Share your story from visiting DHS’ SWGE!

[AngiTN]

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.

Maybe he works for the First Order? LOL

 

[bwvBound]

The downsides I see are that almost everything in the land is one and done. Like once you have done it, there isn't a huge reason to go back. Maybe when ROTR opens it might be different but the millennium falcon was a bit of a disappointment overall not just because of our unfortunate experience, and we don't see many people becoming obsessed with blue and green milk and needing to get one whenever they go there. We didn't get a chance to do Oga's so maybe that is different. We really enjoy the land for the immersion and the architecture, thought and the activities are very fun. Again as a huge star wars fan my husband loves it overall, it just doesn't have anything yet, from a more unbiased perspective, that's going to bring people back again and again.

Given: We are all different!
Adding a different perspective: We've gone back several times to GE at DL. The DataPad game in the PLAY app brings us back over and over as we seek to complete the various achievements, both openly declared and hidden.

I was a huge fan of the Star Wars New Hope (episode 4, 1977) when it was first released but did not continue to follow the series. My husband loves the entire series and is much better versed than I am in "all things SW." That said, I'm enjoying the land and the game more than he is. I haven't yet hit the point of quitting the game for its bugs ... but DH walks away frustrated.

We'll see how this plays out over the years?

 

[The13thLetter]

We did the 8/21 9am AP session. Walked over from Beach Club and got to HS around 930. No line to get into GE.

We are not Star Wars fans by any means but were pretty impressed by the land itself as well as everyone being in character (someone asked me what we thought of the land and I said i hadnt seen any of the new movies and he said he did not know what we were talking about haha). After walking around a bit we stopped fr breakfast. The Ronto Roasters breakfast wrap was really good, and I was surprised to see the Dasani bottle waters were Batuu-ized as well.

We then walked around the stores a bit and headed to our Oga's reservations time. We enjoyed our time in there but was a bit surprised they sat you down at tables with other people and took your drink orders. It was good because we did not have to get drinks at the bar of flga someone down and were also able to sit, however our eats were on the outside of the table so we were staring at the wall instead of being able to look all over the Cantina. Next we walked around some more and got in line for smugglers run. It said 40 minutes and it took exactly that from the time we entered the line to the time we left the ride. DW and I were both pilots so were we pretty stoked about that. I thought the ride was good and worth the 40 minute wait but I probably would not wait more than an hour for it, but I probably wouldnt wait more than an hour for any ride haha. We then got the rum blue milk which we actually really liked, then walked around one more time, and headed out.

So overall it was a cool place, and I will be back, just probably not until things die down a bit.

 

[cj.scribbles]

Sooooooooooo, given that we're coming right up on the release of SW: GE on the 29th and I've seen other Cast Members post their experiences I figured I would do the same.

I will not be posting any pictures unfortunately, or at least not until Batuu is openly receiving travelers out of courtesy to them.
Instead I will be discussing a little about my trip and giving a bit of advice on what to take to prepare for your own journey!

Included will be a list of things I've purchased to give you an idea about prices the average person may be spending.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Storm Central​

At this point I genuinely don't remember which day my friend and I, as well as his daughter and her friends, went to visit Batuu. What does matter though is that it was very, very, very, rainy. Like, torrential downpour type rain that started an hour before we were supposed to go. We decided to head into a quick service location, I don't remember the name of the location since I'm not familiar with DHS, but we waited there for a good hour until it was time to leave.

Now, given that the rest of the day had been super hot and we're both Cast Members, we're pretty used to the rainy weather so it shouldn't have bothered us as much as it probably would your average guest...but we found that to not be the case at all.

Batuu is a mostly open location with little to no cover or 'hideaways' from the rain. Check the forecast before you leave and at the very least make sure to take ponchos with you when you go.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Theming​

I'm not going to lie, the theming is quite literally perfection. Every single thing down to the drinks and trash cans are themed. The Cast Members there are also very dedicated to making sure you're totally immersed in the experience and you can feel their excitement and love for their location. It honestly rivals Pandora for me and while it's not necessarily as lush as a forest setting is the detail to the buildings and the locations are all done with care.

Upon arrival check the back of your map! You'll find that the language that the people of Batuu use is called 'Aurebesh' and the alphabet is placed on the back so you may use it to decipher the language on buildings around you!

Merchandise
​

The merchandise locations are...tiny. Most of them are little alcoves in the 'Marketplace' of which there are about 5 if not more. If you're looking to escape the rain and sun you're a liiiiitle out of luck on that one.

