D23 EXPO 2019 Superthread - dates announced!

[Daipew]

Weird. Yesterday the 8 am slot didn't seem crowded at all. It was very empty feeling. Really glad we managed to get that time slot with the different reports for the later slots.

Thanks for that report CalifornaGirl! The other post about crowds kind of bummed me out. We going for a couple days on 16th, 17th, and 18th and we have 2 8am reservations so hoping that slot stays lower crowds!

 

[SylviaL]

We also didn't have the greatest interactions with CMs in SWGE. They seemed a little abrupt and not overly friendly, which I thought was a little strange. We probably talked to 5 or 6 different ones and only one was really great. T

We were there last Thursday (6/6) from 8am -noon and had a similar experience to you (starting the day quite early). Maybe I was expecting too much from reading other people's trip reports, but the only enthusiastic CM was our waiter at Oga's who we saw very briefly (service is not that great). The CM at Dok Ondor's entrance was just twirling her holocron looking bored and when another CM asked about her shift, she sounded like she really didn't want to be there. I guess we were surprised because this was at the beginning of the day--I would expect it at the end of a shift, not beginning. Then, there was only one cashier inside and he was SLOW and seemed a bit stressed. When I asked him how he was doing, he was he wasn't supposed to be working there. Just strange.

My whole family had a blast. We felt lucky to be able to experience with relatively low crowds. It was fun chatting with people around us when we were waiting in line. There was a guy hanging out at the bathroom at Rose Tavern--I think he was planning to cut the line once they opened it up---I hope CMs look out for that. We loved Oga's. The atmosphere is amazing. Drinks were pretty good and kids loved the Oga's Obsession which was essentially jello (which they love, very expensive jello). We rode SR twice and that was enough. I felt like being the engineer was too stressful for me--I couldn't enjoy the ride because I felt like I had to watch out for the flashing buttons to push. Can't wait for ROTR!

 

[Lesley Wake]

It was definitely just more crowded in general it felt like. After having experienced two other overlap sessions I think there were more people in the time slots yesterday compared to last week.

I can echo this sentiment. On the first day we had the 8am slot and actually watch the next group of people come in (while “hiding” behind CMs directing traffic away from the marketplace). This time we immediately got in line for the droid depot and watched as the rest of the group came in. It was significantly larger and felt like it would never end! I mentioned it to a couple CMs how it felt busier and they said they felt that way too and so did a lot of other guests.

Also, the ride times were much longer than previously. With Standby yesterday we always caught up to the line in front of us before reaching the repair garage. Last weekend, except for the first time we rode, we could normally walk freely all the way until the last bit of the repair garage. Even if people were sticking around longer that wouldn’t have impacted the ride times.

 

[azdisneylover]

Hand the baby off to a Stormtrooper???

Or a stormpooper changer.

 

[BigCheese]

Weird. Yesterday the 8 am slot didn't seem crowded at all. It was very empty feeling. Really glad we managed to get that time slot with the different reports for the later slots.

Upon entering the land, do you recall if the CMs allowed folks to immediately go left (for Savi’s), or did they require the entire crowd to walk through the right hand side and filter into the First Order section?

 

[rteetz]

While inine for my 8am reservation by Red Rose just so happens I was standing in front of some of the development/imagineer team and they discussed Rise. Basically they have nailed down what the technical issues are but fixing them is a whole other issue. They said earliest would likely be the end of this year but more likely next year first quarter.

That would be something. Disney is still saying this year publicly. I had heard they nailed down the issue at least a month ago.

 

[lostangel52577]

Upon entering the land, do you recall if the CMs allowed folks to immediately go left (for Savi’s), or did they require the entire crowd to walk through the right hand side and filter into the First Order section?

You can go left but it’s not immediately. You have to follow the crowd to the right but then you can go left to get to Savis. It’s obvious and very easy to figure out. But go quickly. They really do hand out all the reservations in 5 minutes.

 

[mrsxsparrow]

Maybe this is why it seemed more crowded. You aren't the first person I've seen posted saying they stayed longer than their allotted time. I'm not trying to cause an argument, but I think this is rude and taking advantage.

