tAll Encompassing Disney Thread

[pepper brooks 580]

14 hours ago, mdmost said:

Caught some glimpse of the Star Wars Land construction from Big Thunder Mountain and the Tarzan Treehouse. That place is going to be so kickass, bros. We're not going back till a good 6-12 months after that thing opens because you'll need at least a day or 2 to go through it. I read that the wait time for the Millenium Falcon ride will be 6 hours the first day it opens. Here's a video that came out on Christmas Day about it.

 

I saw it back there as well. Looks incredible 

I hope they put a couple of California screaming level rides back there. They badly need some more adrenaline reviving rides.  

[mdmost 42997]

Saw today that DLR was at peak capacity at noon PST. Not sure if that meant turning away guests or not. We had a great time. Please don’t get me wrong but I don’t plan to go at that time ever again unless we go in early December. I damn sure not going till Star Wars Land is well broken in and frankly probably going to the WDW version in early to very late summer 2020.

[mdmost 42997]

8 minutes ago, pepper brooks said:

I saw it back there as well. Looks incredible 

I hope they put a couple of California screaming level rides back there. They badly need some more adrenaline reviving rides.  

It will only have 2 E Ticket attractions. The Millenium Falcon ride where 6 people pair up to pilot, be gunners, or be engineers to keep the Falcon flying. Supposedly based on how well you do, you’ll get either additional missions later or get special side missions with some of the “characters” roaming around the land. The other ride is a 6 seater dark ride where you take part in the battle against the First Order. It’s more like the Harry Potter rides in Universal. The rest is walking around and being immersed in the land, like Harry Potter land at Universal. But being Disney, there will be character interactions, robots roaming around and a cantina where you can get adult drinks. It will be pretty great if it’s in any way like Cars Land which also really only is two rides too(I don’t count that dumb Mater ride as a ride).

Edited December 29, 2018 by mdmost

[CooterBrown 18002]

Going the day SWL opens will probably be great in the rest of the park, especially CA.

[pepper brooks 580]

1 minute ago, mdmost said:

It will only have 2 E Ticket attractions. The Millenium Falcon ride where 6 people pair up to pilot, be gunners, or be engineers to keep the Falcon flying. Supposedly based on how well you do, you’ll get either additional missions later or you will special side missions with some of the “characters” roaming around the land. The other ride is a 6 seater dark ride where you take part in the battle against the First Order. It’s more like the Harry Potter rides in Universal. The rest is walking around and being immersed in the land, like Harry Potter land at Universal. But being Disney, there will be character interactions, robots roaming around and a cantina where you can get adult drinks. It will be pretty great if it’s in any way like Cars Land which also really only two rides (I don’t count that dumb Mater ride as a ride).

That totally sucks. I am not a fan of the virtual rides. The Harry Potter one of pretty solid, but not what I like in a ride. 

Flying back right now with a sporty 144mpg tailwind pushing this thing to 635mph. 

[mdmost 42997]

Smooth sailings, brother. We had a hell of a time getting back to DFW out of SNA due to the storms in Dallas. Our 5:30 pm departure was pushed to 7:30. When we arrived at 1am, we had no gate till 3am. The moron at the gate in SNA made us check our bags even though they are always carry on and fit fine, also flight was half full so I could’ve put an entire bag in its own overhead alone. So 3am becomes 5am as DFW has very few baggage handlers at that time to get bags off planes. So we get home around 5:30am after getting up at 5:30am the day before to start our last day. So I woke up yesterday with a fever of 102.7 and am just now not feeling like total ass. I wished terrible things on that gate bitch.

[Incredulity 11644]

On 12/28/2018 at 8:49 PM, mdmost said:

Smooth sailings, brother. We had a hell of a time getting back to DFW out of SNA due to the storms in Dallas. Our 5:30 pm departure was pushed to 7:30. When we arrived at 1am, we had no gate till 3am. The moron at the gate in SNA made us check our bags even though they are always carry on and fit fine, also flight was half full so I could’ve put an entire bag in its own overhead alone. So 3am becomes 5am as DFW has very few baggage handlers at that time to get bags off planes. So we get home around 5:30am after getting up at 5:30am the day before to start our last day. So I woke up yesterday with a fever of 102.7 and am just now not feeling like total ass. I wished terrible things on that gate bitch.

I got the flop sweats reading this and pondering the possibility of its occurance during a trip with my children.

I have been through some shit traveling for work, but thank god not so far with my family.

[LonghornSean 3989]

Later this year Disney will open a Star Wars land at both Disneyland and Disney World.  In this, the first of a series, we look at what to expect when Galaxy’s Edge opens.

The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed lands coming to Disney theme parks in Florida and California will let visitors pilot the Millennium Falcon, wander through a smuggler’s alley, drink cocktails in a disreputable cantina and interact with aliens and droids.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in summer 2019 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and late fall 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios near Orlando, Florida.

See also: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge debut could bring 200,000 people, 10-hour lines to Disneyland

Walt Disney Imagineering has crafted an elaborate backstory for the immersive themed lands. Visitors will step into a spaceport outpost on a remote planet at the distant reaches of the Star Wars universe. A pair of E-Ticket attractions will drop visitors into the middle of outer space battles.

Themed lands

Restaurants will serve a menu of alien food and drink rather than theme park staples like churros, corn dogs and funnel cake. Marketplace shops will sell “in universe” merchandise that appears to be hand-crafted by local vendors. Familiar and lesser-known Star Wars characters will interact with visitors throughout the day in an ever-evolving storyline. And in Florida, a Star Wars hotel will welcome guests to an all-inclusive virtual journey to a galaxy far, far away.

The twin Galaxy’s Edge projects are the latest Disney themed lands to create a walk-through world that lets visitors step into a movie scene. Disney scrambled to create immersive themed lands based on a single intellectual property after Universal Studios built a string of popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands in Florida, California and Japan. In response, Disney added Cars Land at Disney California Adventure in 2012 and Pandora: World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2017.

Let’s take a closer look at the backstory, setting, attractions, restaurants, shops, characters, aliens and droids that visitors will find in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney World:

1. Backstory & Setting

The 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed lands will be set in the Black Spire Outpost on the remote planet of Batuu, located on the outer rim of the Star Wars galaxy. Disneyland and Disney World will have nearly-identical Star Wars lands.

Imagineering worked with Lucasfilm to create a detailed backstory for the outpost and the planet. That story guided designers from the “blue sky” development phase through construction of the lands.

In Star Wars lore, Batuu is known for towering lush trees and mountain spikes. The remote planet on the galaxy’s edge once served as a busy crossroads along popular trade routes. The once-bustling planet was left behind with the birth of lightspeed and the rise of hyperspace travel.

The last frontier at Star Wars land?

The decline of the planet left Batuu home to smugglers, rogue traders and adventurers. Batuu became the last frontier between the known Star Wars universe and uncharted space. The still-thriving spaceport of Black Spire Outpost became a safe haven for those looking to avoid attention.

Black Spire Outpost is surrounded by the stumps of once-towering petrified trees that became spire-like rock formations. The outpost takes its name from one of the petrified stumps known as Black Spire. Construction crews created the massive tree stumps out of extensive faux rock work.