There is also the droid depot, the only in door merchandise location, which you do not need to have a reservation to enter (at least not when I went). One section is for building your droid whereas the next section is for any additional purchases as well as other merchandise.

The last merchandise location is a section that is entirely devoted to Stormtroopers and the Empire - I found it endlessly cute.

Now it's worth noting that there were no discounts offered for Cast Members while I was visiting so I am unsure if they will be taking Annual Passholder or DVC discounts. Given that I work in merchandise I don't see why they wouldn't accept the discounts but be prepared to hear the word, 'no', just in case.

From the merchandise I purchased two small plushies from one of the toy stops -entirely dedicated to kids toys (I nearly bought them all they were so cute omg, you don't even know).

The total was $45.78 for two small plushies. Take that as you may.

Dining
​

I won't outwardly say how I viewed my dining experience, but you may read into this as you wish.

We ate the Cantina -which was beautifully done with detailing and everything, very nice, however the food was a little interesting. Now, it's worth noting that the company has been progressing into something called 'up-scale quickservice' which sounds exactly like how you think it is.

Up scale dining options but in quickservice. Now, when I went there was a bit of a line leading up to the counters to pay that extended around the side of the building. Keep in mind this was during a rainy day with minimal Cast Members to be prepared to wait if you do decide to go to the Cantina.

Of the options I decided to experience a little bit of everything I purchased the 'Smoked Kaadu Ribs', my friend did not purchase a meal but we got the kids each the 'Fried Endorian Tip-Yip Youngling Meal' as well as a desert which was the Oi-Oi Puff.

Smoked Kaadu Ribs $16.99
-Sticky pork ribs, blueberry corn muffin, cabbage slaw
> Does not come with a drink.

! For me the ribs were covered in just a little bit too much seasoning and I was unaware at the time that you can substitute items for different ones on the menu -a rookie mistake. Instead of getting the slaw I would've much preferred the mac n' cheese but to be honest if I hadn't felt so adventurous I probably would've gotten the kids meal. In addition I felt the portion sizes of the ribs were a little too small for me and I still felt hungry after the meal as though I'd had a snack and not a dining experience.

Fried Endorian Tip-Yip Youngling Meal $9.99
-Crispy chicken, mac n' cheese, & seasonal vegetables with a small drink

! Simple and nicely made with good portion sizes. The kids, by then, were incredibly hungry and ate every single piece of their food with zero complaints and actually seemed very pleased. Their drinks were small but reasonable for being a kids meal and they were immensely satisfied and I a little envious lol.

Oi-Oi Puff $6.49
- Raspberry cream puff, passion fruit mousse

! Good raspberry cream but I must say, I find the cream overwhelms the puff -they are not in harmony. But it's still tasty and sweet and I would recommend it as something to try.

Cast Members did get their discount on the dining experience so our total came to be $37.10 after a 20% discount.

In addition I decided to purchase three drinks -sorry, I mean three 'thermal detonators' that were priced at about $5.85 each. The design of the drinks is not the standard of any typical soda and actually makes for a very good souvenir on its own in my opinion. For three drinks at no discount I paid $17.55.

We also got both versions of the milk!
The blue is definitely superior I wont even lie. The green milk tasted like stale smarties -no thanks.

Both of those came to be $13.62. No discounts there either I dont think.

Attractions & Rides
​

Since Cast Members had to rush to pick our options for visiting neither my friend nor I elected to choose the droid or lightsaber building experience so I cannot speak on them too much. All I can say is that the lightsabers look amazing and the droids are super cute and so if those are things that you are interested in then I would say go ahead and do the experience.

I believe both of those attractions are $100+ depending on what you're doing exactly and then you can add on, for example, with the droids -you can purchase personality chips as well.

And from what I've seen and understand the lightsabers are not the flimsy, cheap plastic ones that are more or less light up toys.

As for the rides -of the two that are there only one was up and running when we arrived which was Smuggler's Run. It's worth noting that the second ride will not be available until December -or so I've been told.

I'm not gunna lie, the Millennium Falcon is kind of breath-taking and honestly made me tear up a little. Like, I'm talking every single tiny detail is there. It looks incredible. Any Star Wars lover will honestly die upon seeing it because it's truly something to marvel at and I was very impressed.

The entire queue line for Smuggler's Ride (of which I had a 20 minute wait-time) is actually quite beautiful. TONS of theming and detailing such that you'll never be bored, there's always something new, something interesting to look at that will surprise or intrigue you. It's worth noting that I consider there to be three sections to the line for Smuggler's Run which is only relavant if you don't want to get wet.

