Share your story from visiting DHS’ SWGE!

[lauradisneymad]

First off thank you to everyone who has posted information, the group chat invention and answered any questions. I wouldn’t have just had day I had if it wasn’t for how amazing this forum is.

We were 11-3 slot. Got in about 10.30. Disney have knocked this one out the park. The level of detail everywhere is jaw dropping. I’d happily stand in queue for falcon just to take it all in.

5hours later and the heat drove us out but I can’t wait to go back in November.

Savi’s is an experience you can’t do justice explaining. I’d even do it again

We did go crazy shopping to be honest.

Massive shout out to the cast members who are all amazing in their roles and a lot seemed to know when to be in story and when someone just wanted an answer.

Far better reviews on here than I could write.

 

[elle101me]

We had the 5-9 slot on Sunday. I agree with the others about how hot it was. Phew! Checked in just before 5 and got a 5:30 return for Oga’s. I had 2 of the Jedi Mind Trick drinks and my husband and son had the Jabba Juice. It was very crowded and we were shown to the bar and only had a tiny space with room for one but we made it work.
Headed to ride MFSR. There was a 45 minute wait because I think people from the previous time slot were still there. The line moved quickly and it was 45 minutes but we were pretty much always moving and there’s lots to look at. Ended up being a pilot. Definitely the best position to get after trying all 3. Rode it 2 more times a bit later in the evening with a 20 minute wait and at 8:30 it was a walk on.
We checked out the shops, I tried a blue milk which I really liked, and we got a Sprite and a Diet Coke so we could get the cool bottles!
Crowds dropped off around 7:00 and it was very uncrowned. Cast members were fantastic!

 

[Anotherdropintheocean]

Reservation 5-9pm on 8/19: We got in at 4:00pm and got our reservation card for Savi at 4:25pm. We headed straight to Savi’s and bought 3 cokes on the way(max allowed)

We checked in at Savi’s and after 5 minutes it started pouring. There are some umbrellas, but everybody got wet, including the CMs that were under the main tent. They may have to add additional cover for the CMs and equipment as everything was getting wet.

We built 2 lightsabers: the experience, if you are fan, is well worth the money. The units are of very high quality, although the experience of building it is what makes it worth it.

Then we headed to the MF ride. All in all, I will say that this is the best ride so far in all Disney. My review may be biased because we were able to ride pilot twice, and because we saw Steph! The fact that you are interacting with the ride makes it a fully immersive experience. FOP may be cooler with all the other effects, but you cannot make the banshee go left and right, up and down.

We purchased some additional merchandise, and also food. The foods was a b-. I am sure they will get their act together by opening day. But it was the only downside of the day.

At around 8:30, we were able to do a walk in for Olga’s: this is the best bar in the galaxy!!! I would spend hours in this place! It somehow reminded me of my college days

The CMs were great and they were for the most part in character. We interacted with Rey Twice and it was amazing.

The data pad is awesome, and you could probably spend a whole week just trying to complete the missions etc.

I thought that I would miss the fact that luke, han, leia, and darth along with the legacy star wars was not part of the theme, but it was great anyway. We will probably not have the opportunity to live the land as we did anytime soon: this was certainly a VIP experience.

We finally left the land at :9:20pm. I really did not want to leave!!!

Well done Disney!

 

[Anotherdropintheocean]

More pics

 

[Haley R]

All I can say is WOW! This land is so unbelievable. We had the 9-1 slot on the first day of AP previews. I won't spoil everything, but I can promise this is the most immersive and detailed theme park land you have ever visited.

I got to pilot the Falcon twice with 55 and 35 minute waits. I will say that I had pretty low expectations for this ride based on the reviews I've read. But I can definitively say those people were WRONG! The queue line for MFSR is incredible. And once I turned the corner and realized I was in the Falcon, I lost it! Such a perfect replication!!! And then when I stepped into the cockpit, I lost it again. And as for the attraction itself, the graphics were far better than I expected (once again based on earlier reviews). The display is crystal clear and even produced that feeling in my stomach a few times, which totally added to the immersion. My DW and DDs were gunners on both rides, and I got to co-pilot with each of my DDs which is an experience I will never forget and is yet another reason why Disney is the best. 10/10 for MFSR

After the first Falcon ride, we went to our Cantina reservation at 10:00. This is such an awesome venue, and the experience was great. It's not something I would do every trip, but it is something everyone should do at least once. We all tried a few drinks as well as the snacks, and all of it was good. The setting was really cool. DJ Rex was not working. I don't know if he just wasn't completed yet, or if he was malfunctioning. That was a little bit of a disappointment for me, but overall it was a really cool experience that everyone should try. 8/10 for Oga's Cantina