Circular buildings and marketplace alleyways are built onto and around the tree stumps in Black Spire Outpost. Throughout the lands, visitors will spot familiar Star Wars spacecraft and war machines — from from the Millennium Falcon to X-Wings to AT-ATs.

Original theme music recorded by “Star Wars” composer John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios will serve as the soundtrack for Galaxy’s Edge.

2. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run flight simulator ride will serve as the marquee attraction of Galaxy’s Edge.

Smugglers Run puts riders in the cockpit of the fastest ship in the galaxy as they battle Imperial tie fighters during a secret mission with multiple story lines. The goal: Bring back a pile of loot to a vengeful space pirate. Riders will be tasked with a mission by Hondo Ohnaka. He is a space pirate from the “Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” animated television series.

Each member of the six-person crew will be assigned a task. Pilots sitting in the front will navigate the ship through an intergalactic battle. Gunners in the center of the cockpit will fend off tie fighter attacks. Engineers stationed in the rear must maintain the flight systems and repair any damage to the ship.

Han Solo’s iconic spaceship

The E-Ticket attraction will use real-time video rendering technology that responds to the way riders manipulate 200 cockpit controls.

The Millennium Falcon flight simulator ride, codenamed “Big Bird” during the development phase, will be housed in a 115,000-square-foot building, according to Anaheim building permits. City records put the cost of constructing Smuggler’s Run at $55.7 million.

See also: Breaking down the costs of Disneyland’s $1 billion Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

The attraction interior will feature at least 20 scenes, with several “A/B scenes” suggesting multiple storylines.

Before entering the attraction, visitors will walk through a full-sized replica of Han Solo’s iconic spaceship. The Corellian YT-1300 light freighter will be docked within a semi-circular spaceport at Galaxy’s Edge.

3. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Imagineers have described the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance trackless dark ride as the most elaborate and immersive attraction ever built by Disney

The Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction promises a race-against-time battle between the First Order and the Resistance. A portion of the attraction passes through the hangar bay of a Star Destroyer. At one point, riders will encounter two giant AT-AT walkers. The climax of the ride will feature a face-off with villain Kylo Ren.

The 8-person ride vehicles will be designed to look like First Order fleet transport carriers. Astromech droids programmed with ship schematics and security access codes pilot the transport vehicles.

The Rise of the Resistance trackless dark ride was codenamed “Alcatraz” during its development phase. It will be housed in a 165,000-square-foot building, according to Anaheim building permits. The attraction interior will feature at least 18 scenes. City records put the cost of constructing Rise of the Resistance at $77.9 million.

Before boarding the attraction, visitors will walk through a full-sized replica of a Resistance troop transport vehicle.

4. Restaurants

You won’t find any fast food kids meals, buckets of popcorn or Mickey Mouse-shaped pretzels in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Restaurants, food stands and snack kiosks will serve a menu of alien fare not found in any theme park.

The food and beverage locations at Galaxy’s Edge will include Oga’s Cantina, Bantha Tracks and an upscale dinner club.

Oga’s Cantina will be run by alien proprietor Oga Garra. Costumed actors portraying Oga are expected to “work” behind the bar at the Galaxy’s Edge tavern. Star Tours droid RX-24, aka Rex, will serve as DJ.

Early concept art depicted droids serving other-worldly cocktails to “truly adventurous” customers in the local tavern.

Oga’s Cantina will be the first public location to serve alcohol in Disneyland history. Oga’s cocktail list will include a drink called Blurrgfire.

An exclusive dinner club will offer local delicacies of the outer rim and feature live entertainment by alien performers.

Luke Skywalker drank Blue Milk in the first “Star Wars” movie, and it will be served at Bantha Tracks.

Docking Bay 7 is expected to serve as a counter-service restaurant. A weathered and battled-damaged food freighter cargo ship carrying “tasty fare” is docked atop the restaurant.

5. Shopping

All of the Galaxy’s Edge merchandise in Merchant Row and Smuggler’s Alley will look and feel like it belongs in the Star Wars universe rather than a Disney gift shop.

The retail shops in the street market will sell story-specific merchandise. Concept art shows merchants selling futuristic pots and rugs from their small shops beneath red and orange canopies strung between sandstone buildings.

A Toydarian vendor, presumably in animatronic or virtual form, will preside over the The Toydarian Wares toy shop. The winged junk dealer Watto from “The Phantom Menace” was a Toydarian. The toy store will sell stuffed dolls designed to look hand-made by local vendors. Among the dolls: Chewbacca, Yoda and Kylo Ren.

Cute and cuddly (as well as creepy and scary) creatures will populate The Creature Stall shop in the marketplace. Imagineering promises some of the caged creatures will appear to “come to life,” likely with the help of animatronics. Customers will be able to purchase loth cat dolls from the Star Wars Rebels animated television series.

6. Character Interaction

Disney will be putting a heavy emphasis on storytelling and character interaction in the Galaxy’s Edge themed lands.

Imagineering plans to create an immersive and interactive environment that allows every visitor to live their own Star Wars hero story.

You never know what you might see in Black Spire Outpost. First Order soldiers patrolling the small town. Rebel fighters camping out in the nearby forest. Smugglers hiding from bounty hunters in secret passageways.

The new lands will feature walk-around characters and creatures that interact with visitors. Each character will play a role in a continually-developing storyline that evolves and progresses throughout the day.

Visitors play a role, too. Fail in your mission aboard Smuggler’s Run and a bounty hunter might tap you on the shoulder looking for Hondo’s lost loot.

The cast of interactive characters will include: Space pirate Hondo Ohnaka, pilot and smuggler Nien Nunb, cantina proprietor Oga Garra and bounty hunter Harko.

Like other areas of Disneyland, Kylo Ren and Chewie will be on hand to pose for meet-and-greet photo opportunities.

Galaxy’s Edge will also be filled with familiar Star Wars characters. These will include those that roll (BB-8, R2-D2), walk (C3-PO, Dok-Andar) and crawl (cuddly loth cats).

7. The Star Wars Hotel

The Star Wars hotel planned for Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida takes the cruise ship notion of a captive audience and applies it to a landlocked themed hotel.

See also: How Disney magic and Imagineering tech make the Star Wars hotel possible

The Star Wars starship hotel will draw upon Disney’s theme park and cruise ship know-how. It will add Walt Disney Imagineering’s next-gen technology and cutting-edge patentsto create a first-of-its-kind immersive storytelling experience.

Think of the Star Wars hotel as an intergalactic cruise ship docked at Galaxy’s Edge that embarks on a virtual journey.

The fully-immersive experiential voyage begins as soon as guests step into the starship-themed hotel and leave the real world behind. Employees dressed in alien costumes staff the front desk. Remote-controlled butler droids assist with luggage. Stars and planets hover in virtual windows as spaceships fly past. Visitors don jedi robes and join the rebel resistance. All in support of a continuously-evolving story that unfolds over multiple days and nights.

A Disney survey for a potential Star Wars land

Disney conducted a survey before they officially announced the Star Wars hotel. They asked respondents about their thoughts on a two-day story-driven entertainment experience paired with a two-night stay in a starship-themed hotel room with virtual views of outer space.

The survey described character chance encounters, lightsaber training, ship explorations, personalized secret missions, inclusive meal service and signature dinners. It also outlined dinner shows, live entertainment, cantina bars and exclusive theme park admissions.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek referenced the survey when he announced the Star Wars hotel at a D23 Expo and the questionnaire appears to have served as a blueprint for the project.

