At the very end of last month, on May 31, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in Disneyland park in California!
This 14-acre land recreates — or rather, creates, for the first time — a location known as Black Spire Outpost, a small transport hub nestled into the rocks of a backwater planet called Batuu, on the outskirts of wild space. 1The outpost was actually name-dropped in Solo, a film that premiered in theaters two weeks BEFORE the name of the settlement was revealed to the public. Likewise, the EU novel Thrawn: Alliances, published last summer, takes place largely on Batuu, as does a comic-book miniseries that’s currently being released.
While there, guests can take on a job from fan-favorite Clone Wars/Rebels character Hondo Ohnaka, and in doing so get a chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon itself!
They can also meet and interact with free-roaming characters like Chewbacca, Rey, and a brand-new character named Vi Moradi, a spy for the Resistance.2Well, not BRAND-new. Moradi’s first — and currently sole — appearance is in the 2017 EU novel Phasma, though a second novel starring her is on the way. There’s also Kylo Ren, if you’re into that.
And that’s it.
…
Okay, that’s not entirely fair. It’s more accurate to say that those are the only experiences that currently come included with the cost of your admission. Guests with deeper pockets will have no trouble finding a fair amount more to do.
- You can build a lightsaber!
- You can build a droid!
- You can drink some blue milk and snack on a braised Shaak roast!
- You can ‘adopt’ a Lothcat or a Kowakian Monkey Lizard!
- You can even take home rare antiquities collected by the Ithorian shopkeeper Dok-Ondar!
All for a nominal fee, of course.
So far, reactions seem to be largely, if not exclusively, positive, with visitors praising the level of immersion as one of the main highlights. It should be noted, however, that attendance levels in the land are still being strictly monitored via a ‘reservation’ system, wherein each guest at the resort is assigned a three-hour window in which they may visit Batuu. After this window ends, the guest is no longer permitted to queue up in any lines, and may even be escorted off the premises by Stormtroopers if necessary. It remains to be seen how the experience will hold up after next Sunday, when the land is officially open to all of the park’s guests for the entirety of its operating hours.
What are your thoughts on Galaxy’s Edge? Feel free to discuss anything to do with the land — but also theme parks generally! — here.
Optional Discussion Question: What’s the most immersive experience you’ve ever had in a theme park?