It was 2:30 A.M. when I woke up on August 29 to journey to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Before we get into how this day unfolded. It is only fitting if we look back to the past.
Star Wars is one of the pillars of pop culture. The epic space opera franchise has delighted people for years. When Disney announced its acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4 billion. People started to speculate when Disney would create a Star Wars land. People knew it was too good of an idea not to do it.
Disney CEO Bob Iger would proudly announce it at D23 Expo 2015.
Fast forward a couple of years and I’m amongst the crowd for one of the most anticipated additions in the history of Disney Parks. Galaxy’s Edge has been dissected inside and out. We’ve heard about Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which will be the land’s signature attraction. Yet due to the attraction being the most ambitious project in the history of Walt Disney Imagineering it didn’t open with the rest of the land. The attraction will open at Walt Disney World on December 5, 2019, and on January 17, 2020, at Disneyland.
Even without the biggest experience I still found myself enjoying Galaxy’s Edge. The atmosphere it created. The overall uniqueness of the concept itself. Galaxy’s Edge doesn’t have everything that was promised to us, but it has a clear foundation to grow and become even better. Especially at Walt Disney World, where it could expand. Considering that Disney is continuing to reimagine Disney’s Hollywood Studios it would make sense for them to continue to build upon one of their biggest franchises and lands.
It’s now three in the morning, and I’m in line for a bus at Disney’s Pop Century Resort (first time at Pop Century and that resort may get its own article). The line was pure insanity. It started in the middle of the night. Heck, I thought I was out early. It was trippy though waiting in line and checking Twitter where on the West coast it was only midnight and people were still tweeting. It took a while but I finally got on a bus for Hollywood Studios and we arrived at the park.
I was towards the back. There was a sea of people at Crossroads. We slowly started to navigate through Hollywood Studios.
After going past Echo Lake and Star Tours. We finally reached the entrance of Galaxy’s Edge which is right next to Muppet Vision 3D. Once we crossed into Batuu we were greeted by Imagineers, that worked on the project. It was the realization of all their hard work. I found this as a cool moment. It set the tone of happiness throughout the land for the day.
This was my first ever opening day. It also reminded me why Disney is the undisputed king of customer service. The experience was smooth, and even though we were waiting in long lines, cast members were directing us. Throughout the day cast members were helpful with explaining which line was which due to there being so much going on in the land. It was one of the most impressive parts of the opening day and thank you to all the cast members who made it possible.
The land is extensive with details. It will take me a couple of trips to keep discovering all the things that make Black Spire Outpost on Batuu so incredibly realistic to the Star Wars galaxy. I didn’t get to experience the Droid Depot, Oga’s Cantina, and Savi’s Workshop but I’m planning on doing those experiences later. From what I can tell they seem like worthy experiences.
Galaxy’s Edge is split into two sections. The First Order side and the Resistance side. Kylo Ren’s Tie Echelon is on display in the First Order section, and Poe Dameron’s X-Wing is on display in the Resistance area. The rock work on Batuu is beautiful. Along with the other outer rims architecture which gives Galaxy’s Edge this intense Star Wars feel.
Not to mention nothing can do the real-life Millennium Falcon justice. This was easily a highlight of Galaxy’s Edge, and it was a space I wish I could’ve explored more. Sadly, it’s used as a Disney Photopass area. So, it’s hard to get up near the Falcon on your own.
Speaking of the Millennium Falcon. The attraction Smuggler’s Run is a fantastic addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s more of Epcot’s Mission: SPACE meets Star Wars but with updated motion and designs. It has the potential to add more scenes and missions in the future. As it is right now it’s a blast of a ride. Getting to be in the Falcon’s cockpit is unbelievable, and it can be a sensory overload during the attraction. The experience almost went by too fast. There wasn’t enough time to sit and enjoy it. Although while I was waiting in line, I got to witness the first proposal in Walt Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge. It’s always fun to witness a proposal at Walt Disney World.
The food of Black Spire Outpost is wonderful. I ate at Docking Bay 7 twice. For breakfast, I tried the Bright Suns Morning. Which is named after the greeting they use in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The Bright Suns Morning breakfast includes a three-cheese egg bite, pork sausage (the same from Ronto Roasters), purple potato hash, and a mini Mustafairan lava roll. The Mustafarian lava roll is a puff pastry spun into a roll, on the inside it has chocolate mousse, and it is covered with cookie crumbles and a red glaze on top. It’s incredibly tasty and one of the more unique galactic edible creations.
After this breakfast, I went on to collect a thermal detonator Coca-Cola. Which makes a nice souvenir.
Shortly after breakfast and grabbing my Coca-Cola thermal detonator. I decided to see what all the rage was about with the Milk Stand. I ordered the blue milk. You have to go with the original in these situations, and also did I want to drink slime-looking milk? The blue milk was alright. It didn’t hit the right flavor notes for me. I feel like they missed an opportunity to do something sweeter instead of fruity.
Later in the day, I would stop back in Docking Bay 7 for lunch. I tried the Smoked Kaduu Ribs. They had the right tang and flavor. The blueberry corn muffin was a wonderful side. The cabbage slaw was the definite low point of the dish. I still have no clue why people associate cole slaw/ cabbage slaw with futuristic food. It’s honestly the exact opposite. I also had a dessert. The Batuu-bon which was a chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse along with coffee custard. It was an impressive dessert.
The final thing I did in the land was going to Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. The highlight was seeing an audio-animatronic of Dok-Ondar. The store itself was blended well. It’s obvious Disney wanted your retail experience to be very realistic while on Batuu. I was even told by a cast member if I wanted to get an opening day t-shirt I would have to go “off-planet” to get it.
Opening day of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was a magnificent experience. There are a lot of things I still have to accomplish in Galaxy’s Edge but for everything that I got to do. It was well worth it. I’m anticipating Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as it looks to become one of the best attractions of all time.
One of my favorite things about Galaxy’s Edge was its interactive features. Fans were interacting with each other. Fans were getting involved with Stormtroopers. The roaming characters of Vi Moradi, Rey, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and General Hux were awesome. I even had a run-in with General Hux. Which was hilarious and enjoyable. Disney has never done a land with this level of interaction and an actual plot. So, the future of the land looks even brighter.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening day at Walt Disney World was an experience in Disney magic. From the cast members keeping order to the magical moments throughout the land. The land itself has such a great design. The buildings are uniquely Star Wars and there are hidden details throughout. It was a worthy experience even if it did come with the waits and the bustling crowds. If you ever had the dream to go to a galaxy far far away. This is it. This is the land for you.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
