old Stormtroopers? Darth Vader (who is dead)? Older ships, when they have updated ones? Harry Potter world feels like Harry Potter world, because, well, there is no "newer" Harry Potter world. Even the new movies in the Harry Potter universe are essentially prequels, so it's not an updated franchise. Star Wars is an updated franchise.

Now, in a perfect world, I would have loved to have seen Disney build an 5th gate that is just Star Wars. And they could have different parts to the park representing the three trilogies, so you could immerse yourself wherever you would like. But that hasn't happened, so this is what we have.

Anyway, we walked around, tried the blue and green milk, ate lunch at a quick service place, wandered through the stores, etc. We also built lightsabers at Savi's Workshop. You cannot enter the workshop to watch the process unless you or someone in your party is building one. And each builder can only have two guests. At the Droid Factory, anyone can go watch, but not with Savi's.

The lightsaber is pretty well constructed. Cast metal parts around a stock lightsaber core that contains the electronics. You choose your kyber crystal, which dictates how it sounds and the color of your blade. You can choose from blue, green, red, or violet. In a shop somewhere else in Galaxy's Edge, you can buy more crystals, including yellow and white. My wife, son, and I each built a saber. I chose a violet crystal, and they each chose blue. But later, my son and I went and bought the other four crystals, so we now have them all. There must be RFID chips in the crystals so that the reader in the saber knows what color and sound effects to use.

Anyway, we did really enjoy the new land, and went back three times over three days. It'll be better when they get some new attractions open, however.