VER SINCE THE Star Wars saga
blasted onto cinema screens in 1977,
movie lovers the world over have made
makeshift lightsabers out of broom
handles, pretended to open automatic
doors using the Force and engaged in
tense playground arguments about who
gets to be Han/Luke/Leia/Chewie. And
although many a committed Star Wars
fan has dabbled in creative cosplay to feel
a little closer to that fabled galaxy far, far
away, none have ever been able to visit
a place that lets you feel like you’re
actually in one of the movies – until now.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the brand
new billion-dollar, 14-acre land that was
unveiled in May at Disneyland Resort in
California (and soon to open at Walt
Disney World Resort in Florida on 29
August), and the Mouse House has spared
no expense when it comes to making
Galaxy’s Edge the most technologically
advanced and fully immersive land
expansion in Disneyland history.
Tocompletethefantasy,Lucasfilmhas
createda canon-approvedlocalecalled
BlackSpireOutpostlocatedontheplanet
Batuu,essentiallytheWildWestofthe
StarWarsuniversewhereshady
smugglersmixwiththeFirstOrderand
hiddenResistancefighters.Everysight
andsoundintheexpansivelandis
renderedinmovieaccuratedetail,from
thepipedmusiccomposedbyJohn
WilliamstotheR2-D2tracksembedded
intheconcretebeneathyourfeet.
“Ithinkgrownmenaregoingtocry.
I thinkpeoplearegoingtofalltotheir
kneesandstartkissingtheground,”says
MargaretKerrison,theManagingStory
EditoratWaltDisneyImagineeringand
oneofthemanytalentedpeople
responsibleforbringingGalaxy’sEdgeto
life.“Allthesethingssoundlikean
exaggeration,butI feellikeit’sgoingto
happen.Whenwefirststartedworkingon
Galaxy’sEdge,I rememberthinking:
I wanttowalkintothislandandbeon
thesamelevelaseveryoneelse– from
thereallyhardcoreStarWarsfan,to
someonewhoknowsnothingaboutStar
Wars. I wanttohavethaturgencyto
exploreandtodiscover,andtorun
aroundeverycornerandtomeetevery
singledroidandalieninthisland.”
Empirewastherefortheopeningof
Galaxy’sEdgeandgottofullyexploreits
wondersbeforeit wasopenedtothepublic.
Herearethekeythingsyou’llfindtherethat
willhaveyoufeelinglikeyou’reinStar
Wars:EpisodeX – WhereDoI ApplyTo
BecomeA PermanentBatuuResident
BecauseI NeverWantToLeaveHere...
FLYTHEMILLENNIUMFALCON
“Thefastesthunkofjunkinthegalaxy”
is broughttolifewithMillenniumFalcon:
Smuggler’sRun,a jaw-droppingmotion
ridethatputsyourightinthehotseat
oftheshipthatmadetheKesselRunin
lessthan 12 parsecs.
Visitorsarebriefedontheirmission
fromanincrediblylife-likeanimatronic
HondoOhnaka(asmugglerseeninthe
TVseriesStarWars:CloneWarsandStar
WarsRebels) beforeenteringtheFalcon
viatheiconicmainholdoftheship
whereChewieonceplayedDejarik(space
chess,forthenewbs)withArtoo.
Thenit’sintothecockpitwhereteams
ofsixaregiventheroleofpilot,gunneror
engineer,eachcrewexperiencingthejoys
ofpunchingit intohyperspace,blasting
enemyTIEfighterstobitsandfeeling
everygravity-defyingmoveoftheFalcon.
It’sasclosetoflyinga starship
throughspaceasyou’reevergoingto
get,andmuchlikeHanSoloattheendof
A NewHopewhenheblastsDarthVader’s
TIEfighterintoa tailspin,youwill
unquestionablybewhoopingwithjoy.
MillenniumFalcon: Smuggler’sRunis
currentlythesolerideatGalaxy’sEdge,
butanothercalledStarWars: RiseOfThe
Resistance,whichputsyouinthemiddle
ofonepicResistancevs.FirstOrder
battlethatseesyouescapingfroma
StarDestroyer,is onthewaysoon
(5December 2019 atWaltDisneyWorld
ResortinFloridaand 17 January 2020
atDisneylandResort,California).GETADRINKATACANTINA
Justlikethedingycantinafullofalien
no-goodsinA NewHope, Galaxy’sEdge
featuresitsveryownintergalactichiveof
scumandvillainy/ bar:Oga’sCantina.
Oga’sis theonlyplacein Disneyland
licensedtosellalcohol,meaningblurring
thelinebetweenfantasyandrealityis a
cinchthankstoa rangeofspacecocktails
withalluringnameslikeFuzzyTauntaun,
FrozenCarboniteandOuterRim.
InlieuofFigrinD’anandtheModal
Nodesplayingtunes,themusicatOga’s
is suppliedbyDJR-3X(Rex),a droid
voicedbyPaul‘Pee-WeeHerman’Reubens
whowaslastseenasthepilotfor
Disneyland’soriginalStarTours
attraction.Disappointingly,hedoesn’t
takerequests.BUILDYOUROWN
LIGHTSABER
Thosekeentotakehomea lightsaberwill
notbeleftwantingatGalaxy’sEdge.The
excellentlynamedDok-Ondar’sDenOf
Antiquities– hometoa hostofStarWars
eastereggs,includinga full-size,
taxidermicWampa– offersa widerange
ofmovie-replicalightsabers.
Thosewantingtotakeit nextlevelcan
acceptaninvitefromthemysterious
‘Gatherers’toenterthecovertSavi’s
Workshopwhereyoucancustom-build
yourownlightsaberbychoosinga
colouredkybercrystalandassembling
a hiltfroma varietyofparts– noneof
whicharemophandles,it turnsout. ❯Clockwise from
above: Punch it!
Millennium Falcon:
Smuggler’s Run lets
you feel the force of
hyperspace; build
your own custom
lightsaber at Savi’s
Workshop; DJ Rex
laying down some fat
beats; enjoy a Frozen
Carbonite at Oga’s.