The first portion is almost entirely outside or near the edges of the building and if it's raining hard you likely will be waiting there getting wet for awhile.

The second section wraps around the back and into a large alcove. It's honestly one of the only "outdoor" locations there that has cover.

And third section leads up and into the building all the way into the Falcon itself -it's probably the largest of all the sections which means minimal time outside, yay!

Now, neither my friend nor I are really big on rides as we both get really bad motion sickness and I have to say that the consequences of riding with any issues is entirely up to your pilots lol.

When you're doing the trip you'll find that there are three positions -Pilots, Gunners, and Engineers...and our Pilots were having a little trouble. I found that for me the most fun position to actually be in is the Pilot -it requires the most attention out of all the positions but you won't have a terrible experience no matter where you are and if you're going with a large enough group you can actually be in all of the seats at once! It seats 6 at a time -if that matters to anyone and there's plenty of floor space for your stuff.

But it's worth mentioning that while the outside of the park location looks AMAZING IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY....the inside of the Falcon is drop. dead. gorgeous. I'm talking like...I may have shed a tear. Like it genuinely looks like the movies in every way -very cool experience to be INSIDE of it.

CONCLUSION

Total: $114.05
Experience Rating (1-5): 3.8
​

I definitely found Galaxy's Edge to be fun, interesting and new with lots of things to explore but I would say that you dont need to experience EVERYTHING if you're worried about price and quality. If you're looking for a good experience and are unconcerned with pricing then I think you may as well go ahead and try everything like I did. As I said though, you really arent going to be missing very much.

For example, purchasing the kids meals are often much better of a deal throughout the parks and Galaxy's Edge is no different. Dont forget that you can substitute food items for different ones if you have specific dietary needs or if you're a picky eater...like me!

As for merchandise it depends on who you're buying for. For me I purchased a plush for myself and one for my brother who did not come with me. If you're looking to get souvenirs or are purchasing things FOR people I would highly recommend discusses price points and items before going to the park. Keep in mind that you may only be allowed to purchase one of each item.

And as for the attractions and rides?
Definitely worth doing Smuggler's Run and if you're into a bit of a storytelling then building a lightsaber will be super fun for you. And if you LOVE droids then you should build one.

Have fun with it. Try not to stress too much. Consider that most people around you these next few months will be having existential panic attacks -take things in stride, let it go.

Be prepared before you leave the park. Take essentials with you and settle as many questions and issues at your resort before going to the park because once you're there it may be quuuuiteee a while before you get some help.

So I have elected to give a few bullet lists of tips and items I would have taken with me had I known better. Now you may use them to help better your experience.

Thanks for reading and if you have questions feel free to ask!

Suggested Essentials:
- SUNSCREEN : Please stop the plague of sunburnt children. It will be hot, I promise.
- Ponchos / Umbrellas
- Sunglasses
- Water
- Cooling / misting fans or towels
- Snacks or food alternatives
- Strollers : If you have children please bring one. Dont rely on the park to have them readily available because for SWGE we may very well run out quickly.

Suggested Amenities:
- Snacks
- Extra clothes
- Gift Cards
- Any discount cards (AP, DVC, etc.) DO NOT leave them at the hotel!!

Tips
! Request food changes at the register when ordering if necessary and alert Cast Members about food allergies.

! Discuss price points and items of interest prior to visiting.

! Take breaks and drink water often.

! Check in with your group frequently; pay special mind to elders and infants as they are particularly susceptible to heat exhaustion.

! Reapply sunscreen frequently and dress appropriately for hot and rainy weather. An extra change of socks never hurt anyone.

 

[TheHamm]

Consider that most people around you these next few months will be having existential panic attacks -take things in stride, let it go.
An extra change of socks never hurt anyone.

Amen!

 

[Mickey18girl]

I entered Hollywood Studios around 11 am on opening day. No lines at bag check or to get into the park. I was really quite surprised. I registered for a boarding group after entering, and waited just over an hour to get into Galaxy's Edge, again, pretty quick and easy. I heard other people had longer waits... I think the late morning before noon entry was good because you enter before all the people who bought the mid-day magic ticket and by that time any people who rope dropped or came early in the morning have done the land and left. Toy Story ride waits were lower than I expected as well... 20 minutes or so for both Alien Saucers and Toy Story Mania, so I did those two then it was time to enter SWGE.