Edited February 5, 2019 by LonghornSean

[mdmost 42997]

I saw a crazy rumor that the Rise of the Resistance ride could have you on it for over 20 minutes. I'm not talking queue and loading. 20+ minutes of actual ride time. 

Disney has an earnings call today. Iger usually spills some details on the parks during those calls. 

[Zepol87 9185]

Not a disney specific question but going to Orlando for a week next week. I am going solo, never been to Disney or Universal. Which one would you do solo?

[mdmost 42997]

One day? Multiple days? If you have any link to Disney, Magic Kingdom would be the answer. 2 days, I would add Epcot so you could do some drinking around the World Showcase (different nations like Germany for beers, Mexico for margaritas, etc.) There's more thrill rides at Universal though. Depends on what you're looking for. 

[Zepol87 9185]

Sunday for sure. I could probably hit it Wednesday as long as everything goes semi smooth Monday and Tuesday. Fly back Thursday

[Landomatic 3813]

Lmao...I saw @Zepol87 was last person to post in the “all things disney” thread so I came here to watch the train wreck as I was sure it had been derailed.

[Zepol87 9185]

lol if I have to spend 5 days in Orlando for work I want to check one of these out

[Landomatic 3813]

Just now, Zepol87 said:

lol if I have to spend 5 days in Orlando for work I want to check one of these out

Yeah I don’t disagree...but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still disappointed in where this could have gone

[SimonBolivar 10957]

With just one day I'd probably buy the Express pass and hit the two Universal Parks. That would get you your most bang for your buck.

[LonghornSean 3989]

11 hours ago, mdmost said:

I saw a crazy rumor that the Rise of the Resistance ride could have you on it for over 20 minutes. I'm not talking queue and loading. 20+ minutes of actual ride time. 

Disney has an earnings call today. Iger usually spills some details on the parks during those calls. 

I heard like 27 minutes, including pre-show(s).  That wouldn't be too much longer than Flight of Passage overall, but who knows with the actual ride time.

Edited February 6, 2019 by LonghornSean

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

On 2/5/2019 at 2:21 PM, mdmost said:

I saw a crazy rumor that the Rise of the Resistance ride could have you on it for over 20 minutes. I'm not talking queue and loading. 20+ minutes of actual ride time. 

Disney has an earnings call today. Iger usually spills some details on the parks during those calls. 

Most assume that means it will be FoP(Flight of Passage) style, which has two interactive pre-ride/mission briefing rooms included in the story telling, being included in that time.

Edited February 7, 2019 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[SimonBolivar 10957]

29 minutes ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Most assume that means it will be FoP(Flight of Passage) style, which has two interactive pre-ride/mission briefing rooms included in the story telling, being included in that time.

Did the FP line get all of the interactive pre-ride stuff? I feel like I might've missed part of it.

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

Nope. The rooms telling about the Avatar Project and the 'decontamination' room are the two rooms I'm talking about. Interactive may be over stating the heat mapping of the bodies as 'infected' areas.

[utee05 9]

Going to Disneyland next week. Going to the park for 2 days and may go for a half day in case there are other things we want to do again. Taking my 5yo for the first time. Suggestions on stuff to do in the area?

[mdmost 42997]

The area around Disneyland? There's a Roscoe's at Harbor Blvd and Orangewood. My brother's a fan of Out Of The Park Pizza. Take him to Downtown Disney. There's a giant Lego store and some awesome ice cream at Salt and Straw. 

[Brew 3049]

If you have a vehicle, the Aquarium of the Pacific is worth a visit. We spent quite a while there.

[utee05 9]

The area around Disneyland? There's a Roscoe's at Harbor Blvd and Orangewood. My brother's a fan of Out Of The Park Pizza. Take him to Downtown Disney. There's a giant Lego store and some awesome ice cream at Salt and Straw. 

If you have a vehicle, the Aquarium of the Pacific is worth a visit. We spent quite a while there.

Yup we have a car for the first day so we’re going to roam around the area.
Thanks for recs. Any last minute tips? We have most things booked and have a general idea of what stuff to do. Especially with some areas closed due to remodeling during the week.

[mdmost 42997]

If you have a vehicle, take him to Huntington Beach or Newport Beach. It's about a 40 minute drive to the southwest. The first time we went to DLR, we went to the park in the morning until about 1pm and then headed to Huntington Beach and stayed out there for 2-3 hours. Came back, showered, finished up at the parks that night. Kids loved the beach time. Not sure how warm it is right now though.

As far as last minute things, if you think he'll like the Monorail and you want to ride it, when you get to the top where they start to let people get to the boarding area, ask a cast member if you can sit up front. They usually take the first 4 people and let them sit up front with the driver. We did it last time and the kids really enjoyed it. You may have to wait a little bit but it's enjoyable. You can take it round trip. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by mdmost

[utee05 9]

Supposed to be good weather in terms of no rain and in the 60s. Beach is an idea. Looking forward to DLR cause none of us have ever been. Me and the wife have only been to WDW. Also this is going to be a surprise to my daughter. Good ol surly thinking I had a boy.

[mdmost 42997]

Ha. Dad of 2 daughters. You can always do the princess shit at the boutique next to the castle. Check the character schedule. I think a lot of them have moved around since a lot of stuff is down for refurbishment. 

See if any of these are open. If she has a favorite character, it can be fun. My oldest loves Stitch so we did the one breakfast where he and other characters come by and meet the kids. 

https://disneylanddaily.com/a-complete-guide-to-character-meals-at-disneyland-resort/

In general, I'd say to check the above site. Lots of good things to look over. She's pretty good at finding the little things some might overlook in the rush to get everything in. I would highly, highly recommend watching the Flag Retreat at around 4pm in DLR. It's a very cool ceremony. 

If you get there at opening and they haven't started letting people in, head for the gate that's just to the right of the center opening. There's a tree and planter that blocks people and once you pass it, you can get into a much smaller line. I think it's Gate 14. Every time we've been there's Mickey, Minnie or Goofy near the Fire House or Opera House and most of the crowd rushes by to get in line for rides so you can get a quick photo before you start your day. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by mdmost

[utee05 9]

Yup dad of 2 girls as well. Thanks for the link. Sadly my daughter latched on to the one princess you can’t find much of...Tiana from Princess and the frog.

[mdmost 42997]

Actually, check with the cast members at the Mark Twain Riverboat and around New Orleans Square. If the boat is docked, she has her meet and greet there some times. Otherwise, she may be on the boat if you take a ride. Just ask the cast members and they'll give you a good idea. We ran into her on accident when we took a ride on the boat. And then this incredible moment happened. She hung with them for most of the ride. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by mdmost

[Brew 3049]

2 girls here as well. DL was a different experience for them than WDW. I think being older for their first visit to DL, they enjoyed it more for the rides and how it is laid out and enjoyed WDW more for the experience. They really enjoyed the lighted parade (it’s a pain to get set up somewhere you can actually hang out and wait for it to start) and the different character experiences from what they did at WDW.

I second the beach trip. We went down to the Santa Monica pier, the beaches, and the aquarium one of the days in the middle of the trip for a break. They are also older so they wanted to go see Rodeo Dr, Hollywood Blvd, and every other touristy thing you can think of.

