One of the newest Disney additions is the Star Wars Land called Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. This new land is located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (theme park) in Florida or Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in California.
One of my absolute favorite parts of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is the theming. I was lucky enough to see and experience Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge during the construction, before it even opened. I loved hearing the Disney Imagineers talk about all of the details of Galaxy’s Edge. It is so impressive.
Story of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
As you step into the planet Batuu, you become part of the Star Wars story. This includes the grime on the Black Spire Outfitters, droid footprints on the ground, smells from meats at the market, and sounds of local creatures or the local radio station. You are immersed into the world of Star Wars.
11 Must Do’s at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
We wanted to share all of the must do’s at Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Orlando. You can watch the video or scroll down to read the blog post.
Be sure you scroll down to check out the FREE Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Printables. This includes a 1-Day Itinerary, Learn the Language of Galaxy’s Edge, and How to Get a Boarding Group for the new Rise of the Resistance at the Disney Parks.
#11 Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Details
As you are exploring Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, pay close attention to details. The Walt Disney Imagineering did an incredible job. As I mentioned earlier, there are so many details everywhere at Galaxy’s Edge. One of my favorites is the Coke bottles. You can purchase sodas or water. These bottles have a unique shape, just for Galaxy’s Edge. These bottles look like something you could purchase at the Black Spire Outpost.
My first Coke bottle I carried home from Disneyland. It is a fun and inexpensive souvenir. I use mine at home as a vase for flowers on my deck. Even money in Galaxy’s Edge is called credits, instead of credit cards or cash. Pay close attention to all of these little details. These are amazing for Star Wars fans.
#10 Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the newest ride at Galaxy’s Edge. You can join the Resistance in an epic battle against the First Order. This ride is a must do for any Star Wars fan. Since this ride just opened, it is super popular.
You cannot walk into the park and go ride it or even wait hours to ride it. Disney currently does not offer FastPass+ reservations either. The only option is getting a boarding group on the My Disney Experience app. This app can be downloaded to your smartphone.
You also can only reserve a boarding group, once you are inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So, plan on getting to Disney’s Hollywood Studios early in the morning if you want to ride this attraction.
Make sure you download the My Disney Experience and set up this app, before arriving to the Walt Disney World Resort. As I mentioned, you need to arrive super early to book a boarding group. Disney usually opens the turnstiles to enter into Disney’s Hollywood Studios about 30 minutes prior to park opening. Since you need to be inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios to book a boarding group, you want to arrive around this time.
Once you enter the park, you can immediately request a boarding group through the app. Once you are confirmed, you will receive a boarding group number. You can then head to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance during your boarding group time to ride the attraction.
If you are not able to get a boarding group, another option is the backup boarding group. The boarding groups are actually small. If the boarding group gets through entirely, you may be called in the backup boarding group.
It is an amazing ride, but do not worry if you are not able to arrive early or get into this ride. There are so many other amazing things to do at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
#9 Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Another ride at Galaxy’s Edge is the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction. Our whole family loves this ride. You get to take on roles like gunner, pilot, or engineer. We enjoy the queue and animatronics of Smuggler’s Run. There is also a fun photo opportunity, before you board your adventure. It is a fun ride for the whole family.
I am excited to say that Smuggler’s Run has FastPass+. You can now make a reservation (also called a FastPass+) through the My Disney Experience for this ride. This will help you save a lot of time. During our recent visit, the line was up to 60 minutes. A FastPass+ reservation will save you a ton of time just standing in line.
If you did not get a FastPass+ reservation, you may get lucky on wait times. Over the busy Christmas season, we only waited in a 30 minute wait. It started to rain, so Galaxy’s Edge cleared out a bit. That was perfect for us, we headed right to the ride.
To help beat some of the crowds, get to Galaxy’s Edge at opening or late in the evening (before the park closes). Also visit during popular shows like the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular or Fantasmic! This is a fantastic way to beat the crowds.
#8 Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge has several spots to grab local flavors. One of the “must eat” spots is the Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo. This quick service restaurant is located next to Smugglers Run. They currently serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This restaurant is air-conditioned, so a perfect spot to grab a blue or green milk, dessert, or a full meal.
When dining at Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo, be sure you order your food via the Mobile Ordering on your My Disney Experience. You can download the My Disney Experience free to your smartphone.
The Mobile Ordering will save you a lot of time waiting in line. I like to go into Docking Bay 7 and grab a table. We then order the food quickly on the app. After we order the food, we just hit the “we are here” button. This saves you time standing and waiting for your food. Once your order is ready, you can pop over to the sign that says Mobile Ordering and pick up your food.
#7 Blue/Green Milk at the Milk Stand
Just like ordering a butterbeer at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, ordering a Blue Milk or Green Milk is a must do at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. This frosty beverage makes for great selfie picks and is a refreshing drink. We like ordering one of each and sharing with our family.