Once in the land, it did look and feel like you were really there. It was hotter than heck though and a large part of the Millennium Falcon line that I could see was in the sun, with 150 minute wait, so I opted to not do the ride. I would recommend bringing water or water bottles (they had water coolers in several spots with paper cups, but refilling a bottle would give you more to drink), and maybe consider an umbrella for shade if you are there when the sun is out and it is hot. I think the land would be awesome at sunset or at night. Otherwise, lines for most things... I just walked through, but went into the shop next to the droid building workshop and R2D2 was there moving around and you can take pictures with him. Plus, AC!

Unless you have a reservation or are dying to try the food, I would also recommend eating beforehand and not going in there hungry. I also used the restroom before going in, which I'm glad I did as well, as I could navigate through the land without having to find or wait for bathrooms or food/drink. Overall, cool experience and seemed very realistic. If you can, try to ride Star Tours just before going into the land (it has a story line that goes along with SWGE), and maybe just use the FastPass for Slinky Dog, Rock and Roller Coaster or maybe Tower of Terror since at least when I was there, Toy Story land was an easy wait.

UPDATE
Wait for the Smugglers Run really dropped around dinner time. I went back at night and cool atmosphere. I ended up waiting 80 minutes for the ride... 75 was the lowest I saw it go today. They did away from the boarding groups later in the day, so I was able to just walk in to the land. Be sure to have a good phone charge (to keep yourself entertained if needed) and go to the bathroom before you get in line. And I don't recommend drinking too much in line as I thought I'd be smart and slowly drink a frozen margarita from Back Lot while in line. I had to throw some if it away because I was getting the urge to go to the bathroom. (Note: The margarita was good!)

SMUGGLERS RUN THOUGHTS
The line is long but moves regularly. I think there was a missed opportunity to have more interactive things while you wait, like with mine train in MK. There is some cool things to look at, but people's kids around me had tablets and watching movies on cell phones. I pushed some buttons along the way, but just for show. The coolest part was probably "entering" the Falcon. I wish more time could be spent there... maybe like the queue they do with Dumbo.

Also, the ride is totally missing clear instructions. Flight of Passage is WAY better at preparing you. I didn't realize at the time that the little card they give you with your role on the ship also talks about your control buttons, so take a look. Most of us were just gushing over being in the Falcon and not looking at these little cards. So I got distracted at times with not knowing the controls and trying to figure it out... so much that I missed enjoying some of the flight simulation. You either get assigned to be a pilot, gunner or engineer. I was a gunner, but I expected some handheld thing in front of me with shooter trigger. Instead, it was a button on the wall next to me. I somewhat wished the ride was more like Flight of Passage (which I like better) in the sense of just sitting back and experiencing the ride. Otherwise, I think they need to do a better job of explaining the functions of the ride --that line was sure long enough to provide that at multiple points.

TOP TIPS

• Security and park entry was easy on opening day (Thursday), so I wouldn't be concerned about getting there before sunrise to beat the crowds (unless things change later). I think the biggest crowds WERE at park open.
• If arriving morning or late morning, plan to hang out and do attractions in HS for one to two hours before getting in, so plan your FastPasses accordingly
• You might not need to FastPass Toy Story Mania or Alien Saucers... at least when I was there, the wait times were low for these attractions I did both in less than an hour. But if it is hot out or rainy, Toy Story Land isn't the best place to be because limited cover from the elements except for Toy Story Mania (which is super fun)
• Opening day was a weekday and not weekend, which I think helped as an idea to consider when planning your trip... and mid-day magic ticket would work just fine with an entry in the afternoon or evening.
• If you go to the park after 5 pm, there is a good chance you can just walk into the new Star Wars land without waiting
• It is really hot with little shade if you go to Galaxy's Edge during the day, so have on sunscreen and consider bringing an umbrella for shade if you think you'll be waiting in a line for some time.
• Use the bathroom before getting in line for Smugglers Run
• The shortest line for Smugglers Run on opening day was early evening (7ish)
• Watch video or read tips on how to do Smugglers Run before you go. Or otherwise, try not to get too distracted by the buttons so you can soak up the ride experience.
• It's cool at night! (literally and figuratively)
• Get a photo with R2D2 in the gift shop attached to the droid building workshop
• Bring a water bottle (either reusable one or save any drink bottle you purchased earlier). There are places to fill them up
• Have a fully charged or near full charged phone
• Eat before going into the land unless you are going at night or have a reservation

 

[Dakota731]

Any specifics on rides such as motion sickness, scare level for kids, issues for people with neck issue?

