Disney like it was our job

[fbhjr]

Sunday morning we got up early (if you don’t count the 3 hour time change in our favor), packed our stuff, checked out of the hotel with the poor aircondlting and went to the car.
I should point out it was hot all the time on this trip. In the 90’sF or 30’sC depending on your scale.

Last time I was there, granted some time around 1993, Disney had a parking lot outside it. I tried to go there and found they turned it into a second park. (California Adventure.)
So, we drove past the hotel we had been at, then about that distance again before coming to a Disney parking lot.
They had shuttle busses back.
So, we were outside the gates of Disney 10 minutes before they opened.


As soon as it opened, we walked in with the crowd.
There has been a lot of talk of how empty the place is these days.
People have lost their jobs over it.


But we always saw lots of people.


Now, we did march straight for Galaxy’s edge and were the right there at opening. So, we did beat a lot of folks there.


We did see they were converting over to their Halloween decorations. I had picked the week we went as it was after school started, but before the Halloween stuff really got going. But it was nice they had some of the more traditional Day of the Dead stuff too.


Galaxy’s Edge is at the back of the park, so you’ve got to go through at least two "lands" to get there. We usually did Main Street and Frontier Land, but occasionally cut through Fantasy Land too.
It has a distinct entrance.


Then, you are amongst the droids…


People were shouting "This way to the Millennium Falcon!", but we decided to look around more first.
The land really isn’t that large physically. So, we could see it from where we were.


Being a big fan of the original movie, it was nice to see a familiar land speeder there.


I didn’t know this other, but it looked like it belonged there too.


I don’t know what this is on the dashboard of the second one, but I’d be willing to believe it would keep Sandpeople away.


We went over to the marketplace area first.




We did go to the creature shop and pick up some creatures.


The second ride, Rise of the Resistance, is still several months away from opening, but we still went over to that section and looked at the starfighters. I’ve always liked the A-Wing.


We had a good time just looking around the area and admiring the construction.


I’m not sure why I keep hearing the park was empty. As I said, that isn’t our experience.


I did try the blue "milk". While I’m allergic to milk, this stuff has never seen a cow.

It’s OK. It tastes like a fruit smoothy base without any fruit in it.

Then, we finally went over to the Falcon.


The line was at 45 minutes and starts twisting around behind the Falcon.


The line moves fairly quickly, but twists and turns all over the place. My wife was very impressed at how well they hid it.


But, there is do doubt it is there.


They do have things to look at and such as you go.


And, you certainly have time to look at the ship.



Eventually you get to Hondo who tells you your mission.


Then, more line.


At the end of that line you are given a role on the mission. First time, I got pilot.


Then, you’re on the ship.


No one wanted to play me. Maybe they thought I was too much like a Wookie.


Hondo gives you one last pep talk, then off to the cockpit.


I tried the ride 3 times.
As pilot I had a success rate of 20%. (I guess the game doesn’t give lower than that. I didn’t take a photo of that…)
As gunner I got 39%.
As flight engineer, I got 100%
I guess once an engineer…


My wife only went on it the once. In her words "They make you do things, that’s too much like work!"
So, she waited while I did the other times.


She was impressed with the plant life, which was different from other areas of the park.


So, the other times I went on the "Single Rider" line instead of the main line. It is MUCH shorter. The longest time was about 20 minutes. But, you don’t get any of the props or back story.
You get an empty corridor and a stairway.


So, back to wondering the world.
We found that outside the bathrooms, when you flush something pops up.


I stopped for a bite to eat at the Ronto Rosters place.


The food is theoretically cooked under a pod racing engine and turned by a droid.


My wife tried the popcorn.


Outside the scrap metal yard (lightsaber building) there is a speeder my wife rode. She even smiled!


I picked which lightsaber to build. I took protection and defense.


I got there early, so there wasn’t much of a line for my appointment time.


But, others did show up.


Then into the hidden lightsaber shop for building my own lightsaber.


