Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge - Reviews & Photos (DHS)

[Nick]

This thread is for Photos and Reviews only. Please keep chit chat to a minimum and direct any other land talk to the General Discussion Thread

 

[ChristopherSE]

I posted my thoughts on DHS’s Smugglers Run over in that thread! Though, it feels a bit redundant since we’ve had the other land open since May lol.

CMs were very restricted as to where they could walk in the land as they were still doing a lot of finishing touches. Tomorrow is the start of the real thing. DHS CMs will get to ride SR, sample food and drinks, etc.

As for general CM previews starting on Thursday, photography is permitted, and photopass will even be there for complimentary photos, so expect to see a lot more buzz then!

Unfortunately there won’t really be anything new to talk about until August 29th :shrug:

 

[ChristopherSE]

The worst part is that that transition was originally supposed to be a themed walking bridge that went over the road, but it got cut.

It’s absolutely a missed opportunity. And the main entrance is fine, but felt empty. The strong “reveal” is the millennium falcon way back in the land. So it makes total sense, operationally, to funnel everyone in from Grand Ave, but I thought it was more exciting to enter from TSL (though, the backstage gates definitely take away from that transition).

As for things I got to try:

The sweet and sour popcorn was good, but I couldn’t eat a lot of it. The “spicy” is a very subtle aftertaste, so I could totally handle it, but the further I got into the bag, the more I could taste it, especially because I was drinking the Sour Solass (sp?) which has spicy mango. Again, very subtle “spice” and it was my favorite drink that I tried.

I also had the pineapple-y juice at Oga’s. It was good! But was just like a breakfast juice I could get at Publix. Though, the boba was a nice touch!

And green milk was terrible. Had a few sips and it got worse with every one lol.

 

[SailwiththeTide]

No the transitions rough in person too lol

Also, Launch Bay and A Galaxy Far, Far Away are staying open for a while to provide Star Wars experiences outside of SW:GE, in an attempt to spread out the Star Wars crowds.

There still are walk around characters like Troopers, Chewie, Rey, Kylo, etc at Galaxys edge.

And CMs confirmed today that Oga’s will be reservation only, with reservations made on MDX. 45 minute experience and 2 drink max (alcoholic or not).

Oh and green milk is terrible lol

Good to see they are implementing the reservation system for Oga’s. The system works if you are in the know, not so much for the GP. I can’t tell you how many times someone got in line at Oga’s just to be denied because they have no reservation. Maybe at DHS it will be different since at WDW everything has to be planned so far in advance, but wondering how far they will have reservations? DL is 14 days maybe expanding to 60.

 

[ChristopherSE]

Good to see they are implementing the reservation system for Oga’s. The system works if you are in the know, not so much for the GP. I can’t tell you how many times someone got in line at Oga’s just to be denied because they have no reservation. Maybe at DHS it will be different since at WDW everything has to be planned so far in advance, but wondering how far they will have reservations? DL is 14 days maybe expanding to 60.

Yeah I think it will help that WDW guests already experience everything through MDX, so the transition should be smoother. I anticipate they’ll have a CM stationed just making sure everyone outside the cantina has a reservation.

I’d also like to bring up something I haven’t really seen mentioned: The added responsibilities of CMs in high immersive lands.

Galaxys Edge asks a lot of its CMs. On top of working attractions, food & beverage, custodial, etc., they’re storytellers. They speak in certain phrases, know a LOT of backstory, and have very personalized guest interactions with the whole resistance/first order profiles and how well they pilot the falcon. It’s really ambitious and isn’t always successful. It suffers from the same pitfalls as WWoHP: they’re asking non-actors to perform. I’m excited to see how all the CMs settle into their roles, and how the Disney Play app works out, but I think it’s important to note. As theme parks become more immersive, how are we going to select/prepare/compensate these CMs for their additional responsibilities?

 

[darkridelover]

Went to preview today. Massive land, very Detailed, but felt like there was nothing to do. Ride felt like the green side of Mission Space. Queue was well done. All that painted concrete in the land made it very hot, no shade anywhere and no place to sit. They have lines everywhere just to take pictures in front of scenery which was ridiculous to me as I could just take my own pics without waiting in line. Loved the milk. Green was my favorite.

 

[ChristopherSE]

It’s still just CM previews right? Not General softs? Seems like with how finished the land is, we’re likely to get those before the 29th but after AP previews.

Correct, just CMs (and their guests). I saw a few little things that needed paint touch ups/finishings, but from a guest’s perspective, at least, it’s 99% done.

