Bright suns, friends! Last April, my family and I went to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the first time. It was an amazing experience and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity. We explored all four parks thoroughly and went on all the rides, but the definite highlight for me was Galaxy's Edge. It was so surreal to step foot in the very place I had dreamed about and researched for three years. Today, I'll be sharing my experience at Black Spire Outpost while giving you some pointers for your trip.
(I will be talking about Galaxy's Edge in detail. Turn back now if you want to go in spoiler-free!)
Preparation
To prepare for Galaxy's Edge, I tried to engross myself in the stories and lore associated with it. I reread the comic and a bunch of Wook pages and got through about seven chapters of Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire (I brought it with me to finish, but didn't get much time to read it). I also read many blog websites that give you the best tips and tricks for all things Disney World. Wookieepedia’s Visitor's Guide proved especially helpful.
To further immerse myself in the Star Wars galaxy and show off my love for the franchise, I packed a bunch of Star Wars shirts, some Grogu socks, and a bracelet my friend got for me a few years back. I also printed off an Aurebesh decoder, which I highly recommend doing if you don't have it memorized. If you use it consistently, you won’t even need it by the end of your trip. There’s something so satisfying about being able to read an Aurebesh message at Galaxy’s Edge.
Tip: At Disney World, you need to make reservations ahead of time for Savi’s Workshop, Oga’s Cantina, and Droid Depot. Same-day reservations are sometimes available a few hours in advance, but I wouldn't bet on it. You'd be surprised how quickly they fill up.
Arrival
Galaxy’s Edge has two entrances: One connects to Toy Story Land, and the other leads to Grand Avenue (near Muppet Vision 3D). The first time I walked into the land was through the Toy Story entrance. There aren’t any signs or arches. As you walk, the sounds behind you gradually fade away and ambient music slowly builds up around you. Rocks and trees become more frequent. Then you turn a corner, and Droid Depot is right in front of you. You truly feel like you've been transported to another world.
The other entrance is a giant tunnel near Rise of the Resistance that looks like it was carved into a mountainside. Although it's cool to walk through, I recommend the Toy Story Land entrance on your first visit, simply because it's more immersive in my opinion.
Despite my research, I was surprised by how difficult it was to navigate the land at first. There aren't any straightforward signs in front of any of the buildings, so the first twenty minutes consisted mostly of mindless exploring. Although you get the hang of things pretty quickly, I recommend using a map, either a paper one or the digital version on the My Disney Experience app.
I was also surprised by how normal it all felt; Instead of freaking out about how I was "actually in" the Star Wars galaxy, everything felt like it had always been there and had just been isolated from the real world. I suppose I’d consumed so much Star Wars media beforehand that it was bound to be engraved in my subconscious, but it just goes to show the level of detail that was put into the land.
The Market
Our first stop was the Black Spire Outpost Market, which is essentially a collection of small shops in one area. It’s located to your left as you walk in, right next to Ronto Roasters and just before the walkway to Rise of the Resistance. At the Market, I bought a deck of Sabacc cards and a Porg. At first, I didn’t realize the Porg was a puppet, so it was a neat surprise when I found that you could open its mouth and flap its wings using a plastic stick inside it!
After the Market, I headed to Droid Depot. Before the trip, I discovered that you could buy a Batuuan Spira there, which is a Disney gift card made of metal and uniquely shaped. The minimum price you can put on it is $100 plus a $5 activation fee, but it’s worth it in my opinion. Plus, it's reloadable, so you can use it as many times as you want! Anyway, I read that they sell out extremely fast, like in the first hour of the day, so I was worried that I would miss my chance to buy one of my own. But I needn’t have worried. I arrived at Droid Depot in the middle of the day and was greeted with a bin full of Spira. I bought one and used it throughout Disney World for the rest of the trip!
Star Tours
After the Depot, we decided to come back to Galaxy’s Edge later in the day and instead headed to the original Star Wars ride: Star Tours. I had no idea there was a giant AT-AT at the entrance! The queue was more fun than I remember it being, with personality-filled droids keeping you company while you wait. At the beginning of the ride, an Imperial probe droid flew in front of the ship asking if a rebel spy was on board, and showed us a portrait of someone on the ride! I didn’t know that kind of technology was even possible. Other than that, it was a standard, fun simulator ride, and I recommend you check it out if you haven’t already. It’s a staple in the history of Star Wars!
Once the ride is over, you walk down a long hallway that opens into a gift shop called Tatooine Traders. Nothing there really interested me until I saw something unbelievable in the corner of my eye: An R2-D2 mug, the same one I used for the cover of my MMC entry a while back! Amazed by this unprecedented coincidence, I bought it instantly. I also got a large plastic bag to hold my merch, which I highly recommend.
