Bibbidi Bobbidi Booooo! It looks as if the most magical place on earth has been having some major downfalls that not even Fairy Godmother can fix. Not to worry though, magic isn’t always going to be perfect. Disney has been in the news lately for their biggest failure ever to take place for a galaxy, far far away. For all the Disney fans and Star Wars, you might see where I’m going with this. Guests of Disney have indeed taken the stigma literally and have stayed far far away from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. Disneyland Resort in Anthem, CA has also taken a big hit for this land’s grand opening. Coming from a massive Disney and Star Wars fan myself, they missed the magical mark. So, What happened?
Looking back to 2015, Disney announced at D23 Expo that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, would be arriving at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Summer 2019. Star Wars was a big purchase next to Marvel for Disney. Disney announced what the land would entail for the guests in 2019. There would be two attractions, shops, food areas, along with stations where you can hand build your own droid and lightsaber! Plans were set into gear and a few years later, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened on May 31st, 2019 at Disneyland Resort, and August 29th, 2019 at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.
Guests are welcome to create their own lightsaber as a souvenir but one of the backlashes the land has faced is after you’re done creating and paying, you can’t take it out in the park or in the land. How bizarre is that? If that isn’t crazy enough, you can guess the price for making one of these Star Wars gems. Disney is having guests make appointments at Savi’s workshop and charging guests $199.99 to create a lightsaber that guests can’t take out in the park and play with. What’s a Star Wars land without having your own lightsaber? Apparently, Galaxy’s Edge.
I follow many Disney bloggers and Youtube channels dedicated to Disney. A few of them had an opportunity to check out the land before it’s grand opening. They were able to tour around and with that, they got footage of the land. The land looks exactly like you are living in the world of the new Star Wars trilogy. There are merchandise shops on every corner that have plush toys of the rare creatures, apparel, souvenirs, bags, and anything Star Wars. You can then get your hands on blue and green milk in the food sections. The biggest attraction there (well, only attraction there until December 2019) is the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This attraction also has been posted as a background selfie on Instagram millions of times with the caption “In a galaxy far far away”. The next attraction is expected to open in December 2019. The bloggers also attended Oga’s Cantina for some drinks and snacks. The drinks looked amazing but are ready to get your apple payout for an alcoholic beverage with a souvenir cup.
By the sounds of the land, it sounds exactly the same feeling like Harry Potter’s Wizarding World in Universal Studios Orlando. One attraction, plenty of shops, you can get a custom wand, butterbeer with souvenir mugs, and dining places from the movies. It’s wonderful. I know I haven’t been able to check out Galaxy’s Edge yet but I think if I wait a year or two, the land will be filled and have more satisfaction than it does right now. Right now, I’m gonna let the rise of the resistance resist my urge to spend money on a Disney park ticket until the magic is up and running again with some faith, trust, and pixie dust. It’s time for Disney to bring back the magic.
Overall, Disney still has a special place in my heart. Disney can’t always be perfect. Mistakes will be made but there is still magic. You got millions of other ideas right now for the parks. So, Disney, it’s okay you missed the mark on this one. I’ll be back real soon.