Billed as Disney's largest theme park expansion ever, the highly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is NOW OPEN at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. Imagineers pushed the boundaries of technology to guide guests deeper and deeper into an iconic adventure set in a galaxy far, far away on Planet Batuu. 'This used to be a vibrant trading port back in the old sub-lightspeed days, but now with advent of hyperspace, its prominence has kind of fallen and faded a little bit which has made it a great spot for those who didn't want to be on that kind of mainstream path. The smugglers, the bounty hunters, the rogue adventurers looking to crew up, the people who don't want to be found. Basically all the interesting people.' Supervising Imagineer Scott Trowbridge About the design 'When we set out to make a real place in the Star Wars galaxy with its own unique geography, we came up with a planet that thousands of years ago was covered by giant trees, many of them thousands of feet tall. Although it is not quite known what happened to these trees over the centuries, over time they became the petrified spires that dominate the landscape today.' Portfolio Creative Executive Scott Trowbridge Imagineers took on a big task. The development team traveled to Istanbul, Morocco and Jerusalem to study the architecture, culture, and weather. In a panel discussion, designer Doug Chiang shared that he approached designing Star Wars Land just like he would a film. 'The goal is to have our guests NOT question the finishes but accept them as real for what they are in the context of the storyline. All the tricks that we have developed over the years to fool the eye – the layering of textures and paint techniques, aging, adding moss and lichens, using translucent materials to make the black spires look like gigantic pieces of obsidian, paying extra attention to the hardscape materials to support the narrative, just to mention a few – if the guests don't question the finishes at all, then we are successful!' Creative Executive Zsolt Hormay, Walt Disney Imagineering Unlike other parks, at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, you won't see neighboring attractions like the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster at Toy Story Land (see our guide!). Tall and steep rocky walls create a true sense of immersion within the park. Speak to native Batuuan villagers at Black Spire Outpost to hear their intriguing stories. Some might be Resistance sympathizers; some might be First Order loyalists. Things are getting techie up in here 'The place and the attractions have been built, but everything that you can populate it with can be refreshed, can be updated, can be changed, can be integrated.' Carrie Beck, Vice President, Animation and Live Action Series at Lucasfilm Guests using the Play Disney Parks app will be able to translate galactic languages, discover precious cargo, and uncover secrets throughout the land. You can even hack into the land's many devices, control panels and droids! If the park reaches capacity, Disney will use a virtual queue system. Check the My Disney Experience app or signage the day of your visit to find out if you will need to be part of a boarding group to visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge that day. Be sure to sign your party up ahead of time. The boarding group will save you a virtual spot in line so you can enjoy other experiences while you wait to be notified of a time to enter. Tip: Enable push notifications on your mobile device. You will be notified when it is time to enter the land. You have up to two hours to enter the land after your boarding group is called for admission. Fan experiences and collectibles Fans and collectors are in for a treat. The park boasts many fan experiences, details, and special souvenirs. Create your own lightsaber at Savi's Workshop. Build a custom droid at Mubo's Droid Depot. Visit Bina's Creature Stall to explore a shop stocked with unusual creatures from across the galaxy and bring one home with you. Before you leave Black Spire post, stop by the Toydarian Toymaker for handcrafted toys and collectibles! Realistic attractions Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run The Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run ride is a dream come true for Star Wars fans. • 100-foot replica of the iconic Millennium Falcon • Simulates a heated battle between the First Order and the Resistance • Guests fly in the cockpit and are assigned one of 3 roles: pilot, engineer, or gunner Okay, that's impressive. But, how believable is it? Do you really feel like you're in control of the ship? 'It's a completely interactive experience. So if you don't fire and hit that TIE fighter that's coming after you, it may get some shots and create some damage on the ship that then you have to fix. If you don't fly right to avoid that oncoming whatever, you smash into a wall, your ship is going to fly right and smash into that wall. You're truly in control of what happens on your mission.' Scott Trowbridge, Star Wars portfolio creative executive / studio leader at Walt Disney Imagineering We can confirm this. 'I need a few more attempts at Smugglers Run.' Sean Smith, Director of Creative Marketing at Exploria Resorts Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is on a scale like nothing else you've ever seen in a theme park attraction. This trackless simulation ride has 305 state-of-the-art animatronic figures. 100 of them are stormtroopers. Guests board various ride vehicles and transports throughout the 20+ minute long attraction. Experience what it would feel like to walk the halls of a Star Destroyer as a prisoner! Food and drink Thirsty for blue and green milk? Head to the Milk Stand! Served frozen, these beverages are perfect for washing down a savory grilled sausage or roasted pork wrap, which you can find at Ronto Roasters. If you are looking for counter service, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and Kat Saka's Kettle are your best bets. Galaxy's Edge boasts 4 quick service restaurants and one lounge. Oga's Cantina—where bounty hunters, smugglers, and rogue traders come together to refuel—is the park's only restaurant with table service. Plan ahead: Walk-ins are welcome at Oga's Cantina, but reservations are highly recommended. You can make your reservation up to 180 days in advance on the My Disney Experience app. Start planning Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios is a spectacular experience for die-hard fans and curious travelers. Start planning your family's next expedition to Orlando, Florida!
