Last night, Mouseketrips had the opportunity to be among the first to visit the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu (otherwise known as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland). We found this new land at Disneyland to be worthy of the Star Wars name and reputation in every way. The Disney Imagineers have hit this one out of the park, and introduced a level of theme, detail, and atmosphere not seen at a Disney park in a long, long time.
As you cross under the railroad tracks and enter the Black Spire Outpost, it’s very easy to lose yourself and forget that you’re in Disneyland, in California, and that you were just in a theme park. The buildings and structures are themed and detailed elaborately and completely. Even the lampposts and trash cans further your immersion in the story. Everywhere you turn you see some little detail or decoration that adds to the illusion – things that would have been easy to overlook or delete but that add to the total immersive atmosphere.
We all know that Disney likes to make a buck or two, but the merchandise developed for this new land is fantastic, diverse, and some of it is really expensive. You can purchase everything from a small, plush Chewbacca to a real life-size remote control R2D2. The shops themselves are almost attractions, from the stunning Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiques where you can purchase one of at least a dozen different light sabers, to the Droid Depot where you can assemble your own customized droid, the theme and details in these shops are incredible.
Again, like the merchandise shops the restaurants are much more than just a square room where food is served. Each is elaborately themed and feature food that you won’t get anywhere else in the park. You can, of course, get colored milk, as well as flavored popcorn, unique quick service food, and snacks galore. And, of course, you can stop in at Olga’s Cantina for a little liquid refreshment.
Of course the centerpiece of the entire land is the life-size Millennium Falcon, which sits in center court just outside the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction. It’s big, it’s amazing, and it’s detailed in the extreme.
The main attraction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (at least for right now) is Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. The entrance for this ride is right next to the Millennium Falcon, and features a detailed queue followed by a pre-show room with the most life-like animatronic we’ve ever seen. After that you’re divided into groups of 6, and each person in the group is given a role of either pilot, gunner, or engineer. Then comes the best part – you continue on and feel as if you’re walking into the Millennium Falcon itself. You enter the main cargo hold, complete with the chess table, cargo boxes, ladders and passages leading to other parts of the ship, and all of the pipes, hoses, switches, and details that you remember from the movies. You spend enough time in the hold (about 5 minutes) to explore and take photos and are then led into the ship’s cockpit. There are six seats, with the pilots up front, the gunners in the second row, and the engineers in the back. Each is given instruction on what their role during the mission will be, and it’s then up to each participant to press the buttons, throw the switches, move the levers, and turn the wheel. The skill of the crew actually affects the success or failure of the mission, and your crew’s “pay” at the end depends on how well each crew member performed his or her duties. It’s fun and it’s different every time, and the resolution of the screen up front is amazing. However, while we certainly left entertained we couldn’t help but think that this ride is quite similar to another Star Wars ride already at Disneyland – Star Tours.
Of course, Galaxy’s Edge is not complete. Coming this Fall, Disneyland will open Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a new attraction that looks to be Disneyland’s centerpiece. It is unfortunate that Rise of the Resistance was not ready for the grand opening, but it does give us an excuse to go back later this year.
From all that we can gather, the Walt Disney World version of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, to be located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will be a near replica of the Disneyland version. The Walt Disney World version will not open until August 29, 2019 (and Rise of the Resistance will not be ready in Florida either).
Want to take your family to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Contact the Star Wars specialist at Mouseketrips for more information on how we can help you plan the perfect vacation.
Want to take your family to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Contact the Star Wars specialist at Mouseketrips for more information on how we can help you plan the perfect vacation.
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