We left the Cantina and did a few PhotoPass locations. Then I grabbed a Ronto Roaster and some jerky. The jerky was basically garbage, but the Ronto Roaster was spectacular! Will definitely eat it again. 9/10 for Ronto Roasters

Then we went for the milks. I had predetermined in my mind that I was going to like the blue milk over the green, simply because I'm an OT fan since age 3. But the green milk was light years better than the blue, much to my dismay. This is one of the more affordable snacks in the land and will certainly be a frequent stop for me. 9/10 for the Milk Stand

We then browsed through the street market. I will say that I was a bit disappointed at the size of the shop area; I thought it would be much bigger. Unless I'm specifically going with the intent to buy "something", I could care less if I return to this area. However, there is a cool surprise at the water fountain. 6/10 for the Street Market

We left the market and went to Docking Bay 7. Maybe a 15 minute wait until we were in line and ordering food. We had the Kaadu ribs, yobshrimp noodles, shaak roast, and fried tip yip. It was all REALLY good. The setting once again is incredibly detailed with a few easter eggs. We did have to walk around for a few minutes to find a table for 4, but we will definitely return for another meal here. 9/10 for Docking Bay 7

After DB7, we returned for our 2nd flight on MFSR. I won't spoil it for you, but just make sure you have the Play Disney app on your datapad before you enter the land for the first time. Then make sure it's on and enabled.

I cannot wait for ROTR to open, and hope we're fortunate enough to get an AP preview for that as well. If not, we'll be waiting in line with the rest of you goons. Based on what I've seen of the land so far and what Disney has touted this attraction to be, it will be worth the wait.

Whether you secured a reservation or not, you need to make a trip to Batuu. You will not regret it. 'Til the spire!

I'm exactly the same way as you with the milk! I thought I would hate the green milk and love the blue, but I ended up loving the green. I thought the blue was okay, but I wouldn't get it again

 

[Suejacken]

More picsView attachment 427423View attachment 427424View attachment 427425View attachment 427426View attachment 427427View attachment 427428

Love all your pics. Thanks for sharing them with us

 

[MarkinNM]

I thought that I would miss the fact that luke, han, leia, and darth along with the legacy star wars was not part of the theme, but it was great anyway.

We finally left the land at :9:20pm. I really did not want to leave!!!

Well done Disney!

GREAT PICS and awesome point, about the original characters not being there, who cares this is Galaxy Edge a small part in the SW universe! MANY thanks to you and all the AP's who went this week and took the time to post, I am living through you guys now as the 29th cannot get here fast enough!!

 

[HopperFan]

More pics ...

Awesome pictures .... it looks so much different at night.

 

[conandrob240]

Has anyone tried taking the droid on the plane in your carry on? Any issues?

 

[yulilin3]

Has anyone tried taking the droid on the plane in your carry on? Any issues?

On the merchandise thread someone said they took it as their carry on without an issue and it fit under the seat

 

[TheHamm]

Late to update, but still going to do it.
TLDR verision-
it was immersive, the CMs were engaging, we were unimpressed with food and beverage options, and if you have a kid who is overwhelmed bring ear muffs and let them retreat to a stroller. There isn't really a place to retreat to shade or calm, which we really needed. I would happily go again without my kids, but there probably won't be a kid-less vacation for many years to come. We may be back to build a droid with the kids, but that and CM interactions are probably all one of them can handle.

