The Unofficial Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Opening hours, access, and Fastpass procedures for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are likely to change over the coming months. Check back regularly, as we will update all of our information as it becomes available.

On August 29th the eagerly awaited 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In addition to two main rides, the land has several shops and eateries. However, Galaxy’s Edge opened with only the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run in operation. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened December 5, 2019.

HOW TO ENTER STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE
(CURRENT INFORMATION)

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is one of the most detailed and immersive lands ever created. The land and its attractions will be popular for a very long time. Opening procedures and access to the land therefore may change according to season and capacity.

UPDATE DECEMBER 5: If you plan on experiencing Disney’s latest attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, you will need to secure a spot in a free, virtual boarding queue and join a boarding group. Information on how to do this is available here.

Disney walks the first wave of guests to enter the park each morning straight into Galaxy’s Edge. However, if the area approaches its maximum capacity, direct entry to the land may be temporarily shut off. At this point, guests must use their smartphones and go to the Walt Disney World app (or visit one of the kiosks located around the park) to secure a spot in a free, virtual queue and join a boarding group. See a flyer with instructions below:

Once inside the land, there is no limit on how long you can stay inside Galaxy’s Edge. However, once you exit the land, you may need another boarding pass to re-enter if capacity restrictions are in operation.

Fastpass+ service is offered at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run as of February 19, 2020. Fastpass+ service is not currently offered for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but free Virtual Boarding Passes are available daily at park opening.

If money is not an issue, staying at the BoardWalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan, or Dolphin will put you in walking distance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Staying at one of these is likely a better option than taking a boat to the park. Resorts along the Skyliner route may have an advantage in reaching Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, as long as the gondolas are operating efficiently.

Down the road, Disney will probably offer Early Morning Magic and After Hours opportunities to get into Galaxy’s Edge before the park opens or after it closes. This special access will, of course, come with a price, but it might be the best way to experience Galaxy’s Edge without huge crowds. 

ABOUT THE NEW LAND AND OTHER RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is an outpost in the village of Black Spire, on the planet of Batuu. Formerly a busy trading port and waypoint before the invention of light speed–capable transportation, it’s now a dusty backwater filled with bounty hunters, smugglers, and those who make a living by not being recognized. As if that wasn’t enough, members of the Resistance and First Order live in and around Black Spire in an uneasy coexistence.

Galaxy’s Edge has two access points, one via Grand Avenue and one via Toy Story Land. Entering through Grand Avenue puts you in the middle of the Resistance’s encampment, while the entrance closest to Toy Story Land is controlled by the First Order.

In the First Order section of the park, guests complete a critical mission on the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. How you do on the mission has high stakes: perform with skill, and you may earn extra galactic credits, while bringing the ship back banged up could put you on the list of bounty hunter Harkos, and you may face a problem if you show up at the local cantina.

On the other side of the land, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will make guests feel like they’re inside a hangar bay in the middle of a fight between the First Order and the Resistance. The ride will have a large amount of animatronics and scenes with almost life-size AT-ATs. 

THE RIDES

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Riding in the cockpit of the fabled Millennium Falcon fulfills the dreams of many Star Wars fans. Hondo Ohnaka, a well-known businessman (also known as a smuggler), has cut a deal with Chewbacca to use the Falcon, and he’s recruiting a flight crew to help him deliver hard-to-find items to his clientele. This is where you come in.

As you wait in the ride’s queue, you are handed boarding cards, which break riders into groups of six: two pilots, two engineers, and two gunners. Before getting into the cockpit, riders are led into the lounge of the Millennium Falcon, complete with the famous Dejarik (holochess) table. Once the boarding call comes, riders are led into the exceptionally detailed cockpit of the ship. With the jobs assigned, it’s time to jump into hyperspace. 

The motion simulator ride is similar to Star Tours, except that you and the rest of the crew are given partial control of the Millennium Falcon, and what happens next depends on the actions of the six people controlling the ship. Furthermore, your actions in the cockpit have consequences and will follow you throughout your stay at Galaxy’s Edge. Be prepared to do your best— because who wants to be known throughout the galaxy as the one who wrecked the Millennium Falcon?

There are more than 100 buttons, switches, and levers in the cockpit, and each one does something when activated; watch for indicator rings to illuminate around certain controls, clueing you in to the correct moment to punch them. Your mission (with other random variations possible in the future) sees you hijacking a speeding train carrying Coaxium hyperfuel. Two stationary simulators allow disabled guests to experience the attraction without interrupting operations for other guests. The ride has a 38″ height requirement.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance 
A mobile Resistance gun turret tucked into a scrubland forest marks the entrance to the most epic indoor dark ride in Disney theme park history. Rise of the Resistance is an innovative attempt to integrate at least four different ride experiences—trackless vehicles, a motion simulator, walk-through environments, and even an elevator drop—into one of Disney’s longest attractions ever. 

The adventure begins as guests explore the Resistance military outpost, laser-carved out of ancient stone. An animatronic BB-8 rolls in, accompanied by a hologram of Rey (Daisy Ridley), who invites you to seek refuge from the First Order at General Organa’s hidden headquarters.

Several dozens of guests at a time exit the briefing room to board a standing-room-only shuttlecraft piloted by Nien Numb, a character seen in Return of the Jedi; as the ship breaks orbit, guests feel the rumble and see Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) accompanying the transport in his X-Wing. 

Before you can reach your destination, a Star Destroyer snags the shuttle in its tractor beam and sucks the transporter, recruits and all, into its belly. When the doors to the shuttlecraft reopen, riders have been convincingly transported into an enormous hangar, complete with 50 Stormtroopers, TIE Fighters, and a 100-foot-wide bay window looking into outer space.

