A May the 4th morning trip report from Galaxy’s Edge: mugs, merch, mystery cupcakes, and the milk that let us down.
Every year on May 4th, Star Wars fans around the galaxy (and at Disney parks) celebrate Star Wars Day. The date was chosen for a beloved pun: “May the Fourth be with you,” a riff on the franchise’s iconic blessing, “May the Force be with you.” At Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the day brings limited-edition merchandise drops, exclusive food and drink offerings, cosplay meetups, and special in-park moments across Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge; the immersive land set in Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu.
If you’re planning a visit on May 4th for the first time, let this be your forewarning: the Star Wars areas will be crowded. Our mission this year was a simple half-day in and out: get in, grab the [DJ-R3X mug, maybe a snack or novelty or two] and get out. Here’s how it went.
Arriving at Galaxy’s Edge: Crowds, Cosplay & the Uninformed
Guests flooded in through Grand Avenue, with crowd management Cast Members attempting to split the mass into two streams: left toward Rise of the Resistance, and right toward merchandise shops and everything else in the land.
Unlike the last few years of May the 4ths, there weren’t a ton of guests dressed in cosplays or full costumes in the morning. Amongst the sea of Star Wars t-shirts and button downs, there were a handful of Jedis, some Darth Vader younglings, and the occasional aged prop or bedazzled helmet in tow. We suspect the more devoted cosplayers will show up later in the day for sunset or nighttime lightsaber meetups.
Stormtroopers and the Mandolorian were roaming Batuu, with crowds swarming around them and quickly following behind.
We overheard a few guests expressing genuine surprise at how crowded the park was, they seemed to be completely out of the loop on Star Wars Day. It’s hard not to feel for first-time visitors who travel to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 4th with no idea what they’re walking into. If you know, you know… and if you don’t, the crowds will tell you.
However, attraction waits were surprisingly manageable. It seems the crowds were mostly there for the merch and to just be *in* Batuu. Rise of the Resistance’s standby sat around 65 minutes, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run was 25 minutes, and just outside, Star Tours was an easy 20 minutes at the most.
The Mission: Oga’s Cantina & the DJ-R3X Mug
Our primary objective was the DJ-R3X souvenir mug from Oga’s Cantina that released today. As soon as we entered the land, close to 8:40am, we jumped into the to-go queue for Oga’s. By 9:05am we were inside and had our new DJ-R3X mugs in hand, drinks served on the side in plastic to-go cups.
For $49, the souvenir mug is served with a Kamino Cooler: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Bold Blue Curaçao, Passion Fruit Syrup, DOLE Pineapple Juice, and Lime Juice. Refreshing!
TIP: No reservation? Use the to-go queue. If you can’t snag an Oga’s Cantina reservation on any day at the park, keep the outdoor to-go queue in mind next time you want (need) a souvenir mug, or have a hankering for a Fuzzy Tauntaun!
“Souvenir Popped Grains Bucket”
We also picked up one of the novelty popcorn buckets, available today on a mobile order basis. The pick-up point was near the First Order Cargo area — the tunnel where the Starcruiser used to drop off Halcyon guests, for those who remember.
After placing an order in the My Disney Experience app, we picked up our Jabba’s Sail Barge bucket, with a side of chipotle cheese popcorn. Think nacho cheese flavoring with an extra kick that builds as you eat.
The Salvaged Protocol Droid bucket was also available here.
Merchandise: The Longest Lines of the Morning
The merchandise lines were the longest we saw all morning. They stretched around buildings and down walkways, with rope switchbacks set up to manage the masses.
Available merchandise, which rolled out over the past few weeks, included new pieces featuring Darth Vader, Endor, Imperial Stormtroopers, Jabba the Hutt, and the Mandolorian and Grogu.
A virtual queue opened in the app this morning to shop limited-edition May the 4th-branded items inside Vacation Fun near Echo Lake. We entered the virtual queue around 8:30am and landed Group #107. By 9:20am we noticed the queue was closed or paused, and by the time we left at noon, it had crawled along at a glacial pace to #17.
Within Black Spire Outpost, new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge comics launched with a matching character figurine.
The other shops within the marketplace Black Spire Outpost didn’t have anything special for the day, but each were packed with guests.
Seeing an extra long saber blade box sticking out of a Disney trash can is not uncommon today:
Limited-Time Star Wars Treats: Taste Test
These offerings will be available at the park throughout the month, but we wanted to partake in the kickoff festivities. We tried two menu items:
Your Chosen Path Cupcake | Backlot Express
This Cookies and Cream cupcake with marshmallow buttercream features a mystery lightsaber frosting color hidden inside: red and blue are the most common, green is a little more rare, and purple and white are the rarest reveals.
The vanilla cake has actual Oreo cookie pieces baked in, and the frosting is something like “grey stuff”: a whipped cookies-and-cream style, topped with a white chocolate X-wing.
Fluffy cake, great cookies and cream flavors, AND mystery fun? I give this a 4 out of 5 Death Stars.
Pink Milk | the Milk Stand, Batuu
This rice milk-based drink features sweet and fruity notes, and I agree: it’s very heavy on the sweet. Think bubblegum or cotton candy in a cup. Because it’s rice-milk based, it’s watery and very sugary with the added syrups. Unless you have a dedicated sweet tooth, you can skip this one.
This was bubblegum overload, which was not my [Cantina] jam… 1 out of 5 Bantha poodoo.
One Last Ride: Star Tours
Before heading out, we boarded Flight 1401 for a zip around the galaxy. One of Star Tours’ greatest features is its randomized destination system with each ride combining different segments for a nearly unique experience every time, with dozens of possible combinations. Our combo this time: Darth Vader + Hoth + Ahsoka + Naboo.
The best part? The outdoor queue area was extended for standby so we could walkthrough the Ewok Village! And just for a moment, it felt like Star Wars Weekends…
Overall, we had a pretty pleasant Star Wars Day! Sure, it’s busy, but there’s a true sense of community that buzzes around Batuu and Star Tours on this particular May date… AND we successfully picked up what we wanted with ease (sans merchandise virtual queue).
Hey, May the Force Be with You.
For more Star Wars fun, check out the DIS Unlimited’s recent vlog!
