Review: Oga’s Cantina Bar in Star Wars Land
Oga’s Cantina is a bar in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and the land’s most popular attraction–or at least the one with the longest line. We’ll review this lounge in Disneyland and Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, with food & drink photos, thoughts on the atmosphere, and some strategy for what to order and how to approach Oga’s Cantina.
Let’s start by noting that Advance Dining Reservations can be incredibly difficult to score. This is true at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. We strongly recommend being online bright and early 60+ days in advance. See our Top 10 Tips for Difficult Dining Reservations for recommendations about improving your odds of scoring ADRs for Oga’s Cantina.
With that said, it’s still possible to snag last-minute reservations thanks to someone else cancelling, or getting lucky when more availability is added. Walk-up waitlist is also available, and these methods are among the best options if you’re unable to score ADRs at the 60 day mark.
Aside from piloting the Millennium Falcon (check), visiting Mos Eisley Cantina ranks highly among the moments from the Star Wars universe that fans would want to experience themselves. Given that Mos Eisley Cantina exists on Tatooine and Galaxy’s Edge is set on the planet of Batuu, that was not possible. However, Oga’s Cantina is a good consolation prize.
The theme, level of detail, and immersion of Oga’s Cantina are all off the charts. This bar is cool, and feels like a dive bar for scoundrels and other notorious patrons straight from the Star Wars universe. In theory, it’s pitch perfect. However, the practical reality of visiting Oga’s Cantina is pretty far from that, and the location itself still left me wanting something more…
In terms of that something more, I’m still not entirely sure of what, but I have some ideas. While I’m not the most diehard Star Wars fan, Mos Eisley Cantina (of all things) is one thing that left an indelible impression on me when I was a kid. I’ve wanted to visit it ever since seeing Imagineering bring Sonny Eclipse to life at Walt Disney World.
Stepping inside that and Jabba’s Palace are things I’ve always wanted to do. I’m not sure why, but piloting the Millennium Falcon wasn’t even on my radar. I guess I was a weird kid. Not that they’re at all related, but to me, something like that or a show with the Max Rebo Band (or the unbuilt Plectu’s Fantastic Galactic Revue) with multiple creatures was what I envisioned when I thought of a Star Wars bar.
A problem with Disney or Star Wars fandom is that there’s a tendency to build a mental version of the story, attraction, etc., in our heads before that thing comes to fruition.
This can lead to disappointment when the real thing, invariably, doesn’t align with what we’ve crafted in our heads. It’s a personal problem, and one of the genesises of toxic fandom. I try to avoid this to the greatest extent possible, but I’ve nonetheless been guilty of it myself plenty of times.
In looking back at Mos Eisley Cantina, it’s definitely not that the themed design or details of Oga’s Cantina are wanting. To the contrary, Oga’s Cantina is more lavish and ornate than its film counterpart. There’s more eye candy, and the static design itself feels more lived in.
The key difference is the patrons.
Mos Eisley Cantina is endlessly fascinating because of the eclectic lifeforms: bounty hunters, smugglers, rogue traders, curious travelers, and lively entertainers. It’s quite the motley crew that populates the tavern.
No offense to you all (or myself, I guess?), but random Disney tourists are obviously no substitute for all of these characters, and there’s no way to bring all of that to fruition in a functioning cantina that serves guests. Suffice to say, I felt Oga’s could’ve been something more.
Having more than just DJ R-3X would’ve given Oga’s Cantina a greater sense of vivacity. Don’t get me wrong, DJ R-3X is really cool, but the droid basically just bounces around and turns its head.
An Audio Animatronics figure (or three) of more elaborate creatures, or even a couple of performers mingling among guests would give Oga’s Cantina a sense of life and personality. For me, this is actually a missed opportunity, and not just a matter of my own preconceptions.
Again, this is not to diminish what does exist to establish a sense of place at Oga’s Cantina. You could spend hours exploring the bar, appreciating the details, hidden nods, and meticulous design.
Imagineering did an excellent job with all of that, and the core, static elements of Oga’s Cantina are fantastic. For me, it just needs something more to give it an authentic energy.
Likewise, DJ R-3X, also known as REX, is awesome. The old Starspeeder 3000 pilot from Star Tours has been repurposed to provide travelers at the edge of the galaxy with interesting music, and REX fulfills that role admirably.
