By Shauna Muray
After nearly four years of growing anticipation, Disney Parks’ newest themed land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s
Edge will open May 31, 2019, at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and August 29, 2019, at Disney’s
Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Disney Parks announced that they are opening the new
land ahead of schedule “in anticipation of high guest interest,” with one caveat: it will happen in two
phases. One of the land’s two major attractions, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, won’t be revealed
until phase two opens later in the year. In the meantime, the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction will be up and running, as well as the restaurants, shops, and other interactive experiences throughout the land.
The Attractions
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge features two signature attractions (some of us might call them “rides”) that
promise to put you right in the middle of the action and bring the “galaxy far, far away” a little closer to
home.
Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, you’ll step into the cockpit and take the controls of the
Falcon as the “the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” flies through space at light speed. During the
mission you’ll be in one of three critical roles: as a pilot, a gunner, or a flight engineer. Set to open later this year,
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is being touted by Disney Parks as “the most ambitious, immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined, which will place guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance and will blur the lines between fantasy
and reality.”
Life on Batuu
Upon entering Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll find yourself on the planet Batuu, a remote destination on the Outer
Rim of the galaxy. More specifically, you’ll be in Black Spire Outpost, the largest settlement on Batuu
and an infamous port for smugglers, traders, and adventurers. Oga’s Cantina will be serving up exotic
drinks – including the first alcoholic beverages ever served at Disneyland – while a droid plays tunes as
the cantina’s DJ.
If you consider yourself well-versed in Star Wars history but the names Batuu, Black Spire Outpost, and
Oga’s Cantina don’t sound familiar to you, there’s a good reason for that: everything in Galaxy’s Edge is
new. Rather than re-create a setting from one of the films, or combine elements from several of them,
the designers challenged themselves to create something no one has seen before, but still has the
unmistakable look and feel of Star Wars.
Black Spire Outpost’s marketplace offers a diverse menu of galactic food and beverages, including the
Blue Milk first seen in “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope,” and the merchant shops offer plenty of
opportunities to pick up an authentic souvenir. You can even construct your own astromech droid that
can interact with elements in the land. (No word yet on the price tag for a custom droid.)
When you enter Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll not only be visiting the newest themed land at Disney, you’ll be
exploring uncharted territory on the edge of the Star Wars galaxy. Though Batuu may be new, you’ll still
see some familiar faces from the current Star Wars film trilogy like Rey, Finn, Poe, BB-8 and Chewie.
Of course, no Star Wars experience would be complete without the music of legendary composer, John
Williams, who composed an all-new suite of musical themes for the land and its attractions.
The Force is Strong
At 14 acres, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever and promises
to be the most technologically advanced, too. Galaxy’s Edge is the first land at Disney designed to integrate
with the Play Disney Parks mobile app. Once you download the app to your phone, you can use it to
interact with a variety of elements like droids, ships, media screens and door panels, as well as participate
in missions by accomplishing certain tasks. “This depth of storytelling is part of the total immersion that
will distinguish [Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge] from any other themed land in history,” Disney Parks said in a
recent press release.
Until now, we’ve only been able to experience Star Wars on screen; now, on Batuu, you’ll get to
experience the galaxy’s sights, sounds, smells and tastes in a whole new way. You can touch the
Millennium Falcon’s controls, taste the Blue Milk Luke Skywalker drinks, and feel the Force in your very
own customized lightsaber. Star Wars will never be the same. May the Force be with you.
Know Before You Go:
By Shauna Murray 7/6/19