It wasn’t really on purpose. The line for the antique store was so long that even though we got in line BEFORE 8:30pm, we didn’t make it into the actual store until just after 9:00pm. I mean no disrespect but if I waited over half an hour just for entrance to a store, I’m going to shop. We did so quickly and as we left the store CM’s were actively telling people to head towards the falcon for fireworks. So we did. We left immediately after. A crowd for fireworks I would expect anywhere, and the only store we were in after our slot was one we had been waiting for for a long time. Sorry if any of that is “rude.”

 

[Lifeinabox]

Just got back from our 5pm to 9pm reservation today (Saturday 6/8). I have to say, after reading everyone else’s experiences, I was a little disappointed at the crowd levels.

We checked in shortly after three and made our way to Critter Country so as to not get caught on the wrong side of the park due to the parade at 3:30. Cast by the restaurant said that they’ve recently made changes due to an emergency situation and no longer did any type of line before your reservation time, and that no one would be able to line up before 5pm. This was, of course, not the case.

We returned around 4pm and joined the crowd of people just standing around. The CMs tried to keep people out of the walkway but no one wanted to move. Sometime close to 4:15 there was a mad rush and they started scanning people into the holding area.

We were let into the land a minute or so after 5pm, with those heading for Oga’s on the right following a CM. I somehow managed to be in the front of the row of people but got literally pushed out of the way but it turned out fine.

Made it to Savi’s and were given a card to come back at 5:50. They were turning people away for our reservation time by 5:10.

The land itself was so crowded it was difficult to walk around, and the shops felt impossible. We stood in line for popcorn for half an hour before Savi’s. Waits for the ride were 65 minutes until over an hour and a half into our reservation. It was shorter during the middle of our time, never below 25 minutes. We also waited about 35 minutes to get into the antiquities store; a CM said it was the longest line he’d ever seen.

We did manage to stay for the 9:30pm fireworks, which was pretty cool — but definitely weird with no music.

All in all, we got popcorn, built lightsabers, rode Smugglers Run once, ate dinner (there was no line there), walked quickly through the shops, and shopped at the antiquities place, and it took us our full four hours (and 15 extra minutes for the actual shopping).

The only character we saw throughout our whole time was Chewie as we entered, but we weren’t really looking for them either.

Still had a great time and cannot day enough good things about the land itself. Maybe I had my crowd levels expectations too high, or maybe this was a more crowded day/reservation period.

We have another reservation in the morning (8am) and we’re trying to do the Cantina. I’ll report back again!

How were the crowds this morning?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

How were the crowds this morning?

This morning 8-12 didn’t seem any more crowded than the same slot last Tuesday. We rode the Falcon three times in a row between 10-10:50 - standby, not single rider.

I’ll have some more notes later.

 

[carlosalonsor]

Just got back from our 5pm to 9pm reservation today (Saturday 6/8). I have to say, after reading everyone else’s experiences, I was a little disappointed at the crowd levels.

We checked in shortly after three and made our way to Critter Country so as to not get caught on the wrong side of the park due to the parade at 3:30. Cast by the restaurant said that they’ve recently made changes due to an emergency situation and no longer did any type of line before your reservation time, and that no one would be able to line up before 5pm. This was, of course, not the case.

We returned around 4pm and joined the crowd of people just standing around. The CMs tried to keep people out of the walkway but no one wanted to move. Sometime close to 4:15 there was a mad rush and they started scanning people into the holding area.

We were let into the land a minute or so after 5pm, with those heading for Oga’s on the right following a CM. I somehow managed to be in the front of the row of people but got literally pushed out of the way but it turned out fine.

Made it to Savi’s and were given a card to come back at 5:50. They were turning people away for our reservation time by 5:10.

The land itself was so crowded it was difficult to walk around, and the shops felt impossible. We stood in line for popcorn for half an hour before Savi’s. Waits for the ride were 65 minutes until over an hour and a half into our reservation. It was shorter during the middle of our time, never below 25 minutes. We also waited about 35 minutes to get into the antiquities store; a CM said it was the longest line he’d ever seen.

We did manage to stay for the 9:30pm fireworks, which was pretty cool — but definitely weird with no music.

All in all, we got popcorn, built lightsabers, rode Smugglers Run once, ate dinner (there was no line there), walked quickly through the shops, and shopped at the antiquities place, and it took us our full four hours (and 15 extra minutes for the actual shopping).

The only character we saw throughout our whole time was Chewie as we entered, but we weren’t really looking for them either.