[utee05 9]

That’s cool. Didn’t think we would find her. I’ve left most of the planning to the wife so I’m not up with all that is planned other than breakfast with Minnie.

[Zepol87 9185]

Headed to Orlando today. Gonna be busy till Friday afternoon. I was told I should just hit Islands of Adventure since it has all the big rides that I would be more into. Anyone have any tips for discount tickets? I am not really finding anything online. Do they do bring a coke can or anything like Six Flags? 

[mdmost 42997]

Check here. Not sure how this matches up to what it normally costs. If you can get the Universal Express, get it, otherwise you're waiting in some terribly long lines.

https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/universal-orlando-resort/

[LonghornSean 3989]

First-of-its-Kind Play Pavilion, New Park Entrance Part of Epcot’s Historic Transformation

by Thomas Smith, Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks

As many of you know, we’ve got BIG plans for our multi-year transformation of Epcot, with new experiences that’ll “Wow!” guests while keeping true to the original vision of the park. Today, we’re excited to share even more of what’s to come.

The ongoing evolution of Epcot includes plans for a play pavilion that’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever seen at the park. This new space will be devoted to playful fun and feature an innovative city that’ll come to life under the dome of the un-named pavilion previously known as Wonders of Life. The pavilion’s city will be bursting with interactive experiences, your favorite Disney characters, hands-on activities and engaging entertainment when it opens just in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort!

“This innovative, new pavilion is beyond anything we’ve ever created and is completely unique to Epcot,” said Zach Riddley, portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Built on the power of play, it introduces an immersive and interactive ‘city’ where you can explore, create, and interact with some of your favorite Disney characters. This is an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot – and another signature element of our transformation.”

There will also be exciting changes to the way you come and go at Epcot! As you can see above, changes are coming to the Epcot main entrance, where the plaza will welcome guests with new pathways, sweeping green spaces and a newly reimagined fountain. This new design will pay homage to the original park entrance with fresh takes on classic elements.

As part of the new entry experience, Leave A Legacy photos will be moving into a beautiful setting just outside the park’s gateway. Additional significant redevelopment will begin between Spaceship Earth attraction and the World Showcase Promenade. More details about the transformation of this area will be announced at a later date.

And if you’re as excited as we are about these upcoming projects, you’ll soon be able to look into the future with us at a new Experience Center coming to Epcot later this year. The Experience Center will be located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion and feature interactive exhibits to help visualize park projects throughout this unprecedented period of transformation.

Here are some of the other exciting Epcot experiences we’ve shared:

• Guardians of the Galaxy-themed roller coaster in Future World
• Epcot Forever, a 2019 limited-time nighttime experience over World Showcase Lagoon set to classic Epcot tunes, followed by an all-new nighttime spectacular debuting in 2020
• Space-themed table-service restaurant adjacent to Mission: SPACE
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction in the France pavilion, patterned after the number-one family attraction at Disneyland Paris
• Circle-Vision 360 film for the China pavilion and updated O Canada! 360-degree show
• Signature Dining experience inspired by the natural beauty of Japan
• Beauty and the Beast” sing-along in the France pavilion, showing in addition to the pavilion’s current film, Impressions de France

Keep checking the Disney Parks Blog for more updates on the continuing transformation of Epcot.

[mdmost 42997]

They should take Journey Into Imagination back to its original design. That place was so incredible when I was a kid. Supposedly, the original track is still there. It was shortened during one of the renovations. 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

20 hours ago, LonghornSean said:

 

As many of you know, we’ve got BIG plans for our multi-year transformation of Epcot, with new experiences that’ll “Wow!” guests while keeping true to the original vision of the park. Today, we’re excited to share even more of what’s to come.

 

Edited February 22, 2019 by SimonBolivar

[TenaciousTgarden 14]

Ok i should read the whole thread, don't have time. Help me with this.
Going to Disneyland one day and California Adventure another with our 5 yr old and almost 3 yr old.  We purchased tickets through an agent type person that a friend recommended, but she didn't purchase any max pass or fast pass thing.  What do I do now?  We have a 3 day pass because it was cheaper than a 2 day, and we have magic morning one morning.  What's the difference between maxpass and fastpass, and can we purchase day of?  So annoyed - thought I had it all figured out!

[mdmost 42997]

I wrote this for a friend who asked me the same question when she was planning her trip to DLR.

Maxpass is a digital version of the paper Fastpass system. Instead of going to a Fastpass dispenser to get your paper Fastpass and then having to return to the ride later, you spend $25 per person per day to have the ability to get your Fastpass remotely via the Disneyland app. It makes grabbing a Fastpass a lot easier, especially if you go park to park with the Parkhopper ticket. For example, we spent the day at California Adventure but had dinner reservations in Disneyland. While at the hotel, I used the Maxpass to book a nighttime ride on the Matterhorn. Under the paper system, I'd have to go into the park and get the same thing. It adds flexibility to your day. We also used a person's Maxpass strategy to get most of the rides we wanted in each day with minimal waiting. You also get free digital photos for any of the rides you go on by entering the code into the Disneyland app (we would just take a picture of the picture and enter the code later) and any roaming Disney photographers like at say the Castle or with characters.

When they scan your park ticket at the gate, you can go into your Disneyland app (make sure the tickets are linked in the app) and purchase the Maxpass for your party for that day only. You then are able to start making Maxpass reservations. 

This is a good site that helps with planning and talks more about Maxpass and other items. 

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at.../

Edited February 26, 2019 by mdmost

[Woland 732]

My wife and I arrived in Orlando on Sunday (two days ago) and checked into Port Orleans French Quarter. An early flight allowed us to get to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon. We were able to  get in Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and a few minor attractions. Dinner was at Be Our Guest. The service was fine, but I classify the food as "upscale cafeteria." We were seated in the Beast's room, which I think was a far better experience than if we were in the ballroom. I wouldn't go back, but I don't have a young daughter who is into Belle. I think Be Our Guest is the only place to meet and greet the Beast, and the wait was only about 5 minutes. We booked the dessert party for the Happily Ever After show, and that was a good decision even if we didn't eat many of the sweets.

Monday was back to Magic Kingdom and dinner at California Grill. We opted to skip watching the show from the deck because we had seen it the night before and so much of the presentation is now projections onto the castle. We ended up have a good view of the fireworks from the bus stop.

[TenaciousTgarden 14]

Thank you mdmost!  If we get it at the beginning of the day, will we be able to get fast passes to the stuff we want? My boys aren't really thrill seekers so no magic mountain for us, but I think they'd like the Cars Land ride and other small ones.  I have literally no disney experience at all so this should be some kind of experience (disaster?).

[mdmost 42997]

I may be in the minority but I much prefer the Disneyland Fastpass and Maxpass system to the Disney World one where you're booking months in advance. I think it works better for both people like me who try to maximize their day and get everything in to someone like you who is going to need to take things a little slower. Definitely take a look at the site I linked as she has good ideas for going to the parks with younger kids. 