Droid Depot
After Star Tours, we walked back to Galaxy’s Edge. The temperature was rising, so we decided to buy some Aurebesh-style sodas from a nearby cooler. I had thought beforehand that the bottles were going to be rare and easy to miss, but to my surprise, two or three coolers were selling them around the land. The options are Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, or Dasani.
After we cooled off with our drinks, we headed over to Droid Depot, where our reservation was waiting for us. Although I had walked inside earlier to buy my Spira, it was a sight to see. There were life-sized droid parts all around us, and a long conveyer belt looped around the front end of the shop. At the counter, we could choose between an R2 or BB droid and also if we wanted to buy an additional personality chip and backpack. I, of course, chose an R2 model, but decided that I could live without the accessories.
I collected my parts from the conveyer belt and met an attendant at the building station. After some simple clicks and screws, and a quick trip to the activation station, my droid was complete! There was a flat area outside where you could drive him around, but I decided to wait until we got back to our hotel to avoid any damage.
We then watched a performance at Kylo Ren’s shuttle, where two stormtroopers interacted with the crowd while a sneaky Vi Moradi watched them from atop some rocks. We were right next to the milk stand, so I used my Spira to get, at long last, a cool cup of blue milk. It had a very unique texture, almost like a smoothie, and had a slightly fruity taste. It was great!
Launch Bay
After exploring the rest of Hollywood Studios for a spell, we came across Star Wars Launch Bay, which is kind of like a Star Wars museum/gallery. There, we saw many props and replicas used in the films and one room that contained rows of concept art and posters. One of the sections was roped off, so I assume something new is being built there. It was an easy, pleasant experience, and I suggest you check it out when you go!
Oga's Cantina
After Launch Bay, we quickly went back to Galaxy’s Edge to meet our Cantina reservation. The Cantina is surprisingly easy to miss due to the lack of signs in the outpost (it’s right outside the Falcon courtyard). Once we were called in, a worker began telling us what we were to do. She pointed to a list of guidelines written in Aurebesh on the wall (which I recognized from Black Spire) and asked me if I could read one of the rules. Before I could respond, she cut me off and read it aloud anyway. I still wish I could’ve translated faster and proved her wrong.
Inside the Cantina, there’s a main counter surrounded by standing room tables and small booths, the latter of which are located in the walls like the Mos Eisley Cantina in A New Hope. There are hardly any seats, so be ready to stand at your table. DJ R3X was blasting music from the corner of the building, playing many songs I recognized from “R3X's Playlist #1” as I subsequently hummed along to them. We got a spot in the upper left section of the bar, where we were given menus and specialized coasters that you can keep. Our waiter fit right into the Star Wars galaxy, cracking cheesy jokes and making sure everyone behaves the way he wants them to. He might refuse to give you your “Hyperdrive” if you forget to shout, “punch it!” as he’s giving it to you!
I ordered the ever-popular "Blue Bantha" and "Oga’s Obsession." The Bantha definitely had a different taste and feel than the blue milk I had tasted earlier, but I kind of wished I had gotten the "Jabba Juice" instead. The Obsession, on the other hand, is amazing. It looks like blue Jell-O in appearance but tastes like gelatinous pop rocks. Not everybody in my family liked it, but I couldn’t get enough of it. I suggest trying it during your visit!
Smuggler's Run
After the Cantina, we decided to take our first trip on the Millennium Falcon since it was starting to get dark. The entrance is to the left of the actual Millennium Falcon and has both a single rider and a normal option. There’s usually a long wait, so if you’re short on time, I suggest the single rider option. It’s the same ride and the line goes a lot faster. However, if you want to stay with your group and experience an epic queue, then the normal line works too.
In line, you go down a few hallways and enter the Falcon’s inside. It was really cool finding all the little details around the ship, like Luke’s training remote and tons of Porg nests. A staff member then sorts everybody and gives each person a job to be on the ride. There are six people per crew: Two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers. The pilots steer the ship (one left and right, one up and down), the gunners man the, well, guns, and the engineers fix stuff. This is extremely important: The pilots are THE most important members of your crew, without a doubt. If you have bad pilots, the ride sucks, so either make sure you have competent pilots or be one yourself.
On my first time around, I was an engineer. It’s arguably the easiest job since all you have to do is press blinking lights around you, but I had a good time. Our pilots were terrible, though, so we made a note to do the ride again later.
Rise of the Resistance
As the sky grew dark, we made our way to the infamous Rise of the Resistance, which is without a doubt the most popular attraction in all of Disney World. We waited in line for an hour and a half when we received a message over the intercom stating that the ride was experiencing "technical difficulties" and that there would be a "brief delay" until they could get it fixed. Well, this brief delay turned out to last another forty minutes, no exaggeration. Most of my family, including myself, bailed on the line to get some food but made a promise to do it before the end of our trip.
