Disneyland Gives A Look At Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run In Action

I've still got awhile to wait before Galaxy's Edge opens in Hollywood Studios, & I get to find myself behind the controls of the Millennium Falcon. Until then though, Disneyland just put out this cool little video of what to expect from queue to actual ride. This attraction has a lot of layers to it. From the initial intro to the mission, to the waiting dock of the Falcon's inside designed with implicit attention to detail, all the way to the cockpit where you actually pilot the attraction. Which, by the way, I've completely made up my mind is the only way to go, pilot or co-pilot. This looks absolutely amazing. I was more excited about the actual land than I was this opening attraction. Now however, I'd have to say my excitement level is about even for both. How bout y'all? Who's made it to the Land already, & who can't wait for Hollywood Studios to take a chance at piloting the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

"Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" Dedication Ceremony Gives Amazing First Look

Disney has dropped two amazing videos for the opening of their new addition to Disneyland, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. One is the live stream of the dedication, the other is a montage from the first families allowed in. The best part about both of these hands down is the in the trenches look of what to expect when you get there. Not just new shots of the land either. A full run-through, complete with looks at the food & merchandise. Even a small sample of some lightsaber building. This was more of a teaser trailer for me, as I have to wait until August 31st before I get to visit Batuu in Hollywood Studios when it opens. This has definitely got my anticipation level ramped up though. All kinds of surprise stars pop in for the dedication. Make sure to check it out. Amazing vid! Especially if you're a Star Wars fan! The second video on the list isn't as exciting as the dedication ceremony, but it's still cool to get some more looks at the park. A few families who've had Star Wars touch their lives got to be the first to experience the land, & this one follows their journeys. Both together, these have me all kinds of hype for Hollywood Studios' opening. I'll probably be watching these again before that day comes.

The Food Of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Three things I immediately noticed when D23 released all their pics & descriptions of the food. One, I immediately got a Satuli's Canteen from Pandora vibe. Second, it seems there won't be a traditional sit down restaurant, which is A-Ok with me. And third, even a galaxy far, far away has tacos! Here's the full rundown. Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo, owned by Chef Strono "Cookie" Tuggs, will feature Braised Shaak Roast, featuring beef pot roast with cavatelli pasta, kale, and mushrooms; the Fried Endorian Tip-Yip, a decadent chicken dish with roasted vegetable mash and herb gravy; the Felucian Garden Spread, a plant-based kefta “meatball” dish with herb hummus and tomato-cucumber relish with pita bread; the Ithorian Garden Loaf, a plant-based “meatloaf” dish served with roasted vegetable mash, seasonal vegetables, and mushroom sauce; the Smoked Kaadu Ribs, featuring smoked country sticky pork ribs with blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw; the Oven-roasted Burra Fish, featuring Dijon-crusted sustainable fish with mixed greens, roasted vegetables, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds with a creamy green curry ranch dressing; the Oven-roasted Tip Yip, featuring roasted chicken with mixed greens, roasted vegetables, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds with a creamy green curry ranch dressing; and the Yobshrimp Noodle Salad, a marinated noodle salad with chilled shrimp. Dessert options include a raspberry crème puff with passion fruit mousse, and chocolate cake with white chocolate mouse and coffee custard. With two children’s menu options: fried chicken with macaroni and cheese; and chilled shrimp with vegetables and rice noodle salad (with sweet orange dressing). Ronto Roaster will have a pod racer engine powered BBQ pit featuring Meiloorun Juice, the Turkey Jerky, and the Ronto Wrap filled with spiced grilled sausage and roasted pork. On a lighter snack note hit Kat Saka’s Kettle for the colorful Outpost Mix, a popcorn snack combining savory, spicy, and sweet flavors. It seems like the hardest part of all this will be figuring out what you want. That’ll be my main issue. Make sure to check out the drinks too in the article before this.

The Many Drinks Of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge!!

As part of D23's major drop of all things Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, they released pics & descriptions for all the various drinks of a galaxy far, far away. From the looks of it alcoholic or non you will have plenty of choices while voyaging the planet of Batuu. I love how other worldly some of these concoctions look. Here's the rundown from place to place. First there's Oga's Cantina where the establishment's owner, Oga Garra, will invite you to try exotic beverages served in unique vessels. Alcoholic beverages will include the Bespin Fizz, Bloody Rancor, Dagobah Slug Slinger, Fuzzy Tauntaun, Jedi Mind Trick, Jet Juice, The Outer Rim, Spriran Caf, T-16 Skyhopper, and Yub Nub. While non-alcoholic libations include Black Spire Brew, Blue Bantha, Carbon Freeze, Cliff Dweller, Hyperdrive Punch It!, Jabba Juice, Moogan Tea, and Tarine Tea. Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo will feature a host of otherworldly grub we'll go over next time around, but the drinks featured will include Non-alcoholic beverages the Phattro and Moof Juice. While Ronto Roasters will go the non-alcoholic route as well with their food in the form of the Sour Sarlacc or Tatooine Sunset. There will also be a milk stand where we can try Star Wars famous blue milk of A New Hope & green milk of The Last Jedi. Now if I'm being truthful those are the only two I could pick up out of this line up below, but nonetheless I can't wait to try them all!

