“Spaceships and aliens and stormtroopers and lightsabers and droids and all in one attraction.” That is how Scott Trowbridge, a designer of Disney theme parks, described the new addition to Disney World, commonly referred to as “Star Wars World” in an interview with MSN. “[It’s] everything that makes Star Wars Star Wars.”
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a one-billion dollar expansion to Disney, and is a truly engaging experience. It took over 4,000 people to create it of all different professions, and has been described as “a labor of love.”
“We really dig into the subject matter and look for references whether it’s based on a story, a movie, you know, or a real place on Earth,” said Zsolt Hormay, a creative executive of rockwork and themed finishes for Walt Disney Imagineering in an article on StarWars.com. “We really do a very thorough job to make sure that what we deliver to the guests are as believable and as correct as possible…our job is to make sure that our guests really feel where they’re supposed to be.” In order to create a truly realistic and all-consuming experience, the team studied cities in Turkey and Morroco to understand how cities change over long periods of time.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set on the fictional planet Batuu, which is in the edges of the Star Wars franchise galaxy. The park is designed to look like a place named Black Spire Outpost. The park has that rough, earth-toned charm that hooked the original viewers and drew them into this universe. After around 40 years, those original fans can finally step into this world and experience all the aspects they wished for longingly while in the theater.
“Star Wars was the defining pop culture item of my youth. You never really outgrow something like that. Being able to enjoy the new trilogy with my kids has reignited my love of the whole Star Wars universe, so I can’t wait to see the park,” says Mahesh U., a Star Wars enthusiast and Longfellow parent.
It seems that the park lives up to its hype. Fans who have been there have posted comments to the Star Wars website like “a dream come true” and “perfectly done.” Many of the comments also express their amazement at the creativity of the designers and all the tiny details.
Characters from all time periods can be found roaming at the park, from Chewbacca to Rey. In addition to these well-known characters from the movies, the designers of the park took the characters to another level. There are characters that are only from the animations, such as Hondo Ohnaka, a space pirate from The Clone Wars.
There are also several rides, as it is a theme park. You have the chance to pilot the famous ship, Millenium Falcon in the ride Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. There is also one called Rise of the Resistance, where you can face off against Kylo Ren, an antagonist of the “new era” films.
“You’re immersed in Star Wars. You can’t hear or see any of Disneyland. It’s just perfectly done. The scale of everything was overwhelmingly amazing, especially the Millennium Falcon and all of the detail to it. It exceeded my expectations,” commented one thrilled parkgoer, on the Star Wars website.
In order to make visitors feel like “locals” of Black Spire Outpost, there are many things that most parts of Disney don’t have. For example, you cannot actually buy branded Star Wars items. There are marketplace stands that are part of the park and you can buy authentic Batuu souvenirs there. You can buy the cards from Han Solo’s favorite card game, Sabacc. You can buy instruments from the cantina. There is also a “rare antique shop” of sorts, where, for a price, you can buy legendary things from around the galaxy. For example, you can buy the necklace Princess Leia wore at the end of A New Hope, as well as lightsabers and lightsaber handles from Vader to Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice’s, Ahsoka Tano, from The Clone Wars.
Of course, like all theme parks, there is also food to enjoy, but like the souvenirs, it is truly authentic. The Disney chefs had to be creative, as food isn’t the first thing you think of when you hear “Star Wars,” but they offer a variety of dishes for the guests’ enjoyment. There is blue (and green!) milk available for fans to enjoy that Luke drinks throughout the franchise, Yobshrimp noodle salad (marinated noodle salad accompanied by chilled shrimp) and fried Endorian tip-yip (chicken), Oi-oi puff (a raspberry cream puff with an accompaniment of passionfruit mousse), and Batuu-bon (chocolate cake with a white chocolate mousse and coffee custard).
“Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” is a truly unique experience, more like an interactive theater than a park. Fans of all ages can enjoy and recognize the awe, adventure, and hope that Star Wars brings and that nobody else can replicate.