Long, rambling details-
We went for the AP preview Sunday morning. Check in at 8:30 was smooth, the cast members were friendly and cheerful. We had one still half asleep 6yo in a stroller and one 6yo who was clutching a hand and tentative about it all. Again, the CMs were great greeting them with "bright suns!" and "welcome younglings!" Awake child was very curious about that, and found it amusing but she remained very shy. We went to MFSR which had a 50 minute posted time, parked the stroller for the morning and got in line for about 25 minutes. It is very immersive and very cool, but the kids were a bit concerned about the engine firing and a few other noises. I thought it was fantastic and well done, but for the heat and lack of air flow even at 9am. We were given 2 pilot and 2 gunner cards. As I tend to get a bit motion sick I wanted the gunner slot, and we wanted to put the non-coaster riding kid next to the adult who could reach her, so she got to pilot. Both kids had fun, but only one wanted to do it again. On our exit we say Rey, and they very much wanted to get a picture, but she ran off as they were trying to talk to her. This was the biggest disappointment of the morning.
We moved onto a bathroom break. I think this was one of the favorite stops of one kid, who was excited about the cool soap dispensers. I cannot explain kids, they are odd. We had a bit of time to wander before our Olga's time slot, but not enough to send DH and excited rider back to MFSR. We went over to Kat Saka's for some grains. No one really liked them (not kettle corn fans) but both kids were fascinated with the popcorn machine and wanted to watch it for a bit. Again, kids are odd. We watched until the machine had a malfunction and they agreed to move on for blue and green milk. We got one of each, anticipating they would both like the blue one and fight over it, but we lucked out and it turned out one kid and one adult liked each better so no arguing!
We wandered the stalls on our way back to Olga's. This is what I wanted to do in the land, but DH and I were apprehensive given the standing table situation. I was relieved when they led us to a table as there was zero chance the kids would have been able to do anything but stand under the high tops. I was very happy to have a little bit of time to check out the DJ, the decor, and enjoy it a bit before we had to quickly leave. It is loud and overwhelming. We really would have had to bring ear muffs for one kid to stay. I appreciated the guests who were seated with us who saw the situation and quickly helped us grab our stuff and get out. I hope to go back sometime without the kids, but it is not clear when that will be. Honestly, we saw the menu and what people had and are not terribly interested in the food or beverage, just the atmosphere. Next we split up and DH + Kid went to ride again, and other kid asked to find somewhere quiet to sit, or if I would just push her in the stroller. As it was all of 10:20, we wandered into docking bay 7 to get her a snack but the menu is odd in a way that we were not finding anything she would eat- I do hope they can tweak the menu a bit for the unadventurous. My kids are not mac & cheese only kids, and there were elements of each meal they would eat, but there was no option to mod any of it. We ended up with only lemonaid, and were very content to sit in the courtyard bar area. We were the only ones out there and she was calming down. A very cheerful CM came over to engage with her, and did not quite take my cue that she needed a minute to decompress and we were just going to cool down, be quiet, and check out the fun light fixtures. He won her over by asking if she had any allergies, and asking me if he could bring her a treat. She ended up with a Battu-bon, and she was very interested in it, but still to shy to engage much with the CM, he was expecting more, but my kid is just shy. Happy and excited, but the change in her from overwhelmed and scared to moving along and excitedly eyeing a chocolate treat is not noticeable unless you know her. He got a timid thank you and as soon as he walked off she plucked the chocolate coin off the top, ate it, and hugged me. The top is white chocolate mousse and coffee cream which the kid tried but was not excited for. The bottom was a chocolate cake with a layer of chocolate dip. She happily ate this and was not interested in sharing. it was good, but I wouldn't order it again. Again, I would come back without the kids, but I do not think their offerings were a good fit for our family (OK, I dislike most of DHS's food but this was less accessible).
We met up with the other part of our party and decided it was time to find food the kids would eat, which meant we needed to exit the land. It was hot and they were on the verge of hangry but DH really wanted to get a Sabacc deck (the kids love playing card games), so I took them in the stroller with their little fans and wandered the first order area and outside Savi's to check out the droids, and to check out the land speeder We built a cardboard speeder and falcon for part of their Halloween costume last year, so they pointed out how it looked so much better when it wasn't made of cardboard and duct tape.
We talked about the decor which they were keen on, and the costumes. They asked if everyone had to wear pants, and if the head gear was too hot. I Tried to apply sunscreen to them and one was arguing, and a passing CM suggested they needed extra as the planet has 3 suns- sunscreen was then accepted On our way out, one of the CMs complimented my kids on their "Galactically Fantastic" hair. As the mom of two little girls with a healthy fear of head lice, I am an excellent hair braid and bun manufacturer on a daily basis. They had requested special hair for the event, and I delivered. They continued to tell the CM about some of their favorite types of hair braids and she kept it going until DH came back without the apparently sold out cards but instead a yoda and ewok doll, the later was immediately named Sasha for reasons no one can comprehend.
I have to say, the font on the nametags makes it challenging to see their names, or hometowns and I want to call out with a cast compliment, but I really do not know how to do so without the details.

 

[yulilin3]

Late to update, but still going to do it.
TLDR verision-
it was immersive, the CMs were engaging, we were unimpressed with food and beverage options, and if you have a kid who is overwhelmed bring ear muffs and let them retreat to a stroller. There isn't really a place to retreat to shade or calm, which we really needed. I would happily go again without my kids, but there probably won't be a kid-less vacation for many years to come. We may be back to build a droid with the kids, but that and CM interactions are probably all one of them can handle.