Hondo For Galaxy's Edge Proves Animatronics Are Getting So Realistic

This is insane. The level of realism with every new Audio-Animatronic is doubling down. I thought the Shaman of Souls in Pandora moved realistically, but this Hondo from Smuggler's Run in Galaxy's Edge looks like it's on a whole other level. It moves so fluently, that it's gonna be hard to realize it's not just a person in makeup & costume. This came on the same day as D23 dumping all kinds of stuff Galaxy's Edge on us from food & drinks, to merchandise & looks at concepts & attractions. Be on the lookout as I'm gonna break 'em all down over the next couple days, & share my thoughts. Until then, what do y'all think of this amazingly ultra-realistic Hondo Audio-Animatronic? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

Cast Member Costumes For "Galaxy's Edge" Revealed

Blog Mickey put up all these cool shots of the Galaxy's Edge costume reveal, & a little background to go with them. The ones up top are the village costumes of the various patrons you'll encounter as you enter Batuu in Hollywood Studios or Disneyland. The coolest part about these are they're deemed interchangeable. Cast members will have a lot of control over how they accessorize throughout the day, & will even have the option to change. I love all the different variations. It's gonna create a more realistic living environment. Down below you see the best & caps that will be donned by the cast members involved with Smuggler's Run , the Millennium Falcon attraction. I like the look, but for some reason I'm just not really feeling the color scheme. They need a little more change up from the full solid color in my opinion, even if it was just expanding the size of the lines on front. On the other hand, right next to them is the costumes for the Rise of the Resistance . I would totally buy these for myself. I don't even know which one I like more. All in all this is even more than I was expecting from the costumes. They're really going all out to make this look like a diverse, real city in a galaxy far, far away. The level of detail to making this feel like a real populated place is blowing me away every time. I can't wait to see this in action. What about y'all? What do y'all think of this costume reveal? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

Some New Looks Behind The Construction Of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

In this "Every Role a Starring Role" we get to see some behind the scenes as Batuu was going up in Disneyland. Once again, this really gives you a look at the scope & scale of this enormous land. Not only that though, in this video you get to see a little of the extreme care going into all the minor details that will bring Batuu to life. All in all, it just gets me that more excited to finally be immersed in a galaxy far, far away. Anyone else totally blown away by the size of this thing? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

New Details On "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge"

New details just came out for my number 1 anticipated thing coming this year. It originated from a strange place, financial newspaper, Barron's. I came across it via The Disney Blog. A reporter got a full walkthrough of the attraction's, & gave some pretty thorough details of the experience. Like the bridges to Pandora, both entrances will serve as a kind of scene change. You'll go from dark to light as you're immersed in a brand new world that'll look, smell, feel, & sound totally Star Wars. One of the main attractions, Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run , will put you in control of the fastest ship in the galaxy. Apparently Hondo Ohnaka of Star Wars: Rebels  fame will lead the adventure, as he's borrowed the Falcon from Chewbacca for a special mission. You'll head through to the 6 person cockpit passing familiar settings, specifically mentioning the 3-D holographic chest board. Your input at the controls will affect the actual ride in real time. Not only determining your outcome, but also affecting your experience in the land as a whole. For example, hearing about how well or not you did through whispers around the area when you visit the store or Oga's Cantina . There was also a couple new details on the other attraction, Rise of the Resistance.  The ride will start off with the queue, walking through a Resistance base. Then you're "captured" by the First Order, & taken aboard their ship. That's where the trackless ride comes in with the transport. Leading to the escape complete with Kylo Ren, stormtroopers, & an AT-AT Walker the reporter was especially impressed by. He talked a little about Oga's Cantina , it having a real feel of A New Hope's  cantina scene. Featuring alcoholic beverages, a first for Disneyland, & a non-dairy blue milk, the seating will be sparse. Most likely to encourage guests to move on through with their drinks. There will be one less seat among tubes & vessel filled bar, if I have anything to say about it. I'm planning on spending a good amount of time there in particular. The final piece of light shedded on the new land came in its form of Pandora's Banshee. Visitors will have the option of purchasing, or "adopting", their own droid. Even giving it it's own personality. Examples were given of it being scared, & signaling when stormtroopers are near. These are portable, & as awesome as it sounds, they went on to mention possibilities of full size R2-D2 style droids for those that want to shed out some big bucks. Could you imagine having your own full size droid? Depending on how deep your pockets have to be, I might have to settle for mini droid, but I'll still take it either way. All in all, the biggest detail I'm excited about that came out is hands down the ones about these droids. Much like Pandora's Banshees, I'm sure I'll brave the 5 plus hour lines to get my hands on one day one. Anyway, what do y'all think? Any of these details get you more excited for the new land? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

