Share your story from visiting DHS’ SWGE!

[AngiTN]

Has anyone tried taking the droid on the plane in your carry on? Any issues?

IN the carry on? No.
Carrying it on the plane, yes.
No issues.

 

[AngiTN]

I've seen quite a few comments about the QS being small. We found it quite large inside. Lots of open tables without a doubt. It's got lots of rooms though, could be some of it was missed?

 

[tlmadden73]

I've seen quite a few comments about the QS being small. We found it quite large inside. Lots of open tables without a doubt. It's got lots of rooms though, could be some of it was missed?

Maybe we missed them in hustle and bustle with kids. Just felt like there were only two rooms. The main room where you walk in and order and a room to the left of the counter (past the water) which looked small. Maybe there was outdoor seating, but that wasn’t an option in that heat.

I guess it felt small. Was expecting a place the size of Satuli Canteen or backlot express. It didn’t even had that many counters to order from, but that may be due to the push for mobile order.

Despite the theming it felt like Woodys lunchbox: Cramped and having to stalk a seat if trying to eat near normal lunch hours.

 

[Disneylover99]

Maybe we missed them in hustle and bustle with kids. Just felt like there were only two rooms. The main room where you walk in and order and a room to the left of the counter (past the water) which looked small. Maybe there was outdoor seating, but that wasn’t an option in that heat.

I guess it felt small. Was expecting a place the size of Satuli Canteen or backlot express. It didn’t even had that many counters to order from, but that may be due to the push for mobile order.

Despite the theming it felt like Woodys lunchbox: Cramped and having to stalk a seat if trying to eat near normal lunch hours.

I thought it was small too. I feel like that smallness is part of the theming. I also think maybe it was made small on purpose to drive families out of the land at peak lunch and dinner hours to eat elsewhere, in order to keep the flow of people moving in and out of the land. I don’t know. Spread the crowds around HS a bit.

 

[LMO429]

I want to take the time again to thank every one of you for giving me the tips in order to be a part of the AP preview and for giving me the knowledge to know I could enter my window early.

It was a thrill to be one of the 1st ones in galaxy edge. I have loved star wars since I am a little girl. It was a thrill to see the Millenium Falcon and jump to light speed I screamed like a 5 year old with delight.

The Blue Milk I loved.

As I had a day to think about it. While the land is detailed and you truly do not feel like you are in a theme park it just felt lacking to me. The return appeal is not there and I love star wars.

We stayed for 6 hours and did everything the land had to offer.

the highlight to me was the falcon and the reason being was its because its the only refleciton of the original trilogy. I truly wish they had more original trilogy stuff. I know the land is based on the new star wars/disney star wars but that is where they missed the mark for me.

im thankful for the experience but the return appeal other than the falcon is not there.

I also felt there was alot of empty space in the land esp when you first walk in.

the cast members were wonderful

but without the original triology stuff and getting to experience at the preview there is no way we will be waking up at 5am to deal with the crowds in october the return appeal is just not there for me and I love star wars. But again super thankful for the first time AP preview experience

 

[tlmadden73]

I thought it was small too. I feel like that smallness is part of the theming. I also think maybe it was made small on purpose to drive families out of the land at peak lunch and dinner hours to eat elsewhere, in order to keep the flow of people moving in and out of the land. I don’t know. Spread the crowds around HS a bit.

The problem is .. the next available restaurant from SWGE is QUITE the walk -- what? Woody's Lunchbox is quite the walk from Docking Bay 7 and ABC Commissary is probably just as long if not longer. I guess I was just expecting a giant QS dining location like they have all over the other parks - Cosmic Rays, Satuli Canteen, Sunshine Seasons .. or even comparing it to the heavily themed Three Broomsticks at Universal.

At least Ronto Roasters has some food options for a lunch replacement, just not good for a family or large groups like your typical QS restaurant is. (because it too lacks seating).

I get it .. seating costs money -- bigger buildings, more A/C to use and butts sitting in a seat, cooling off aren't out shopping. But food is a money maker too, you'd think that you'd want your guests comfortable and wanting to spend money on food right there rather than leaving the land (or the park).