You can beat the line with Mobile Ordering. I like to grab a Blue or Green Milk and find a spot to sit and just watch the Star Wars characters. There is a little spot right behind Milk Stand, across from rest rooms. There are some benches, tucked away from the crowds and a little bit shaded. This is the perfect spot to enjoy your milk and watch for Star Wars characters.
#6 Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Characters
Since we are talking about Star Wars characters, I wanted to share our next must do. This one a lot of visitors to Galaxy’s Edge miss out on. Take a few minutes to just sit and enjoy all of the Star Wars characters. The interactions with the storm troopers, Kylo-Ren, Rey, and Chewbacca are a must do at Galaxy’s Edge.
Take some time to just sit and watch for the characters. The characters do wander throughout Galaxy’s Edge. There are not any specific spots to just meet characters. This is planet Batuu, so they are wandering the planet either patrolling, looking for Resistance, or even smuggling “things.”
One of my favorite stops to grab a Blue or Green Milk and just stand is near the First Order Cargo merchandise. There is a wall on the far left of this store. This is a Cast Member (Disney employee) entrance. I like to stand against this wall and just watch the characters. Not many people are in this area, so you are more likely to get interactions with the characters in this spot.
While you are interacting with the characters, keep in mind they will stay in character. The storm troopers will not stop and get a selfie with you. In the Star Wars story, they do not have “selfies”. However, if you ask a stormtrooper if you can “get a scan”, they may stop for a second for you to get a picture with your cell phone.
#5 Disney Play at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
We love to dive more into the story with the Disney Play app in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. The Disney Play app is a free app that you can download to your smartphone. This is a great way to bring the Disney ride lines to life. This app will also bring Galaxy’s Edge to life. Your kids will have fun just wandering around the planet completing missions. We love this app, because it is entertaining and you do not have any lines!
#4 Build a Droid
Galaxy’s Edge has two attractions where you can build a lightsaber or droid. Both of these experiences are expensive.
The light saber build at Savi’s Workshop is an amazing experience, but is about $200. This lightsaber is heavy, so it is better for teens and adults vs kids. For a less expensive option for kids, I would recommend the light saber build at the Star Wars merchandise shop near Star Tours.
We do love the Droid Depot and building a BB-8 or R series of the droids. This is an incredible experience for kids and adults. Plus, you get a fun souvenir to take home. We still play with our droid. Our dog loves it! The Droid Depot is expensive for a souvenir. It is about $100 to build a droid. We highly recommend getting a reservation for the Droid Depot. You can make a reservation right on your My Disney Experience app on your smart phone.
#3 Merchant Shopping
One of our absolute favorite things to do at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is shopping! There are so many merchants throughout Batuu. Many of the merchants like Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities are hidden behind doors. You may walk right by the shop, without realizing it was there. This is when you really want to pay attention to your map on the My Disney Experience.
One of the best spots to shop for families is The Market. You can wander this outdoor market to find cos-play clothing, toys, kettle popcorn, creatures and critters, Toydarian Toymaker, Creature Stall, and more. You can even grab a quick bite at Ronto Roasters, before wandering The Market.
#2 Disney PhotoPass
One of the only differences between Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World and Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland is the Disney PhotoPass. Currently, only Disney World offers Disney PhotoPass. This is definitely a must do when visiting Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World.
A really fun Magic Shot for Disney PhotoPass is called Super Zoom. This really cool video is a fun one to capture you and your family and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. If you add the Memory Maker to your package, this video shot is included. This is one of our favorite shots from Galaxy’s Edge.
#1 Oga’s Cantina
If you love Star Wars, you have to plan an hour at Oga’s Cantina. This cantina is family friendly, so bring the whole family. This experience is limited to only an hour and you join other friends. You may be standing or sitting with other friends, so keep that in mind. You can enjoy live music from the droid named DJ Rex. There are so many fun things to look at in the cantina and you may even see a few Star Wars characters pop in for a drink.
DJ Rex at Oga’s Cantina
Pay close attention to the menu. There are several drinks that include a souvenir cup. Some of these drinks can be as much as $75. Many of the drinks can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. There are also a few snacks that you can purchase to share.
This cantina gets very busy, so you do need to make an Advanced Dining Reservation. Even though you get an ADR, still plan on waiting in line for a bit, before going into the cantina. It is a lot of fun for any big Star Wars fan.
Honorable Mention at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
I do have one Honorable Mention!
When visiting Galaxy’s Edge, come in costume. You will have so much more fun with the Star Wars Characters if you dress the part.
Disney does not allow masks, so keep that in mind. You may also want to wear something that is comfortable in our hot Florida weather.
Here are some of my favorite Star Wars cosplay.
If you are looking for something a bit more comfortable during your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, here are my favorite Star Wars t-shirts.
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is one of the most amazing additions to Walt Disney World and Disneyland. You can easily plan a ½ day or full day, just exploring the planet Batuu.
To get excited about your upcoming visit to Disney World and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, check out these 291 Disney & Star Wars Printables.
We love Galaxy’s Edge during the day and evening hours. It is an epic adventure.
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