If you can angle to be there when the park opens at 8am then you shouldn't have a problem with booking the rides your kids would like. For instance, you get to the gate before 8am at California Adventure. They scan your park tickets, you walk in and either head to the Radiator Racers Fastpass dispenser or buy Maxpass and do it on your phone (I'd recommend the latter). You go to book the Maxpass, say which park you want, and the available Maxpasses are shown by time. You click on it for your party and that's it. When the time pops up, you go to the ride and there's a separate line for Fastpasses. They'll scan your app there (barcode on the screen) and in you go. The nice thing is say you go to book Radiator Racers and the times are a couple hours later, you can take that Maxpass and go do other rides. The app will tell you the next time you can book another Maxpass. It's normally 30 to an hour before the previous Maxpass is good for. We used this to go from Maxpass to Maxpass and did some fill in rides in between. I just think it's a lot less stressful than going from end to end trying to grab paper that you then have to keep track of.

I will say at their ages, you're going to be limited on rides but you could book that same ride over and over again. We rode Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain over and over using Maxpass. The free digital photos is just an added benefit.

When are you going? If you don't have a hotel, I'd highly recommend the Embassy Suites off Harbor Blvd. Walkable, has a pool, waterslides, and a splash park. Plus you can get a room with bunk beds. My girls loved that when we went last Christmas.

Edited February 26, 2019 by mdmost

[utee05 9]

Thanks all for the advice. We got to Anaheim on Saturday before lunch. Drove around the area for the day. Had to hit up some breweries on my list before we went all in Disney for the next 3 days. Checked in on Sunday morning and headed to the park. We stayed at Disneyland hotel and it was a short walk to downtown Disney and the park. This was our first time and a surprise trip for our 5yo daughter. We booked the princess boutique and breakfast with Minnie. She loved both but she surprised us by really wanted to do rides. Her favorites were guardians, soarin, Star Tours. She wasn’t tall enough for some rides so we opted out of those. Maxpass helped a lot to book things on the app. Overall a great experience and worked well to go to DLR instead of WDW for a little one.

[LonghornSean 3989]

New ride details for Star Wars land (https://nerdist.com/article/star-wars-galaxys-edge-ride-new-details-millennium-falcon-smugglers-run-rise-of-the-resistance/)

Spoiler

On the remote planet of Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is snug between jutting black petrified trees.

It’s the kind of place you go to attend to business you’d rather keep under the radar. But the First Order has arrived on Batuu within the last two weeks, and they’re rumored to be looking for the Resistance presence near the outpost. Visitors from our world are pouring into the suddenly bustling locale, and when Disney Parks guests enter the village in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, they can go on two attractions: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, located by the Resistance’s base, or Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, tucked into the First Order’s area.

Nerdist recently joined a small group of media to learn more details about these rides, including walking through the queue and sitting in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit. The scope of these attractions, especially Rise of the Resistance, is ambitious and bigger than I imagined (and I can imagine quite a bit). Screens are incorporated into these experiences, yes, but I don’t think anyone would call these “screen rides.”

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

In this attraction, guests can travel in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. The six seats in the cockpit include two pilots, two gunners, and two flight engineers. So really, it's not just travel; the guests are in complete control, flying the ship in the motion simulator ride.

The premise: Hondo Ohnaka, the Weequay space pirate from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels has started a business on Batuu: Ohnaka Transport Solutions. Chewbacca has left the Millennium Falcon with Hondo for repairs post-The Last Jedi (read the book Pirate's Pricefor more on this), and while he has it, Hondo's using the ship for completely valid shipments. Ahem. And he's looking for new crew.

The queue begins outside the one-hundred-percent-to-scale Millennium Falcon (it's never been built out to this extent, even for the films). You'll receive a boarding card before you step into the queue. The line winds indoors through the hangar and hallways of Hondo's business (look for Star Wars easter eggs and opportunities to use the Play Disney Parks app) and past viewing areas looking down from a second floor onto the top of the Falcon. Every weld, every stain looks placed with love.

Eventually, you will come to the control tower and encounter Hondo Ohnaka himself, with Jim Cummings reprising his role as the voice of Hondo. The Hondo animatronic with electric motors is the second most sophisticated animatronic in Disney Parks (outdone only by the Shaman in Pandora's Na'vi River Journey in Animal Kingdom). He looks a little older with longer hair, but he's the character we know from animation brought to life. It's incredible to see him full of that bravado and charm you know from animation, but in front of your face. Hondo and his droid give you the sales pitch for the ride.

When you inevitably accept, you walk down the hallway of the Millennium Falcon into its lounge complete with the Dejarik table, and it's like you've walked into a Star Wars movie. You expect to see Han or Chewie round a corner at any moment. While in this room, you can explore (hello, more Easter eggs) and take a million pictures until the group on your boarding card is called.

Next is a pre-flight debrief with a live-action Hondo instructing you via video. And then, you step into the Millennium Falcon's cockpit. It's cozy, with six seats. Since the ride wasn't operating, I sat down and pushed every button I could. I stared at the lever that one of the pilots will get to pull to jump into hyperspace. From there, the flight screen renders in real-time.

Though you do have to do your part in the cockpit and work together, don't stress if someone sleeps on the job. No scenario exists in which a failure will lead to the ride being over in two seconds. Walt Disney Imagineering representatives emphasized that everyone will have a good experience, even if the Falcon does get a little banged up in the process. Just remember: the entire six-person group in a given flight will build or lose reputation with other denizens of Black Spire (no, Disney has not yet clarified how they're going to track that).

Two more important notes about Smuggler's Run:
- Smuggler's Run has a single rider line.
- The Millennium Falcon will have porgs. Keep an eye for the little critters that stowed away from Ahch-To.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

First of all, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is not 28 minutes long as recent rumors have stated. Disney Chairman of Parks, Experiences, and Products Bob Chapek did say it's "the longest attraction we've ever developed with a ride vehicle." He also said the complex, advanced experience "is almost like being on four attractions at once." We know one of the ride systems is a trackless vehicle that will do things like circle the feet of full-size AT-ATs—that's because you find yourself in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order.

Let's start with the story. Rise of the Resistance begins in the Resistance's newly established base on Batuu. They've slap-dashed operations together in an ancient, who-knows-how-many-thousands-of-years-old cavern just outside Black Spire Outpost, so you see more of the natural planet. Resistance fighters have clearly used lasers to carve out tunnels for their base. The queue winds through the caverns past markers indicating what the cave may have been used for and past flight gear and weapons rooms. Look out for in-universe connections in those areas.

Then riders from the FastPass and Standby lines merge (no word on single rider yet for this attraction) into a group of about 45 to 55 people in a standby room. Then in a comms area, an animatronic BB-8 looks over the group as a holo transmission from Rey appears. She has a special off-planet mission for you: you'll be boarding a shuttle—an ITS, to be specific—and Poe Dameron will escort you in his X-wing. Double doors open to an outdoors area, you hear engines spooling and getting ready for flight, you see Poe's full-sized X-wing to your right, and you board the first ride system with the shuttle—Nien Nunb appears as an animated figure in the shuttle!

You take off from the planet in this motion-based part of the attraction, but your shuttle is intercepted by two Star Destroyers. Poe leaves to get help, but you're shuttle is stuck in a tractor beam. When the shuttle doors open again, you're in a Star Destroyer's hangar surrounded by the First Order—literally facing 50 stormtroopers, some of them moving. A First Order TIE fighter is visible to your right. It's all massive in scale, and I was intimidated even though the hangar wasn't finished and no stormtroopers were in place.