Went to preview today. Massive land, very Detailed, but felt like there was nothing to do. Ride felt like the green side of Mission Space. Queue was well done. All that painted concrete in the land made it very hot, no shade anywhere and no place to sit. They have lines everywhere just to take pictures in front of scenery which was ridiculous to me as I could just take my own pics without waiting in line. Loved the milk. Green was my favorite.

I have to disagree. There’s a lot more motion in SR than MS: Green. Also their flagship attraction isn’t open, so half the land feels useless..right now. Agreed there could be more shade and seating, but there are definitely cargo boxes and benches scattered around to sit. And of course photopass is gonna have lines right now, with CMs getting free photo downloads and four hours to preview a land with one ride lol.

Also, I have to say, the most time I spent in the land, it was overcast/rainy, so I definitely had it easy oh, speaking of: those tarps and nets over the marketplace drip a whole bunch after it rains lol

Not to say this land is perfect: it’s not. But I felt they learned a lot from Pandora. There’s more to do, see, buy, and eat in Galaxys Edge than Pandora. These full immersion IP lands are really difficult to pull off, so it’s nice to see Disney improving, IMO

 

[Nick]

A review I came across from a East Coast Amusement site:

 

[darkridelover]

Correct, just CMs (and their guests). I saw a few little things that needed paint touch ups/finishings, but from a guest’s perspective, at least, it’s 99% done.



I have to disagree. There’s a lot more motion in SR than MS: Green. Also their flagship attraction isn’t open, so half the land feels useless..right now. Agreed there could be more shade and seating, but there are definitely cargo boxes and benches scattered around to sit. And of course photopass is gonna have lines right now, with CMs getting free photo downloads and four hours to preview a land with one ride lol.

Also, I have to say, the most time I spent in the land, it was overcast/rainy, so I definitely had it easy oh, speaking of: those tarps and nets over the marketplace drip a whole bunch after it rains lol

Not to say this land is perfect: it’s not. But I felt they learned a lot from Pandora. There’s more to do, see, buy, and eat in Galaxys Edge than Pandora. These full immersion IP lands are really difficult to pull off, so it’s nice to see Disney improving, IMO

I'm sorry, my experience was not as great as yours. There were tons of areas that just had nothing to do. Especially the areas on the Toy Story side of the land. It was sunny when I went. There is no shade, and nowhere to sit. We got a Bronto wrap in the quick service area near the market place. We looked around for 10 minutes trying to find a place to sit an eat. There was nothing. No tables, no umbrellas, no benches, nothing. You have to stand up and find a concrete ledge to set your drink down on.

 

[ChristopherSE]

I'm sorry, my experience was not as great as yours. There were tons of areas that just had nothing to do. Especially the areas on the Toy Story side of the land. It was sunny when I went. There is no shade, and nowhere to sit. We got a Bronto wrap in the quick service area near the market place. We looked around for 10 minutes trying to find a place to sit an eat. There was nothing. No tables, no umbrellas, no benches, nothing. You have to stand up and find a concrete ledge to set your drink down on.

Yikes, I must’ve really lucked out with the crowds then. Like I said, the weather was in my favor! If seating is that hard to come by during CM previews, it’ll be even worse when the public comes

 

[Allison]

I don’t know how helpful this will be, since there are so many reviews of Disneyland’s GE, but last night I got a chance to visit Black Spire Outpost at DHS so I’m just gonna toss my opinion out anyway just in case while it’s all still fresh in my mind.

I feel like a little disclaimer for my personality & tastes regarding theme parks is in order: I’m kinda like a puppy, no matter what it is I’m really excited just to see it/try it. Even F&F. I love getting a chance to do something new. I don’t think I’m a super critical person, I’m really just out to have fun.

So the good about the land itself...

-It’s beautiful. They did an incredible job with the immersion, it really doesn’t feel at all like you’re in DHS anymore.

-Seeing the Falcon up close is so breathtaking! If you’re a Star Wars fan that’s worth going to see alone.

-LOTS of Photopass photographers (especially around the Falcon) which is good if you want to use that service

-So many intricate details everywhere my jaw was dropped the whole time walking around

The bad about the land itself...

-I wish they played the opening titles walking in the land, or just more music in general

-it STUNK! Good God in Heaven I don’t know what happened, sewer backed up or something, but there were areas of that land that smelled so God AWFUL.

Now for Smuggler’s Run, I got to go on it almost* 4 times. First ride pilot, second gunner, third engineer.

The good about the ride...

-the queue is terrific

-the view of the Falcon from the second floor is amazing (although you can see Slinky Dog go by & the top of Swolphin)

-the Hondo AA is fabulous, it’s truly incredible in person

-walking onto the Falcon & into the holding room with the chess table was such a fun touch

-I love that the ride changes with daytime & night time

-pilot is the funnest & has the best view of the screens

-gunners have the capacity to pay attention the most

Unfortunately, the bad about the ride...

