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| Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - Image from Walt Disney World |
Our first visit to Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort was full of excitement! With two padawans, I mean kids, there were a lot of questions about what to see and what to skip while visiting Batuu. If you have a Star Wars loving kid, Galaxy's Edge is certainly a must-do, but with long waits, hard-to-get reservations, and added expense with unique experiences, what are your best bets?
What to see (and what to skip) in Galaxy's Edge - Food
One of my favorite things to break down on any Disney visit is, of course, the food! We tried a few options on our intergalactic visit and all were good. However, I have a clear favorite that I'd return to in the future and that's Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo features mobile ordering which is amazing for families. We easily selected food while visiting Black Spire Outpost and arrived at our time to quickly be served and seated. My favorite part of Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo? The unique options! I had the Felucian Kefta and Hummus Garden Spread which is a vegan option featuring plant-based meatballs. The kids ordered the Fried Endorian Chicken Tip Yip which is a fancy way to say chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. The restaurant itself was a great place to cool off on a hot day and the design of the restaurant really made you feel like you were in a Star Wars outpost. The kids enjoyed feeling part of the story inside!
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| Felucian Kefta and Hummus Garden Spread - www.lightscameramom.com |
Prior to our visit to Galaxy's Edge, I felt like EVERYONE was talking about Oga's Cantina and it was certainly one of the hardest reservations to grab. I don't give up on checking daily - even after the start of our vacation - and I was able to grab us a reservation for our last day in the parks. We were so excited to see what all the hype was about. . .but came out a little flat. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad we went once, but I don't know that I'd rush to visit again, especially with kids. The atmosphere is amazing and the drinks are fun, but the biggest disappointment was that we had a standing table. We didn't realize going in that these were a thing and our family of 4 was paired with another family of 5 at a small standing table. It was crowded, felt rushed, and my youngest couldn't reach the top of the table. Because they are so popular and busy, cast members told us there was nothing they could do to help us. Caleb ended up sitting on the floor under the table for our visit. It was a bit overpriced and just not what we would consider a "relaxing" break from the day.
What to see (and what to skip) in Galaxy's Edge - Experiences
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| Building a Lightsaber - www.lightscameramom.com |
There are 2 main experiences in Galaxy's Edge - Droid Depot and Savi's Workshop. When we first arrived in Galaxy's Edge, my kids wanted to get a lightsaber, but I was not going to pay the nearly $200 price tag per kid for them to build one at Savi's. We looked for a "cheap" version to purchase in one of the stalls while shopping Black Spire Outpost, but couldn't find one. When we asked a cast member, we found what I would label as my "best deal" of the trip! The cast member told us to head over to the gift shop at the end of the Star Tours ride (just outside of the entrance to Galaxy's Edge) and they have a plastic build-your-own lightsaber experience for just $30. While it certainly doesn't have the full storytelling / immersive experience of Savi's, for just a fraction of the price my boys got the chance to design their own lightsabers. Even better? These are collapsible so they easily fit into the backpack we were carrying during the day.
Need a little inspiration for your trip to Galaxy's Edge? Check out my review and parent's guide of Obi-Wan Kenobi, streaming on Disney+
The other premium experience in Galaxy's Edge is Droid Depot. Here, kids of all ages get to build their own BB or R2 units. Advance reservations are recommended for this experience, but again, the price tag of $99 (and that's the starting price) scared us away from booking early. However, once we got there, our boys (including my husband) really wanted to do it. They do have a standby line if you don't have reservations and that line was completely empty when we walked in so we were able to start right away. For $99, you can customize and build your own droid unit, but the price can easily increase if you want to upgrade to a carrying book bag rather than a box or you can further customize with personality chips. The experience was really fun - check out my reel above - but I will say, that they really haven't been used much since our first week home.
What to see (and what to skip) in Galaxy's Edge - Rides
The two rides in Galaxy's Edge, Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, are incredibly popular and doing both may be hard to fit into your busy Disney Parks schedule. We weren't able to ride Rise of the Resistance despite attempts to score Individual Lightning Lanes on several mornings. I have heard amazing things about it though and think it would be a big hit with my kids.
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| Star Wars Galaxy's Edge - www.lightscameramom.com |
We did have a chance to ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and it was such a cool experience. The storytelling as you go through the queue immerses you in your adventure. There are six people on each flight and everyone has a job to do which is explained when you start. The ride is responsive to your moves as you fly the Millennium Falcon so, needless to say, we had quite the bumpy ride with my 7 year old serving as our pilot! My kids wanted to ride it again, but the long lines prevented us from being able to do that.
Lastly, and not exactly a ride, you'll want to keep your eyes open for interactions with characters around Galaxy's Edge. Unlike other parks and "lands" around the Walt Disney World Resort, there is so much storytelling that happens with the characters - not just photo opportunities. Seize the opportunities to become part of an adventure in a galaxy far, far away!
 in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge with Kids){kind=link}
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