This is a really cool feature that I appreciate, and it doesn’t come across as overly fan service-y.
To create a sense of intimacy, Imagineering made Oga’s Cantina really small. I get the desire to create an authentic, immersive experience, but it’s arguable that this bar does a poor job of balancing that with the operational realities of a theme park.
This is the same quibble we have with Savi’s Workshop for Handbuilt Lightsabers, which we absolutely loved (and highly recommend). The problem is that so many guests will never have the chance to partake. Doubling the capacity by creating more rooms would allow more guests to be able to experience the bar.
Inside, the experience at Oga’s Cantina is chaotic. Move from your assigned seat and there’s a good chance it will be filled by other guests. We received this warning, disregarded it (because who isn’t going to wander the bar and look at all that eye candy), and had our spot filled.
We’d recommend not worrying too much about this or all the warnings. Order a single drink, grab it, and wander to your heart’s content once you receive it. If a Cast Member does fill your spot, oh well; exploring the bar and perusing its many intriguing details is the highlight of the experience, anyway.
Alternatively, after checking in for your ADR at Oga’s Cantina, enter the bar, wander around, and order absolutely nothing. You won’t be charged anything with this approach, and you get to explore the interior of the bar for a bit. Win-win.
It’s worth noting that the entire day’s ration of drinks is mixed in the morning, and these pre-made cocktails means that they’re obviously not hand-crafted or made-to-order. It also means that no substitutions or ordering off-menu is allowed. Given the high prices of the drinks (which have already increased since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened!), this is really disappointing.
We’ve now been to Oga’s Cantina several times, and have tried most of the drinks in the process. We haven’t sampled everything single thing, but most of what we tried–alcoholic and non-alcoholic–was a disappointment. For better or worse, these are your typical fruity Disney Parks Generic Drink Menu concoctions.
That appeals to a lot of tourists, so you very well might like the libations at Oga’s. If sugary, fruity drinks that are light on alcohol don’t appeal to you, we’d suggest sticking to the solid beer menu.
There are a couple of exceptions to this. First, the Fuzzy Tauntaun, which is the yellow drink above. This features Cîroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, and Simply Orange topped with tangerine and pure cane sugar. Most importantly, there’s Buzzz Foam.
The Fuzzy Tauntaun is definitely fruity, but the citrus flavor is not too sweet. Moreover, the Buzzz Foam contains a natural numbing agent, that will literally make your mouth tingle (or go totally numb, depending upon how much your have). This was a weird sensation at first, but we all found it “addictively interesting” and would recommend at least giving it a shot. It’s a lot of fun.
Second, the Yub Nub. This one is $42 (!!!) and is served in an awesome souvenir Endor mug. It features Malibu Pineapple Rum and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum plus citrus and passion fruit juices.
It is the stereotypical fruity rum drink, but that’s not why we’re recommending it (the drink itself is fine). It’s for that mug, which is awesome. The $42 price is tough to swallow, but you figure this will be discontinued in a year or less, and will eventually sell for some astronomical sum on eBay. So consider this drink an investment.
Finally, there’s the Blue Bantha: “Blue Milk served chilled with Bantha-inspired Vanilla-Butter Sugar Cookie.”
As you’ve probably heard by now, the Blue Milk is highly divisive. Some people love it, some hate it. I happen to love it, but I think I’m in the minority on that one. Either way, you need to try it at least once to form your allegiances. The Blue Bantha presentation (and consistency) is superior to the Milk Stand version. Oh, and the thick cookie atop the drink is delicious.
All other non-alcoholic drinks are sugary and fruity, with several using Powerade or Odwalla as a base. Other than the Blue Bantha, I thought the Jabba Juice was serviceable.
The rest of the non-alcoholic drinks were downright bad. You’re better off with drinking fountain water or a Coke.
On the alcoholic drink front, other than the Fuzzy Tauntaun and Yub Nub, there are a few decent options. The Jet Juice is essentially a large shot, and is the strongest drink on the menu.
The Dagobah Slug Slinger is also not too sweet, but has an herbs-meet-citrus flavor that is definitely an acquired taste. (At least it’s interesting!) The Outer Rim is basically a margarita, and is a relatively safe choice if you don’t want too much fruitiness.
