Star Wars: Galaxy Edge is now opened to the public but I was fortunate enough to be able to snag a reservation before the park opened.
I received a QR code for entry, and I was required to include the legal names of my guest. Weird. But, alright. I bought my ticket, and entered the park; I mostly ran around taking pictures, playing Pokémon Go, and seeing characters. My reservation wasn’t until 5pm, so I had some time to kill. Still, I checked in the suggested 2 hours early to ensure I got my wristband to enter the new attraction.
I was really interested to see how the park would balance the contradictory aesthetics of Star Wars and Disney princesses in one place.
As we entered Galaxy’s Edge, I realized I didn’t have a map. I was irritated, but that feeling didn’t last long, as one quick glance brought the Millennium Falcon into view….and what a view it is. It’s huge, lights up, emits smoke, and has crazy sound effects. At some moments people really thought something would be exiting the ship.
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
The first thing I did was go to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. The wait was about 20 minutes. I’m almost certain that the wait will be exponentially longer now that the park is open to the public.
The ride was a pretty cool experience. Six people are needed for the ride – two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers. Once six are through, you’re taken to a holding room and given a tag with a color and a position that you will play in the ride/game. The pilots of course steer and navigate, the gunners shoot down the opposition, and the engineers harpoon things. The pilots are extremely important as the game will lurch and jolt with each accident. Gunners do have to maintain focus as they need to protect the ship, and will be given their stats afterwards. As a gunner, I shot down as many fighters as I could…a total of 7 with accuracy of 38%.
Overall, the ride was a lot of fun, and I can see how people could quickly want a return ride to improve their score or be a better pilot than someone else in the group. Engineers don’t seem to have the most interesting task in the group, so if you go with a group of friends and one is not video game proficient, the engineer is the way to go for them.
Oga’s Cantina
After the ride, I thought we could get into Oga’s Cantina. It was then that I realized, the reason why there was no wait for the ride was because everyone was at the cantina…and the cantina had to cut people off from entering. This was definitely the most popular spot in the park, and unfortunately, I didn’t get in this time.
Shops
The shops have some amazing gear and souvenirs for Star Wars fans, flight suits (adult and children), helmets, mugs, matching couple’s Solo and Leia shirts, and of course the shops with the ability to customize your own droid or lightsaber. Designing your own little droid at Droid Depot costs $99.99 plus tax, but it would be remote controlled. Not only that, but you’d have a buddy to stroll with you once you leave the park. A lightsaber from Savi’s Workshop costs $199.99 plus tax, but it would be your own unique lightsaber.
Snacks
The snacks could be better, but I also have the palette of a 5 year-old. I had to try the Blue Milk…I shouldn’t have tried the blue milk. It sounded delicious. I love rice milk, coconut milk, tropical flavors, and slushes, but I did not love it. The green milk tasted better, but it was still just…meh.
Tips:
- If you want to go to the cantina, make a reservation ASAP!
- Ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and decide who will be pilots, gunners, and engineers – 2 each. Having a plan before going there should help get your heads in the game…ride
