May 21, 2019

Galaxy’s Edge: My First Experience and Impressions

Falon Disneyland, Star Wars 4 Comments

Bright suns, travelers! Yesterday, Matt and I were among the very first people to experience Galaxy’s Edge (which in my mind will always be Star Wars Land). Thanks to Matt working at the parks, we were able to sign up for a cast member preview of the new land, and because of my mad sign-up-for-shit-online skills, we managed to snag a spot in the first group. Everything below pertains to our experience at the cast member preview, so things will not necessarily be the same as when Galaxy’s Edge opens, but much of it will stay the same. I’m happy to answer any specific questions you might have, just drop them in the comments. One final note before we get to the info: no pictures were allowed during our visit (phones were placed in sealed envelopes for the duration) so you’ll have to check back on May 31st for some photo ops. Okay, let’s dive in to Galaxy’s Edge!

Checking In: Check in for our four hour GE block was super easy. The check in spot was located at Launch Bay (again, not sure if that will be the case on opening day, but I hope it is). We showed up around 9:15, had our tickets scanned (for cast members, our tickets also doubled as our reservation since cast members are blocked out from Disneyland for the remainder of the summer), were given colored wristbands with our assigned time printed on them, and pointed in the right direction. We headed out to line up over near the walkway from Fantasyland to Frontierland. There were two separate entrances where you could line up, both along the trail. For us, this is when we had to seal up our phones, but that obviously won’t be the case when the land opens. All in all, it took about ten minutes to check in and get in line and I can only hope the process runs so smoothly when GE opens.

First Impressions: From the moment you walk into Galaxy’s Edge, you feel like you have truly entered a different world. The land is immersive (and huge) and it feels completely separate from the rest of the park. You can’t see any parts of Disneyland from inside (no Matterhorn or Big Thunder tips) and the whole thing feels very secluded. And obviously, the details are meticulous. There is not a single section of the land that hasn’t been designed to perfection. The main thing that surprised me when we walked in was just how big everything felt. The walkways are wide (yay!), everything is tall, and the space just feels expansive. I might feel differently once it’s full of people and strollers, but with a manageable crowd size like at the preview, it was perfection.

Smuggler’s Run: This was probably the highlight of the experience for us. We went twice and it was a different experience each time. There are three different ride positions: pilots, gunners, and engineers. Each position has a different job on the flight. The line for Smuggler’s Run is detailed and intricate and the final waiting area is the interior of the Millenium Falcon, which you get to walk around and explore while you wait. The ride itself is pretty spectacular. It’s the same kind of feel as Star Tours, but the riders get to have some control over how the ride goes. It’s a lot of fun and felt like a new experience the two different times we rode. Our four hour block was from 10-2, we went on the ride the first time around 11 and were told we could ride as many times as we wanted before noon. Not sure if they will have this same kind of cutoff during the regular reservation blocks, but if so, I would definitely recommend riding either first thing or right after the halfway point so you can go on it multiple times. There is a single rider line, and there was a set up for fast passes.

Food and Drinks: We stopped by Ronto Roasters for our one meal at GE. We had the Ronto Wrap, which had pork and sausage with a tangy coleslaw. Matt and I shared it and it was a good light lunch to share. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the wrap. It was super tasty and really unlike anything else available in the parks right now. I would definitely eat it again. We also got the Meiloorun juice, which was delicious (would have been better with vodka, but many things would). With Matt’s CM discount, lunch was about $16. The main restaurant, Docking Bay 7, had a super long line come lunch time, but the food there looked good too. The one and only disappointment of the experience was the long line at Oga’s Cantina. So long in fact that at 12:30, a full hour and a half before our block ended, the line was closed and we were unable to even wait in line for a chance to go in. If seeing the cantina is on your must do list, do that first!

Photo Ops: There are about a hundred million awesome photo ops in Galaxy’s Edge and about a hundred million Photo Pass photogs roaming around. On your first visit, get the Disney Max Pass because it will be worth it for the photos alone. Matt and I took a whole bunch of pictures (which won’t be released until May 31st) so check back later to see all the different spots.

Shopping and Merch: Honestly, you could easily spend your four hours just walking around the different shops and experiencing all the merch opportunities (and I’m sure nothing would make Disney happier). There are spots for the Resistance, droids, lightsabers, the First Order, you name it, and they probably have their own store or stand. Obviously the two main draws are going to be the build your own lightsaber and build your own droid. We peeked in on both, and they both seem to have a similar set up, pick out the pieces and put it all together. And pay, of course. There is a lot of new stuff to see (and spend money on!).

Disney Play App: We were offered the chance to test out the Disney Play app experience in Galaxy’s Edge, which was interesting. I don’t usually mess around with things like that, but we decided to give it a shot and see what it’s about. The concept is cool, you have different missions to complete around the land, but it still has a lot of bugs and kinks to fix. There were few instructions so a lot of things just didn’t make sense. And a lot of the areas in the land to interact with seemed to be missing info the app needed. Not something I would spend a lot of time on in the future.

Overall: The land is incredible. It’s immersive and huge and detailed and takes you to another world. That being said, there isn’t a lot to DO. For the most part, it’s eating, drinking, shopping, and taking photos. Don’t get me wrong, that’s my perfect kind of Disneyland day. But I think there may be some who are disappointed by the lack of activities/attractions. That will obviously be helped by the opening of the second ride in fall, but for now, go in prepared for a lowkey experience. I’m really looking forward to going back on June 7th, knowing what I know now.

Feel free to drop your questions in the comments, I will do my best to answer them!