Still had a great time and cannot day enough good things about the land itself. Maybe I had my crowd levels expectations too high, or maybe this was a more crowded day/reservation period.

We have another reservation in the morning (8am) and we’re trying to do the Cantina. I’ll report back again!

Hi! I also have a 5pm reservation. Based on your experience, What would you recommend to be with the first ones to enter on that group so I can get a Savi's spot?
Thanks in advance

 

[Lesley Wake]

Hi! I also have a 5pm reservation. Based on your experience, What would you recommend to be with the first ones to enter on that group so I can get a Savi's spot?
Thanks in advance

I would check in at 3 and make your way right to Critter Country. Make sure to avoid the parade which starts at Small World at 3:30. And then I would hang around the entrance-pretty much just to the right of the pathway. CMs may try to shoo you away, but if you want to do a lightsaber, then that will be important. If anything, have one person do the waiting right there, the rest of you can be nearby but not crowding the entrance. Once they let people into the holding area, immediately enter and try to stay on the left side of the crowd as far forward as you can. You will walk in and continue to go around the marketplace. The Savi’s courtyard is on the left right after you pass the large open staircase. There will be CMs guarding the entrance and maybe they will even have one of the CMs walking you in lead people directly there?

A note-if it’s sunny, you will probably be waiting in the sunlight for a good amount of time before entering the land. Maybe you will be able to find a shady spot, but you need to stick to the left side to get in position for Savi’s.

 

[Lifeinabox]

This morning 8-12 didn’t seem any more crowded than the same slot last Tuesday. We rode the Falcon three times in a row between 10-10:50 - standby, not single rider.

I’ll have some more notes later.

That’s good to hear.

How long is the line to get into Dok’s? I assume it goes fairly fast.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

That’s good to hear.

How long is the line to get into Dok’s? I assume it goes fairly fast.

I never saw a line until the 11:00 folk got in. We wandered in there after getting our Cantina reservation and walked by a few more times and didn’t see a line. There was one after 11.

 

[mrsxsparrow]

Hi! I also have a 5pm reservation. Based on your experience, What would you recommend to be with the first ones to enter on that group so I can get a Savi's spot?
Thanks in advance

I would check in at 3 and make your way right to Critter Country. Make sure to avoid the parade which starts at Small World at 3:30. And then I would hang around the entrance-pretty much just to the right of the pathway. CMs may try to shoo you away, but if you want to do a lightsaber, then that will be important. If anything, have one person do the waiting right there, the rest of you can be nearby but not crowding the entrance. Once they let people into the holding area, immediately enter and try to stay on the left side of the crowd as far forward as you can. You will walk in and continue to go around the marketplace. The Savi’s courtyard is on the left right after you pass the large open staircase. There will be CMs guarding the entrance and maybe they will even have one of the CMs walking you in lead people directly there?

A note-if it’s sunny, you will probably be waiting in the sunlight for a good amount of time before entering the land. Maybe you will be able to find a shady spot, but you need to stick to the left side to get in position for Savi’s.

I echo this exactly. We were standing by the exit of the canoes around 4pm (careful not to block the exit or the wheelchair lift) and were some of the first ones in. We were the first or second people to be put in the second group at Savi’s (a return time of 5:50).

 

[mrsxsparrow]

Was in the 8am group this morning, and it was a much better experience crowd wise.

We got to the entrances around 5:45am and were let into the park at 6. Along with everyone else we headed straight to Launch Bay to check in and then straight to the waiting area between Nemo and the grill. We were probably in the first 50?

At 7:45 they started walking us to the land. When we got to the entrance they directed Oga’s to the right like usual. We swerved over and things got a little difficult here — some people not staying in a line, cutting across when we’d make a turn, etc.

The cantina itself was amazing, but the experience was a little lackluster. They had told everyone to only have one representative of their party in line, but when we made it to the cantina, they started saying they weren’t taking numbers because we’d be in the first wave. Which was great but... we had sent everyone in our parties away. When they began seating people we passed a few people who had been in front of us simply because they were waiting for their party to turn back up. Our server also messed up our order... more than once... but we were happy to be inside in the first wave, and sitting at that.

Side note: they were offering both breakfast and the daytime menu, but only handed us a breakfast menu.

After the Cantina we did some shopping — no line to get into the antiques store — and rode the ride with a 15 minute wait. We actually broke the falcon and had to be escorted to a new one about halfway through. We loved it though — there’s a hilarious video that plays when you’re stalled.

