Tons of New Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Details Emerge from Construction Tours
As Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge speeds towards completion at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we have new details about the land’s design, its two attractions, menus at the dining options, customizable merchandise ‘experiences’, and much more. In this, we’ll take a look at what’s known in a spoiler-free manner.
Disney invited distinguished travel writers from all over the world to come and do hard hat tours of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Unfortunately, all of them showed up…leaving no space for us. Womp womp. (I feel like there’s a good MuppetVision reference to be made in there somewhere, but that certainly isn’t it.)
Rather than simply regurgitating info from other sources in brief snippets, I’m going to direct your attention to some of the articles we’ve seen and enjoyed. Many of these pieces are well-written and convey the author’s first-hand reactions ‘behind the walls’ in Star Wars land, and there’s no way to properly convey that in ‘recap’ form. After a slew of links, I’ll share a few brief thoughts about crowds, the rides, and opening dates…
First up is Matthew Panzarino’s “How Disney Built Star Wars, in real life” on TechCrunch. This is an exhaustive, 6400 word piece (per the author) that offers a lot of the same info as other sites, but also an excellent “inside baseball” look at the technology Imagineering is harnessing to design the land itself, power the visuals in the attractions, and test the rides.
Some of this has been covered before; the Dish at Imagineering has been featured in a several past publications (and mentioned a few times at the last D23 Expo, I believe), and utilized for previous high profile attractions. To my knowledge, this is the first discussion of how the Unreal engine or building information modeling are being used. I found the latter, referred to in the article as BIM, to be particularly interesting.
It’ll be interesting to see how this tech is leveraged to maximize the impact of architectural reveals, and create more convincing forced perspective. Anyway, rather than reading my synopsis, head over to TechCrunch and check out the real thing. That article is pretty much spoiler-free until shortly after the image reproduced below…
Todd Martens delivers a long-form piece for the Los Angeles Times: “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be Disneyland’s most interactive experience. Let’s play.“ That article discusses Imagineering’s herculean task of imbuing Star Wars land with a lived-in quality, and making guests active participants in the experiences. It also touches upon the difficulties of doing so when dealing with the operational constraints and realities of a crowded theme park.
Over at Travel + Leisure, Carlye Wisel’s “I’ve Seen Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Here’s What’s Inside.“ delivers exactly what the title promises. This piece is very well-rounded, offering key details of the land while also conveying the emotional impact and wow-factor of the experience. Best of all, it never gets too spoiler-y.
For Eater, Carlye offers a look at the food and beverage that’ll be offered in “Eat Like Boba Fett at Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.“ It’s hard to believe we are already so close that we’re getting menu specifics.
On the merchandise side of things, Amy Ratcliffe at Nerdist details “What You Can Buy in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.“ It sounds like Galaxy’s Edge will have no shortage of options (is anyone surprised?) in terms of things to buy; the most interesting to me is the Creature Stall, a marketplace alive with animatronic critters.
Going in a different direction, one of the Hollywood Reporter’s articles is titled, “How Will Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Park Deal With Massive Crowds?“ That doesn’t really offer many answers, but basically covers that Disney is cognizant of demand and crowd issues.
A couple of things that article did confirm are that a standard ticket to Disneyland gives guests access to Galaxy’s Edge (expected, but confirmation is nonetheless good) and that no reservation system for the land will be used at this time. The latter is a bit of a disappointment, as it means a timed entry system is unlikely…which means long lines to enter are likely. (It also leaves the door open for paid Galaxy’s Edge FastPasses.)
Honestly, an article with granular detail about the operational side of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is something I’d really like to see, particularly for Disneyland. How is congestion at parking and security checkpoints going to be alleviated? What about potential backups on surface streets and highway off-ramps? Closer to the park, how are capacity closures going to work?
I can understand why Disney doesn’t want to devote coverage to the nitty-gritty of crowd management, but there are some potentially serious problems and headaches that need to be addressed in Anaheim well before guests even enter the park. This kind of topic isn’t exactly “sexy,” and brings the hype crashing back to reality. It’s what interests me, though.
I don’t need to be further hyped about the substance of Galaxy’s Edge. I have zero doubts that Imagineering has designed and built something revolutionary that’ll blow everyone away and make even Cars Land look like an amateur effort. I have far less confidence that Disneyland has worked out the logistics of ensuring it won’t be a seemingly never-ending series of gridlock just entering the park, with even more frustrations from there.