 

[yulilin3]

The problem is .. the next available restaurant from SWGE is QUITE the walk -- what? Woody's Lunchbox is quite the walk from Docking Bay 7 and ABC Commissary is probably just as long if not longer. I guess I was just expecting a giant QS dining location like they have all over the other parks - Cosmic Rays, Satuli Canteen, Sunshine Seasons .. or even comparing it to the heavily themed Three Broomsticks at Universal.

At least Ronto Roasters has some food options for a lunch replacement, just not good for a family or large groups like your typical QS restaurant is. (because it too lacks seating).

I get it .. seating costs money -- bigger buildings, more A/C to use and butts sitting in a seat, cooling off aren't out shopping. But food is a money maker too, you'd think that you'd want your guests comfortable and wanting to spend money on food right there rather than leaving the land (or the park).

I would compare the size with Satuli, I think what makes it feel smaller are the cargo containers. There's a second room and also the outside. Closest quick service will be PizzeRizzo if it's open and Backlot Express

 

[tlmadden73]

but without the original triology stuff and getting to experience at the preview there is no way we will be waking up at 5am to deal with the crowds in october the return appeal is just not there for me and I love star wars. But again super thankful for the first time AP preview experience

To me the return appeal is for re-doing the MFSR ride ... and just experiencing the other food items .. or trying out the datapad "app" while there. .. and of course when the new ride opens up. Having the world open up with only one ride and then a new ride 6 months later will bring people back.

That being said, if I go back (as planned) in October, we don't "need" to do an early morning wakeup to experience the land -- but will go in to check it out again for that bit of Star Wars immersion.

Depending what happens in the next movie, maybe some things will change within SWGE -- I would expect it should otherwise that will be weird to have a land "stuck" in the timline after the Last Jedi.

I would compare the size with Satuli, I think what makes it feel smaller are the cargo containers. There's a second room and also the outside. Closest quick service will be PizzeRizzo if it's open and Backlot Express

I guess I'd have to just count the number of available seats. Satuli feels bigger because of the big open room and the big outdoor (well shaded) patio, but they could have the same number of seats.

Despite it not really being that crowded for lunch (5 minute wait to order?), we struggled to find seating for the 4 of us. We got lucky as a family saw us wandering and finished up quickly. (Cast members were attentive and cleaned the table off before we could even sit down). I just can't imagine how this will be with peak crowds.

Ahh .. yes .. PizzeRizzo! Easy to forget that place (for obvious reasons). I am guessing it will be open way more often now due to SWGE crowds. I would gather the whole reason they refurbed it was in anticipation of the new land just beyond it. Backlot Express seems a long haul from the back of SWGE. But probably a better option than Woody's because of its awful seating.

 

[Haley R]

To me the return appeal is for re-doing the MFSR ride ... and just experiencing the other food items .. or trying out the datapad "app" while there. .. and of course when the new ride opens up. Having the world open up with only one ride and then a new ride 6 months later will bring people back.

That being said, if I go back (as planned) in October, we don't "need" to do an early morning wakeup to experience the land -- but will go in to check it out again for that bit of Star Wars immersion.

Depending what happens in the next movie, maybe some things will change within SWGE -- I would expect it should otherwise that will be weird to have a land "stuck" in the timline after the Last Jedi.


I guess I'd have to just count the number of available seats. Satuli feels bigger because of the big open room and the big outdoor (well shaded) patio, but they could have the same number of seats.

Despite it not really being that crowded for lunch (5 minute wait to order?), we struggled to find seating for the 4 of us. We got lucky as a family saw us wandering and finished up quickly. (Cast members were attentive and cleaned the table off before we could even sit down). I just can't imagine how this will be with peak crowds.

Ahh .. yes .. PizzeRizzo! Easy to forget that place (for obvious reasons). I am guessing it will be open way more often now due to SWGE crowds. I would gather the whole reason they refurbed it was in anticipation of the new land just beyond it. Backlot Express seems a long haul from the back of SWGE. But probably a better option than Woody's because of its awful seating.

