Share your story from visiting DHS’ SWGE!

[Haley R]

One other detail for the 9 am slot. They didn't have us scan our finger. The cast members were telling us "just touch Mickey no need to scan your finger" to get us all in quicker.

Huh that’s weird. We had to scan our finger. Seems like everything was very inconsistent this morning

 

[Haley R]

Thanks for sharing. So looks like I am getting up early on tuesday to try and get there before 7:30-8:00.

Were buses running that early to DHS?

Were they just letting in AP holders only through turnstiles at 7:50? Or all guests?

They let all guests through the line at the same time. Idk about the buses because we drove our car to the park

 

[Roocatty]

Huh that’s weird. We had to scan our finger. Seems like everything was very inconsistent this morning

We were at the end on the right hand side about 20 people back. Maybe it just depended on the side or how far back in the line they had cleared out.

 

[JayLeeJay]

Well we had an amazing time today. We arrived at the parking lot a little after 8am and got a very close spot to the entrance. They were already letting people in the park so we headed back to GE, checked in, got our cantina return time, and waited a few minutes before they let everyone in. They checked our email and ID at the first stand and scanned our cards and checked ID to get the Oga return time. We started by taking photos and then went to the droid depot. Got there around 8:45 and there was no line. We had plenty of space to pick our pieces and take photos while building. Later in the day the line was outside but I don’t know how long it was taking for people to get to the front. Finished around 9:10 because we took forever to decide on the color combinations. They didn’t have the backpack and the box made it really hard to hear when the droid responded to the land so I ended up holding it most of the day. We had a 9:10 Oga return time and checked in around 9:15. Waited a few minutes before being allowed in and got a spot at the bar. The cast members were working crazy fast there. Not a big fan of any of the drinks we tried. It was fun but I’m not sure we will go back.

After Oga’s we walked around to take more photos. We noticed the crowd pick up around 10:30 while we were heading to MFSR. The wait time was posted at 35 minutes but it took about 25. For any others who can’t ride, they let me stay with my group until their color was called and then I returned to the cast member who was passing out assignments and they showed me the door to the exit. Went to Docking Bay 7 around 11:30. The line looked long but moved quickly. We tried 4 entrees. I wasn’t a fan of the ribs but my husband enjoyed them. The salad was really good and we both loved the braised shaak roast. The chilled shrimp salad was tasty but it would not have filled us up as a meal on its own. After lunch we took some more photos and then my husband rode MFSR 7 more times. The first time through the wait posted was 55 minutes but the line looked shorter than it had with a 35 minute wait. The actual wait was closer to 30 minutes. The second time through took 25 minutes. My husband then decided to use the single rider line and made it through another 6 times, averaging about 15-20 minutes from entrance to exit including the ride time. Standby wait continued to be posted at 35 minutes or so during this time. The single rider line worked really well for him but I spoke with a family who said they waited 90 minutes in the single rider line while the standby line was posted at 70 minutes earlier in the day.

By this point it was about 4pm so we just walked around, got more photos, took in the sights and sounds, talked with cast members (who were awesome), and did some shopping. My husband got in line for his 9th time on MFSR just before 5pm. At 5 they closed the queue for the ride and placed cast members blocking people from venturing to the back of the land. They weren’t pushy getting people to leave but made it clear it was time to go. It took us until 5:30 to get out of the land because we kept stopping for photos and talking with cast members. It was so nice to have photos with no one else in them.

Throughout the day we also spent a lot of time on the play parks app. I was able to see the Star Wars additions but my husbands app would only say it would be available on August 29. This happened with someone else we talked to as well. We couldn't figure out why I could get the Star Wars stuff but he couldn’t. It is definitely something I will have to play around with a lot more since I only started to understand some of the things by the end of the day. Once we left GE we stopped to pick up some passholder merchandise. The cast member at the store said they were out of the blue passholder magic band but still had the red. Not sure if they were out at that location, out for the day, or sold out completely (didn’t want a magic band so didn’t ask).

In summary, although our preview technically ended at 1 they didn’t kick us out and we stayed until it closed. The first and last hours were the best with lowest crowds, especially the last hour. At 4:30 the cast members from Savi’s were down by the droid depot inviting people to make a light saber. The crowd definitely picked up in the middle of the day but it was never a huge crowd. In our opinion 11-1 was the busiest. If you have a late preview time don’t worry about people staying past their time. It seemed most people weren’t staying to much longer than the 4 hours. Building our droid early was nice because no one else was there yet. Wait times for MFSR fluctuated throughout the day and it seems the single rider line can be a timesaver but not necessarily from what people I spoke with said. With a little luck you shouldn’t have waits more than 30. Injures at most points during the day. Food was really good but I wasn’t a big fan of any of the drinks.