They have trays and trays and trays of lightsaber parts.


They brought me my tray of protection and defense parts.


You get one base, pick 2 of 4 grips, 1 of 2 emitters, 1 of 2 bases and 1 of 2 switch plates.
There are 4 different base types.
So, just under 400 combinations are possible, not counting the 4 colors of crystals too.


Sadly, my crystal didn’t work.


But, the helper gave me a new base and it worked. I seemed to be the only one in the class with that problem.


Other than that, no problems.


Soon, it was built.


Then, you step away and the spirit of Yoda comes to bless your lightsabers.

(This is when they attach the blade for you…)

Then, you turn them on and lift them up.


After that we went over to the Antiquities shop so I could get extra crystals for my lightsaber. Good thing I picked blue as they were out of extra blue and red ones.

Not sure about the foot outside the antiquities shop. Seems a bit Monty Python to me.


Cool stuff inside though..



Then we went to visit the First Order.


While the bad guys of the new movies, it is where you can drop your packages so you don’t have to carry them around all day. They send them up to the front gate so you can pick up everything when you leave. (And, not have a feel for just how much you spent…)


Again on the "park is empty" rumors, this is the line to get into the Cantina. You can only get in if you have a reservation. So, all of these folks reserved a place.


Then, off to build my droid.


I will agree this area wasn’t that full.


As with the lightsaber, I knew what I wanted.



Then, you’ve got to put it together. Good thing I have experience building robots.




Then, it gets activated.


I did NOT buy the $25,000 R2D2.


When done with the droid, we saw the First Order was around looking for spies.




There is a bit of a stage show by the tie fighter, but not a whole lot.





We did stray back into the main park at one point to try and go on Space Mountain. But, I wasn’t willing to wait 90 minutes to do it. (Again, empty park? I don’t think so…)



My wife had tent envy.


And, she likes some of the other characters we saw.


The Disney crowd tracker listed the park as being at Ghost Town level. Yeah, totally empty park.



Walt seemed happy. But, he’s always smiling…


We did go on the Star Tours ride as that did have a short line.


And, this part was genuinely empty.


One of my wife’s friends used to do the Jungle Cruise, so we went on that out of solidarity.


Lots of bad jokes and animatronic animals.



Then, Big Thunder Mountain, which is a roller coaster in Frontier Land.


So, back to Batu.


My wife had considered a hug from a Wookie, but then decided not to.


We found there is a nook in the corner of one building that kids like to climb into to hide. Not sure what it is really for.


Then, it was time for our reservation at the cantina.


As I said, even with reservations, you wait in line to get in. Then, you pay for your drinks up front and have to get out in 45 minutes.



I had wanted the beer glass set that looked like Rancor teeth. But, I don’t drink. So, my wife agreed to take one for the team and drink the beer.



My wife said she’d be happy to bring home the glasses and use them for better beer.



The folks across the table from us (no, you don’t get a table to yourself…) ordered a wider selection.


They do give you lots of coasters. I guess these sell on eBay…


The droid that used to pilot the Star Tours ride is now the DJ. It’s just as good at that as it was at flying the ship.


But, it was nice to see it.


I did buy a matched set of "Legacy" lightsabers that are the ones Asoka Tano uses. She’s my favorite character in Star Wars, so I really wanted her lightsabers.


Then, we left the park, checked into the new hotel, had dinner and went for frozen desert.


I put out our purchases and started planning how to get them in our 1 suitcase on the way home…
(Of course I knew what I planned to buy, its size and the other things we’d bring when I picked which suitcase to bring in the first place. That’s why we had no carry on going out, everything was in the big suitcase…)

Comments

[cissa]

Looks like fun!

[brickhousewench]

We found that outside the bathrooms, when you flush something pops up.

OMG that is hilarious!

Man, really appreciate your trip report. As much as I love Star Wars, I just don’t ever see myself flying across the country to go to Disney to experience it myself. So I appreciate living vicariously through my friends.