Long, rambling details-
We went for the AP preview Sunday morning. Check in at 8:30 was smooth, the cast members were friendly and cheerful. We had one still half asleep 6yo in a stroller and one 6yo who was clutching a hand and tentative about it all. Again, the CMs were great greeting them with "bright suns!" and "welcome younglings!" Awake child was very curious about that, and found it amusing but she remained very shy. We went to MFSR which had a 50 minute posted time, parked the stroller for the morning and got in line for about 25 minutes. It is very immersive and very cool, but the kids were a bit concerned about the engine firing and a few other noises. I thought it was fantastic and well done, but for the heat and lack of air flow even at 9am. We were given 2 pilot and 2 gunner cards. As I tend to get a bit motion sick I wanted the gunner slot, and we wanted to put the non-coaster riding kid next to the adult who could reach her, so she got to pilot. Both kids had fun, but only one wanted to do it again. On our exit we say Rey, and they very much wanted to get a picture, but she ran off as they were trying to talk to her. This was the biggest disappointment of the morning.
We moved onto a bathroom break. I think this was one of the favorite stops of one kid, who was excited about the cool soap dispensers. I cannot explain kids, they are odd. We had a bit of time to wander before our Olga's time slot, but not enough to send DH and excited rider back to MFSR. We went over to Kat Saka's for some grains. No one really liked them (not kettle corn fans) but both kids were fascinated with the popcorn machine and wanted to watch it for a bit. Again, kids are odd. We watched until the machine had a malfunction and they agreed to move on for blue and green milk. We got one of each, anticipating they would both like the blue one and fight over it, but we lucked out and it turned out one kid and one adult liked each better so no arguing!
We wandered the stalls on our way back to Olga's. This is what I wanted to do in the land, but DH and I were apprehensive given the standing table situation. I was relieved when they led us to a table as there was zero chance the kids would have been able to do anything but stand under the high tops. I was very happy to have a little bit of time to check out the DJ, the decor, and enjoy it a bit before we had to quickly leave. It is loud and overwhelming. We really would have had to bring ear muffs for one kid to stay. I appreciated the guests who were seated with us who saw the situation and quickly helped us grab our stuff and get out. I hope to go back sometime without the kids, but it is not clear when that will be. Honestly, we saw the menu and what people had and are not terribly interested in the food or beverage, just the atmosphere. Next we split up and DH + Kid went to ride again, and other kid asked to find somewhere quiet to sit, or if I would just push her in the stroller. As it was all of 10:20, we wandered into docking bay 7 to get her a snack but the menu is odd in a way that we were not finding anything she would eat- I do hope they can tweak the menu a bit for the unadventurous. My kids are not mac & cheese only kids, and there were elements of each meal they would eat, but there was no option to mod any of it. We ended up with only lemonaid, and were very content to sit in the courtyard bar area. We were the only ones out there and she was calming down. A very cheerful CM came over to engage with her, and did not quite take my cue that she needed a minute to decompress and we were just going to cool down, be quiet, and check out the fun light fixtures. He won her over by asking if she had any allergies, and asking me if he could bring her a treat. She ended up with a Battu-bon, and she was very interested in it, but still to shy to engage much with the CM, he was expecting more, but my kid is just shy. Happy and excited, but the change in her from overwhelmed and scared to moving along and excitedly eyeing a chocolate treat is not noticeable unless you know her. He got a timid thank you and as soon as he walked off she plucked the chocolate coin off the top, ate it, and hugged me. The top is white chocolate mousse and coffee cream which the kid tried but was not excited for. The bottom was a chocolate cake with a layer of chocolate dip. She happily ate this and was not interested in sharing. it was good, but I wouldn't order it again. Again, I would come back without the kids, but I do not think their offerings were a good fit for our family (OK, I dislike most of DHS's food but this was less accessible).
We met up with the other part of our party and decided it was time to find food the kids would eat, which meant we needed to exit the land. It was hot and they were on the verge of hangry but DH really wanted to get a Sabacc deck (the kids love playing card games), so I took them in the stroller with their little fans and wandered the first order area and outside Savi's to check out the droids, and to check out the land speeder We built a cardboard speeder and falcon for part of their Halloween costume last year, so they pointed out how it looked so much better when it wasn't made of cardboard and duct tape.
We talked about the decor which they were keen on, and the costumes. They asked if everyone had to wear pants, and if the head gear was too hot. I Tried to apply sunscreen to them and one was arguing, and a passing CM suggested they needed extra as the planet has 3 suns- sunscreen was then accepted On our way out, one of the CMs complimented my kids on their "Galactically Fantastic" hair. As the mom of two little girls with a healthy fear of head lice, I am an excellent hair braid and bun manufacturer on a daily basis. They had requested special hair for the event, and I delivered. They continued to tell the CM about some of their favorite types of hair braids and she kept it going until DH came back without the apparently sold out cards but instead a yoda and ewok doll, the later was immediately named Sasha for reasons no one can comprehend.
I have to say, the font on the nametags makes it challenging to see their names, or hometowns and I want to call out with a cast compliment, but I really do not know how to do so without the details.