We went for lunch on our preview day and had trouble finding seats. It was just the two of us

 

[TheHamm]

I would compare the size with Satuli, I think what makes it feel smaller are the cargo containers. There's a second room and also the outside. Closest quick service will be PizzeRizzo if it's open and Backlot Express

We spent a lot of time trying out different seating for the kiddo who was needing a break. The CMs did a nice job cleaning off tables to get the next group sat, but there were not places to sit when we left at 11am. There were umbrella tables outside which were packed from at least 10, a few tables in the main room at 10, none in the side room past the water. We took refuge in the mostly empty outdoor space off the secondary room, which was smallish and mostly full when we left. The high top counters would be fun as a bar, particularly with the cute lights on at night, but not so great for a family with littles.
And yes, we retreated to the nearest place which was PizzaRizzo for what I hope was my first and last experience there. At least they had something my kids would eat, which was not the case at DB7

 

[Claudia1]

We did the AP preview on Tuesday from 11-3. It was hot but not withering. No rain while we were there. We had a scooter and didn't have any problems with mobility. I researched as much as possible before going so we would not miss anything.

We entered the Marketplace first and oohed and aahed over the pricey merch. We did not make a light saber or a droid. The Aniquities shop was extremely crowded and that made it very difficult to see everything but it seemed to be more theming than merchandise. I honestly don’t remember much of what was available except for the role-playing gear. Enjoyed the popcorn (the blueberry was yummy) and had a Ronto Wrap. Good flavors but the sausage was a bit dry and tough.

We soon learned that just walking thru GE without interacting with the cast was not the way it is meant to be done. For us, that was awkward because w didn’t know enough about the Star Wars genre to know what to say.

Onto MFSR. I’m not a gamer but enjoyed the theming. However, the ride was kinda “meh” unless you were a pilot. (note: if your are with a small or special needs child that needs you right beside them, the seats are individual and separated by an aisle. You will have a difficult time reaching them unless you are Mrs. Incredible.). If you are a gamer and don’t get the pilot’s seat, you will most likely be disappointed. The Gunner and Engineer have little to do and can have difficulty following the action on the screen. I honestly don’t like the controls on the side of the craft. I wish they were in front of me like the pilot. It was hard to see what was up front and also watch the buttons on the side that I needed to push. My head was always on a swivel, which can be disorienting at time. Also, the instructions were not presented well and our party of 3 found ourselves flying blind the first time. Before we rode it again, we asked questions and had a better experience. Things like choosing “auto” instead of “manual” as a gunner or just what an engineer does. ( FYI, I love ‘coasters and thrill rides so I’m used to all levels of rides.). The 2nd ride, I got gunner so I used “auto” and basically held my hand on the shooting button so I could just watch the action. DH and DGD both got pilots and said is was a completely different ride. Hondo was really cool, tho. Loved the sight of the MF landing!

Had lunch at Docking Bay 7 and it was OK. Not our palate (but neither is Pandorian food). We preferred the Ronto Wrap. Walked around for a while taking pictures, saw some actors but not as much interaction as I expected. Seating was small and I can see it will be a long walk to other areas of HS if you don't like either QS choice. I would love to see a food cart there. We shared the blue and green milk. One of us liked blue, one liked green, and one didn't like either.

Ok, l’ll be a dissenting voice here. Don’t get me wrong..... I love Disney and GE is incredibly phenomenal! They knocked it out of the park with the theming and details.

But..........

IMHO, it will not appeal to a significant number of guests. If you like role-play or cosplay, this is for you. If you love all things Star Wars, it’s you own little bit of heaven on earth. If you love intricate sets/theming and walking around like you are on a scavenger hunt to marvel over the details, it will give you hours of joy.... hours.

If I had not read ahead on the theming, I would have been confused with the storm troopers and resistance being in the same "town". (Please don't suggest that watching the movies would have filled in the blanks. I've seen them all multiple times and I still had to mentally connect the dots.) If you don't have an interaction with a storm trooper who is demanding to know if you are with the Resistance, they are just window dressing. All of the towns people are happy, which doesn't mesh well with the presence of an overbearing conquering presence. I think it would have been good if some of them would have made whispered comments supporting the Resistance. Just my opinion.

