My family and I just made our second visit to Star Wars Land Disneyland, officially called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. I’m compiling all my tips for the best visit here. Let’s get started because after navigating Galaxy’s Edge twice with a family of five, I have a lot to say. ?
General Tips for Visiting Star Wars Land Disneyland
- Plan to arrive early for shortest wait times, at rope drop if at all possible.
- Wear sunscreen, the sun feels especially strong in the land, probably due to reflection off the rock-like surfaces.
- Download the Disneyland app before your visit, use it to track wait times and get up to date info about Galaxy’s Edge.
- Use mobile food and drink ordering on the app to cut down on wait times.
- Consider bringing in your own kid friendly snacks for picky eaters. All of the food available in Galaxy’s Edge has a unique twist.
- Don’t forget to check out the bathrooms, they are so cool!
- Make reservations for Savi’s Workshop and Oga’s Cantina starting at 7am the morning of your visit.
- When you arrive at Disneyland, ask which entrance you should use to enter Galaxy’s Edge that day to save yourself extra walking.
- Have a budget or general idea of what you plan to spend on souvenirs.
- If you are planning a trip to Disneyland, check out my travel partner Get Away Today for excellent Disneyland packages or tickets. I have worked with them for a long time and they are an extremely reputable and customer service oriented company! They have affordable layaway plans which I love. If you use the promo code Pencil, you can save $10 off a Southern California package when you book.
Are reservations required for Star Wars Land Disneyland?
No, reservations were required for the first few weeks after opening but that period is over and reservations are no longer required. Currently, Disneyland is using a virtual boarding system to limit overcrowding but so far this has not been needed beyond the first day.
Is it crowded at Star Wars Land Disneyland?
Currently, the short answer is no. In fact, this is actually a really great time to visit Disneyland. A majority of pass holders, which account for a high percentage of daily attendance, are blacked out. That combined with a variety of other factors has made the roll out of Galaxy’s Edge a really great time to visit Disneyland! During our trip at the beginning of June, we experienced the lowest wait times and crowds than we have seen in years. It was quite magical!
Star Wars Land Disneyland Food & Drink
There are so many new food and drinks at Galaxy’s Edge. I’m working on a separate Star Wars Land Food and Drink Guide. Coming soon.
Disneyland and Galaxy’s Edge Touring Strategy
For the best most up to date touring strategy, aka where to head first, I recommend this article from Disneyland Daily and Casey’s Tips for Galaxy’s Edge.
Terms to Know
Galaxy’s Edge is an immersive land and experience. The Disneyland Cast Members in Galaxy’s Edge are all part of the overall experience. Here are some basic terms to know before you go.
- Star Wars Land – unofficial name of the new Star Wars themed land located at Disneyland park
- Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – official name of the new Star Wars themed land located at Disneyland park
- Battu – name of the planet located at the edge of the Outer Rim Territories
- Black Spire Outpost aka Black Spire – outpost on the planet Battu, when you are visiting Galaxy’s Edge you are actually a traveler in Black Spire Outpost on the Planet of Battu
- Bright Suns – Battu Good Morning
- ‘Til the Spire – Battu casual goodbye
- May the Spires Keep You – Battu formal goodbye
What to See at Star Wars Land
There is so much to see and do in Galaxy’s Edge, it is extremely helpful to have a plan going in. I’ve listed some of the most popular must-see and dos starting with the most popular and in demand.
- Oga’s Cantina
- Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers
- Droid Depot
- Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities
- Milk Stand
- Marketplace
- Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
- Fireworks
Oga’s Cantina
Oga’s Cantina is easily the most popular and in demand attraction at Galaxy’s Edge and for good reason, it’s awesome! The highly anticipated cantina has been on everyone’s must see list since it opened. Creative and Instagram worthy alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are sold here in a fun cantina setting reminiscent of the famous cantina in Star Wars: A New Hope. Instead of an alien band, you’ll find DJ Rex, a robot spinning tunes for cantina visitors. The vibe inside is excellent and I would recommend not missing this attraction. There are fun creative drinks for the whole family.