No hometown on the SWGE nametags just their name in our alphabet and in Aurebesh

 

[fla4fun]

I was in the 9-1 group on 8/20. I decided the night before that it was not important to me to be the first one in line, so I arrived at the Studios about five minutes before they opened the front gate. I also didn’t have to wait long to get my Ogas time, or for them to let everyone in. I walked in slowly, taking photos and letting the mass of people head for the ride. My Ogas Time was 9:00, and as a solo, my spot was at the bar. I had the Lava Roll and some OJ, and took photos, and was done in about 30 minutes. I did some more shopping, and looked around the Droid Depot, and stopped for the breakfast Ronto Wrap ( which was good, but I would prefer it without the sauce).

By this time it was around 10:30, so I headed over to MFSR. The standby wait time was posted as 20 minutes but it didn’t seem that long as you were moving the whole time. I got engineer, which is what I wanted. The ride was rougher than I expected, lots of banging into hard surfaces, I would recommend not carrying anything in with you so you have a hand free to hold on or brace yourself. I was trying to protect my camera and push buttons which left me with no way to hold on. It is a fun ride though, and I will definitely ride it again. For those with size concerns, no worries here. Individual seats with no arms and very long seatbelts.

After my ride, I took a few more photos and left. It was around 11:30 when I left, but it was getting very hot. The blue skies were good for photos, but the sun was brutal. I think, like AK, this would be a cold weather area for me.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Well, by the time I'm writing this the AP previews are all but done so I'll just share some general thoughts rather than any details about the logistics of our day (when we were let in, the timing of everything, etc...).

The land is absolutely beautiful! Dh and I both remarked that we felt like we were NOT in Orlando anymore. We couldn't see any of the rest of the park from within the land (not that we tried hard to look really). Our preview was on Sunday from 9-1 and we didn't really notice it getting too hot until around noon or so.

Food and Beverages:
We got drinks at Oga's.
Carbon Freeze: Delicious!
Black Spire Brew: Umm... it was just okay. Dh needed the caffeine otherwise we would have gotten something else.
Jabba Juice: Pretty good, but the Carbon Freeze was better
Yub Nub: Got this mostly for the souvenir mug as we don't drink. We did end up drinking about 2/3 of it between the two of us. Dh liked it better than I did. It was on the sour side for me.
I also ordered the Mustafarian Lava Roll. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I only ordered it because I hadn't had anything to eat yet and I was hungry. It has a raspberry sauce drizzled over it that really adds a nice punch of flavor. I don't know if it's worth $6, but I'm glad I got it.

We then had a snack at Ronto Roasters:
Ronto Wrap: Delicious! We would definitely get this again (and again). The crunchy slaw paired well with the two types of meat and the sauce really pulled it all together. It was so good! Dh and I shared one as a snack and it worked really well. I would need at least one if not two for a satisfying meal.
Tatooine Sunset: Not sure why, but it seemed like Dh didn't care for this all that much and he generally likes sweet tea drinks. Maybe it was just the combination of fatigue and heat of the day, but I think he was hoping for something different. Or maybe he just didn't hear me the 5 times (or more) that I told him it was a TEA drink. lol It's like, I think he was expecting something more like lemonade or more fruity or something.

We ate lunch at Docking Bay 7:
Braised Shaak Roast: This is what Dh chose. He loved it! Said the meat was really tender and delicious and he isn't even a big fan of roast beef in general.
Roasted Endorian Tip-Yip Salad: Oh my, I loved this salad! The chicken was tender and packed with flavor. The green curry ranch dressing had a bit of a kick to it. The dish was eye-appealing as well and surprisingly filling! I would totally get it again.
Oi-Oi Puff and Batuu-Bon: I didn't enjoy either dessert, tbh. Normally I'd be all over both of these as the flavors are things I generally enjoy. For example, the Batuu-Bon is somewhat reminiscent of a zebra dome (which I love) but I found it too thick and rich. The puff had good flavor, but again just was too rich for me on that day. I'd be open to trying both again, but probably wouldn't go out of my way to get either one. Dh enjoyed them, otoh. He especially loved the cake part of the Batuu-Bon.
Our total for lunch was $54.27 (I had a large fountain drink and dh had water), which made it significantly more expensive than our dinner the previous night at Satuli Canteen ($37.04), mostly because of the desserts being nearly $7 each at DB7. Yeah, definitely not getting those again at that price.