If you prefer parks or lands that have multiple attractions or venues, this is not for you. If you don’t want to spend $xxx on merch, are not a drinker, or have a fairly picky eater, the window shopping and eateries won’t take much time. If you are not up on the Star Wars jargon or universe, you will soon tire of trying to translate everything. I'm guessing the bar will always be crowded so popping in just to see it will not be easy. For me, it was a “one and done” ...... at least until the next ride opens. Personally, I'm a fan of how they did Toy Story Land. You feel like you are in a different place but you have more to do. Honestly, many of us go do WDW to "do" stuff.

Also, it is LOUD in many areas. If you have a sensory issue, take ear plugs. It is not an easy vibe like most of WDW, which is primarily its trademark over Universal.

Yes, it is immersive but so is Harry Potter at Universal (gasp!) that has multiple shops, food, etc..... for all types of guests (casual or die-hard). Both theme park systems are built upon the concept of multiple attractions in an area for the draw and not just oohing and aahing over the set. (If the set were the main draw, Gorilla Falls Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek would both be super crowded instead of the rides at AK.) WiFi is often an issue at WDW and that can easily prevent you from the online themed gaming. (I got really annoyed getting kicked off-line so often.). Even tho Pandora only has 2 attractions, the set and theming draw you into them but do not replace them. Disney seems to want the guests to view the set as an attraction itself and spend a lot of time walking around interacting with the set. As I said before, if you are drawn to that, you will love GE. If you have small kiddos, plan to visit while they nap in the stroller.

GE is a very different direction from all other WDW lands and I look forward to seeing it when it is done. I get that WDW did something special here and I'm not bashing it. I'm just saying it's not necessarily for me as it is now.

 

[1supermomsmd]

Has anyone tried taking the droid on the plane in your carry on? Any issues?

Our DD’s BB droid traveled safely in its box after our preview onto Disney Cruise Line (DD had a blast rolling it around our stateroom and under the bed — with the high beds in the stateroom, it rolled perfectly underneath) and then onto our flight again in the box as carry-on (we put it in the overhead and had a softer backpack next to it so wouldn’t get hit with heavier carry-on suitcase).

 

[lauradisneymad]

I’m about to fly home tomorrow to UK with my savi’s lightsaber so let’s hope that goes ok

 

[pmaurer74]

We had a really great time at the preview and GE exceeded my expectations and if they ever have an after hours event, I am there! We were three from 9-1 on Tuesday and went immediately to the ride and had a 30 minute wait time. I was a gunner and it took me awhile to figure out the manual gun thing but I was too busy taking pictures and videos. The wait time was 20 minutes when we got out so we went on it again and it took 10 minutes. They need some big fans in that queue at the beginning for sure. We were pilots the second time and had a blast. It is a really great ride that I hope to go on over and over again in the future. The experience is very different depending upon the position you have. After that was out Oga's time. The drinks were great. We got a Cliff Dweller and The warp one. But the CMS brought another group over before we were done with the check. It was awkward and a little rude. Next, we built a droid and it was a fun experience! We then went to the marketplace and it was a little too crowded and hot. Ronto Roasters looked good but there was no seating. I got a mouse droid popcorn bucket and shared the popcorn with people we sat with at lunch. I liked the popcorn. IT was different. Many times on this trip we ended up sharing tables with strangers but I enjoyed meeting other Star Wars fans and everyone shared their experiences. I then took some photos and shopped. Overall it was a great experience and I cannot wait to go in December although it likely will be insanely crowded. BTW the AP GW t-shirts are available at Tattoine Traders and other HS stores. We waited in line for 30 minutes for no reason at the store by GE. I got the Yip Tip salad for lunch it was very good! They did kick us out after a certain amount of time for others to sit.

 

[chiisai]

I’m about to fly home tomorrow to UK with my savi’s lightsaber so let’s hope that goes ok

Not your situation, but want to share. We flew within the US, on united. When we got to MCO I asked at the check in area, showing the lightsaber and the person told me “no one has ever been turned away from carryon for a lightsaber.”

So off we went. We put the lightsaber in our carryon backpack. Kept the blade in the carry case provided, folding the excess down. After we boarded, we waited until people fully filled the top compartment above us and then laid the blade on top toward the front. A flight attendant helped me, because I was too short to see everything up there well enough.

This worked well, as the top compartments were long. We could have even kept the saber attached, but I didn’t want to risk it getting jostled more (due to the weight) during any turbulence.