Cast members dressed as First Order officers will be barking at you to move along. You walk down a hallway towards detention cells. There, the large group of 45 to 55 is split into smaller groups and put into cells, a la the room where Kylo Ren interrogates Poe Dameron in The Force Awakens. This is where you'll face Kylo Ren.

And that's as much as we were shown. It was a small portion of the ride but so impressively detailed and expansive with a million things.

All the actors, even the voice of Nien Nunb, reprised their roles for Rise of the Resistance.

 

What you can buy in Star Wars land (https://nerdist.com/article/star-wars-galaxys-edge-merchandise-build-your-own-droid-lightsaber-toys-music-instruments/)

Spoiler

You've wandered into daily life in Black Spire Outpost, a location within the Star Wars universe. That means consideration on every level of storytelling from attractions, to food, to merchandise—it all has to be in-universe. It means you're not going to see a product with a giant Star Wars logo emblazoned on the front or exit an attraction into a gift shop. Instead, you can buy "handmade" items from a Toydarian toymaker, purchase Jedi and Sith artifacts from an Ithorian collector, build your own droid or lightsaber, or maybe even adopt a creature from merchant stalls along the winding village streets.

Nerdist was part of a small group of media that previewed what Galaxy's Edge has to offer, including all the merchandise you're going to want to start saving credits for now—no pulling a Jedi mind trick on any of the shopkeepers. Here are all the details (note: no prices yet) we have on the shops and their proprietors so far:

Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

Dok-Ondar, referenced by Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story, has quite the place for his vast collection on Batuu. He’s a key figure in the galaxy's black market and runs Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities; it's filled with items the Ithorian has acquired over the years—items such as a 12 foot tall taxidermied wampa. His collection is changing regularly. An animatronic Dok-Ondar, who, by the way, is 245-years-old, presides over the shop, going about his day and never repeating the same actions thanks to carefully programmed animations pegged to two moods: happy or frustrated. He can interact with cast members in his native Ithorian tongue.

Besides being a prime place to look for easter eggs from across Star Wars films, animated series, and published materials, the Den of Antiquities is the place to shop for Jedi and Sith artifacts. Maybe you want replicas of the statues in Palpatine’s office, a bust of Mace Windu, or even a fancy boxed legacy lightsaber that Dok-Ondar has found somewhere in the galaxy. You can buy the hilt alone or buy a separate blade; the blade will know what color it should be based on which hilt you pair it with. Dok-Ondar even sells display stands for your lightsaber and belt hooks for the hilts.

Finally, you can discover Jedi and Sith Holocrons in the shop. The Holocrons communicate quotes and information from the galaxy, and if you pop in a kyber crystal (which you can also purchase), you can unlock additional content from the devices.

Toydarian Toymaker

Nestled within the marketplace, you’ll find the Toydarian Toymaker. The owner of the stall, Zabaka, has heard stories about heroes and characters from around the galaxy and has made plush toys like the ones you see in the above image. And yes, that is Watto from The Phantom Menace.

In addition to plush toys and carvings (please note the convor in the photo), Zabaka sells musical instruments such as an Ewok drum and kloo horn, the latter being an instrument used by Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes in the Mos Eisley Cantina. You can play the instrument yourself or press a button to play pre-programmed music. You can play "Cantina Band" and annoy or delight everyone around you!

It’s not pictured, but the Toymaker will sell portable fans that look like moisture vaporators.

Creature Stall

Anyone who wants to take home a creature from the Star Wars universe can do so at the Creature Stall. Owned by an Amani named Bina, this marketplace stall seems practically alive with animatronic critters (she won't be present as she's out collecting exotic creatures for her shop). One cage has a moving wort, another cage holds something softer and more cuddly. You can purchase small versions puffer pigs (!), rathtars, tauntauns, porgs, and more. All of the creatures we saw (everything in the above photo) has a special movement/and or sound feature.

Savi's Workshop

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set loosely in the time after The Last Jedi. It’s not a popular time to be a Jedi enthusiast, but Savi is. He owns Savi’s Workshop and uses scraps of lightsabers and fragments from the Jedi’s past to work with his gatherers to pass along the art of crafting a lightsaber. He wants to keep the spark of hope alive and inspire everyone to be heroes like the Jedi.

This is part experience guided by Savi's gatherers and part retail. It starts with you picking your story: peace and justice (Jedi-inspired lightsaber pieces), power and control (Sith-inspired lightsaber pieces), elemental nature (nature inspired lightsaber pieces), or protection and defense (ancient lightsaber pieces).

Your story will dictate which set of lightsaber pieces you receive, and you then choose your kyber crystal—purple, green, blue, or red—and build your own lightsaber (a hilt and a blade). Fourteen guests can build lightsabers at a time.

Droid Depot

Lightsabers aren’t the only thing you can build in Galaxy’s Edge. You can build your very own droid! Mubo, an Utai, owns the Droid Depot; he’s very tech-savvy and likes to build and share his knowledge. He won't be present in the shop, but he has left you in the capable hands of his team. You’ll choose brand new droid parts from a conveyor belt, take them to a build station, follow instructions to assemble your highly customized R-series or BB-series droid (they’re approximately 12 inches tall), and then place it in the activation station. Once your droid is activated, it will light up and make sounds. You can operate it via a remote control around Black Spire Outpost. Your droid can interact with other droids and all around the village.

Droid Depot has ready to buy options, too. They have a C-3PO toy that interacts with your actions (if you take his head off, Threepio will have something to say about it) and BB-8 and R2-D2 at the same scale as the customizable astromechs. You can pick up droid keychains. And maybe coolest of all, a RX-24 is available. Now known as DJ R-3X, he operates with a remote, he plays some Star Tours audio, and he connects to your smart device to play classics like “Jedi Rocks.” Oh, and he has DJ sound effects like the classic airhorn.

Please take note of the packaging for your custom astromech units in the above image. Galaxy’s Edge products will have in-universe packaging as much as possible with limited point of sale footprints. The First Order will have nicer, more structured packaging, while the rest of Black Spire has more resourceful, there out of necessity packaging. They’ll be offering reusable bags for sale and will minimize using the usual Disneyland plastic bags.

How will these droids operate in a busy theme park? Disney has play-tested various scenarios with crowds. Guests likely won’t want to wreck something they’ve put time and money into creating. We’ll see.

Black Spire Outfitters

Black Spire Outfitters is the place to shop for galactic styling for the entire family. This photo boasts Jedi ensembles and separates so visitors can mix and match. Disney displayed a replica of Princess Leia’s white dress from A New Hope at the media preview.

First Order Cargo

The First Order has recently arrived on Batuu, specifically the 709th Legion, a.k.a. Red Fury, and some people are happy about it. Those who support the First Order can shop at First Order Cargo, near the TIE echelon (a brand new ship!), for badges, flags, and wearables aligned with that faction.

Resistance Supply

Guests sympathetic to the Resistance can go to Resistance Supply, a makeshift shop near Resistance command, to find merchandise emblazoned with the organization’s iconic starbird symbol. You’ll also find apparel such as an orange jacket made from a design right out of the Lucasfilm archives.

You’ll notice that a few of these offerings look like costume pieces. Disney Parks currently have regulations about costumes for adults; they are still finalizing how that will be handled for Galaxy’s Edge.