What to Know about Oga’s Cantina
- This is a kid friendly establishment, however most of the “seating” is actually standing. The bar and the tables surrounding the bar are meant to stand at and there are no barstools. The tables and bar are taller than smaller children’s eye level, so this can be rather tricky to navigate. Â There are booths with seating that surround the outside walls. We were able to request a booth on our second visit and found that to be much easier with kids. This might make for a longer wait, but I think it’s worth the it.
- Â Oga’s Cantina is in extremely high demand and they do not leave seats unfilled. On our first trip we had a party of one added to our table and we all shared the table as one party of six. On our second trip we shared a large table with another family of five and a separate party of one, so be prepared to get in where you fit in. ?
- Currently Disneyland is handling the high demand for the notorious local watering hole by allowing guests to make same day reservations. Reservations open at 7am and go within minutes. I recommend creating a Disneyland account ahead of time so the process will be smoother. This process may change at anytime!
- Visit the Disneyland website here for same day Oga’s Cantina reservations.
Our Oga’s Menu Favorites
My favorite alcoholic drink from the menu is The Outer Rim. I like the combo of the sweet and the salty! The Fuzzy Tauntaun has a foam that makes your mouth numb ? and the Bespin Fizz has dry ice which makes for cool pics, but it’s expensive and smaller than the other drinks.
My kids liked the Blue Bantha, which is a chilled version of the blue milk with a vanilla butter sugar cookie. We ordered apple juice for my youngest. The blue milk and cookie are very unique, like all the food in Black Spire.
We have also tried the Batuu Bits and the Mustafarian Lava Roll from the breakfast menu, and in the words of our last server, Oga’s is know for the drinks, not the food. Alcoholic drinks range in price from $14-$18, not including drinks with souvenir cups which are over $40. Non alcoholic drinks are between $6 and $13.
Check out this in depth review of Oga’s Cantina menu from Disney Food Blog to see more! There are great summaries of every menu item!
The Millennium Falcon
Central to Galaxy’s Edge is an incredible life size version of the Millennium Falcon. It’s beautiful and enough to make even the casual Star Wars fan’s heart skip a beat. There is a constant line for photos in front of the Falcon and I recommend making this a priority in the morning if at all possible. As the day goes on the photo line gets longer, and by the afternoon you are standing in direct sun which can make for a grumpy family, in my experience.
From what I have observed, Disney is making an all out effort to limit people in the background of the Millennium Falcon photos. The Photopass photographers form a semi circle around the Falcon and encourage travellers not to pass behind the photos. I think this is absolutely genius and makes for epic photo opportunities.
Smugglers Run
Currently there is only one ride open in Galaxy’s Edge, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Smugglers Run is a lot of fun and gives the guest a chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon. The attraction is located right behind the landmark Millennium Falcon. This is no passive ride! Â Guest are divide into groups of six, two Pilots, two Gunners and two Engineers.
Smugglers Run Strategy
- You will get a card with your job assignment on it before being ushered into a boarding area. In the boarding area, you can explore and take an awesome photo with the iconic Dejarik game board. Â Don’t worry about losing your place in line, your group will be called shortly and your job is already set with your card. You can trade job assignments within the group if you prefer and the assignment cards will be collected before the ride.
- What we observed were the job assignments handed out down the line. First two in line were handed the pilot job, second two gunners and last two engineers, so keep this in mind if you have a preference. My husband and teenage son headed up the line, with our 9 year old and five year old in the middle. I took the engineer job so I could sit behind our youngest and help her as needed. The pilot job is the most challenging and active, the gunners are slightly less complicated and the engineers the easiest. Though with all the assignments you need to pay attention.
- If your group is smaller than 6, you will be combined with another group or added to from the single rider line. Larger groups should decide ahead of time how they want to break up. If you have a group of 10, I would recommend two groups of 5 so that more people have a chance to do the more challenging position of Pilot. You will likely have someone added to each group from the single rider line and they will be given the last assignment of Engineer.
- Currently, Disneyland is not offering FastPass on Smugglers Run. The options for riding are either the Standby Line or the Single Rider line. I really hope this changes soon as I think long wait times are difficult for everyone, especially families with young children. ?