So we got through the Cantina, shopping, and one and a half rides before we felt done. We headed out on the Resistance side and sat and watched the 11am group rush in before leaving. It felt much better to watch than to be in the middle of it!

 

[Angrose]

Reporting back from our 11-3 reservation slot yesterday (Saturday). We stayed at PPH, went through the DLH security check with no wait and then hopped on the Monorail to Tomorrowland. We were all checked in by 9:30am. We had Maxpass so I booked a few FPs for us while on the Monorail. DH rode Hyperspace Mtn and DS11 and I went on Buzz. We also stopped to ride POTC since it was walk on. It was about 10:20 by that time so we walked over to Hungry Bear to get in line. They scanned our wristbands right away and after just about 10 minutes they asked us all to move up, then walked us further down the trail and we were let in right at 11. I'd say we were probably in the first third of the crowd. Our main priority was the Cantina, so I walked with purpose, stuck to the right, followed the CM and got in line for that. I only waited about 10 min to give them my number and they said our return time would be in 60min (it ended up being 80min). After that, we walked around and had our pic in front of the MF. We started to get in line for the ride because the wait time said 20min, but I wasn't buying it because I saw several long switchbacks, so we turned around and had an early lunch at the Docking Bay instead. That was around 11:45. The line to order wasn't too long. We had the tip yip chicken, the BBQ ribs, the Oi-oi puff dessert and the Moof juice. We really liked everything! It was expensive though, lunch for 3 people was $62!

After lunch we walked around a bit, went into the droid depot and met R2D2. DS11 Disneybounded as R2 and when he saw DS, he followed him around the shop for a bit, beeping a ton in excitement. It was really cute. We then got the text for Oga's so we headed over there and waited 15min to get in. We found a spot at the bar and ordered our drinks...Jabba Juice for me, DS got the Blue Bantha and DH got the Bespin Fizz. Mine was OK, nothing special, DS's blue milk was a little strange, both the drink and the cookie on top, but DH LOVED his drink. It literally fizzes with white steam coming out the top. Our bartender was great too, super friendly and was quick with our order, but it was packed in there! After we finished our drinks we walked around to take pictures. I think we barely stayed 30min. If we had a table we would have stayed the full 45min allotted to us.

After Oga's it was time to ride the Falcon. DS didn't want to ride so he sat out. DH and I went for it since the wait time said 15min. Um, it was more like 45min, oops! We were both gunners and we had a blast, literally, lol! I did get a tad queasy towards the end, but I'm the one who has to take Bonine in order to ride Star Tours. That's one of the reasons DS sat out since he takes after me in that regard. DH rode again single rider and walked on. DS and I walked around a bit, went into the Antiquities shop which didn't have any line, but that was just before 2pm when the next group would arrive. Then it got super busy. We tried to walk through the shops but it was crazy so we quickly grabbed some diet cokes, sat in the shade for awhile and then said good-by to Batuu. I would have like to stay a bit longer, but it really was feeling packed and it was HOT.

Overall, we had a great time! I wish we could have stayed longer. I know we'll go again though, but will probably wait until ROTR is open. Can't wait for that one!

 

[crystal1313]

Loving all of these reviews!! Thank you!! The cantina is our main goal. My next goal would be SR. So, how difficult is it to get a photo at the table where they played chess in the movie? That’s my number 2 goal! Lol. Seriously though, is it difficult to get a photo in the spot while in line?

 

[alvernon90]

To thank everyone for all the good info that helped us, here is our experience in the 8 am to noon slots on Saturday June 8 and Sunday June 9:

On Saturday we woke up at 5:00 am and departed the Disneyland Hotel just before 6:00 am. There was a decent crowd walking through DTD but it turns out a lot of them were just headed to EMH. We went through the special event turnstiles and headed to Launch Bay. We waited inside the building for about 10 minutes before getting our wristbands. We headed out and waited by Nemo. They told us we would be moving forward at 7:00, but the line actually started moving at 6:45. My wife and I had both gone to the restroom thinking we had plenty of time, so our teenage daughter moved forward with the line. That worked out great for us because she was able to keep our place and even improve it a bit, and we caught up to her shortly after.