In case you’re like me and are trying to avoid spoilers but want vague overviews of the attractions, here goes. As we’ve known for a while, there are two attractions inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. I’ll warn you now that writing knowledgeably about these attractions is difficult as I scrolled past several full paragraphs in every article I read once the topic turned to attraction-play-by-play.
Based upon what we’ve gleaned from these stories, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is a next-generation simulator ride that you control in real time with a crew of 6 people. Different results are possible not in terms of random destinations, but how you perform inside the cockpit. These results are then ‘carried with you’ around Galaxy’s Edge.
Prior to its debut, we anticipated that Avatar Flight of Passage would be like Soarin’ on steroids. Well, it would seem that what Flight of Passage is to Soarin, Smuggler’s Run is to Star Tours. (Much more detail about Smuggler’s Run is provided in the above-mentioned articles, so refer to those if you don’t mind spoilers.)
While the idea of piloting the Millennium Falcon is irresistible to many fans, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the flagship attraction of the land. This attraction puts guests in the middle of an epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order in an epic setting (or should we say, settings).
Rumors have been circulating for a while that this multi-stage attraction nears 30-minutes in duration. Disney has suggested it won’t be quite that long, but that it will be the longest attraction they’ve created. This one is going to be part walk-through and part trackless dark ride. Even though I’m trying to avoid spoilers, the bits and pieces I’ve seen here and there have me absolutely hyped. If you want to know more, this article from EW discusses the attraction in vivid detail.
Finally, there’s the matter of grand opening dates, which many were hoping would come from this info dump. One thing you might gather from the articles is that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is really far along at Disneyland–far enough to allow major media outlets to take a hardhat tour of the land, much of which is in near-final form. So, what does this mean for an opening date?
In an interview last month, Bob Iger mentioned June for Disneyland. This reiterates what has been rumored for a while. In our 2019 Disneyland Planning Guide, we’ve been saying for months that our prediction is a grand opening on June 23, 2019. We’ve yet to hear any information to contradict this, but we also haven’t heard anything to corroborate it, so there’s that.
As for Disney announcing official opening dates, don’t sit on pins and needles. If there’s one takeaway to be made from the construction tours, it’s that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is incredibly complex and has a ton of moving parts, with two of the most advanced attractions Imagineering has ever built. Even if almost everything is ready to go, there’s always the possibility of unforeseen problems during test and adjust.
Releasing official opening dates for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and then missing those dates or not having both attractions open, would be catastrophic. While there definitely are internal targets for both coasts, that’s not nearly the same as announcing something official.
When it comes to Disneyland, a huge amount of advance notice isn’t really necessary. To the contrary, it might even be undesirable. There are plenty of people in Los Angeles and Orange Counties to ensure that crowds will be overwhelming without every Star Wars fan in the United States also booking a plane ticket to be there.
As for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the “rumored” months for an opening are all over the place. Take your pick from September to December. What we’ve surmised is that the earlier dates are ambitious (and perhaps overzealous?) target goals, whereas the later ones are more conservative drop-dead dates.
Either way, I’d give zero credence to any opening dates for Disney’s Hollywood Studios at this point, whether they’re unofficial rumor or even the offhand remarks by Disney officials in investor calls. It’s simply too complicated of a land and we’re still too far out.
Ultimately, even without opening dates for either coast or a clear plan for how Disneyland plans to address crowd management, this has me even more excited for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which I didn’t think was possible. While other additions on the horizon are cool and interesting, I think it’ll be a long time before a single land is built anywhere with this level of ambition and attention to detail. Even if you’re not a diehard Star Wars fan, this should be something special.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the new info about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Are you excited about this revolutionary new land…or dreading the crowds it’s likely to bring with it? Thoughts on the attractions, merchandise, dining, interactivity, or anything else about Star Wars land? Any questions? We love hearing from readers, so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!
Sooo how about a prediction for DW opening? Don’t leave FL out when you made a June 23rd prediction for DL
As a former SoCal resident that moved to Florida in 2016, I am really glad that my nearst version of this is in Orlando. We stopped renewing our annual pass to Disneyland in 2014 because we found that park just too crowded to enjoy. I can only imagine what a day at Disneyland will be like when this thing opens. I am sure that the Hollywood studios version will draw the crowds, but I don’t imagine it will be anything like Disneyland. I expect that Disneyland will unseat Magic Kingdom as the most visited Disney Park in the US in 2019.
Hi Tom my family is planning to go to Disney world early November what are the odds do you fell Star Wars land will be open?