Cast Members clad as First Order officers brusquely herd the captive guests into holding rooms to await their interrogation by none other than Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson, appearing again as a Musion hologram following his role as Bill Weasley in Universal’s Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts).

Before long, you’re making a break for it in an eight-passenger (two rows of four seats) troop transport with an animatronic droid as your driver. The car is capable of traveling in any direction without a fixed track. 

The ride blends dozens of robotic characters and enormous sets with video projections that create some of the most overwhelming environment ever seen in an indoor ride.

One sequence sends you in between the legs of two towering AT-ATs while dodging laser fire from legions of Stormtroopers, while another puts you face-to-face with the Solo-slaying Kylo Ren. 

In the epic finale (spoiler alert!), you’ll survive an escape pod’s dramatic crash back on Batuu. Be prepared for a brief but exhilarating drop enhanced by digital projections.

With an immersive experience that lasts about 20 minutes from first preshow to final exit, Rise of the Resistance will blow your mind. As far as physical thrills go, it’s less intense than Tower of Terror or Dinosaur, but if you have a very weak stomach the escape pod scene could loosen your lunch! The ride has a 40″ minimum height requirement, and child swap is available. FastPass is not offered for Rise of the Resistance at this time, and no single rider option is available.

GALACTIC SHOPPING EXPERIENCES AWAIT

A merchant’s alley is home to shops and merchant stalls. One stall is overseen by a Toydarian, a creature fans first encountered on Tatooine in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; it’s the home of playthings and dolls. Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities sells ancient artifacts, also known as memorabilia from the movies and prebuilt legacy lightsabers.

Creature Stall has unique companions, such as cackling Kowakian monkey–lizards, for you to take home. The biggest hits, however, are The Droid Depot, where guests can build their own droid, and Savi’s Workshop, where guests design their own one-of-a-kind lightsaber. 

Costumes and Galaxy’s Edge–related clothes are available at Black Spire Outfitters. Hats, pins, badges, and souvenirs are sold at Resistance Supply (for those who are with the Force) and at First Order Cargo (for those who have crossed to the Dark Side). 

The Droid Depot and Savi’s Workshop fill up quickly, and if your heart is set on building a droid or lightsaber, reservations are highly recommended for entry to these experiences. Note that Savi’s Workshop, can only accommodate 14 builders per session (20 minutes per session). The cost of a droid unit is $99.99 plus tax; the price includes a carrying box and instructions. Accessories for your unit are available for an additional charge. Building your own lightsaber (which includes a carrying box) will cost you $199.99 plus tax. Additional customization items can be purchased at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. 

With limited capacity Disney implemented a reservation system for Savi’s Workshop and Droid Depot. Said reservation includes guaranteed entry into Galaxy’s Edge. But be warned that a credit card will be required to make a reservation and you will be charged a cancellation fee ($200 for the lightsaber, $100 for a droid) if you are a no-show. 

To make reservations, visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—Status and Access in the My Disney Experience app or visit:
— disneyworld.com/SavisWorkshop
— disneyworld.com/DroidDepot

Limited same-day, walk up opportunities are available. Please check at the location for availabilities.

MEETING STAR WARS CHARACTERS

Within the land, guests encounter familiar characters from the movies, including Chewbacca, members of the First Order, and—among many others—Captain Rex, the RX-series droid pilot of Star Tours fame, who takes on a new role in the land as a DJ at Oga’s Cantina.

On Batuu, cast members interact with visitors—staying in character at all times. Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren roam the land, on the lookout for guests suspected to be willing to help the Resistance. Rey and Chewbacca also engage with visitors. It’s a treat to watch Chewie trying to fix ships of the Resistance’s fleet.

DINING ON BATUU

The main eatery inside the land is Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, a quick-service restaurant. According to Disney lore, it’s the home of Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs, the former chef at Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana from The Force Awakens. The restaurant, housed in a working hangar bay, serves beef pot roast, roasted chicken or fish, and vegetarian dishes. At Oga’s Cantina, the galaxy’s most infamous watering hole, join smugglers, rogue traders, and bounty hunters for Bespin Fizz, Bloody Rancor, Dagobah Slug Slinger, Jedi Mind Trick, and T-16 Skyhopper, just to name a few.

Oga’s Cantina is a super-headliner, so long lines form as soon as visitors arrive. Make a reservation for a visit to the popular watering hole 180 days in advance via My Disney Experience or visit disneyworld.com/Cantina. Please check at the location for same-day availability. A no-show fee of $10 per person will be charged to your credit card if you decide not to go or use the reservation solely to obtain a guaranteed entry into Galaxy’s Edge. 

Ronto Roasters serves meats roasted over an old pod racer’s engine (wraps filled with spiced grilled sausage and roasted pork, or chicken and veggies). At The Milk Stand try the famous blue or green milk. A popcorn stand dubbed Kat Saka’s Kettle sells a sweet-and-salty popcorn snack with a hint of spice.

Once more, opening hours, access, and Fastpass procedures for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are likely to change over the coming months. Check back regularly, as we will update all of our information as it becomes available.

DRESS CODE

Before you go through the works of gearing up in your favorite Star Wars costumes, be advised that costumes may not be worn by guests 14 years of age or older. Disney’s current Costume Policy is in effect at all times. Disney bounding, however, is permitted. The boundary can be blurry, but basically full-body robes and armor are banned, while shorter tunics and jackets are allowed.

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