 

What you can eat and drink in Star Wars land (https://nerdist.com/article/star-wars-galaxys-edge-food-drinks-cocktails-menu-disney-parks/)

Spoiler

The Disney Parks Star Wars lands are in-universe, so if you can’t picture say, Rey ordering a certain dish or drink in a cantina, then you won’t find it in Black Spire Outpost. No, Batuu is home to blue milk, fried tip-yip (an Endorian chicken), and exotic-sounding cocktails such as a Fuzzy Tauntaun. You can grab a wrap to take with you as you explore Black Spire, or snag a seat in the land’s quick service restaurant. The overall flavor note for the land is bold, with a lot of spice-forward offerings paired with familiar food, such as the fried chicken mentioned above.

During a recent media preview, Nerdist learned about many of Galaxy’s Edge’s food and drink options and the proprietors that own the establishments. We sampled several of Batuu’s offerings, too. Everything we know about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge menus so far:

Oga’s Cantina

Oga’s Cantina, owned by Oga Garra, Black Spire’s crime boss, is going to be the place to hang out. She has hands in every single business in the village, and everyone knows not to cross her. The interior of the walk-in cantina that will be open earlier in the day is reminiscent of the Mos Eisley cantina with about seven small alcoves inviting guests to sit down and rest their feet. A long bar top surrounds the heart of Oga’s; all sorts of tanks and tubes hang from the top of the building. You can get a few snacks, but this place is mostly about the beverages.

 

Oga's Cantina - Carbon Freeze, Oga's Obsession provision, and Cliff Dweller

 

Light snacks
- Cantina Mix (final name to be determined) - a galactic space version of bar snacks (the sample I tried had wasabi peas, small rice cracker bits, shrimp chips, and I believe freeze dried chocolate, and more in unique shapes)
- Oga’s Obsession - a gelatin based dish served in a petri dish with popping pearls, dried, fruits and Pop Rocks (it’s a lot of weird textures coming together and it’s delicious)
- Rodian Ration

 

Oga's Cantina - Moogan Tea, Blue Bantha, Bloody Rancor, and Black Spire Brew

 

Non-alcoholic beverages
- Black Spire Brew - a coffee drink with cold brew
- Blue Bantha - a glass of blue milk topped with a cookie decorated with a bantha horn
- Cliff Dweller
- Tarine Tea
- Hyperdrive Punch It!
- Jabba Juice
- Moogan Tea
- Carbon Freeze

 

Oga's Cantina - Outer Rim, Bespin Fizz, Yub Nub, and Fuzzy Tauntaun

 

Alcoholic potations
- Fuzzy Tauntaun - a light, fuzzy navel inspired cocktail topped with “fuzzy” foam
- Bloody Rancor - a bloody mary-esque morning drink with an edible bone garnish
- Yub Nub - essentially a rum punch with passion fruit seeds
- Jedi Mind Trick - this has botanical flavors, grapefruit, bitterness and is meant to start and finish in different ways
- Outer Rim - a margarita with a black salt rim
- T-16 Skyhopper
- Dagobah Slug Slinger
- Jet Juice
- Spriran Caf
- Bespin Fizz - this has a shimmer and some fizzing, bubbling action
- Bad Motivator IPA
- Toniray - it will be teal and bubbly just like the Alderaan version
- White Wampa ale - a wheat beer
- Spice Runner - a dark red cider

Keep an eye out for the brewer of the beers on special tap handles in the cantina. Oga’s not a brewer or winemaker, so she’s contracted with suppliers around the galaxy.

Oga’s Cantina in Black Spire Outpost will be the only place guests can get alcoholic beverages in Disneyland (unless those guests have access to the private Club 33). The beverages must be consumed inside Oga’s.

And I can’t leave out the highlight of Oga’s Cantina: DJ R-3X! The former pilot of Star Tours is now a radio DJ spinning some of the best pop music in the Star Wars galaxy. We saw the Rex animatronic in action at Walt Disney Imagineering and heard a sampling of infectious music; he plays about a three hour long show. DJ R-3X is designed after the original RX-24 from Star Tours and is once again voiced by Paul Reubens.

Ronto Roasters

Roasting meat on a spit is a marketplace staple, so Black Spire Outpost has it. This open air establishment is owned by Bakkar, a huge podracing fan; he runs his stall with the help of his droid 8D-J8. The shop is decorated with podracing flags and flair, and Bakkar’s modified a podracing engine to roast ronto meat (ronto being a beast from Tatooine).

 

Ronto Roasters - Meiloorun Juice, Turkey Jerky, and Ronto Wrap

 

You can order a few things at Ronto Roasters:
- Ronto wrap - a wrap with roasted pork and spice grilled Portuguese sausage topped with a slaw and spicy clutch sauce in a pita
- Sweet teriyaki turkey jerky (they took into account that the excessive heat from the podrace engine would dry meat out, hence the jerky)
- Spicy herb turkey jerky
- Sour Sarlacc, Tatooine Sunset, or Meiloorun Juice (which should make Star Wars Rebels fans very happy)

I tried a little of everything from Ronto Roasters and can’t wait to get the ronto wrap again. The spice isn’t a straightforward hot sauce taste; it’s more complex and a little smoky—it hits you in the back of your throat. The beverages are all non-alcoholic, light, and fruity; they would all be refreshing on a warm day. The Tatooine Sunset has a touch of desert pear that made it my top pick.

Milk Stand

 

Milk Stand - Blue and Green Milk

 

Blue milk was the first memorable galactic food we saw in Star Wars; Aunt Beru served it to Owen and Luke in Episode IV. Galaxy’s Edge’s Milk Stand run by Bubo Wamba Farms will serve that iconic space beverage and a newer iteration with frozen blue milk and frozen green milk. Food and Beverage Concept Development Director Brian Koziol described the texture as being like a smoothie, almost like a milkshake. The plant dairy based drinks are vegan; the blue bantha milk is described as having berry notes, while the green thala-siren milk from The Last Jedi will have a tropical flavor.

Kat Saka’s Kettle

 

Kat Saka's Kettle - Outpost Mix

 

As you wander through the marketplace browsing wares and exploring stalls, you may smell popcorn. Kat Saka’s Kettle serves Outpost Mix, a sweet and salty popcorn mix with a little bit of spice that’s dark red and purple. Kat Saka’s a local farmer to Black Spire Outpost and harvests different kinds of grains; one of her favorite things to do is travel around the galaxy and collect various spices and bring them back to Batuu to use in her cooking.