For Disney World, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is scheduled to open August 29, 2019 I believe, with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opening later.
Hi Tom,
Do you think there will be free dining in 2020?
Let’s just hope the hype is met. As we did Avatar and Toy Story Land for the first time this past December and really did not see what all the hype was with those two, especially Avatar. The technology available, they could have and should have done a hell of a lot more with Avatar at night.
Anyway, yeah this looks like it was a big outlet tour where Disney gets advertising from the big boys. People like Tom and the rest of us follow already closely so this is for the masses that are clueless.
I am sure Tom will get the tour when its ready to roll out.
We are going the very last week of August 2019 and if Disneyland draws the crowds away from DisneyWorld all the better. I have tickets yet unused and can head back after they actually open. I went in 2016 and got all excited hoping to catch the new attractions at Animal Kingdom only to be disappointed. While it would be great to be there and get a sneak peek this trip I am actually hoping to get it in a year or two after the initial rush so crowds will dwindle down.
Is there any chance for staggered pricing at Hollywood Studios, eg. a lower price for those who want to go to the park without going to Galaxy’s Edge?
Not in the form of a base ticket difference. You could theoretically end up paying less because you won’t “need” to purchase paid FastPasses or whatever other premiums are available for Galaxy’s Edge.
Tom, any guess as to how many duplicate ride systems (and cloned re-creations of Millennium Falcon passageways) they’ve built for Smuggler’s Run? I’d guess with its more involved ride experience with only 6 passengers — along with the sheer number of guests queuing to get on the ride — there would have to be quite a lot of ride systems operating simultaneously. But I’m sure Disney won’t publicize this as they’ll want everyone to think they’re on the one and only Millennium Falcon that’s parked in the middle of the land.
I don’t know how many duplicate ride areas are in Flight of Passage, but I’d assume they’ll need at least that many for Smuggler’s Run.
As for Rise of the Resistance, that one seems like it could be quite a “people eater” with its extended duration and its potential to spread out guests throughout many different areas along the ride experience. But still, I wonder if they built more than one main track, or if there are two or more duplicate tracks to handle the expected volume.
From what I’ve seen from earlier construction photos and fan commentaries, the Smuggler’s Run show building contains four giant ‘rings’ that each contain seven Falcon cabins. I wouldn’t know the exact ride duration or what kind of hour capacity this gives, but it seems there can be 28 falcons with six crew members (168 people) each ‘flying’ at the same time, theoretically.
The theoretical hourly capacity for Smuggler’s Run that has been widely circulated is 1,800. It’s been speculated that Rise of the Resistance is in similar territory, but hard to say given the nature of the attraction.
Both have the potential for robust hourly capacities but probably not quite “people eater” status for either. There’s also the question of what actual operational hourly capacity will be (as compared to theoretical), as the whole ‘process’ for each seems pretty involved.
I thought at one point they were going to have a supper club, a formal sit down restaurant. Has that been cancelled?
Will there ever be a chicken pasta fettuccini with savory lemon boba bubbles called “Chicken Boba Fett?”
Have visited WDW 4 times in past year, with Star Wars sadly it will be years before we return
I face the same conundrum, we love WDW, and hate the crowding that has been the norm over the past six years, our choice of time to visit has been after Thanksgiving, and have experienced steady crown increase for that time slot, which had been historically the best week to visit, crowd wise. I have to add that the majority of people there appeared to be from South America, which leads me to believe that demographic has been heavily discounted. It’s just all very frustrating.
our unplanned strategy over the years has worked for our family.we missed the soft openings of animal kingdom by only a few weeks. more recently, last time we went, we missed the opening of pandora by a few months (fine with me), and this upcoming trip i am very much hoping to miss the opening of GE, even if it’s only by weeks (more than fine with me). give me a couple years at least in both cases to alleviate some of the crowding when they have moved on to the latest new thing. we are hoping for the mickey/minnie ride at HS to have one of those unannounced soft openings while we visit, as we got to do when new fantasyland was getting ready to open.
If that is the case, look for the discounts to dissappear this year. Why discount your tickets when the parks are running full?
I am genuinely puzzled as to why they didn’t invite you? Are there a bunch of bloggers out there who are creating better pieces on Disney? If so, can someone direct me to them? The question always is for me just how truly Disney ‘cares’ about the folks who visit since I believe their greatest product is good will. Are they unaware of the service you perform by covering all facets with humor and intelligence? I’m serious. Who gets invited?
