Recently, Barron’s was given a tour of the construction site in the back of Disneyland Park that will soon be home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Much of what they shared in their article is already known, but there are a few new highlights of the 14-acre expansion.
The Tour
The reporter walked the construction site with executives from construction, operations, and Imagineering during a recent afternoon.
As with other areas of the Disneyland Resort, the entrance to the land features “short, enclosed passageways between lands [that] are designed to compress and then expand the view of visitors, like a movie fading out and then back in, to ensure the first sight of Galaxy’s Edge is a carefully framed, cinematic view.”
We already know that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set in the Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, at the outer limits of the universe. The area was mentioned in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but is also included in the books “Thrawn: Alliances” and the upcoming “Star Wars: Pirate’s Price.”
Buildings in the new land are meant to look weathered and will feature the attention to detail that Disney is known for. Imagineers visited Morocco and Istanbul, but instead of taking in the tourist attractions, they were taking pictures of details like “a door coming off its hinges.”
While at one point over 1,000 workers were busy at the Disneyland construction site, the crew is down to 600 now. While workers are being told background stories of the areas they are working on, executives are saying that even their own families haven’t visited yet.
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
As detailed in the upcoming book “Star Wars: Pirate’s Price (excerpt HERE),” the pirate Hondo Ohnaka brought the Millennium Falcon to the planet Batuu.
The entrance to the attraction itself will have subtle signage, so that it keeps the theme of the land. The interior of the Falcon will be familiar to most guests and even includes the 3D chess board.
The experience is meant to be different during each visit. Guests in groups of six will “fly” the ship, with their actions during the ride not only affecting the ride story itself, but possibly experiences in the rest of the land.
The queue for the attraction will take guests through “highly themed interiors that evoke rundown rooms the Resistance has repurposed as a base for operations against the First Order.”
Guests may be captured, then board a trackless troop transport that will encounter several scenes, which may include Kylo Ren, stormtroopers, and AT-ATs.
“Up close, these towering metal beasts do not disappoint.”
The restaurant, the first public space to serve alcohol in Disneyland, is small to maintain the theme. To encourage guests not to linger, there is very limited seating and most guests will stand. A few booths will be placed along the wall.
The interactive cantina will feature “an intricate tangle of tubes and vessels behind the bar might make some drinks appear to flow from the ceiling.”
Blue milk will be available in the new land, but its not clear yet if it will be available in Oga’s Cantina or another location.
One shop in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will feature a build-your-own droid kiosk that guests will be able to “customize through an interactive experience.” For example, droids owned by friends and family might be able to recognize each.
Dok-Ondar, a character from Solo: A Star Wars Story, will be featured in another shop, interacting with the staff from his booth. The character may be audio-animatronic.
There will also be an outdoor shopping area meant to look like a bazaar.
Merchandise will likely come in special packaging and include items not found elsewhere.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set to open this summer at Disneyland Park, possibly June, and late 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Source: Barron’s
Tom is the former host and producer of the Disneyland Edition podcast, and is now providing Disneyland content from the parks. He enjoys traveling with friends and spending time with family, including his son and grandson. In his spare time he volunteers with Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts, and help found his son's former Cub Scout Pack. His favorite Disneyland attraction is Space Mountain.
