Over the past weekend, a Disney National Holiday occurred- May the Fourth. This is a take on the famous line "may the force be with you" from the Star Wars films. Leave it to Disney fans to get creative and make May 4th the day to celebrate all things Star Wars. Ever Since Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise, you can believe that there are big celebrations in both Disney World and Disneyland to celebrate the quasi-holiday.
In honor of May the Fourth, let me break down the newest land added to a Disney World Park: Galaxy's Edge. This land is in Hollywood Studios and is based entirely off of the Star Wars universe. I myself am not a Star Wars fan and have not seen more than an hour of one of the more recent films. However, I still appreciate and love Galaxy's Edge and would recommend it to Star Wars fans and non-fans alike.
The theming of Galaxy's Edge is absolutely fantastic, and comparable to the level of detail seen in Harry Potter Universal. The second that you walk into Galaxy's Edge, you feel like you have stepped into a completely different world and forget that you are in Disney World. The crumbling buildings, high mountains in the background, and other-worldly decor all perfectly depict the settings featured in the Star Wars films. Scattered throughout Galaxy's Edge, which is 14 acres large, are numerous shops that resemble mercenary trading stations and local artisan shops. I love going into Galaxy's Edge just to walk around and take in the ambiance and all of the little details that Imagineers put into it.
1) Rides
There are 2 rides in Galaxy's Edge, both of which are extremely popular. While you don't have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy the rides, I will note that there are references to the movies in the rides and you cannot fully appreciate all of the details if you aren't familiar with the plot, storyline, or characters of the films. However, just like all Disney rides, a lot of thought was put into them, and they are enjoyable to experience nonetheless.
Rise of the Resistance
Rise of the Resistance is the more popular out of the two rides in Galaxy's Edge. It consistently maintains a wait time of over an hour for the entire day, and only offers Individual Lightening Lane if you want to skip the line. Therefore, it is crucial to make this ride your rope drop if you don't want to wait in an extremely long line or pay a fee to skip the line with an Individual Lightening Lane. Rise of the Resistance is a bit of a hike from the main entrance of Hollywood Studios, so be prepared to speedwalk a good distance first thing in the morning.
This ride utilizes the trackless ride system, making the experience similar to Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. The ride is a complete experience from the moment you enter the line queue to the moment you walk off the ride. It creates the story that you are part of the resistance and have been captured by the First Order (the bad guys in the Star Wars movies). You have to escape and fight back with the Resistance. This is only spot in Disney World where you will be treated rudely by Disney cast members, as part of an act that you are captured by the enemy. It's all in good fun but be prepared for some sass.
I'll admit I have no idea what is happening with the plot line on the ride, but the effects, animatronics, and trackless ride are impressive and fun, nonetheless. This ride is huge and has so many moving parts. You will definitely be in awe of what the Imagineers were able to put together.
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
The second new ride in Galaxy's Edge is Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. This is more of an interactive experience and typically does not have the same high wait times that Rise of the Resistance does. On average, this ride seems to be about a 45-minute wait. It is also included in Genie Plus, so you can book a lightening lane to skip the line.
I think this ride will be better appreciated by Star Wars fans, than by a non-fans. On this ride, you get to board the Millennium Falcon, which my fiancé (a Star Wars fan) assured me was really cool. It is essentially a simulator that you have to fly as a group of 6. Out of the 6 people, some of whom may be strangers to your group, 2 people act as the pilots, 2 people act as the engineers, and 2 people act as gunners. The simulator takes you through a journey and the 6 of you work together to make it safely back to ground. I personally think this ride is just okay, and I probably wouldn't ride it if I wasn't at the park with someone who appreciated the details from the films.
2) Dining
The impressive theming of Galaxy's Edge carries over to the food and drink offered. Even the soda bottles sold in Galaxy's Edge are shaped like little droids. You can tell that Imagineers thought of everything.
Docking Bay 7
This is the main food court of Galaxy's Edge and serves lunch and dinner. It is themed as a working hangar bay and has the same crumbling, rustic ambiance as the rest of the land. I have never personally eaten at Docking Bay 7, but the fare seems slightly unusual to match the vibe of your surroundings. The menu features items like stir fry, yip-yip, and pork ribs and price per entree hovers around $17 per meal, which seems high for Quick Service.
Ronto Roasters
Ronto Roasters is a fun, open air spot to grab a meal or snack. The dining is out in the open with the central focus being on a giant mechanical spit turning with fake exotic meats. This just adds to the ambiance of being in a bustling town square.
This Quick Service spot serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu is pretty small, only offering a breakfast wrap, overnight oats, a pork wrap, and pork rinds. The entrees range from $7-$13.
Oga's Cantina
This establishment is more of a bar than dining, but is worth a mention. I recommend visiting Oga's Cantina at least one time, as the theming inside the bar is fantastic and right on par with the rest of Galaxy's Edge. While only a bar, it does require a dining reservation to go inside. Even with a dining reservation, guests are only given 45 minutes inside the bar and then are asked to leave, to make room for more guests. This bar was extremely popular when it first opened in 2019 and it was impossible to get a reservation. As time has gone on, it has become easier to get inside Oga's.
Oga's Cantina is themed to be a local watering hole where the likes of bounty hunters, traders, and travelers stop for a cold drink. The bar itself resembles a laboratory, where the bartenders are mixing up unique drinks that you will definitely not be able to get anywhere else. In the corner is a droid DJ, who is actually quite entertaining to watch.
The bar is small and cramped, so most guests will have standing room only, either at the bar or at a "standing table." There are only a few booths along the outer walls of the bar, and those are difficult to get.
The menu features a broad range of inventive alcoholic drinks, priced from $18-$20. They are expensive, but fun to try and offer an "Instagram-able" photo opp. There are also non-alcoholic drinks, which cost on average $8 each. The menu features two different snacks, but there isn't really time to eat and I'd rather spend the money on a fun drink.
Milk Stand
This is a controversial one, that has Disney fans divided. This drink stand serves blue and green milk, which is supposed to be a Star Wars delicacy. Some people love it, while some people don't. I myself have never tried it, but I have seen others sipping at it in the park. It isn't something that I think I will ever try, as the thought of colored milk makes me feel sick.
3) Other Available Experiences
If you are looking to spend even more money on your Disney vacation, there are a couple of additional experiences offered in Galaxy's Edge to give you the full Star Wars experience. These two experiences are an additional fee on top of your park ticket, and should be reserved prior to the day of.
Build Your Own Lightsaber
For this experience, you go into a private workshop to handmake your own custom lightsaber. From what I have read, it is a very immersive experience. It is also "top secret," as a builder is only allowed to bring one guest inside the workshop with them.
This experience costs $250 per person (anyone above 5 years old). For that price, you get the experience of building the lightsaber, the lightsaber itself, and a carrying case. It is a 20-minute experience.
Build Your Own Droid
This experience is less secretive that the lightsaber experience and is in an open room where onlookers can see what you are doing. Builders are still only allowed to bring one guest up to the building area with them. Builders will get to build a custom droid and watch as it comes to life. This experience costs $120 and includes a carrying box for your droid. This is also a 20-minute experience.
Galaxy's Edge was a great addition to Hollywood Studios. When it was first announced, I was worried that it would turn Hollywood Studios into Star Wars Land. That is not the case, as Disney was able to maintain the original feel of the park, whilst also adding an incredibly immersive land, completely separated from the rest of Hollywood Studios. Imagineers created Galaxy's Edge in a way that it could be appreciated by everyone, Star Wars fan or not. It is not polarizing to guests not familiar with the Star Wars films, yet also gives Star Wars fans a separate space to appreciate the films brought to life, that doesn't spread to the entire park. The theming that they were able to do, is impressive and enjoyable to experience over and over again. Well done Imagineers!
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