I’m sure there is plenty I forgot but I’ll post updates if I remember anything important.

 

[ksromack]

So my friends and I had an amazing time in Galaxy’s Edge! We arrived a little before 7. Security started at around 7:25. They let us through the turnstile at 7:50. Then they checked us in. Make sure you tell them if you have Oga’s or Savi’s. They give out the times in order and you cannot request a later time.

They let us in at 8:30. You really feel like you’re entering another world. The land is immersive and phenomenal. Even though we had a 9 Oga’s reservation, we were able to ride SR before. I was left pilot the first time. It is a very fun ride! We then went to Oga’s. I had the beer flight and the fuzzy tauntan. I’d recommend the Fuzzy. My friend got the cliff dweller. We were able to take the mugs home. Be warned if you get the beer light you will be carrying around a large box all day. We then walked around the FO area and checked out the Droid Depot. The TIE Ecthelon looks very impressive.

My friends went to do SR again and I waited for standby for Savi’s. They couldn’t tell me how long I would have to wait but it ended up being only 15 minutes. I built my Peace and Justice lightsaber z I’m embarrassed to say it was a quasi-religious experience.

We then went on SR again. Unfortunately, the amazing Hondo animatronic was down. I felt bad for the people who didn’t get to see him. Still I got to be right pilot the second time and put the MF into hyperspace!

We then went around the shops and restaurants. The blue milk with rum is actually really good! I’d also recommend Ronto’s roasters. I bought some toys and a shirt for my daughter.

The land as a whole is very immersive. We interacted with Vi, Rey and stormtroopers. We checked out the Resistance area. It was then after 1 and started raining, so we left.

Overall, it was one of the best days of my life and I hope you all have an amazing time!

EDIT: Huge oversight on my part - the Cast Members were wonderful! They were great to interact with and made the whole experience seem even more believable. Thank you!

Thank you for your report! Were all of the souvenir mugs available? We want all of them

We felt 4 hours was more than enough time. We actually left a little before 1. I would like to go back and spend more time on the app though

Hmmmm. So I was planning on spending a lot of time at SWGE opening week. For sure opening day but also the next morning and later that evening. Now I wonder if that will be overkill. I know the crowds will be pretty bad and from the reviews here, Oga’s seems to be a One and Done.

I guess we’ll play it all by ear. I wasn’t expecting to be able to get into Savi’s since we have Oga’s reserved so maybe we should just leave Savi’s for opening week since we do have reservations for it. Same with Droid Depot.

 

[HopperFan]

Well we had an amazing time today. We arrived at the parking lot a little after 8am and got a very close spot to the entrance. They were already letting people in the park so we headed back to GE, checked in, got our cantina return time, and waited a few minutes before they let everyone in. They checked our email and ID at the first stand and scanned our cards and checked ID to get the Oga return time. We started by taking photos and then went to the droid depot. Got there around 8:45 and there was no line. We had plenty of space to pick our pieces and take photos while building. Later in the day the line was outside but I don’t know how long it was taking for people to get to the front. Finished around 9:10 because we took forever to decide on the color combinations. They didn’t have the backpack and the box made it really hard to hear when the droid responded to the land so I ended up holding it most of the day. We had a 9:10 Oga return time and checked in around 9:15. Waited a few minutes before being allowed in and got a spot at the bar. The cast members were working crazy fast there. Not a big fan of any of the drinks we tried. It was fun but I’m not sure we will go back.

After Oga’s we walked around to take more photos. We noticed the crowd pick up around 10:30 while we were heading to MFSR. The wait time was posted at 35 minutes but it took about 25. For any others who can’t ride, they let me stay with my group until their color was called and then I returned to the cast member who was passing out assignments and they showed me the door to the exit. Went to Docking Bay 7 around 11:30. The line looked long but moved quickly. We tried 4 entrees. I wasn’t a fan of the ribs but my husband enjoyed them. The salad was really good and we both loved the braised shaak roast. The chilled shrimp salad was tasty but it would not have filled us up as a meal on its own. After lunch we took some more photos and then my husband rode MFSR 7 more times. The first time through the wait posted was 55 minutes but the line looked shorter than it had with a 35 minute wait. The actual wait was closer to 30 minutes. The second time through took 25 minutes. My husband then decided to use the single rider line and made it through another 6 times, averaging about 15-20 minutes from entrance to exit including the ride time. Standby wait continued to be posted at 35 minutes or so during this time. The single rider line worked really well for him but I spoke with a family who said they waited 90 minutes in the single rider line while the standby line was posted at 70 minutes earlier in the day.