(My face during all 3 rides)

-I’ve never been more stressed on a theme park ride in my life.

-pilot: second most stressful

-gunner: not as fun as pilot but the least stressful, all you’ve got to do is press buttons over and over (and over and over and over...) without taking your eyes off the screen

-engineer: thanks I hate it. It felt like it was the bumpiest area to sit, you have to turn to your left (or right) to watch the smaller screen if you wanna actually do a good job which ends up (if you’re me) turning into a slight sensation of motion sickness.

-you can barely hear any of the prompts over the constant button pushing & knob switching of the gunners & engineers, the gun blasts, etc.

-3 rides in and I still can’t tell you exactly what the hell was going on

*almost 4 times because we got engineer again for the last ride of the night and hated that section so much we actually opted to not go on it instead of being engineers again

Didn’t get to try any of the food, dinner was at Sci Fi before our 5:00 time slot.

Overall I did have a great night and I do love the land, it’s really immersive & breathtaking. I am really bummed though I didn’t love Smuggler’s Run as much as I was hoping to. To say the least it’s disappointing that it just feels like a super elaborate version of something you can find at Dave & Busters. I will maybe give SR another try once Fastpass gets implemented. However I’m still super excited for ROTR, I cannot wait to ride that when it opens.

These are just my opinions though, hopefully everybody else going either during the remaining previews or when it opens has an amazing time!

 

[Muggle148]

So I was lucky enough to attend a CM preview yesterday. I went in with low expectations. Just because of all the negative reviews I read on Twitter. Let me just say this. Their all wrong Imo lol!!!! As far as the land itself I definitely prefer it over Pandora. There’s just so many things that are happening all around you. The land just feels alive from a droid spinning giant chunk of meat to walk around characters. Love how many different shops they’re I didn’t count but I would say just as many as Diagon Alley. One negative thing about the shops I didn’t like was the lack of a/c in Florida that’s kinda of a must. As far as food and beverages. Blue Milk I loved again I listened to a lot of people saying they couldn’t even finish it but I loved it but I also like lefou’s brew lol so there’s that. I also went to oga’s cantina even though we didn’t a reservation they were accepting walk ups. And within 10 minutes we were inside I got the fuzzy Tauntaun the person I was with got a margarita type of drink. So if anyone can explain the science behind the fuzzy Tauntaun would be really interested in how the drink makes you lips go numb. The overall experience in oga’s was good. We had lunch at docking bay 7 I had the shrimp salad my companion had the pot roast both were really great. But I have two complaints though one the size of my dish was very small but it was very refreshing on a hot day. The second complaint is the size of the restaurant is tiny compared to satu'li canteen I feel like satu'li is twice the size. Onto the Millennium Falcon what a great ride with those that can handle a little bit of motion and not get sick this is the ride for you as for myself I wish it had more motion but I think this is just Disney trying to get more people to ride this ride without restrictions. I got to be right pilot once and engineer three other times. I feel like you do get engineer every time you do single rider though. I got right pilot because I went through the standby queue. Within the span of 30 to 40 minutes was able to ride it four times . Don’t think I’ll never be able to do that in my lifetime again unless it’s a after hours event. Without giving too much away it is a great ride so much better than mission space really the only ride it can compare to. But again don’t listen to reviews even mine lol. Go in with a open mind and be prepared to be amazed

 

[Stryker]

So if anyone can explain the science behind the fuzzy Tauntaun would be really interested in how the drink makes you lips go numb.

In a review of one of my visits on the DL thread, I mentioned that the numbing sensation reminded me of Sichuan peppercorn. If you've ever had Sichuan dishes or had Mala spicy noodle soup or hot pot, you might've had a similar experience. The Sichuan peppercorn not only makes things extremely spicy, but will make your entire mouth numb. Looking more into this, it's possible they could've also used Sichuan buttons or buzz buttons, although I'm not exactly sure.

Acmella oleracea - Wikipedia

 

[OLSinFLA]

Today's the day I head to the Studios for cast preview (including Cantina). Looks like it will be a wet day though

 

[OLSinFLA]

Well, survived the day at GE... my thoughts....