- The wait time for Standby is posted over the attraction and, more importantly, can be found on the Disneyland App. Our initial visit was a delight, we could have ridden Smugglers Run more than once. The wait times were extremely short because we were visiting during the reservation period. Wait times are currently extremely variable. During our last visit on a Holiday weekend, wait times peaked at 2 hours soon after opening. After the initial rush to the ride, wait times varied through the afternoon. After keeping a close eye on the app, we headed to the line when the wait dropped to 90 minutes.
I will update this section when there is more information available for the planned second attraction, Rise of the Resistance, which is supposed to open later this year with no announced day of opening yet.
Savi’s Workshop
This one of a kind experience and opportunity for custom merchandise has also been in high demand since the land opened. Like Oga’s Cantina, they are currently taking same day reservations for this experience. This experience allows the purchaser and and only one guest who can observe to build a custom lightsaber. The cost is to $200, no pass holder discount, so I think it’s a great activity for a special occasion. Our son used money from his savings for the experience and my husband went along as his guest. They both thought it was a very cool experience and the lightsaber is a beautiful collectors item.
Unlike Oga’s Cantina, I think demand for this high dollar activity will lessen as collectors and serious Star Wars fans complete the experience. I would really love to see Disneyland allow more than one guest to observe. My son thinks it’s a great experience for Star Wars fans 9 years old and up.
Visit the Disneyland site for same day Savi’s Workshop reservations.
Droid Depot
We highly recommend this build your own droid experience. The cost is $100, no pass holder discount, but it’s an experience the whole family can participate in. You choose to build a remote controlled BB-Series droid, like BB-8, or a R-Series droid, like R2-D2. You select the pieces from a really cool parts conveyor belt that runs by. You can see some of my videos in my Instagram highlights under Galaxy’s Edge. Make sure to ask what additional accessories might be available for your droid, like a backpack or a personality chip. We didn’t know about those options when we built our droid but they were avaliable.
Your custom droid will interact with the land, so consider building your droid and spending some time walking around together!
Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities
This was an experience that we missed on the first trip! This unique shop is a must visit, even if you don’t plan on buying anything. Spend some time looking up and all around. There is a lot to see!
During the initial reservation period there was a wait to enter the store due to overcrowding, but on our second trip on a busy Saturday we walked right in.
Milk Stand
This is where you can find the famous Blue Milk and Green Milk, originally enjoyed by Luke Skywalker in A New Hope and The Last Jedi, respectively. Disneyland has created a frosty non-dairy treat that is a must try for anyone visiting Galaxy’s Edge. Most people prefer the Blue Milk over the Green Milk. I think it’s a treat best shared. See more in my Star Wars Land Food and Drink post, coming soon.
Marketplace
I’m not sure what the official name is for this area, but it’s a beautiful market area and though I have it listed last, it is a top must-see for me. But truthfully, depending on how you enter the land, you might not be able to miss it. It’s a main thoroughfare for the land and I love the open air shops and unique items for sale. Everything for sale in Black Spire fits within the Battu universe. It’s really worth it to spend some time strolling through. There are so many beautiful things to buy that you have never seen before, it’s extremely easy to overspend.
Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Docking Bay 7 is the counter service restaurant that serves Galaxy’s Edge. After trying the unique and delicious offering at the Satu’li Canteen Menu in Pandora at Walt Disney World, I had high hopes for Docking Bay 7 – check out my Star Wars Land Food & Drink post to see my review.
Fireworks and Galaxy’s Edge at Night
We haven’t had a chance to experience it in person yet, but the reviews are in and Black Spire is even more beautiful at night. If you visit first thing in the morning, try to come back after dark to see how much it changes! You can also watch the nightly firework show from Galaxy’s Edge. There is a platform right outside of Docking Bay 7 that is perfect for viewing!
If you are planning a trip to Disneyland, check out my Best Disneyland Food post and make sure to visit Pixar Pier!
You can see highlights on my No. 2 Pencil Instagram account. I also have a Disney Foodie Instagram you can follow! Disney Tasty on InstagramÂ
5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!
- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
Leave a Reply