I did think, though, that it could have been a problem if our plane had some of the narrower top compartments.

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

Had a great time at our 9am preview on Wednesday. Saw Kylo, Rey, and lots of stormtroopers. Went to Oga's at 9am and had Jabba Juice - way too sweet for us! DJ Rex was playing tunes, and the atmosphere is just like out of a Star Wars movie. Fun if you want to hang out at a bar and drink, but we probably won't go back. DH built a droid and installed a personality chip based on the sounds he listened to on the sample soundboard. Turns out he installed a First Order chip. I told him that my future droid will have a Resistance personality chip, so we may wake up one day to a pile of droid parts in the living room after they go at it!!! Just kidding, of course. We saw a video where the person said he confirmed with Disney that the droids do not actually interact with each other. Bummer.

Had the wrap at Ronto Roasters, and we really liked it. Also ate at Docking Bay 7, and we enjoyed our meals. DH had the shrimp/noodle bowl (which was spicy), and I had the roasted chicken/veggie bowl. The meals reminded us of the type of food served at Pandora. We went at 12:30, and there was no seating inside, so we had to search outside and were able to sit at a small table in the shade. It was still very hot!!

Now for the only real negative issue, which I'll wrap in a positive comment. Smuggler's Run is a very fun ride - IF you are a pilot. We were told by another passholder that the better you pilot the ship (as in don't hit things), the longer you stay in the asteroid field part of the ride. I don't know if that is true, but from our 3 rides, we did notice a difference in how long that part of ride lasted each time. Just thought I would share.

We rode 3 times and had each position. Gunner is just aggravating - buttons are on the side panel and are constantly in need of pushing (firing), so you end up constantly looking back and forth from screen to side panels. I know about the auto mode, but we wanted to see what the interactive experience was like, and we voted thumbs down on gunner. Engineer position is just kind of boring - we voted "meh" on this. You have to occasionally push some buttons (also located on side panel), but other than that, you just watch the pilots having fun steering the ship. Even a couple of cast members seemed to be making fun of the engineer position, going on a little sarcastically about how important it was in one case and saying "engineers - well just punch the buttons" in another case as he exited the ship before our takeoff. Since 2/3 of people riding will not get the coveted pilot positions, I think a lot of people are going to be more than a little disappointed, especially with the anticipated long wait times for the ride to come.

We were very glad we had the chance to attend previews, but I don't think we will be going during our September trip. We may go again during our December trip, which we had booked long before announcement of the opening date of Rise of the Resistance, which just happens to open the week we will be at Disney. Hope everyone going enjoys this new, very immersive land! BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR SHARING INFO AND THOUGHTS!!!!!

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

One more bit of info - DH bought and drank the Coke. We unscrewed the lid and put it in one carry-on bag, and placed the bottle in another carry-on bag. We had no problems at airport security. One TSA guy yelling out info even said "No liquids over 3 ounces, including those little round things - you know what I'm talking about - so empty them out before you come through." Also, our droid fit perfectly under the center seat of the plane.

 

[pmaurer74]

One more bit of info - DH bought and drank the Coke. We unscrewed the lid and put it in one carry-on bag, and placed the bottle in another carry-on bag. We had no problems at airport security. One TSA guy yelling out info even said "No liquids over 3 ounces, including those little round things - you know what I'm talking about - so empty them out before you come through." Also, our droid fit perfectly under the center seat of the plane.

yes I had my droid and computer in my back pack under the seat.

 

[jimim]

Good point about the coke bottles. You don’t think about tsa in the moment. I didn’t either until I read it cause of the 3 oz rule. I guess if you want to take it home full you got to check it and hope it doesn’t explode. Throw it in a big ziplock bag.

Thanks for all the reviews everyone. I’m pretty excited about our April trip. I’m disappointed we couldn’t do the preview cause there were just no DVC rooms bit a last minute trip to topsail island for a week of fishing trumped the preview. . . Somewhat. Lol

 

[tarak]

We had our BB unit in a backpack and TSA swabbed it for residue. We were able to take it with us but the TSA agent was annoyed at the thought of more of these coming through the lines once GE opens next week. We had no trouble at all with my son’s R2 unit.