Apologies but I wrote this sloppily in a huff,..
Well, I didn’t want to tell you, but since you asked politely, this blog is actually quite terrible and there are easily 379 better Disney blogs out there. 😉
Kidding aside, this was a more ‘mainstream’ publication junket–I don’t believe a single Disney fan blog was invited. So publications like Techcrunch, Gizmodo, LA Times, OC Register, Travel + Leisure–basically, a bunch of outlets that have a broader audience base. It’s a savvy approach, not only because all of those have much larger audiences than us, but because their readers may not even be aware of Star Wars land.
well, I still think they might have fit you in. You don’t take up that much space!
Ha, thanks, but I’m not offended!
We usually don’t get invited to media events, which is largely fine by me. With the invitation comes a duty to disclose, and with that disclosure comes an assumption by at least some readers that you’re a “paid shill” or biased. In a lot of cases, it’s easier to just pay for things ourselves and not deal with all of that.
I’m with you! This blog is my #1 Disney resource. I think they missed an opportunity for excellent reporting!
I know I post this every time, but I still don’t think the overall crowd increases will be as significant as many imagine. There are only so many Star Wars Uber-fanatics (and the internet gives an inflated perception of the quantity…), and there are a finite number of people with finite vacation budgets (in dollars and/or days). I don’t get the impression people are holding off trips in anticipation of SW:GE any more than they did for Pandora, or TSL, whose crowd level increases were both highly localised. The local contingent will be highly focused on SW:GE; SW won’t alone increase their desire to visit other parks.
What’s also notable is that hotel rates (at least at second and third tier places) do not seem dramatically higher for the second half of 2019. If people were going mad with forward booking, I’d expect a dramatic increase as demand outstrips supply. I’m perfectly happy to eat my words on this if I’m wrong (I’m aware it’s an unpopular opinion!), but I predict that crowd levels will return substantially back to “normal” for the resort, ex. SW:GE, within a month or so of the attraction’s opening date. And if I’m wrong, I’ll ride SGE all day (which will have permanently reopened to handle the bursting capacity issues 😉 )
I certainly hope you’re right!
Headed down to Fla to get in line tomorrow.
I’m a bit disappointed about your results from Smuggler’s Run being carried with you throughout SW:GE. As a party of 2 we will always be matched with other people to fill a ride vehicle. I hate the thought of my results influencing theirs… and the other way around!
I don’t think it’ll be that big of a deal. More like a subsequent interaction with an entertainer mentioning it in an offhand way or it being tracked in the Play Disney Parks app.
Ah, that’s ok then! I’d hate for some family from New Jersey to hate us forever because the Kessell Run took too manu parsecs due to us!
Capacity issues. Parking. Security. If you are writing these articles in an attempt to convince me to avoid WDW like the plague once SWGE opens up… stop now. You need go no further. I am convinced. This coming April trip will be my family’s last for quite a while.
My only concern is when can I return? Will the expected crowd levels be the new norm?? Will prices increase (we charge more because WE CAN!) price me out of future vacations??? I am not blaming the Disney Co for this. As long as people pay, Disney will continue to charge what they do. I don’t like it, but I accept it.
That section in this article is largely about Disneyland, which has a distinct set of issues.
Walt Disney World will be more crowded, to be sure, but I don’t think it’ll be anywhere nearly as bad as Disneyland. It’s impossible to say when the popularity will die down, but with so many big additions on the horizon at Walt Disney World, I think this is the new normal until another recession.
Wasn’t Ellen’s Energy Adventure longer than 30 minutes?
I doubt Rise of the Resistance will be as long as Universe of Energy. It’ll be long, but not that long.
Well, I checked out the Nerdist article about merchandise feeling that would be the least spoiler filled. I will need a second mortgage to afford all the things that my children will want when we visit. Not to mention what my wife will want. It’s a good thing I’m not a massive Star Wars nerd who’s been collecting action figures (dolls, they’re dolls) since 1979 or anything. Nope, good thing. Gooood thing.
We’re doomed.
I do believe that you have succinctly expressed the feelings of every parent reading this! You gave me a good belly laugh in the process!!!
Ha!
The same problem has just surfaced in our home. I (foolishly) showed my son and husband the SW/GE merchandise article. My son immediately started his Christmas list and my husband said, “I know where all my money is going this year!”. Oh boy, this is going to be an expensive Disney trip….10 days at Christmas.