In a Galaxy Far Far Away…

If you know any Walt Disney World Cast Members scrolling through facebook and instagram looks something like this:

And no, we are NOT sorry about it.

The experience was one I will never forget! I loved the interactions with the cast members, the land itself was impressive, and the food was great. All the cast are very in character and you can definitely forget you’re in a theme park. I can only imagine all the blank stairs that the cast members get-and are going to get-when they say “bright suns” or referring to money as “credits” but I love that they hold character through the whole thing and I hope that never changes! My friends and I tried 3 different entrees, and both deserts at the quick service and both alcoholic beverages that were offered outside of the Cantina.

Food: It is safe to say that the food in Batuu is GREAT. I don’t remember the names (and unfortunately did not get a picture of the menu or the food) but the 3 entrees we tried were: 1. Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green gravy 2. Beef and pasta- which was kind of like pot roast stroganoff 3. Falafel- this was the vegetarian option and was actually my favorite. There were meatless “meatballs” with cucumber and pita. it was delicious! Among the 2 deserts, I preferred the chocolate one but my friend preferred the fruity one so these are definitely not 1 size fits all. The chocolate mousse was in a hard chocolate shell and had a mango garnish. The fruity was a raspberry cream puff, the pastry was flakey and delicious the filling was just a little stronger than I was wanting at the time. The 1 alcoholic beverage at the quick service was pineapple and blue curaçao, I liked this beverage when we were eating but when the ice started to melt it started to give me kool-aid vibes… so I recommend drinking it moderately quick. The bourbon beverage at the stand at the end of the market was not my jam, but I’m not really a bourbon drinker so don’t take my opinion too seriously here. It was lime juice, cherry, and bourbon and it just kind of tasted like it was missing something (we actually ended up mixing it with the fountain coke we got which was better (but weaker).

Ride: Smuggler’s Run is a ramped up version of “mission space” BUT it doesn’t make me motion sick or claustrophobic-SCORE! The ride uses 6 people to complete each team and you definitely DON’T have to be the pilot to have fun. However, I do think you need to know the pilot to have fun. If you’re not the pilot, trash talking the pilot can be just as fun as flying but without the stress of trying to remember that up takes you down and down takes you up. So the length of the ride is influenced by your flying ability (ability to hit the buttons quickly) so you do need to pay attention but at the same time, don’t forget to pay attention. The first ride through my friend said she was so focused on not missing a button that she forgot to pay attention and had NO idea what was going on on the screen. Thankfully we had time to do a second (and third) ride through but when the land opens that will for sure not be an easy task for guests. So make sure you look around!

Land: Everything is overly themed, which is something Disney excels at. We saw the creativity and ability to bring a land to life in Pandora, but Galaxy’s Edge is a step up from that because you can actually forget you’re in a theme park. Pandora somehow fits in to Animal Kingdom, regardless of the comically large blue people that inhabit it and the glowing ground that you walk on. You still know that you’re in Animal Kingdom as you make your loop from Pandora to Africa to Asia and DinoLand. But Galaxy’s Edge (even with the arch not being near as long as the bridge between Africa and Pandora) fades you from reality to a Galaxy far far away. I have seen most of the Star Wars movies (I’m missing the last couple) and I’ve enjoyed all that I have seen but I’ve never been a fangirl. And yet, this land was impressive to me and all my friends who share my sentiment. Galaxy’s Edge is large and has a good amount of things to see outside of the Millennium Falcon though it is the most impressive photo spot. Sure the land is a lot of shopping, but real life is a lot of shopping. And they’ve melded it into a realistic scenario where you are wandering through a market, weaving between the shops that the locals shop, eating the food they love, and are even being harassed by the military forces that run amuck. Storm troopers! They have been a fixture of Hollywood Studios for years but I will be very glad to see them get moved solely to Galaxy’s Edge as I think it will help the illusion. And they are AMAZING wandering through the land interacting with everyone who stares too long. Just take a look at the interaction after my friend fangirled over seeing the troopers.