An hour of this is not very exciting.
As we waited for a couple of our fortunate family members to get through the line, I took that opportunity to look around and enjoy the ambiance. Galaxy’s Edge is a different place at night. The spires are lit up with brilliant blue lights, every candle and lamp is warmly lit, and crickets and in-universe voices can be heard all around you. It’s a wonderful atmosphere. We then met the people who went through, heard them exclaim how incredible it was, and drove back to our hotel.
On the Topic of Lines
Lines and Disney World go together like peanut butter and jelly. They’re an inevitable force that you have no choice but to face (unless you have Genie+, which we used. Highly recommend). So, what do you do while you wait in line? I used two boredom-breaking methods throughout my week at Disney World and Galaxy’s Edge.
Just an ordinary day at Disney World.
The first is Wordle/Star Wordle. I’m sure you all know what this is, but man, I played so much Wordle while waiting in line for Rise of the Resistance. I used the Wordle app, the New York Times version, and the Star Wordle (Star Wars-themed Wordle) website.
The second method is the Galaxy’s Edge Datapad. This is a feature on the Play Disney Parks app that lets you translate Aurebesh, do jobs for locals, aid the Resistance, scan QR codes for information, and more. While in line, I helped Finn navigate through a First Order ship by cracking codes and following a map. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in the stories and lore of Black Spire Outpost.
The Rides, Part 2
A few days later, we rushed back to Galaxy’s Edge bright and early in the morning, around seven. A lot of Disney World guides will tell you to “rope-drop” Rise of the Resistance, meaning get there right when it opens to avoid the long lines later in the day. I suggest doing it too, since the line, while still long, wasn’t nearly as long as it was the first time.
I’m not going to describe Rise of the Resistance, simply because I think you should experience it for yourself without prior knowledge or expectations. Just know that it’s an extremely complex and well-made ride and that I really loved it despite my opinions on the Sequel trilogy.
After Resistance, we headed back to the Falcon to give Smuggler's Run another go. We went through the normal line this time (the better queue) and I made sure to end up as a pilot. This time around went much smoother, but I didn’t realize at the start that down is up and up is down, like a videogame. Besides that, though, it went great, and we completed the mission with minimal damage!
Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities
At this point, we had done pretty much everything we had wanted to do at Galaxy’s Edge, but I had one more purchase to make. My visit wouldn’t be complete without receiving an authentic lightsaber. Now, there are two places where you can get a lightsaber at Galaxy’s Edge: Savi's Workshop (which is where you build your own) and Dok-Ondar's (which has pre-built legacy sabers). Since you need a reservation for Savi's and because we were short on time, I chose the latter.
When you walk inside, you find yourself in a large circular room with a counter in front of you and a shelf of Jedi and Sith holograms behind you. A ring of lanterns hang from the ceiling and covering the walls are hundreds upon hundreds of Easter eggs from every corner of the Star Wars franchise. There are weapons, helmets, taxidermies, tools, banners, heirlooms, you name it. While waiting in line, I tried to find the kyber statue featured in the comic but had no success.
When we got to the front, I looked over all the lightsaber options, which include the reforged Skywalker saber, Cal's, Kylo's, Vader's, Dooku's, Ahsoka's, Rey's, Leia's, Ben Solo's, Rey's, Maul's, and the Darksaber. Ultimately, I chose the classic Skywalker saber, which cost $150, and a medium-sized blade, which was $50. You also have the option to buy a lightsaber stand for $30, which I got, but the lightsaber has a hard time staying on the stand and the plastic pieces that hold the lightsaber steady aren’t very secure. I’d buy a different stand online if I were you.
Final Details
After buying the lightsaber, I searched the surrounding area to try and find the Trilon Wishing Tree from Black Spire, but like the statue, I couldn’t find it anywhere. I also noticed that the junkyard at Savi’s Workshop where Vi works is either nowhere to be found or very small. Although these are just nitpicks, it would’ve been an absolute treat for nerds like me who notice small details like that and care about the lore associated with it.
We then gathered our things and walked through the carved tunnel one last time, enjoying the sunshine and talking about what the rest of our trip would hold.
Conclusion
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is one of the best lands that Disney World has to offer. The rides are fun and exciting, the food and drinks are delicious, the merchandise is epic, and every inch of it drips in detail. The cast brings so much to the land and makes you feel like you’ve entered another world. Despite my less-than-positive opinions on the Sequel trilogy, I love the park and was able to put my irritated feelings aside the whole time I was there. I believe that every Star Wars fan, from enjoyer to enthusiast, should visit Galaxy’s Edge at least once in their life. Trust me, you won’t regret it. Thanks for reading, and may the spires keep you!