As for how you can have the best experience at Oga’s Cantina, our first recommendation would be starting at another bar where you can order drinks that are actually potent. At Disneyland Resort, Carthay Circle Lounge is a good alternative. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Brown Derby or Tune-In Lounge are good choices. All of these are superior in terms of drink quality (by a wide margin), and is a good place to have cocktails that are actually good before heading off to Galaxy’s Edge.
Once inside Oga’s Cantina, order only the Fuzzy Tauntaun, Blue Bantha, beer, or as mentioned above, nothing at all. The first two are fun drinks that, at the very minimum, are also good ‘conversation pieces.’ Take them, wander the bar for 45 minutes, and don’t worry about anything else.
At this point, I feel like this Oga’s Cantina review is a bit too harsh. To be sure, the drink menu isn’t good (aside from presentation), the way the location is operated to churn guests leaves a lot to be desired, and the energy of the cantina could be enhanced considerably with atmospheric entertainment. All of those qualms are easily addressable or ignorable.
I’m not here to be a Disney apologist–the Oga’s Cantina experience as it presently stands is far from perfect. The flip side of that, though, is that the crucial, baked-in elements of the experience (like the architecture, fundamental design, and details both little and big) are all exceptional. It could be even better with a few tweaks, but there’s a solid foundation in place.
Overall, Oga’s Cantina is a cool place to experience, and spending some time there can be satisfying. It’s not your typical relaxed lounge experience, but it has a lot to see and appreciate. The enthusiasm of other patrons is contagious, and the sick beats from DJ R3X will be felt in your bones. It ranks among the better things to do in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is saying something given that this is a land of highlights.
If you’re planning on visiting the new land, you’ll also want to read our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Guide. This covers a range of topics from basics about the land and its location, to strategically choosing a hotel for your stay, recommended strategy for the land, and how to beat the crowds. It’s a good primer for this huge addition. As for planning the rest of your trip, we have a comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide as well as a thorough Walt Disney World Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts
Have you visited Oga’s Cantina? What did you think of the theme and atmosphere? What about the drinks? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Looking forward to experiencing Oga’s Cantina, or is it low on your list of Star Wars Land priorities? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
To Adam;
Oga’s does have booths for sitting but it is not guaranteed you will get an actual seat. A lot of the tables are for standing only. You cannot request a seat it is just 1st available for your party size. I would not spit up your party because you probably wouldn’t be near each other. You would have a better shot at getting a booth to actually sit, if you book for 6 people. I have been there a few times now. When we were a group of 4 we got a standing table. When we were a group of 6, we got a booth. Oga’s is amazing, even if you get a standing table! They do have a 2 drink max or 45 minutes there, to accommodate as many guests as possible. Good luck with getting a reservation & have fun!
I’ll be trying to make an ADR for 6. I’m assuming there are tables or booths with seating for 6? Should I try to break it into separate ADRs for 4 and 2 instead?
Hey Tom!
I booked Oga’s yesterday for September 1st…woo hoo! Just an FYI…the Yub Nub is now $45 according to Disney’s updated menu! And the cliff dweller is $35.
I went to Oga’s my last trip & I love that place! I had Jabba Juice & my daughter had the Fuzzy Tauntaun. We both enjoyed our drinks & the vibe was great! My son will be with me this trip & he will be very excited that I was able to grab a reservation.
My question to you is this. Have you heard what time Disney transportation hours will be? We are staying at Pop Century & have a reservation at Oga’s at 7:50 PM. The park closes at 8:00 PM. I am assuming transportation (skyliner) will be available for an amount of time once parks close?? Any news on hours?? Thanks for all you do!!!!
Hi Tom, thank you for all the hard work keeping us up to date with all the new info that keeps rolling out. Just wanted to give you a heads up, Oga’s Cantina just opened reservations as of today (July 3rd). We were able to reserve for July 24th since our June reservation was canceled. Hope this helps! Thanks again for the great work!
Hi,
Is there a take out window?
To Karen;
No, Oga’s does not have a take out window. The only way to order there is by reservation only & reservations generally book up at the 60 day mark. It’s a really cool place & a must on our trips each time so my advice would be, to book a reservation & go!
