Rob on Holiday

Earlier today, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge opened at Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World in Florida. I was lucky enough to be there so without further ado, here’s my report.

We decided to set the alarm at 2am and were delighted when the lady on the Port Orleans reception told us that the Disney buses had been running since 8 o’clock the previous evening. However, after waiting for 15 minutes, no bus arrived so we bottled it and ordered a taxi! Things appeared to be moving smoothly but then we hit a jam on the entry road at 3am. Luckily this was a temporary hiccup and we were heading to the Hollywood Studios entrance by 3.30.

When I saw the thin crowd at the gate, I assumed that they were letting people in in batches, but I was gobsmacked to learn that this was actually the front of the queue! There were only 6 people in front of us for our turnstile, which meant we were probably in the first 200 overall. Official opening time was 6am so we settled in for a long wait. Once again, we got lucky: they checked our tickets/bands at 4.00, we waited for half an hour on the boulevard and then the cast members directed us to the area in front of Galaxy’s Edge. With excitement building, we were finally granted entry at 4.50.

As many readers will know, there is currently only one ride open, so we immediately joined the teeming mass heading for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. On our way, we passed a jubilant Chewbacca, who was punching the air, but his trademark Wookiee growl was lost in the huge cheers from the guests. As we raced towards the queue, hundreds of Disney cast members were waving and cheering at us, and it was impossible to take in all the details as there we so much to look at and listen to. High on a gantry to our right, a couple of stormtroopers prowled menacingly.

Queuing at theme parks can be a bit of a drag, but not in this case. As we passed down corridors seemingly cut into the stone, through cargo bays and workshops, the true beauty of this new land was brought to life. Little nicks in the metalwork, perhaps from laser blasts, worn-looking crates and digital displays using some unknown font all added to the sense of being right in the middle of the Star Wars universe. We queued less than 30 minutes before getting on the ride (we were both gunners sitting behind the pilots) which made for an exhilarating ride. There was a tremendous feeling of satisfaction as you pushed the button, releasing a blast and downing TIE fighters.

After leaving the ride at approximately 5.40, I noticed that the stand-by queue had already reached 5 hours! I think that the single rider option will be great here because once you are in the cockpit, you are not really sitting with anybody anyway. We now wandered around the land waiting for the sun to come up so that we could get some photos. People who have visited Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland California say that you have to see it both day and night – due to the opening time, we got to see both in one short visit!

There were queues for all shops and experiences, and one of the downsides of opening morning was that you couldn’t really move freely. There was a huge line against every wall and building, but it was still a worthwhile experience overall. I got my thermal detonator cokes; we saw a great little story involving Rey, Chewie and a mechanic – the mech asking a guest if he could translate Chewie’s words; the storm troopers mingled with the crowd warning people to be careful; Chewbacca often makes his famous growl as he strolls past you; occasional overhead roars make you feel like you are in a spaceport in one of the films. This is a truly immersive experience, and any fan of the films will be thrilled with the attention to detail on display in the architecture, the worn-out look of the stone and metalwork and the droids lying about here and there.

We couldn’t get any reservations for the cantina, droid building or light sabre workshop, but in our 2-and-a-half-hour visit, we experienced more than enough to make the visit worthwhile. I’ll be interested to read other reports of opening day because I think there was a lot of luck (in the timing of our arrival) in making our visit so special. I spoke to another guest from the UK who told me that he arrived by car and at first, was turned away from the resort and had to drive in a huge loop to come back for a second go. He got lucky because on his second pass, they’d just opened the car park and he was 9th car in line. I wonder how many guests had a similar experience but then ended up at the end of a very long queue.

To be fair to Disney, there was no easy way of catering for such fevered anticipation. They decided to open on Thursday at the end of the summer season, and they held back the Rise of the Resistance attraction until December. I get the impression that they used a combination of rumours and misinformation to create a bit of confusion that was aimed at ensuring the whole world didn’t turn up at the same time. From a guests point-of-view, it’s reasonable to have a complaint about not enough info in the build-up to the opening – especially if you missed out on getting in early. But the Disney Imagineers have done an outstanding job on the land itself, and the fact that the park is open from 6am every day until November (6-9 for Disney hotel guests only from Sunday) means that they are giving visitors every chance of experiencing this fascinating new world.

Watch my Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Opening Day Vlog here: