Before the country came to a screeching halt due to COVID-19, I was lucky enough to take a trip to Disney World with the main purpose being a visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at MGM/Hollywood Studios. (It will always be MGM studios to me!)
Star Wars has always been a big part of my life. As a very young child, I was lucky to have all of the original toys passed down to me from my older brother. While I’m too young to have experienced the original release in theaters, I had the movies on VHS and vividly remember being dropped off at Lehigh Valley Mall movie theater at 11 years old to watch the 1997 re-releases.
As an adult, I still love the Star Wars movies, TV series, and comic books. I was also married on May 4th 2019 and to my surprise, had some Star Wars themes in my ceremony. (My mother-in-law and our priest had some very special Star Wars surprises for me that day!) So when Galaxy’s Edge was announced, I knew that once it was fully completed I had to take a trip to Disney World for it.
When the world returns to “normal”, is it worth visiting Galaxy’s Edge? The answer is a emphatic YES!
Galaxy’s Edge is located just beyond where Muppets 3D is found. Upon approach, you find a tunnel that transports you to from that part of the park to Batuu, the planet setting of Galaxy’s Edge. Disney spared no expense when it came to creating a totally different world. From the shops, to the food it is truly the complete Star Wars experience.
First Order and Resistance characters are a constant presence throughout the park and you never know who you might come across. While waiting to make a lightsaber (more on that later), Kylo Ren and his First Order guards approached and confronted me. I was surrounded by Kylo and his guards as they “interrogated” me in front of about 30/40 people. They were concerned about the transmitter (cell phone) I was holding and thought I may be a Resistance sympathizer. Now I know that not everyone is likely to experience this type of interaction first hand like I did, but it’s these kind of personal touches that make this the most immersive Star Wars experience in the world.
I would say that there are four “main” experiences on Batuu, with loads of other smaller things. The big four are: Smugglers Run, Rise of the Resistance, Savi’s Lightsaber Workshop, and Droid Depot. I participated in three of these: Smugglers, Resistance, and Savi’s (I chose building a lightsaber over a droid).
Savi’s Workshop is by appointment only, and they do book up weeks/months in advance. You show up to a secret location about 15 minutes before your appointment and you’re then shown the possible options in terms of building your saber. The groups are small and the workshop is a little tight (you can bring in one guest to watch you build), but the experience of constructing your own saber is pretty damn awesome. Seeing your saber light up for the first time and then holding it to the sky with the rest of your group will bring chills to any Star Wars fan.
The cost is $199, but it is well worth it for the experience alone. The lightsaber itself is a hefty, movie replica which looks incredible and makes a great addition to any Star Wars household. I personally chose a purple, Sith lightsaber. I also bought a red Kyber crystal from Dok-Ondar’s antiques (gift shop located next to Savi’s) which will allow me to change my saber to red whenever I choose to do so.
Smugglers Run is up next and it’s one of the two rides in Batuu. If you’ve ever wanted fly in the Millennium Falcon, then this ride is for you! Before you enter the cockpit (which seats six) you enter a larger waiting are that has the iconic holochess table (remember to always let the wookie win!). Also before you enter the ride, you’re given a role of either pilot, engineer, and gunner. While each of them are “equally important to the success of the mission”, pilot is clearly the job you want. We were gunners, but I was jealous of the pilots who were able to actually jump into hyperspace and steer the Falcon.
Regardless of your role, Smugglers Run will put a smile on any Star Wars fan’s face.
The second ride in Batuu is Rise of the Resistance, but to simply call it a “ride” is doing great injustice to the experience that Disney has created. This is the type of experience that Star Wars fans have dreamed of their entire lives, and unless you’re an extra in a movie, you will never feel more a part of the universe than you do here.
I don’t want to give away too much of this experience because I really do think that the less you know, the better. However, I will say that the whole experience happens in a few parts, each one larger in scale and more awe-inspiring than the next. This ride is the literal definition of jaw-dropping. (I also think it’s now my dream retirement job to work on this ride/in Galaxy’s Edge)
Disney deserves all the credit in the world for creating this experience which is unlike anything that we’ve ever seen before. Rise of the Resistance made me feel like I was experiencing Star Wars for the first time again and this ride will create tears of joy for fans of all ages.
We ended our experience in Batuu with an ice cold blue milk in front of the Falcon. As I write this, I’m reliving my experience all over again in my mind and it’s brought a much needed smile to my face. I know things are tough for most of us right now, but the thought of returning to Galaxy’s Edge in the future to experience it again with my nephew and brother for their first time keeps me going.
I do hope that all of the Star Wars fans out there who haven’t been lucky enough to take a trip to Batuu yet are able to use the thought of a future visit to help get them through this pandemic. It should be on the bucket list of all Star Wars fans for when things are safe again….. And trust me, it is even better than what I’ve described here.
Until then….. The Force will be with you. Always!
Sir. I know this is a hopelessly geeky response but – based on the star wars extended universe writing in the excellent various video games that have come out and fiction released by non-canon authors –
purple is not a Sith color, that’s a neutral color.
The sith lightsabers are all red because of how sith form crystals. They melt the kyber crystals in a forge and then form it using force power, forcing it into the shape they want.
Jedi allow the force to steer them towards a naturally grown crystal that suits their force intent. The colors of those crystals are generally blue, but can be green, yellow or purple if the jedi or neutral force user is so inclined.
I don’t know if disney will utilize the excellent extended universe stuff but there is some great writing out there.
I know all about the extended universe and have played all of the games and have read most of the books (my favorites still are tales from Jabba’s Palace and Mos Eisley Cantina). I supposed I wasn’t clear enough on the lightsaber creation process – you get to choose from one of four styles when it comes to crafting your saber: Peace and Justice (salvaged scraps from jedi temples) , Power and Force (scraps from sith temples), Elemental Nature (brylark trees, cartusion whale bone, rancor teeth) and protection and defense (mysterious motifs and inscriptions). So I chose the Power and Force and a purple blade, creating my own cannon purple sith lightsaber 🙂 Thanks for reading!