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skynapple · 5 months

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Is Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Worth it? My Two Cents

Since @incorrectpizza was asking, I'm throwing this together cause I've had some words to say about it for a long time.

First off, the project went through multiple layers of Disney Imagineers wanting to create something new and different that allowed them to worldbuild their own new planet without directly drawing on any of the canon movies/shows/books/games. They were also drawing upon shared experiences in middle eastern bazaars. (Source: Documentary about building it that you can watch on Disney+). It was created by Star Wars geeks, for people who may or may not be Star Wars fans. The "may not be" is sort of important here.

Second, I'll say, the first time I walked in I cried with joy. I've been several, several times ever since. As the magic has worn down I've been able to identify a few things. I'll list the good and the bad here.

A. World Environment:

The cons: Because it was built for people who may not be Star Wars fans (aka Disneyland/Disneyworld visitors who are just meandering around the park) it's built to give people a sense that they are somewhere else, and able to identify a few key elements, without necessarily requiring that you know anything about Star Wars at all. They didn't want to give anyone the sense that you couldn't walk in without watching more than 1 movie. This becomes a devastating downfall because other than the literal actual Millennium Falcon or a speeder here, and a first order banner there, there's really no identifying elements. The place is identified as "Black Spire Outpost" which exists only, and ONLY, within the Disney Parks and is not shown within any media. This gives longtime fans nothing to connect to, and nothing much to identify. There's very little to tell that you're supposed to be in a Star Wars environment. My personal opinion is it would have been better had they taken the Universal Studios route and built an environment directly from the Harry Potter movies, giving fans the feeling that they are walking the same streets and seeing the same sights as their favorite characters. It's been a huge success for them and I think that magic is what Galaxy's Edge is missing. I digress.

The Pros: All that said, it's insanely beautiful especially at night. There's so much detail in how they weathered everything and there is Aurebesh literally everywhere, to the point that very little is actually in English. Which is very cool if you're a geek like me that knows how to read it. There are little (and I mean little) nods and easter eggs for fans throughout, but I feel like if I wasn't such a big fan I wouldn't be able to identify them. It's definitely nice to walk through and even though my Mom isn't a fan, she still admires it a lot.

B. Music and sounds:

The cons: They don't play any soundtrack music. Nothing that's been in the media. It's meant to immerse you in the "environment" so it's mostly animal noises and stuff that's supposed to sound alien.

The pros: There's a cool "sound/song" that plays when you enter, like a musical swell, that's signaling that you're entering a new area. I still think that part is cool and it did make me emotional the first time I walked through that "sound."

C. Characters

The cons: There just aren't a lot of characters walking around. There's no aliens. No droids. I've heard they've improved a little bit, and have been adding here and there. But for someplace that's supposed to be so foreign, there's just not enough cast members walking around.

The pros: The cast members and characters that you do see, if you're lucky, are good and you can have fun with them. They have good behaviors, their costumes are great, and are well trained. Being able to see Mando with baby Grogu who is cooing and greeting visitors? Come on, it's so cute. Stormtroopers from the First Order messed with my mom once. It was great. You encounter First Order "employees" a lot on the Rise of the Resistance ride and I always giggle at how they never break character. They're so mean and serious and it's so great to me.

D. The Rides

The cons: There's only two. Honestly not much complain about other than there's not much else to do outside of just these two. There's the Millennium Falcon and the Rise of the Resistance ride. The con about Millennium Falcon is they load the ride in parties of 6, and each person will have a "task" to make the ship fly. If you don't have a party of 6, you're completely at the mercy of the strangers doing their job. The flight is very realistic. If someone in your party misses their queue, it will affect the flight and you will crash. You're allowed a certain amount of damage before your flight crashes to the ground dramatically and your ride ends. The longer you can stay in the air, the longer your experience will be, and the smoother your flight will be. My only gripe about Rise of the Resistance is that the line is so long.

The pros: Insanely cool. The Millennium Falcon is really is a gem in that they've built sooooo so much detail into it. It's so cool. Lots of fun photo spots. You feel like you're really actually in the real thing!! Despite what I said about flying with strangers, when everyone is into it and you're working well together, you'll have a good time. And Rise of the Resistance is the peak of Disney's high tech capabilities across their global projects. It's amazing, I can't say enough about it. Just the feeling, the immersion, it wasn't open when Galaxy's Edge first opened and it's honestly what it was seriously lacking in that "immersive" and "emotional" aspect. I can ride this stuff again and again. I never get tired of it. And honestly, again, my mom is NOT into Star Wars or scifi and Rise of the Resistance is her favorite, she has to ride it every time we're in the park. Sidenote: I still think the best time to ride is at night! It just looks so beautiful at night.

E. The Food:

The Cons: There's not a whole lot of variety, but this is scarcely a huge con considering the variety of foods you can find throughout the rest of the park. Also if your diet is sensitive, or you have allergies, you may have some difficulty. There's also not a whole lot of seating, and this is a big con for the rest of Galaxy's Edge. I complained about it in a survey I received and coincidentally noticed them putting in some new seating, so they are gradually working on it, but for my family of 6 sometimes we struggle. Also, the blue milk is overrated. I prefer the green milk. Both are made with coconut milk, which isn't my favorite, so that's a favorite for some, but a sad dislike for me. Also it's overpriced for a small cup size. So just know that.

The Pros: Docking Bay 7 is one of my favorite places to eat in the park. And the Cantina I have not been to yet because it requires reservations that you literally have to book in the morning just to eat at dinner. I've heard nothing but good things about it though. To me, all the food in Galaxy's Edge is tasty. Also if you're buying a soda like a Coca-Cola or Sprite from a beverage stand, they serve them in the coolest little collector cups and are the same price as they are in the rest of the park, so if you're in a soda mood, buy them there instead of elsewhere in Disneyland.

F. The Activities:

The Cons: So expensive! If you're planning to build a droid or a custom lightsaber, keep in mind that they may be reservation-required experiences and they are $200 each. Please check online before you go. The other con is that there's not much else to do.

The Pros: They put so much thought into these experiences. I built a custom lightsaber and it was 100% worth it. I cried, and as I looked around the room at the climax of the experience, I won't spoil it but everyone else in the room was crying too!! That's how beautiful and thoughtful it was. You can bring 1 friend with you for free as long as they aren't participating, although they can help you. This applies to building a droid as well.

G. The Shopping:

The cons: It was intended to be "bazaar-like" but it doesn't really come off that way. Little, if any, is actually Star Wars branded. Again, they wanted you to feel like you were actually visiting somewhere far away, so the merch is mostly just Black Spire Outpost branded and there isn't much "Star Wars" merch. (If you do want Star Wars merch, I'm not sure for DisneyWorld but at least for Disneyland, the shop attached to Star Tours has tons of exclusive Star Wars merch that makes up for it.)

The pros: Exclusive merch that's mostly good quality. They have differing shops based on category, and it's spread out so it's not too overwhelming. This also eliminates long line. I've returned las Galaxy's Edge just for a specific BD-1 desk topper at the droid-themed shop, and then ran to the lightsaber parts shop, and I was able to get in and out of both stores very quickly.

The Final Rating: 6/10

Overall, for a Star Wars fan, it's a wonderful experience. Yes I have my gripes, but I still return each time. I can't say the cons outweigh the pros. I think major improvements would improve overall impression and foot traffic. That said. I think it's something every Star Wars fan should experience at least once!

Here's some photos for extra measure

#long post #galaxy's edge #star wars #disneyland #disney world #star wars galaxy's edge #black spire outpost #madi talks #home things

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