Ever since the Star Wars saga launched in 1977, movie lovers the world over have fantisised about what it would be like to swing their very own lightsaber, or fly Han Solo‘s Millennium Falcon starship, or, y’know, drink weird blue milk like Luke Skywalker.
Now all those dreams can become a reality for kids aged one to a hundred thanks to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the brand new billion-dollar, 14-acre Star Wars-themed land that was recently unveiled at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and is set to open at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on August 29, 2019.
Check out a trailer for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in the player at the top of this post.
The Millennium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – the first time a replica of the ship has been 100% built full-size.
(Credit: Disney.)Set at Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu – basically the Wild West of outer space where shady smugglers mix with baddies the First Order and goodies the Resistance – Galaxy’s Edge is a fully immersive land that features something unforgettable for every member of the family.
Full of incredibly detailed sights and sounds from a galaxy far, far way, Galaxy’s Edge really does make you feel like you’re actually in a Star Wars movie. Here’s how they do it…
YOU CAN FLY THE MILLENNIUM FALCON
Lovingly called “the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy,” the iconic starship piloted by Han Solo and Chewbacca comes to life with the incredible motion ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.
Visitors will get to step aboard and walk through the main hold of the ship where Chewbacca played Dejarik (space chess, for the uninitiated) with R2-D2 in Star Wars: A New Hope before entering the Falcon‘s cockpit to undertake a daring mission as a pilot, gunner or engineer.
Allowing riders to punch it into hyperspace, blast enemy TIE fighters and feel every gravity-defying move of the Falcon, this is as close to flying a starship through space as you’re ever going to get.
Watch Empire editor James Jennings take a ride on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run below. Story continues after video…
YOU CAN GET A DRINK AT A CANTINA
Just like the dingy cantina full of aliens and smugglers in A New Hope, Galaxy’s Edge features its very own intergalactic drinking establishment: Oga’s Cantina.
Cocktails from Oga’s Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Credit: Disney)Want to try a Fuzzy Tauntaun, Frozen Carbonite or Outer Rim? Now you can thanks to a selection of Star Wars-themed cocktails that will have you blurring the line between fantasy and reality in no time.
Added bonus: the cantina has a ROBOT DJ. Your new favourite bar? Yep.
Watch a video that takes you into Oga’s Cantina. Story continues after video…
YOU GET TO HANG OUT WITH STAR WARS CHARACTERS
At Galaxy’s Edge you’re bound to run into a few familiar faces. Rey (next seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December) can be found recruiting Resistance fighters, Chewbacca can be seen lurking about and baddie Kylo Ren often makes an appearance to strike fear into the Batuu locals.
Kylo Ren menaces residents of Black Spire Outpost at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Credit: Disney)Everybody who works at Galaxy’s Edge is in character, including Resistance fighters who may try and recruit you to their cause, First Order Stormtroopers intent on interrogating you should they suspect you’re against them or friendly Batuu locals who may greet you with a “Bright suns” (“Good day”) or “Rising Moons” (“good evening”).
With everybody around you convincingly acting like they’re actually on the planet Batuu, you’ll have no trouble believing after a while either.
Some of the Resistance fighters and First Order officers you can expect to come across at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Credit: Disney)YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN LIGHTSABER OR DROID
Every aspiring Jedi or Sith needs their own custom-made weapon, and Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lighstabers makes sure you don’t go home empty-handed by letting you put together your very own lightsaber in the colour of your choice.
Build your own lightsaber in Savi’s Workshop at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Credit: Disney)You can also choose parts off a conveyor belt to customise your own astromech droid at the Droid Depot, with your new little mechanical friend having the ability to interact with other elements throughout the land.
The Droid Depot at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Credit: Disney.)YOU CAN TAKE HOME YOUR OWN CREATURE
Forget a new puppy: Galaxy’s Edge offers all kinds of authentic Star Wars critters you can take home, from a Kowakian monkey-lizard to an adorable Porg as seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Every piece of available merchandise is designed as if it were made on Batuu, meaning you can also pick up authentic Jedi-style robes, a game of Dajerik to play with your Wookiee pals and other obscure knick-knacks from all corners of the galaxy.
Below watch a video of some creatures found in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’s marketplace. Story continues after video…
YOUR PHONE BECOMES A STAR WARS DATAPAD
Thanks to the Disney Parks Play App, your mobile device can become a Star Wars Datapad able to earn galactic credits by interacting with droids and door panels throughout the land, scanning cargo to reveal what’s inside and tapping into transmissions to reveal what certain characters are saying.
Those wanting to go next level can engage in the multiplayer game Outpost Control where teams hack door panels to place surveillance devices for either the Resistance or the First Order.
A little more fun than texting your friends asking what to have for dinner, huh?
YOU CAN DRINK BLUE MILK
Or green milk, if that’s more your cup of space tea. The plant-based “milks” taste pretty much like a melted Splice iceblock in a cup, which is to say they’re absolutely delicious.
Whether you choose green or blue milk, one thing’s for certain: you will one hundred per cent feel like you’re in a Star Wars movie. And isn’t that the whole point?
Watch a video of Empire editor James Jennings trying blue milk below. Story continues after video…
The final word goes to Margaret Kerrison, the Managing Story Editor at Walt Disney Imagineering and one of the many talented people responsible for bringing Galaxy’s Edge to life:
“I think grown men are going to cry. I think people are going to fall to their knees and start kissing the ground. All these things sound like an exaggeration, but I feel like it’s going to happen.
“When we first started working on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, I remember thinking: I want to walk into this land and be on the same level as everyone else – from the really hardcore Star Wars fan, to someone who knows nothing about Star Wars.
“I want to have that urgency to explore and to discover, and to run around every corner and to meet every single droid and alien in this land. I can’t wait to see that!”
May the Force, as always, be with you…
