A Guide To Visiting Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland California

A Guide To Visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland California

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Watch your very own Star Wars story come to life at Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland California.

This galaxy is not so far, far away – although it certainly feels like you’re light years away from the real world it when you’re immersed inside Disneyland.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is located inside Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The themed lands encompass 14 acres at each park and are replicas of each other.

What makes Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge special?

What really makes Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge special is the detail. Every single tiny detail has been carefully planned to make guests feel as though they are on a different planet once they are inside.

The cast members have different uniforms here, and a back story that makes them a character in the narrative, and instead of having timed and greets, characters roam the land at will, engaging with guests at a much higher level than the rest of the park.

If you ask a cast member a question, they will answer it completely in character. The more fun you have with the interactions you have, the more fun cast members have, too.

So what can you actually do in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?

Pilot the Millennium Falcon

The first ride to open inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was the thrilling Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Guests can fly the Millennium Falcon on a thrilling interactive smuggling mission. There are six roles within each flight: two pilots, two gunners and two engineers.

Basically, the engineers don’t really do much (so it’s a great role for someone who is keener to watch then get involved), the gunners get to shoot things, and the pilots get to fly the ship.

The cast members will hand you a card signifying your role, however you can swap your role card with anyone else in your boarding party to change your role.

There is no FastPass available at time of writing, so the best strategy to ride this currently is to head straight to the ride when the park opens. Throughout the day, your best option is the Single Rider’s Line.

Join the Resistance

Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland California — Matt Stroshane, photographer

The second ride to open within the land, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, is a thrilling multi-stage ride where guests join the Resistance in a battle against the first order.

This ride is incredibly difficult to get on. Your choices are to rope drop the ride when Star Wars Land opens (it is NOT open for early morning entry) or book an Individual Lightening Lane pass to ride it without waiting.

You can get further details about how to ride Rise of the Resistance online.

Explore Black Spire Outpost on the Planet Batuu

The Disney Imagineers did a fantastic job creating a brand new world inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the “long-forgotten planet named Batuu”. On the Planet Batuu is the village settlement known as Black Spire Outpost, which is filled with shops, food outlets and a smattering of scoundrels, rogues and smugglers.

There are many, many shops here, filled with all kinds of fun souvenirs from clothes to “pets” that are really odd, interactive toy creatures that have been completely made up and so creative and fun.

You can even buy a version of the “chess” game which is played in the movies!

Eat intergalactic grub

There are several food and beverage outlets inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that are completely unique in their offerings to the rest of the park.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

Grab a rustic plate of “local” cuisine (they’ve done a fab job of turning California produce into exotic offerings). Planet-based (vegan) offerings are available.

Ronto Roasters

This meat stall offers grilled sausage from the “ronto” (plant-based vegan is also available) wrapped in pita bread. A ronto is a massive beast native to the planet Tatooine.

Milk Stand

Try a cup of legendary blue or green milk, which is actually a planet-based concoction made from a blend of coconut and rice milk.

Kat Saka’s Kettle

Drop by this food stall for some Outpot Mix, a sweet and savoury popcorn (vegan available).

Coke stands

We loved these spherical coke bottles (also available in Diet Coke) that are made especially for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We had no problems bringing our empty bottles back home with us on the plane.

Build a droid

One of the most fun things we did at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was building our own droids at the Droid Depot inside the Black Spire Outpost. We had intended to build just the one but it was so much fun that we ended up building two.

Read more about our experience building droids at the Droid Depot.

Make a custom lightsaber

Build your own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop – Handmade Lightsaber Building Experience.

The Savi’s Workshop Lightsaber Building Experience, located in the Black Spire Outpost, is as much of an immersive experience about joining the Force as it is about taking home a fancy souvenir.

Read more about our experience at Savi’s Workshop – Handmade Lightsaber Building Experience.

Grab a drink at the cantina

One of the galaxy’s most infamous watering holes comes to life at Oga’s Cantina. The cantina specialises in fantastical drinks that will delight even the youngest crew members (that’s right, this is a family-friendly bar inside Disneyland!). Oga’s Cantina serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Read more about our experience visiting Oga’s Cantina.

Things to know before you visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will not be available during Extra Magic Hour or Magic Morning at Disneyland Park.

Disney FASTPASS service and Disney MaxPass are unavailable for attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge looks amazing at night, so I highly suggest returning then to see Batuu lit up.

There are two ways to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – through Frontierland behind Big Thunder Mountain and via Critter Country past the Hungry Bear Restaurant. There are no signs to show the way, so refer to the park map for entrance to the land a well as finding the attraction within.