Disney Parks Releases Sneak Peek At "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge"

This is the Christmas present I was waiting for! Disney Parks has released a sneak peek at their newest addition to both Disneyland & Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. I've already watched this video three times through, & I'm totally convinced I'm going to break down in tears as I finally get to walk through this highly detailed, emersive land. They break down the attractions, the "Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run" & the "Rise of the Resistance". The latter of which is actually starting to sound more impressive, but the attractions just don't matter to me yet. I can't wait to get totally lost in this land. Just to be immersed in a galaxy far, far away does everything for me. To be able to sit in a bar, sorry, cantina with aliens, my lightsaber & blaster by my side, is more than I could possibly imagine I was ever going to get in my lifetime. Just seeing this, & knowing how close it is has me all emotional. I can't wait for this to happen. How bout y'all? I'm not gonna ask your excitement level. I wanna know what you're looking forward to the most? Put it in the comments, like, & share. And may the Force be with you!

Lots Of Details For Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Come From Galactic Nights 2018

Last night was 2018's Star Wars: Galactic Nights  at Hollywood Studios. Which means they dropped a lot of news regarding the upcoming land of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, coming to both Disneyland & Disneyworld next year. First off was the name of the village you will be visiting when you get to the planet Batuu, the Black Spire Outpost . In which, I can't speak for everyone, but that's an awesome name. I can't wait to see what the merch looks like now. I definitely see at least a new hat on my future if that reads across it. Besides that though, they also gave this background description: "The largest settlement on the planet Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is an infamous stop for traders, adventurers, and smugglers traveling around the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Off the beaten path, this outpost has become a haven for the galaxy’s most colorful — and notorious — characters. Widely known for the petrified remains of its once towering ancient trees, the spires now stand guard across the river valleys and plains and have long captured the imagination of travelers to this planet. To the first settlers, these petrified spires became more than just landmarks; they became the heart of the outpost itself." This really sounds like it's going to make Pandora: World of Avatar look like a small tasting ground when it comes to the level of immersion they're going for. Here's the concept art they released with this.

The next part though is what really got me excited. I wasn't present so I'm using the powers of WDW News Today & Chip & Co. combined. Between them both I've learned that there will be a Creature Stall, where you can adopt creatures to bring home. Your Banshee won't be lonely anymore.  Specifically they name dropped Star Wars: Rebels  Loth-cats. Chip & Co. was also did report they mentioned other creatures as well, yet the Loth-cats were the only specifically named. On another note WDWNT has Disney Immagineering working on bringing to  life a "walking,  breathing, real creature" in the form of the Loth-cat. They're thinking these will be like the free roaming droids. Below is a concept of the Creature Shop, with a pic of a Loth-cat. I'm actually really excited about both these notions. A creature shop to adopt Loth-cats sounds awesome itself. Throw in the possibility of other animals to adopt & I just might have to catch 'em all. Then the possibility of animals roaming the park with droids? That is just totally mind blowing. I get goosebumps just thinking about the level of immersion we're about to be delivered. It's starting to feel like one might actually be able to lose track of reality in this place. I can't wait! Which of these announcements excites you the most? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

At First, Not Sure What To Think Of Millennium Falcon Attraction Video

If you didn't know already Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is coming to Disneyland & Hollywood Studios next year. If you have been under a rock on this, I'll also surprise you with the notion there will be a Millennium Falcon Attraction as well. WDW News Today got to see the in-ride video to be synced with this attraction, & they were kind enough to share it with the world. Now, when I first started watching the video, I couldn't help but think that this doesn't look much different than Star Tours.  Then, they started in with the distortion for the cockpit, with the added reminder that this will be surrounding your  vision. Even when you turn left to right, you will be see the world of Star Wars. The more I started to think about that, the more I started thinking about how much more immersive that will be to the notion you're actually there. As opposed to Star Tours , where you just see what's directly in front of you. Add the notion of the dials & switches you'll be required to "use" for "flight", & I think this is going to be an amazing experience. So, I went into the first part of this video with a meh, only to end in it in high anticipation. What do y'all think though? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

Where Have All The Jawas Gone?

With multiple sites confirming the Jawas are no longer residing in the Hollywood Studios' Star Wars Launch Bay, the real question is will they return? I thought the Jawas were a real pleasant surprise in the Launch Bay last time I visited the park. They were fun. Even though I think one was sizing up my little girl who was asleep at the time. I made sure to let them know she wasn't for sale. There's rumor their empty spot is to be filled with Rey & BB-8. I'm hoping they will reappear once Galaxy's Edge opens up in 2019. Especially since I just found out apparently you can trade with them for various trinkets. Looks like a big land though, if they want a Star Wars level of immersion they'll have to fill it with something. So I think it's a safe bet the little traders will return. Any thoughts on the absence of Jawas from the Launch Bay? Even better, any Jawa stories from visits to the Launch Bay? Put 'em in the comments, like, & share.