Yeah, the land seems pretty dead. Its nice to look at but....
Our first stop was the Catina. After a bit of disorganization we were let in and taken by the hostess too... well, standing behind a random someone at the bar. (??) So we had to wait for people to leave the bar to order. Once that our drinks were served quickly. I had the fuzzy tarun which was... interesting. Overall, the drinks were good, but the inside is really total chaos.
Next up - Smuggler's Run. It was only a 15 minute wait, so that was nice. I was engineer. One of my friends did gunner and wanted to do manual but no one told him how to set it :/ We actually did very well on the run, got 2 canisters, ship came back in at 87%. But yeah, as engineer, its hard to watch the screen and hit the buttons and switches.
Next I built a droid. OK, this brought out the little kid in me, picking pieces and putting them together. And he does interact with stuff in the land (and at least one other droid!).
Finally we had lunch - food was quite good, and fresh, and hit the spot. My friends tried the green milk (I'm allergic to coconut) and said... bleh.

What really is telling was we had reservations from 3-7. We were done by 5.

 

[rhino4evr]

So a good friend of mine, who is a huge Star Wars fan (in the 501st), but not a big Disney or theme park fan went today as a pass holder guest.

He also was on complete media blackout about the land / attraction, and had no idea what the Falcon ride was, what the land looked like, etc.

He was absolutely blown away by everything, and was in tears when he saw the falcon “waiting room” and cockpit.
He also got pilot, and absolutely loved the ride.

He doesn’t drink, but really enjoyed Olga’s as well.

I think we become jaded with knowing every Detail about an attraction/land before entering it. It not only messes with expectations, but also general attitudes towards them. We are all too quick to jump on the Internet band wagon and declare something a failure or a success without actually experiencing it for ourselves.

I kinda wish I was in media blackout now too.

Edit: one of his comments about the land being completely ambient and full of weird sounds, as described as a positive, made me laugh a little.

 

[Scott W.]

This is for DL but I couldn't see a GE review thread there.

The land is hyper detailed and can match or even beat some of the best lands out there but the problem is that it feels like it's missing something. I'm sure it makes sense to the person who made it, maybe a battle took place at one spot and that's why there is blaster marks on a wall but it doesn't mean anything. The land is also huge. Like, really huge and I can't understand why nor how it can feel so empty. 14 acres and unless you're wanting to build a droid or a lightsaber, besides Smuggler's Run and eventually Rise, there is very little to do.

I've never liked Harry Potter as a character, movie, book but I love the lands. My wife is a huge fan and she probably loves the lands on a level that I never could, so I was thrilled to see GE coming as I love Star Wars but I don't have that same connection. I don't think the location is the problem, I've always loved how the parks expanded the universes of whatever IP they were doing. Having the Millennium Falcon is what you want to see, not Alderaan, not Cloud City, not Tatooine. Seeing the scale in person was awesome but looking at it from ground level looking up felt odd. It's not how you visualise it.

Disney went for hyper realism but maybe it just doesn't work for Star Wars. You're never going to be able to have walk around characters or droids when it's busy. Maybe asking for a greater suspension of disbelief could have resulted in a more fun land because it's like they forgot the purpose of what a theme park land should be: fun. The weird thing is that is actually seems to be bringing other lands down, I thought Pandora was excellent but if it was missing it's big ride (Flight of Passage), the land would kind of suck regardless of how technically impressive it is.

Smuggler's Run is kind of a weird ride to comment on. I usually think that the first ride you do on the first day of your vacation, always gets a boost. It's like eating a meal when you're starving, it will always taste that little better. My first ride of my trip was Hyperspace Mountain and it was fantastic. I love DL's Space Mountain but this took it up to a whole new level and it is so much better than it has any right to be by just adding a few screens and overlays. So I finally get into GE a few hours after rope drop with no real rush to get there. (The park wasn't all that busy at this point) I get in line for SR and the queue was kind of great, very well themed, interesting and plenty to look at plus it moves at a good pace. My wife and I were engineers and besides just slapping every button you can, you don't really have a clue what's going on but I enjoyed it. It wasn't great but it certainly wasn't bad either.

Then a weird thing happened. Before leaving the park, I went on Star Tours and got a full ride of scenes I'd never seen before and for a refreshed first time experience of that ride, it was far superior. Adding interactivity adds a little to the experience but at the cost of intensity and knowing just what the hell is going on. Disney spends a ton on a new ride that is the 3rd best Star Wars ride in their park. Star Tours is over 30 years old with enhancements and Space Mountain had a massive overhaul about 14 years ago, it's ridiculous.

I went back to GE later in the trip and it feels like a completely different land at night time, it's one of the prettiest areas in the evening. I went on SR again but I was a pilot this time and this was a mile above being an engineer. Luckily, I had a kid beside me teaching me the ropes before boarding which was a huge help. Unfortunately, you only have a 1 in 3 chance of this better experience and it's always a gamble if the queue is long. Even as a pilot, I would still rate it as the 3rd best Star Wars ride in DL.