By this point it was about 4pm so we just walked around, got more photos, took in the sights and sounds, talked with cast members (who were awesome), and did some shopping. My husband got in line for his 9th time on MFSR just before 5pm. At 5 they closed the queue for the ride and placed cast members blocking people from venturing to the back of the land. They weren’t pushy getting people to leave but made it clear it was time to go. It took us until 5:30 to get out of the land because we kept stopping for photos and talking with cast members. It was so nice to have photos with no one else in them.

Throughout the day we also spent a lot of time on the play parks app. I was able to see the Star Wars additions but my husbands app would only say it would be available on August 29. This happened with someone else we talked to as well. We couldn't figure out why I could get the Star Wars stuff but he couldn’t. It is definitely something I will have to play around with a lot more since I only started to understand some of the things by the end of the day. Once we left GE we stopped to pick up some passholder merchandise. The cast member at the store said they were out of the blue passholder magic band but still had the red. Not sure if they were out at that location, out for the day, or sold out completely (didn’t want a magic band so didn’t ask).

In summary, although our preview technically ended at 1 they didn’t kick us out and we stayed until it closed. The first and last hours were the best with lowest crowds, especially the last hour. At 4:30 the cast members from Savi’s were down by the droid depot inviting people to make a light saber. The crowd definitely picked up in the middle of the day but it was never a huge crowd. In our opinion 11-1 was the busiest. If you have a late preview time don’t worry about people staying past their time. It seemed most people weren’t staying to much longer than the 4 hours. Building our droid early was nice because no one else was there yet. Wait times for MFSR fluctuated throughout the day and it seems the single rider line can be a timesaver but not necessarily from what people I spoke with said. With a little luck you shouldn’t have waits more than 30. Injures at most points during the day. Food was really good but I wasn’t a big fan of any of the drinks.

I’m sure there is plenty I forgot but I’ll post updates if I remember anything important.

So you got in before 9 am and you stayed until 5 pm??

 

[JediStitch]

Thank you for your report! We’re all of the souvenir mugs available? We want all of them

Yes, all the mugs were available as of this morning! I’m looking at the beer flight and cliff dweller right now!

I do agree with the consensus that Oga’s was the one slightly underwhelming part of the preview. That may be because it was so hyped. Still had fun, and I’m definitely going back though - so many drinks left to try!

Savi’s was amazing!!! I even convinced my DW, who is not a SW fan, to build one in a few weeks.

 

[JayLeeJay]

Hmmmm. So I was planning on spending a lot of time at SWGE opening week. For sure opening day but also the next morning and later that evening. Now I wonder if that will be overkill. I know the crowds will be pretty bad and from the reviews here, Oga’s seems to be a One and Done.

I guess we’ll play it all by ear. I wasn’t expecting to be able to get into Savi’s since we have Oga’s reserved so maybe we should just leave Savi’s for opening week since we do have reservations for it. Same with Droid Depot.

All of the mugs were available as of 9:30am. They had (at least) two menus, one that listed the drinks and one that had the drinks plus pictures of the mugs and the beer flight. When the cast member working behind the counter saw the one without pictures/beer flight, she got us one with pictures and folded then threw away the one without pictures. Looks like they are planning on having the mugs available as much as they can.

Also, my husband and I entered at 8:30am and left at 5:30pm and there is still stuff we want to do (or want to do again). My husband rode MFSR 9 times which took about 3 hours total. We did Oga’s, built a droid, visited the gift shops, and ate at Docking Bay 7. We also played on the play Disney app. We never felt rushed and wanted to take in everything with the lower crowd since I think a lot of the details may be hard to see once it is crammed full of people. We probably spend more time looking at things then most but I don’t think we could have done everything and felt satisfied after 4 hours. I’d recommend making plans for after your actual time but be okay if you miss them because you want to stay in GE. I thought we’d be done by 2 and had FPs for the afternoon that I cancelled.

 

[JayLeeJay]

So you got in before 9 am and you stayed until 5 pm??

Yup. We had the 9am-1pm slot but they didn’t make you leave when your time ended. We probably would have stayed a bit later but they closed it for a private event. My husband was determined to master every position on MFSR. I didn’t ride but he said his teams at the end of the day were getting good because most everyone had ridden it before and knew what to do.

 

[Haley R]

Thank you for your report! We’re all of the souvenir mugs available? We want all of them

Hmmmm. So I was planning on spending a lot of time at SWGE opening week. For sure opening day but also the next morning and later that evening. Now I wonder if that will be overkill. I know the crowds will be pretty bad and from the reviews here, Oga’s seems to be a One and Done.