 

[TheHamm]

Any specifics on rides such as motion sickness, scare level for kids, issues for people with neck issue?

Motion Sickness: I get nautious on Soarin and FOP, and found it more intense than either of those. The air vents for gunner or engineer come out of the seat in front of you, so I closed my eyes and put my face in the air for a minute and got through it.
Scare level for kids: I took two 6 year olds on the ride. Neither was scared, one wanted to ride again and the other did not. The kid who did not also dislikes coasters (can be coerced onto 7DMT, but not SDD and HATES barnstormer/goofy's flight school), but loves Soarin' so I think it is hard to tell about kiddos. Honestly, I think the scariest part is the pre-load portion as my kids were not cool with Hondo. The ride itself did not have moments that were scary, but lots of movement and some asteroids flying at the screen.

 

[anthony2k7]

So, is it just me or are the wait times a lot shorter than expected? Just 85mins for smugglers run right now. 85 mins for the most eagerly anticipated ride in decades at the biggest theme park resort in the world.

When soaring (and slinky) used to consistently have over 2 hour waits 85 mins for the best ride in a new land seems crazy short.

Meanwhile over on the west coast it's only a 40 min wait. Whilst kids are still on holiday!

Something very odd going on here.

 

[bookgirl2632]

So, is it just me or are the wait times a lot shorter than expected? Just 85mins for smugglers run right now. 85 mins for the most eagerly anticipated ride in decades at the biggest theme park resort in the world.

When soaring (and slinky) used to consistently have over 2 hour waits 85 mins for the best ride in a new land seems crazy short.

Meanwhile over on the west coast it's only a 40 min wait. Whilst kids are still on holiday!

Something very odd going on here.

I think we are also getting a false read here due to Dorian. I’ve seen a lot of chatter about people canceling. It’s also a fast loading ride that doesn’t have to go down because of weather.

 

[anthony2k7]

I think we are also getting a false read here due to Dorian. I’ve seen a lot of chatter about people canceling. It’s also a fast loading ride that doesn’t have to go down because of weather.

Yeah I'm sure Dorian is a factor, but right now smugglers run in DL has 40 min wait whilst space mountain is 60.

 

[yulilin3]

So, is it just me or are the wait times a lot shorter than expected? Just 85mins for smugglers run right now. 85 mins for the most eagerly anticipated ride in decades at the biggest theme park resort in the world.

When soaring (and slinky) used to consistently have over 2 hour waits 85 mins for the best ride in a new land seems crazy short.

Meanwhile over on the west coast it's only a 40 min wait. Whilst kids are still on holiday!

Something very odd going on here.

I've said this a couple of times already but, when at full capacity and when guests listen to cm instructions during loading the attraction is a fast loader, the cm are trained to load a pod every 45 seconds, their hourly goals are 1600 guests per hour which they have already hit a couple of times since previews started, they actually been told efficiency is better here than DL.

 

[Headrock6]

Have they needed the Virtual Queue at all today? I looked early morning and was open then but haven’t checked since. I will say the wait times for every park amazing at this point.

 

[yulilin3]

Have they needed the Virtual Queue at all today? I looked early morning and was open then but haven’t checked since. I will say the wait times for every park amazing at this point.

They haven't

 

[Miffy]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I've really enjoyed reading this thread.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

I want to write a full day report and some reviews on the stuff from galaxys edge, do I post it here or in the trips report board? or do I make a new thread here.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I think we are also getting a false read here due to Dorian. I’ve seen a lot of chatter about people canceling. It’s also a fast loading ride that doesn’t have to go down because of weather.

I've said this a couple of times already but, when at full capacity and when guests listen to cm instructions during loading the attraction is a fast loader, the cm are trained to load a pod every 45 seconds, their hourly goals are 1600 guests per hour which they have already hit a couple of times since previews started, they actually been told efficiency is better here than DL.

Not having FP also helps the line move quicker.

 

[yulilin3]

Not having FP also helps the line move quicker.

100%agree. I wonder what the wait vtimes would be for FoP if it didn't have a fp

 

[Liljo22]

I've said this a couple of times already but, when at full capacity and when guests listen to cm instructions during loading the attraction is a fast loader, the cm are trained to load a pod every 45 seconds, their hourly goals are 16k guests per hour which they have already hit a couple of times since previews started, they actually been told efficiency is better here than DL.

16K or 1600? Disney was saying 1800 was theoretical max capacity.

 

[yulilin3]

16K or 1600? Disney was saying 1800 was theoretical max capacity.

yes I'm sorry 1600, I'll correct the above post