Overall, the theming is great but soulless. Smuggler's Run is fun but not the best. Adding different missions or more interactivity for the non pilots could go a long way for the longevity of the ride. I didn't feel the need to stay in the land for a second longer that necessary and I had no urge to try any of the food or drinks based on reviews and far better options available in the rest of the park. I think that Rise of the Resistance will still be huge hit and can salvage the whole land to maybe be almost what I expected but I think that adding some of the more expected ideas like the X Wing coaster would have been far more welcome. Maybe less would have been more for the size and overly forced theming.

 

[Mad Dog]

This is for DL but I couldn't see a GE review thread there.

The land is hyper detailed and can match or even beat some of the best lands out there but the problem is that it feels like it's missing something. I'm sure it makes sense to the person who made it, maybe a battle took place at one spot and that's why there is blaster marks on a wall but it doesn't mean anything. The land is also huge. Like, really huge and I can't understand why nor how it can feel so empty. 14 acres and unless you're wanting to build a droid or a lightsaber, besides Smuggler's Run and eventually Rise, there is very little to do.

I've never liked Harry Potter as a character, movie, book but I love the lands. My wife is a huge fan and she probably loves the lands on a level that I never could, so I was thrilled to see GE coming as I love Star Wars but I don't have that same connection. I don't think the location is the problem, I've always loved how the parks expanded the universes of whatever IP they were doing. Having the Millennium Falcon is what you want to see, not Alderaan, not Cloud City, not Tatooine. Seeing the scale in person was awesome but looking at it from ground level looking up felt odd. It's not how you visualise it.

Disney went for hyper realism but maybe it just doesn't work for Star Wars. You're never going to be able to have walk around characters or droids when it's busy. Maybe asking for a greater suspension of disbelief could have resulted in a more fun land because it's like they forgot the purpose of what a theme park land should be: fun. The weird thing is that is actually seems to be bringing other lands down, I thought Pandora was excellent but if it was missing it's big ride (Flight of Passage), the land would kind of suck regardless of how technically impressive it is.

Smuggler's Run is kind of a weird ride to comment on. I usually think that the first ride you do on the first day of your vacation, always gets a boost. It's like eating a meal when you're starving, it will always taste that little better. My first ride of my trip was Hyperspace Mountain and it was fantastic. I love DL's Space Mountain but this took it up to a whole new level and it is so much better than it has any right to be by just adding a few screens and overlays. So I finally get into GE a few hours after rope drop with no real rush to get there. (The park wasn't all that busy at this point) I get in line for SR and the queue was kind of great, very well themed, interesting and plenty to look at plus it moves at a good pace. My wife and I were engineers and besides just slapping every button you can, you don't really have a clue what's going on but I enjoyed it. It wasn't great but it certainly wasn't bad either.

Then a weird thing happened. Before leaving the park, I went on Star Tours and got a full ride of scenes I'd never seen before and for a refreshed first time experience of that ride, it was far superior. Adding interactivity adds a little to the experience but at the cost of intensity and knowing just what the hell is going on. Disney spends a ton on a new ride that is the 3rd best Star Wars ride in their park. Star Tours is over 30 years old with enhancements and Space Mountain had a massive overhaul about 14 years ago, it's ridiculous.

I went back to GE later in the trip and it feels like a completely different land at night time, it's one of the prettiest areas in the evening. I went on SR again but I was a pilot this time and this was a mile above being an engineer. Luckily, I had a kid beside me teaching me the ropes before boarding which was a huge help. Unfortunately, you only have a 1 in 3 chance of this better experience and it's always a gamble if the queue is long. Even as a pilot, I would still rate it as the 3rd best Star Wars ride in DL.

Overall, the theming is great but soulless. Smuggler's Run is fun but not the best. Adding different missions or more interactivity for the non pilots could go a long way for the longevity of the ride. I didn't feel the need to stay in the land for a second longer that necessary and I had no urge to try any of the food or drinks based on reviews and far better options available in the rest of the park. I think that Rise of the Resistance will still be huge hit and can salvage the whole land to maybe be almost what I expected but I think that adding some of the more expected ideas like the X Wing coaster would have been far more welcome. Maybe less would have been more for the size and overly forced theming.

Nice, well though out review, with a very interesting perspective.:thumbsup:

 

[Scott W.]

Nice, well though out review, with a very interesting perspective.:thumbsup:

You’re next. :toast:

 

[Mad Dog]

You’re next. :toast:

I was having my doubts on whether you'd get that in before mine. :thumbsup:...If the travel weather co- operates, I'll be in GESWL Weds. night for the first of 4 trips to DHS over an 11 days vacation.