We also went to the milk stand:
Blue Milk: We really enjoyed this. I found it tasted like a berry/citrus slush or smoothie. Very refreshing on a hot day! We had spent enough money by the time we hit the milk stand that we decided to only get the blue milk since that's the one that seems to have received the most positive reviews.

I also bought a souvenir bottle of Coke right before we left. I didn't think about how it would look after I left and was walking around DHS with that Coke bottle in my hand (I was drinking it as we went). One young guy stopped me and exclaimed, "That looks WAY cooler in person!"

MF:SR
Not my favorite ride. We were engineers the first time and I would even come close to saying I strongly DISliked the ride at that point. We decided to ride again when the wait was low right before the next group came in and got to be pilots that time. It certainly improved the ride, but I think knowing I have a better chance of being a gunner or engineer than a pilot makes me not care to really ever ride it again. Everything up until the ride begins is absolutely amazing though! The queue is so much fun with lots of detail and the view of the Falcon as you walk through is stunning! The sudden loud noises from that one engine in the queue could be startling for some (not in a good way) so be aware of that if you have someone in your party sensitive to that sort of thing.

We never saw Kylo, but did see Rey and Chewy several times along with a couple pairs of storm troopers. At one point, I saw Chewy and another unknown female character "working" on the x-wing over near Rise of the Resistance. That was kind of odd. There was no sound, and it wasn't really obvious what they were supposed to be doing. "Smoke" occasionally spewed out from the ship in a couple of places, but other than that, it was just a little strange. Then, Rey was working with Chewy for a little while. Dh and I both felt that some random sounds might have enhanced it, like a metal banging sound or engine noises or something. As it was, it was like watching a silent film.

The Rise of the Resistance queue also looks amazing! There's a waterfall over there and it was running while we were there. I can't wait to get a closer look at that if we ever get to return.

As far as CM interactions go, the one time I tried to ask a question about the land it didn't go so well. We were over near the crater on the path that leads to TSL and there was a female cm there and we asked her if she knew the story behind the crater (like what had created it or anything) and all she could say was "Only the Ancients know." So, shrug, I guess we tried. Maybe there isn't a story attached to it or maybe it's in that book that Yulilin has mentioned is available to cast members online, but I guess she just didn't know it yet. LOL - she probably went to find out after work that day.

 

[skeeter31]

Since most of the reviews seem to focus on Oga’s I thought I’d put a brief review in of our AP preview on Tuesday Morning (9-1) which included Savis. We got to the park at about 8:00 and joined the line at the gate. They let us in at about 8:15 and we headed back towards the land. Check in was a breeze, no one really seemed to be doing Savis. Got a 9:05 return time. Followed the herd to the Falcon and waited on line. The line moved briskly first thing in the morning. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ride. I went twice and was a gunner both times. Second time I had a father and son as pilot and the father spent the entire flight filming his son, so we crashed into everything. Also, as the ride is the same premise each time, I think those 2 rides are more than enough for me.

Got to Savis at 9:05 (cut it close riding the ride first thing) and we’re part of the first group to go in. I have to say, building the lightsaber was a truly magical experience. Our teacher was amazing with his storytelling. The cast members were great helping put the pieces together. I built a power and control model with a green crystal and my dad built a protection and defense model with a violet crystal. The lightsabers are amazing. Very heavy metal. Definitely worth the price. When the whole room lit up their sabers you could feel the intake of breath around you.

We then headed to Dok Ondar and I bought a Jedi Holocron and some extra crystals (blue, white, yellow, and red) so we now had one of each color. That store was pretty amazing as well. The detail in the decor and the multitude of purchase options was astounding.

We then wandered around a bit. My dad and wife got accosted by some stormtroopers wondering what dad was doing on his Datapad. I was hounded by a first order officer asking what I was carrying (lightsaber case) and he wasn’t buying my excuse that it was a walking stick.

While I loved the land, I feel I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish in it during my preview and I don’t see the urge or draw to return any time soon. The lightsaber was the big thing for me and I won’t be building another. But I am truly honored to have had the time in the park.

And once we were back at WL, trying the other crystals in the lightsabers and holocron was really cool.

 

[focusondisney]

Yipes. Reading all these great reviews just points out how much we missed during our time Saturday. I missed a lot of little details. We saw Ren twice, Chewie walking around a couple of times & lots of storm troopers. We had a good downpour for part of our time, it was hot & I was focused on watching my DS & enjoy his time there. Good thing we’ll be back in December.