At a little before 8:00 they opened the gates to the trail and walked people forward. This caused a little bit of a stampede, but we did not participate in the panic because we were still very near the front. They scanned wristbands at the tunnel entrance and held people at the tunnel exit. Eventually they started walking people forward, and then we hit the point where they said "Savi's to the left, cantina to the right." We went right because of the reports of the cantina being the most immersive part of the land. When we got to the cantina there was a decent line, but they took my cell number and said to expect a 30 minute wait. However, we got the text at 8:15 and went to line up. We were inside by 8:25, and the place was packed.

We stood at a standing table near the bar, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively. While I can certainly see the advantages of sitting in a booth and taking in the scene in a leisurely manner, the booths were being held for large parties. But being at our standing table was also awesome, because we had a great time with the other people at our table. It was fun talking about the different drinks and food and how much fun we were having. The service was a little slow because the place was so hectic. When DJ Rex played an amped up version of the cantina music from A New Hope, the whole bar went nuts. Nearly everyone, literally almost every single person, was dancing around and cheering and waving their glasses in the air. It can be hard to just let go and enjoy the pretend when you are an adult, but drinking alcohol before 9:00 am has a way of getting people loose. We bought drinks for the Endor mug and Porg mug, but if what you want is actual alcohol go for the Jet Juice. Oga's Cantina is pure Star Wars. If you've ever dreamed of living in the Star Wars universe, you have to go there. But skip the Bantuu Bits, those tasted weird even for adventurous eaters like us. Also, prepare to spend an absurd amount of credits.

After that we went to the Falcon ride with at 25 minute wait, thinking that for our first time we wanted to see the full queue. Don't bother. If the wait is 15 minutes you will see all of the queue that is interesting, so do other stuff until the wait dies down. The "explore the Falcon" part of the queue was a bit of a letdown, because it feels like a crowded and chaotic space rather than the relaxed lounge that it is supposed to be. But still awesome. Others have reviewed the ride, I won't repeat that here except to confirm that engineer is the worst spot because the job is boring and the view is not great. Pilot has the best view but there is a lot of pressure in that spot.

From there we tried to go to Docking Bay 7 but could not find a table. We went to Ronto's Roasters instead and that turned out to be a great idea for two reasons. First, they had both breakfast and all-day menu going, so we could get the "real" wraps (though we learned on Sunday that the breakfast wrap is also good). The wraps are surprisingly delicious, but you'll have to be careful not to choke on the cost. I suggest finding a table then using mobile ordering, because the order will be ready within 5 minutes.

Our greatest bit of luck was getting a table on the railing by the giant pod racer engine doing the roasting. These tables overlook the walkway below, and there was quite a show going on the whole time. We could see and hear as stormtroopers hassled visitors. We saw Chewbacca enlist a group of visitors to help hide him from the stormtroopers (which was comical in a Bugs Bunny kind of way). We also saw Rey talking to little girls dressed as her, and enlisting them to help her sneak around the area to avoid the stormtroopers. It was delightful. The person playing Rey was a dead ringer for Daisy Ridley, except even prettier if you can believe that. Little girls were absolutely drawn to her. We spent half an hour just watching the events happening on the other side of the railing.

(Side note: the worst illusion breaking thing in the entire land is all the fall protection. In Star Wars you will never find a safety railing along a walkway, no matter how bottomless the pit next to it. I guess the Batuu OSHA is stronger than the First Order.)

Another ride on the Falcon with a short wait, and we went through the marketplace. This is amazing, if you can be there when the crowds are low. By 11:00 the next group was coming in, and then the shops became difficult because lines of people waiting to pay for their purchases blocked the walls with the stuff you want to see. Try to wait until the middle of your time slot to go shopping here. Once the new crowd came in, we left a little after 11:00 because we knew we had two more reservations for Sunday. More in next post.

 

[socaldisneylover]

That would be something. Disney is still saying this year publicly. I had heard they nailed down the issue at least a month ago.

Yeah, so they'll make a statement changing it in a few months. They're not going to pour water on their current GE Opening Buzz by coming out with bad news. I know nothing about these things, but apparently there is a wide gap between knowing what the problem is, and fixing it. Perhaps they have not reached the point where it's going to be impossible to go through the whole process by year end, otherwise it's only a matter of time before they change their public statement. I doubt they will do that until after the summer, and after WDW's land has also opened in late August.