Docking Bay 7

Docking Bay 7 is Galaxy’s Edge’s quick service restaurant with many bold options for adult and children (if you've seen Galaxy's Edge pictures of a cargo ship on top of a building, that's Docking Bay 7). The chef here is none other than Strono Tuggs, a.k.a. Cookie; he used to be the chef at Maz Kanata’s Takodana castle until the First Order wrecked said castle. He also appears in a fun short story about a cooking competition in Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens: Volume I. But these days, he has a traveling kitchen and restaurant thanks to a modified Sienar-Chall Utilipede-Transport. He’s proud to serve Tugg’s Grub, "traveling diner for diners traveling,” in Black Spire. Here’s what you can order from Docking Bay 7:

 

Docking Bay 7 - Braised Shaak Roast

 

Braised Shaak Roast - beef pot roast with with cavatelli pasta, kale and mushrooms

 

Docking Bay 7 - Fried Tip-Yip

 

- Fried Endorian Tip-Yip - fried chicken (not batter fried though) with roasted vegetable mash and green herb gravy
- Felucian Garden Spread - vegan meatballs with herb hummus, tomato-cucumber relish, and pita bread

 

Docking Bay 7 - Ithorian Garden Loaf

 

Ithorian Garden Loaf - vegan meatloaf served with roasted vegetable mash, seasonal vegetables and mushroom sauce

 

Docking Bay 7 - Kaadu Ribs

 

Kaadu Ribs - smoked country sticky pork ribs (cut in a way unique to Docking Bay 7) with a blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw

 

Docking Bay 7 - Oven Roasted Burra Fish

 

Oven Roasted Burra Fish - a Dijon-crusted sustainable fish with mixed greens, roasted vegetables, quinoa and pumpkin seeds with a creamy green curry ranch dressing

 

Docking Bay 7 - Oven Roasted Tip-Yip

 

Oven Roasted Tip-Yip - features roasted chicken with mixed greens, roasted vegetables, quinoa and pumpkin seeds with a creamy green curry ranch dressing

- Yobshrimp Noodle Salad - a marinated noodle salad with chilled shrimp
- To be named desserts of raspberry creme puff with passion fruit mousse and chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse and coffee custard (the chocolate disc on these desserts depict Black Spire Outpost's emblem)

 

Docking Bay 7 - Phattro and Moof Juice

 

- Phattro (this has appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as an alcoholic beverage but is non-alcoholic here)
- Moof Juice

The children’s menu will include smaller portion sizes of the Yobshrimp Noodle Salad and the Fried Tip-Yip.

 

Docking Bay 7 - Felucian Garden Spread

 

Of the Docking Bay 7 food I sampled (the Felucian garden spread, the kaadu ribs, the fried tip-yip, the yobshrimp noodle salad, and the desserts), I especially loved the Felucian garden spread. It’s hard to tell that it’s vegan, and the dish has a pitch perfect balance of spiciness and sweetness. Other highlights include the blueberry muffin that comes alongside the kaadu ribs, the olive oil mashed potatoes with the fried tip-yip, the ribs, and both desserts (the texture of both desserts is to die for).

The outside of the raspberry creme puff looks like Rey’s portion bread, but Culinary Director Brian Piasecki let us know they have something like the portion from The Force Awakens in the works as well.

 

Docking Bay 7 - to be named desserts

 

A few final notes to share: though the proprietors of all these restaurants and stands have a presence through their employees, they won’t necessarily be seen themselves. Also, Disney has not yet decided whether they will re-label water bottles to be in-universe (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does this with “gilly water”), but it sounds likely that they will get “imports” of soda to Black Spire Outpost.

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by LonghornSean

[Francisco 2.0 32386]

Oh. My. God.

 

https://io9.gizmodo.com/weve-been-to-star-wars-galaxys-edge-and-life-will-never-1832878349

 

Quote

There are several amazing things about this cockpit. One is that it feels like it’s the only cockpit. (Obviously, it’s not. If it was, it would be a very long wait.) We think there’s some kind of mechanism inside rotating the rooms from one hallway entry point but how Disney achieved that effect, they specifically would not say. Either way, it’s cool.

The other amazing thing about the cockpit is that being inside it is damn near a religious experience.

Every button and switch works. The handle you pull down for lightspeed has a nice weight to it. You’ll probably have to divert power to specific deflector shields. It’s glorious. But, like I said, there are six of you, and the way the ride works is two people are pilots, two people are gunners and two people are engineers. Pilots fly, gunners shoot, and engineers repair. And while it may seem like you’d really only want to be a pilot, working together ensures a more exciting ride and the ride’s designers assured us all three stations are equally fun and rewarding. (Then again, just touching the controls as a pilot gave me chills up and down my arms.)

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

 

Quote

The doors to your transport open and you are no longer on Batuu. You are no longer out in space. You are inside a Star Destroyer. You walk into a massive, room (about the size of a high school gymnasium) that, even fully lit with almost none of the effects or props in place yet, brought tears to my eyes. It’s all-encompassing and completely overwhelming.

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Francisco 2.0

[mdmost 42997]

Saw where how you do in the MF ride carries with you when you go into certain shops. So if you crash, the lady behind the counter at the Cantina will talk shit about your flying skills. Or if you do well, you may get a character come up wanting to talk with you. The Disney Play app will hold your score or how well/bad you did. If you want to change the responses, you can go through the ride again and do better. 

[CooterBrown 18002]

On 2/26/2019 at 4:33 PM, mdmost said:

I may be in the minority but I much prefer the Disneyland Fastpass and Maxpass system to the Disney World one where you're booking months in advance.

Nope. I definitely prefer the DLR MaxPass and FastPass systems.  I may be in the minority on loving DLR/CA but really disliking WDW.  Headed to DLR in two weeks.

[TenaciousTgarden 14]

Thanks again mdmost for the tips.  We are going march 20-21 and staying that one night at Disneyland Hotel. Really trying to keep it low key. Little one won't be able to ride majority of the rides, and 5 yr old is a bit of a scaredy cat, so we're mostly going for the experience, the characters, etc. And we have a dinner reservation at Goofy's Kitchen, which I am dreading but know the kids will love.

Do you guys think the parade is "important"?  We were planning on doing our half day at DCA and then using our magic morning and longer day at DL, but we need to leave by about 2:30, so we'll miss the parade at Disney. If we wanted to, we could do DL the first day and do the 6:30 pm parade, but I have a feeling the kids are going to be super exhausted by then (8:30 austin time, plus we'll be traveling all morning and disney-ing all afternoon).  I want to just skip the parade stuff all together, but also don't want to miss out if people think it's super worth it.  Also have little desire to line up and wait for it to start.

[mdmost 42997]

It’s not Paint the Night which is really good. The other one’s okay. I mean you’ll see characters at the dinner. I’d skip if you only have a half day. World of Color, the nighttime show at CA is great so you could make that your last thing on that first day. I would do that for sure if you’re going to skip the DLR fireworks. Spend the magic morning at DLR. Jolly Holiday has some decent breakfast snacks. Kids always want to go there in the morning. And get the Mickey shaped beignets at the Mint Julip Bar in New Orleans Square.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2019 by mdmost

[Brew 3049]

On 2/28/2019 at 2:38 PM, CooterBrown said:

Nope. I definitely prefer the DLR MaxPass and FastPass systems.  I may be in the minority on loving DLR/CA but really disliking WDW.  Headed to DLR in two weeks.

I prefer MaxPass as well. Going in we were worried about it because we just didn’t know whether we would get what we wanted or not. However, over the course of several days and several different arrival times, we never had any issues with getting times for rides. We pretty much just jumped from ride to ride and steadily booked times.

[Amos Moses 795]

Planning a trip to DL in the first week of June.  Ideally I'd like to start with a half day when we arrive and then have the next day be a full day.  We went to WDW in 2016 so I generally know the drill about how to navigate with the app, Fastpass (although it looks like DL and WDW have different systems), dinner reservations, etc.  Any tips on when to look into securing tickets?  I tried through the website and you can't purchase single day tickets this far out.  Also, how likely are we to arrive right when the Star Wars stuff opens?  No one in my group particularly cares about it, but I'm wondering if we need to reconsider given the crowds.