A little off topic, but do you know if there is a scavenger hunt like the “Bina’s Guide To the Creatures of Batuu” that is at Disneyland in Hollywood Studios? My kids love the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom hunt. With the low crowds for our upcoming trip I’m thinking we’ll have more time for these fun “extras.” Thanks
There are a whole bunch of games in Galaxy’s Edge that use the Datapad function on the Parks Play app. They are a lot of fun, and some of them trigger sounds and animations from stuff in the land.
I have to disagree with you about the capacity, Tom. I think that is a plus for this place. Yes, they are churning through guests but I never felt rushed and more importantly, the limited capacity kept the bar feeling lively but manageable. The small size is to me part of what makes it feel like an intergalactic dive bar; if it was too large it would feel more like a theme park counter.
In contrast, we finally did Be Our Guest for lunch on our most recent trip and while the theming was definitely cool, the large size was a draw back to me. The ballroom is gorgeous but having it packed with 200+ people with the attendant noise made me want to hurry along and leave. Thankfully we found space in the West Wing to actually eat or I think I would have really been disappointed.
I agree with you Jared. We really liked the size of Oga’s for the same reasons you mention here.
I know I’m in the minority, but my favorite Disney cocktail is at Oga’s. I loved the Jedi Mind Trick so much that my party went back a second time just so I could have another. To be fair, my two friends each ordered different drinks during our two visits and none of us really cared for any of them.
I didn’t like the drinks either but for the opposite reason – I didn’t think they were sweet enough! We had 4 of the alcohol options between us and I didn’t like any of them! I liked the Fuzzy Tauntaun drink but thought the foam ruined it, and I hated the foam! The area was also way too small and too crowded! I agree the themeing is great but something is missing!
We went today, drinks were gross and somehow I bought the $35 cup! The kids cotton candy/blue raspberry jello like thing was gross too, even kids hated it. Don’t waste your time
We are going January, 2020 and I already have reservations. I just want to double-check that there is no X drink minimum because I just want to get in, look around some, then go without drinking anything.
This is Disney you are talking about…you are expected to buy at least one drink per person.
Hello, My family is going in March. Our reservation is made Based on your experience can you come in and is there a problem without ordering any drinks. We just want to check it out but not everyone in our family would appreciate the drinks. Thanks, Marjorie
Is it a well known fact that you will be screamed at by employees in the cantina? I had a bit of an anxiety attack when were first led in – the initial server was extremely in your face making pseudo sexual jokes and after asking to be moved into the bar (away from said server) I was legitimately yelled “boo” at for ordering a non alcoholic beverage what felt like an eternity by a large male bartender. It spun my anxiety out of control and I had to leave. I wish I had known this was going to be the theme prior to entering as I would have prepared myself mentally.
If you have a terrible encounter like this, and I’m really sorry you did, please ask to speak to a manager right away. Managers are supposed to be able to fix whatever has gone, within reason, and yours is reasonable! Here is a recent example: January, Cosmic Ray’s at WDW. My burger bun was stale, the fries were cold, the burger itself was cold. The manager replaced our whole meal and a different Cast Member actually got us free second sodas because we had a problem! We were happy with the outcome. If the manager you talk to isn’t helpful enough, ask a Cast Member who the manager’s supervisor is and go up the chain of command!
There is no drink minimum. At least not at present. You are fine to just go in and walk around!
There is a time limit which usually starts when you order your drinks, so thought i’d mention it, but I imagine you would probably be done in 15-20 minutes so you would be fine. It’s not a huge place but if you wanted to take some pics or selfies, 15-20 minutes should be adequate.
There is just the opposite though-when we were there a 2 drink Maximum. They want to keep the customers moving through.
You don’t even have to tell them you are not ordering. The host will tell you where to stand or sit, go there for a minute, then walk around as you please. Just know that you will lose that “spot”.
We usually walk around
I guess I can say this, having been there this past week. The consistent criticism seems to be the presence of tourists, the lack of costumed characters, and how those two things break immersion. I’m pretty sure all of that will be rendered moot once the resort opens. My wife and I have been hypothesizing that there will be times when the land will be closed to park guests and only those sequestered at the resort will be permitted. That will mean lower guest volume, and more space to bring in costumed cast members land-wide. You want wacky aliens and (possibly) live music in the Cantina? That’s your time. Stormtroopers chasing fugitives through the marketplace? Epic lightsaber duels? Crazy special effects? It will all be there, and for the low, low price of around $3000, and that’s for only three days/two nights, not including any other park tickets. It looks like group rates will be available, but for a once in a lifetime thing, it’s not terrible.