I guess we’ll play it all by ear. I wasn’t expecting to be able to get into Savi’s since we have Oga’s reserved so maybe we should just leave Savi’s for opening week since we do have reservations for it. Same with Droid Depot.

I felt like we had done a lot in our 4 hour slot. I'm just about to post our review so you can see what we did. We only rode SR once and that was enough for us. It really wasn't anything special in our books, but fun to ride once. The que is really what I went for. The only thing I'd really like more time to go back and do is the Play app because I didn't get a ton of time to mess with that. Dh was less than enthused to watch me scan things lol. We also planned to leave by 1 pm. I didn't want to stay past our time so I made it a point to leave before then.

 

[ksromack]

It sounds like we should definitely take in all the details during our preview because fewer people in the land will make it more enjoyable. I do wish we had an earlier time slot, though. We are 5-9pm and clearly won’t be able to stay past our time

 

[Haley R]

I'm putting our review as a Spoiler because it's pretty long and I don't want it taking up the whole page. Also, if you saw us taking pictures please don't say anything.

Spoiler: Lengthy Review

We got to the park around 7:20 am. We drove our own car and got to park really close to the front. We were in a group waiting for security to open which only took about 5-10 minutes (we were maybe 10 people back in our line). After that, they held us at the turnstiles. When we went through here I thought it was like 7:30-7:45 am and we had to scan our fingerprint and magicband. Everyone was let into the park, not just APs. They held us right next to Indiana Jones and we began walking towards SWGE around 8 am where they held us again. Seeing a trend lol? At this point there were umbrellas with CMs. We had to show our IDs, APs, and our confirmation email (ours was printed out). A cm then said if we were doing Oga’s or Savi’s we needed to head right to a different set of umbrellas where they gave us our return time for Oga’s. We got 9 am and they told us to show up 10 minutes before that.


Once they finally started letting people into the land we were walked as a big group towards SR. Dh and I broke off from the pack and went to Oga’s first. This was at 8:40 ish and we were led right in. We were sat at a booth with three other couples and it was really great. Everyone was in a good mood and we all talked about where we came from. Dh and I each ordered 2 drinks: Blue Bantha, Hyperdrive, Jedi Mind Trick, and Fuzzy Tauntaun. We had asked beforehand if we could see all of the drinks because breakfast doesn’t have many options and that was no problem. Our CM brought out the lunch/dinner menu. The Blue Bantha was just okay, not something I would get again. I LOVED the Hyperdrive drink. Dh said the Jedi Mind Trick was just okay, but he liked the Fuzzy Tauntaun. DJ Rex wasn’t working which kind of stunk. Dh said the cantina was his favorite place in SWGE. It has a really fun vibe and will be even better once Rex is working.


When we finished at the cantina, we found some photopass photographers. Our first one was up near Docking Bay 7 looking down on the MF. We got some really good pictures there. I don’t think any of them were magic shots. We then went to make our droid at 9:30 am. That was one of my favorite parts of the day. We made an R-unit and didn’t have to wait at all. They were all out of the backpacks which was a big bummer. The carrying case is awkward to carry around in the park, but we made it work. It was really funny to see what our droid reacted to in the land. We didn’t buy a personality chip because we wanted to see what he would do on his own.


It was then time for us to ride SR. We actually waited because the wait time was at 55 minutes earlier, but when we got there at 10:15 am it was only 25 minutes. The lady in front of me timed it and I think it was only 20 minutes. We both got Engineer which is super boring. I don’t see the ride being very fun unless you get pilot. Even then, it might be a one and done for me. The Hondo animatronic was working when we went through the que. I’m sad for those that didn’t get to see him. After SR, we went and got in line for Dok Ondar’s and waited 5-10 minutes there to go inside. This was at around 11:05 am. The inside of the store is cool, but crowded because a lot of people were in line for lightsabers. We only stayed there for about 10 minutes. I really liked the taxidermy wall, though.


Our next stop was through the marketplace to try some popcorn. Dh and I both agreed we didn’t hate it, but wouldn’t get it again. For me it was the slight spice on it that I didn’t like. Dh just isn’t a huge popcorn person. One of the CMs in that line told us to head to the water fountains further down and our droid reacted to the tank above which was fun. Even the bathrooms in SWGE are themed with cool looking sinks. After the marketplace we wound back around towards the milk stand. I got in line for the green milk while Dh got in a photopass line. I really really liked the green milk and I was so surprised by that. It was more slushy than the blue bantha we had and that’s one reason why I liked it more. I can’t really describe the taste. I would say try both because no one seems to have the same opinions.