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

Has anyone tried taking the droid on the plane in your carry on? Any issues?

Took our droid in a drawstring backpack I packed for the purpose of putting him in it. No issues. Did have to leave the box behind, DS was not happy about that.

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

DS7 and I went to the Monday 5-9 slot.
We arrived in a monsoon. Thank goodness it was over by the time we made it back to check in.
We went straight to our Oga's slot and were put at the bar. Ordered the Blue Bantha, Cliff Dweller and Carbon Freeze. We both really liked the Cliff Dweller. Carbon Freeze was good too, Blue Bantha was ok.
We then went to build our R2. That was fun. DS really enjoyed it, and thinks his droid is "sick". We picked black body, clear dome, blue legs and blue accessories for front of body. Our first body didn't work, so CM had to grab a new one, so we built 2x, lol.
Picked the gray personality chip.
Did some fun pics in front of TIE Echelon. Photographer had DS hide from stormtroopers behind some "boxes" with his droid.
We didn't get the magic shot there tho.
Did get the other ships in a magic shot.
Saw Everyone but Kylo.
Waited 45 minutes for MF, that was longer than I hoped. We did get to be pilots, much to our companions disappointment I am sure, . I don't play video games for this very reason, lol. I may or may not have crashed into a lot of stuff. It was a lot of pressure! BUT, even tho I was a terrible pilot, we had a blast! The ride was a lot more fun than I thought from reading other reviews. Maybe the other positions are not as fun.
We only rode the 1 time. We went to get our pics, and then DS decided he wanted to head to DAH at AK.
The nice thing is we hit all we'd want to hit, so the pressure is off when we go back in November.
Oh, and saw Steph doing what her Mom groomed her to do.
Lucky her!!!

 

[tlmadden73]

Me, wife, 2 kids (6yo son, 2yo daughter) had the 9:00 am - 1:00 pm time slot (with Savi's) on Tuesday.

TLDR - Loved the look of the land. It truly felt we were somewhere else .. it took me leaving to remember we were actually in Hollywood Studios still. The details are amazing, from the aged look of buildings, to droid parts piled in a corner. I loved the immersion of the cast members "Bright Suns" and the walking around characters. It was BLAZING hot (which added to the ambience), but I felt there was decent places to find some shade in and around the marketplace due to the tall buildings - though the resistance "forest" was probably the most wide open and thus hottest spot. It could use some more trees. . Loved the sound effects throughout the land. Loved the "experiences" (such as Savi's and Droid Depot), despite the pricetags .. loved the shopping, the food was okay (didn't try Oga's or Ronto Wrap). Surprised they didn't have droids wandering around for the full immersion.

First off, thanks to the posters here sharing the info that they let you in early, without knowing that, we may have shown up at like 8:30 .. instead we showed up at like 7:45 am. to be led all the way back to Grand Avenue and eventually led (as a group) into the land and into MFSR. It was a fun shared experience with the group and a great "grand tour" of the land before it was bustling full of people.

Anyway, I hopped on board the MFSR, my son was scared to go, despite us telling him it was like Star Tours -- but with buttons .. so I sadly went Solo while my wife got a rider swap). It was a pretty quick wait .. I was out of the ride by 9:05 .. with plenty of time to spare for our Savi's reservation.

I had debated on doing Savi's because of the $200 price tag and the inability of the whole family to share the experience. My wife kindly gave me the big green light to go for it - "We're here!", she said. My son and I did it .. and it was a religious experience. Music, lighting, narration and the experience itself. You are paying for that just as much as the lightsaber itself (which is a quality piece). My only complaint was it was difficult to assemble -- my son couldn't really do it himself and I struggled with fitting pieces together. I am so glad a carrying case was included with the experience. I fully expected something like that to be an extra cost.

My wife went into the market while my son and I did Savi's and we met them there. We didn't have a Ronto Roaster, but we tried the popcorn and the Coke. The kids didn't like the popcorn -- (too spicy). I enjoyed the CM response when I asked where the popcorn was ... very in character - "Oh .. do you mean toasted grains?". I like how the shops are "real" and fit into the charater of the land .. a creature shop, a clothing shop, a toy shop (with wooden toys, not plastic stuff you find in the other Disney gift shops). We enjoyed going through there, but didn't find anything to buy this time through (knowing we'd be spending $300 on a droid and lighsaber). But just standing around and watching as Chewbacca walked through or hearing the ambient noise made it feel alive.

We tried the Blue Milk .. it wasn't bad. Not as "fruity" as I was expecting, but not as bland as some reviews put it. Was fun for the experience, not necessarily the flavor.