TL;DR: If immersion is the problem, I’d say wait for the resort to open.
It’s rather odd the reservations are for breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of mornings, afternoon and night! If they are not serving food!
So I think this question has been asked before: is there food? I guess to me, if I am going to either make advanced reservations or wait a long time to get in, I would want to be able to sit down to a meal. If it’s a bar with just drinks, I would rather be able to walk around in there and look at stuff. I would still need to find another place for a meal. Also, not interested in spending money on over-sugared drinks.
Agree on wanting to sit down if making a reservation. I made our reservation just to get inside since it seems that’s not an option without a long wait. Based on what I’ve read, I think we’ll sit to order then take our drinks and roam around to check stuff out and leave when we’ve seen it all. I’m going in with the mindset of paying for the experience rather than the drinks, but a few do sound interesting. Excited to see it regardless!
“So I think this question has been asked before: is there food?”
Not really. There are a couple of snack options, but they’re nothing substantive (and aren’t particularly good).
So this may be an odd question but if you need to provide credit card to hold the reservation and would be charged some amount for a no-show, would that same amount be charged if you came in with the reservation and then didn’t order anything?
Have a reservation at Olga’s “on the day we planned to do HS this trip, took your advice and took the 11:40 so I guess we are set!
Does Oga’s Cantina have food or just drinks?
Any thoughts on whether it would be a good idea to bring young children (ages 5 and 3) into Oga’s?
I would definitely not plan to bring young kids. We were there a couple of days ago – we had to wait 30 minutes in the sweltering heat even wth a reservation and then were told that we would get standing room only and not seated. I made this reservation thinking it would be a nice break from the heat and to get off our our feet, but instead we were forced to stand which was hard especially for my son who wasn’t tall enough to even lean against the table. The drinks were horrible and overpriced. The only food is a small plate of snack bites that no one liked and went to waste. Not kid friendly to say the least.
We went last week and it was ok, but my teenager actually really wanted to go there ao we did. They got our party of 8 in within 5 minutes, and we had drinks and lava rolls (it was morning). One of our people stood up to take a picture and a staff member literally stole his stool from.behind him.
Thank you
Was wondering this exact thing
Thanks for the heads up about advance reservations today! I read your article and immediately booked ours. Thank you!!!
Disney World reservations opened this morning and I was able to grab one no problem. Same for the droid depot and custom lightsaber experience. Other than holding on the site for a few minutes the rest was a breeze. Hope everyone else has the same luck, or maybe this is a sign of more low attendance numbers in WDW. Fingers crossed that it’s the later option.
How do you make a reservation for the droid depot and custom lightsaber experience? I haven’t seen an option to do this, but I know that my kids will want both experiences.
It’s interesting to read that the other guests’ presence takes away from the theming of the bar, because that’s exactly what my thought was as I began reading this post. I haven’t visited yet, so I haven’t directly experienced it, but this would seem to be something that would happen at the resort as well, once it opens at DHS. Contradiction in theming is a very difficult thing to overlook, and without requiring guests to wear appropriate Star Wars attire, the only potential remedy that came to mind was having cast members in characters. I’m very disappointed to learn that they haven’t gone this route. Hopefully they will. Soon.
I went yesterday (6/30) and the ambiance certainly needs an infusion of costumed cast members (alien or otherwise) either dancing or acting out scenes. The music is great, but the atmosphere is so hectic that cast members’ only current concerns are quickly serving people or hurriedly moving them along. Olga’s is a terrible place to be employed right now – it looked like current cast members are already sick of the place.
Typo above: Oga’s. With that, the entire land needs additional cast members roaming about. You have Chewbacca and Rey on the Resistance side and two pumped-up fat suit (likely due to internal cooling) Stormtroopers milling about on the First Order side. I didn’t see Kylo Ren walk down the stairs of his ship once, but maybe I missed that. The best thing about Galaxy’s Edges is that the land’s vastness creates a lot of opportunity to expand the experience in several different ways over the years.
I was there last week and although the bartenders were awesome, I’d be concerned of a quick burnout. There were 4 bartenders for a place that is what…6 times the size of Trader Sams?
The drinks are ready made. So pouring is easy even for a crowd.