We finished the milk and pictures and walked over to Docking Bay 7 for lunch. The line was out the door and around the corner so we waited about 20 minutes for that. I found a table once we got inside and Dh stood in the line the rest of the time. I ordered the kids tip-yip meal and it was decent. The chunk of chicken was a little odd, but I liked the mac and cheese and the broccoli was really good. Dh ordered the Kaadu ribs and kept finding bones (or gristle?) in them. The ribs were spicy so I didn’t like them. He said he would rather order something else next time.


By this time it was around 12:30 pm and we were ready to go. We got one more picture and I did some things on the Play app before we walked out. I wanted to make sure we were gone by 1 pm since that’s when our time ended. Overall, we had a blast! It was GREAT to experience this with so few people and all people who you know enjoy Star Wars. The land is very immersive and they have a lot of fun foods and drinks to try.


Final notes: The CMs were all great and in character. We loved listening to them tell us about the land or where they’re from. A lot of them gave advice with our droid and the Play app. The Play app was one of my favorite parts of being there (Dh wasn’t into it). I did a lot of hacking and I think I was practically the only First Order member there lol. It was fun to scan cargo and add things to my inventory. We saw Chewie, Rey, Kylo, and Storm Troopers wandering. Rey was hiding most of the time and even went under the MF at one point.

 

[ksromack]

I'm putting our review as a Spoiler because it's pretty long and I don't want it taking up the whole page. Also, if you saw us taking pictures please don't say anything.

Great pics! Did you use a regular camera or cell phone? I am toying with the idea of taking my dSLR, not sure I want to lug it around so I’m on the fence. Cute droid!

 

[Haley R]

Great pics! Did you use a regular camera or cell phone? I am toying with the idea of taking my dSLR, not sure I want to lug it around so I’m on the fence. Cute droid!

Nope just a plain old iPhone 8 lol. Dh basically let me decide on the droid. He's modeled after Darth Maul because he's my favorite character (yes, our droid is a he and his name is Nugget )

 

[DisneyTwin17]

At 8:34, they started walking us in. They took the whole mob straight into MGSR.

Thanks for posting your story! I have a slightly confusing question--can you tell me which direction/route they led everyone to for MFSR? Just by looking at the map, I'm assuming they led the people towards/in front of Ronto Roasters and Docking Bay 7, but I suppose I could be missing something. We will be rope dropping MFSR during EMH the first week it's open and are trying to plan ahead. Our issue is that we will have strollers and on the map it shows a set of stairs leading to Ronto Roasters and then another set after Docking Bay 7. If this is the direction they plan to lead the group of people who join us for Rope Drop, we are going to have to plan to ditch our strollers somewhere while en route. Any insight?

 

[conandrob240]

So you got in before 9 am and you stayed until 5 pm??

While I’m really happy for this person, this detail doesn’t make me happy at all. We took the last time of the day. Knowing everyone else from all the other time slots could potentially stay means it could get very, very crowded. Not cool at all!

 

[JediStitch]

Thanks for posting your story! I have a slightly confusing question--can you tell me which direction/route they led everyone to for MFSR? Just by looking at the map, I'm assuming they led the people towards/in front of Ronto Roasters and Docking Bay 7, but I suppose I could be missing something. We will be rope dropping MFSR during EMH the first week it's open and are trying to plan ahead. Our issue is that we will have strollers and on the map it shows a set of stairs leading to Ronto Roasters and then another set after Docking Bay 7. If this is the direction they plan to lead the group of people who join us for Rope Drop, we are going to have to plan to ditch our strollers somewhere while en route. Any insight?

It is a different path. They had us go past the Droid Depot and go through the First Order area. No stairs in GE when rope dropping SR.

Someone please correct me if I’m misremembering.

 

[hiroMYhero]

It is a different path. They had us go past the Droid Depot and go through the First Order area. No stairs in GE when rope dropping SR.

Someone please correct me if I’m misremembering.

You’re correct!

The CMs circle the line around buildings so no stairs involved... and her question was answered correctly in another thread, too.

 

[DisneyTwin17]

You’re correct!

The CMs circle the line around buildings so no stairs involved... and her question was answered correctly in another thread, too.

Haha yes it did! Thank you! I'm new around here and MAN you guys are quick! I'm soaking in all the Disney talk!

 

[karly05]

Mine was Mark Daniel (from the Disney Parks Live webcasts). He was phenomenal!

He was in the video I saw from Saturday and yes, he's great!