Then -- the ultimate immersion happened. While waiting by the bathrooms for my wife and daughter, my son and I were getting Photo Passed by the broken droids. My son was wearing a first order stormtrooper hat, so a Stormtrooper came up to him and told him to wait there. He called him over to stand in front of Kylo Ren who asked him where the resistance was hiding. My son froze in fear. Said "I don't know" and watched as Kylo Ren berated his Stormtrooper about "his sources". It was so real to my son (who started to cry in shock afterward), but he stood his ground until they left. The rest of the day was spent hiding his Stormtrooper hat and literally hiding (behind trashcans) if Kylo Ren came back around. It was cute, but I felt a little sad for him as he was truly terrified of such a real experience.

We also did the Droid Depot (later in the day) and that experience was perfect for my little daughter. She did that with my wife and despite the "builder and a guest policy" my son was able to sit next to them and experience it. They built a BB-8. Getting a fully remote control droid was pretty neat .. and while we didn't really purposely have it interact with the world, it was really neat that it would beep and boop in the box constantly as we walked through the land (like when walking by other guests or certain spots) .. we couldn't pin down why it was beeping, but that is part of the fun.

We went to Dok Ondar's den of Antiquities. Wow. You can easily miss that place, but it is great. Probably our favorite shop there just to wander in and look at stuff. If I hadn't done Savi's Workshop, I EASILY would have bought a lightsaber from there. Definitely don't miss even if you aren't in the market for Star Wars replicas.

We ate at Docking Bay 7 and it was .. okay. Not a big enough selection and I tried the Endorian Tip-Yip. The sauce and mash were good, but the chicken was weird (as it was shaped into a rectangular cube). It sure wasn't a lot of food for the price compared to other QS meals at WDW.

I was finally able to convince my son to go on the Falcon ride and we went in together and waited maybe like 20 minutes. We requested the gunner positions and was granted that request and he LOVED it. He just enjoyed being in a Star Tours -like ride and able to shoot the guns. Though, from my perspective, it all happens so fast, it is hard to know what you should be doing and when and why. But makes repeat rides fun! Our engineers didn't do so well that ride and our ship took a lot of damage (so we lost credits). That Hondo animatronic was amazing. As a fan of all the TV shows, they picked a great character to lead this ride. Despite the "story" of the ride not changing, I could do this ride many times.

I tried the datapad briefly, but I found it too distracting (and the line was moving too fast) to do it in the SR queue. We didn't try it around the world, I see that as something to do on future visits and something akin to Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom .. something to do with the kids when you've already done the rides.

There were plenty of Photo Pass photographers, making most of those lines not very long. I haven't fully looked at those shots yet, but hopefully some fun ones!

Overall, it was a great experience. I am glad we went and takes the pressure off a future trip to try and "beat the crowds" the crowds were great, for the preview and we were able to experience it all at our own pace. We probably could have stayed all day if we wanted to, nothing was kicking us out except wanting to get out of the hot sun and relax back at the hotel.

I wish I could have seen it at night though, but glad we had the Rope Drop experience.

COMPLAINT - Despite asking several times to two different cast members on two different days if there would be an "early" bus to get to DHS, we were told no. "The first bus runs an hour before park opening" .. so we drove and as we were leaving (7:30ish) we saw a bus loading up. No problems though, the new entrance to DHS makes the drive from All-Stars quicker than the bus route (less lights) and we got parked closer than the buses drop you off (that new bus loop is way too far away from the entrance).

FEEDBACK #1 - They should have made the room in Savi's Workshop a bit bigger to let families experience this together, though the intimate nature of the experience did make it neat.

FEEDBACK #2 - Docking Bay 7 is NOT big enough for the crowds this land will have, I don't know a full mean QS establishment at WDW (in the parks) that has that few tables except for Woody's lunchbox, why is WDW skimping on seating for the eating establishments in their new lands? I mean, I feel Gaston's Tavern has more tables than Docking Bay 7 .. and it just serves sandwiches and drinks.

FEEDBACK #3 - It feels that First Order ship is set up to be a stage for some sort of "show", but never encountered that. Having a "show" with a small plotline would help the immersion.

 

[Sparky McGrew]

We were over near the crater on the path that leads to TSL and there was a female cm there and we asked her if she knew the story behind the crater (like what had created it or anything) and all she could say was "Only the Ancients know." So, shrug, I guess we tried.

A CM explained (on a video I saw) that the crater is where DJ Rex (from Oga's) crashed his spaceship. You can see small parts of his craft in the crater. Years ago, Rex was the "guide/pilot" on Star Tours and was notorious for being a bad pilot.