If you are a Star Wars fan, the Disneyland Resort is a must-do destination. And with so many immersive experiences, it may be hard to believe it could get any better. BUT, the Disneyland Resort celebrates Star Wars Month each May bringing even more Star Wars experiences. If you want to completely immerse yourself in the stories of Star Wars, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a great place to start. But it’s not the only place at the Disneyland Resort where you can find Star Wars!
We’ve compiled a list of 11 things every Star Wars fan MUST do at Disneyland. Most are available year round, but a couple are only available for a very limited time.
Star Wars at Disneyland - Year Round
The stories of Star Wars come to life at the Disneyland Resort. If you’re a true Star Wars fan, it would be easy to turn one whole day of your Disneyland vacation into a Star Wars Day. In fact, we recommend it! And of course, you can relive some of your favorite Star Wars experiences throughout your trip as well.
But without any further ado, here are some of our favorite musts for any Star Wars fan at Disneyland that are available year round:
Disneyland's Rise of the Resistance
This is an immersive ride at Disneyland that places you in the middle of an epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order. Rise of the Resistance opened in January 2020, so it’s still relatively new to the Disneyland Resort. The experience begins as you board a transport ship, but things quickly go awry as you're intercepted by the First Order and taken captive aboard a Star Destroyer. The ride seamlessly combines physical sets and effects with state-of-the-art technology to create an experience that feels like you're really in the Star Wars universe. You'll encounter life-size AT-ATs, blaster fire, and even Kylo Ren himself… eek!
It’s much more of an experience than a standard theme park attraction and it takes about 20 minutes to get through the whole thing. You can ride Rise of the Resistance via stand-by line, or you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane (or ILL) to skip the standby line. The cost for an Individual Lightning Lane can vary, but it’s typically around $25 per person. You’ll want to check the app for what return times are being offered with the ILL.
Either way, we recommend checking the app for current wait times. And, keep in mind that you’ll probably want to ride this more than once. If you’re going to ride via the standby line, we recommend watching for a wait time of 40 minutes or less. This can happen early in the morning for rope drop, and later in the day. Please be aware that Rise of the Resistance will close before the park closes. The Disneyland app will show the time that the attraction will be open each day, so be sure to check and make sure you get in line before the ride closes, regardless of when the park closes.
Millenium Falcon Disneyland Ride
Speaking of attractions you’ll want to ride more than once, the Millenium Falcon is on this list for Star Wars fans. Hondo Ohnaka hires you to steal a shipment of coaxium to help the Resistance.
As you enter the cockpit, you'll be assigned one of three positions - pilot, gunner, or engineer. The pilots are responsible for steering the ship; one steers up and down, while the other steers left to right. Together, the pilots need to navigate through asteroid fields and avoid enemy fire. The gunners are in charge of firing the Falcon's weapons, and you'll need to take out any TIE fighters that get in your way. The engineers keep the ship running smoothly, repairing any damage that occurs during the flight. Each position is important and requires teamwork to successfully complete the mission. The ride itself is a simulator, so you feel like you're really flying the Falcon.
Millennium Falcon offers a standby line, a Lightning Lane with access through Lightning Lane and a single rider line. Take advantage of all three if you’d like!
Disneyland Lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop
If you are looking for the most exclusive, highest level of Star Wars fandom, you have come to the right place. Savi’s Workshop offers Star Wars fans the opportunity to craft their very own lightsaber. Many Star Wars fans have referred to building their own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop as a pinnacle of their Star Wars fandom.
Reservations for Savi’s Workshop can be made up to 60 days in advance. The experience currently costs $219.99 + tax and includes the experience, completed lightsaber and a carrying case. Be sure to check out our article Everything You Need to Know About Savi’s Workshop to answer any questions you may have.
If you have young kids that you don’t trust with a “real” lightsaber, you may be interested to know that Star Traders in Tomorrowland offers a station where you can build toy lightsabers starting at $34.99 + tax. It’s a completely different experience and product than Savi’s Workshop, but it might be the perfect fit for your padawans.
Build a Droid at Disneyland
Building a droid at the Droid Depot is a one-of-a-kind experience that you won't want to miss at Galaxy's Edge. At the Droid Depot, you get to pick and choose different parts to assemble your very own BB-series, R-series, or C-series droid. There are tons of different parts to choose from, so you can create a droid that's unique and special to you. Once you've gathered all the pieces you need via the conveyor belt, you'll head over to the assembly station where you'll put it all together. And then the best part - you get to activate your droid and watch it come to life! Plus, you'll have an awesome Star Wars souvenir (friend) to take home with you and show off to all your friends.
At the time of publishing, creating a droid starts at $99+tax. You can customize and upgrade your droid as well. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance, or you can try to walk-up day of for availability.
Become a Batuu Bounty Hunter
When MagicBand+ was introduced to the Disneyland Resort in late 2022, a new Star Wars experience came with it! MagicBand+ may be best known to use for your admission to the theme parks and Lightning Lanes, or even PhotoPass+ pictures, but it’s actually more. Your MagicBand+ links to the Batuu Bounty Hunter Game, where you’ll collect virtual bounties throughout Batuu. To play, you’ll need both a MagicBand+ and the Disney Play App downloaded on your smartphone.
You’ll check in at the Guildmaster’s Hideout to get your assignment, aka your bounty. Your MagicBand+ will interact with you as you search and alert you when you get closer or farther away. The band and bounty are interactive, just as you’d expect on Batuu. Once you’ve collected your bounty, you’ll return to the Guildmaster’s Hideout to collect your virtual credits. There are 20 bounties total you can collect, so you really can make a day of it. And we think a true Star Wars fan will.
Watch for Characters
While you are wandering the streets of Batuu, maybe even while bounty hunting, you’ll always want to keep your eyes peeled. You never know who you could run into! Unlike other lands at the Disneyland Resort, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge does not have scheduled meet-and-greet times. The character interactions are much more organic and unpredictable. If you’re spending a good amount of time in Galaxy’s Edge, you’re much more likely to find some friends… or foes, depending on which side you’re on.
Kylo Ren, Stormtroopers, Rey, Vi Moradi, Chewy, R2-D2, the Mandelorian and Grogu have all been spotted wandering Batuu. Fennec Shand and Boba Fett have even been seen at times. Because of the intense theming of Galaxy’s Edge, you really have to be on your toes if you want to spot some characters. Someone may walk right by you and you might never know if you’re not paying attention!
Disneyland Flavors of Batuu
For a fully immersive experience, a true Star Wars fan must taste the flavors of the galaxy. On Batuu, you’ll be able to taste test the Blue and Green Milk from the Milk Stand. We recommend trying one of each - or even mixing them together. Or, if you’re really thirsty, make a visit to Oga’s Cantina. Here you’ll find drinks (both alcoholic and non) from across the galaxy. You can also order snacks, but it’s not enough for a full meal. Keep in mind that Oga’s is one of only two locations in Disneyland Park that serves alcohol, the other being the Blue Bayou. Oga’s Cantina has both a two drink maximum and a 45 minute time limit. You can make reservations up to 60 days in advance, or check walk-up availability through the app.
For a full meal, which we highly recommend, you have two choices: Ronto Roasters or Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. Ronto Roasters is one of our top picks. It’s an open air quick-service location that serves delicious wraps for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Docking Bay 7 has a more robust menu with a variety of dishes, including vegetarian options and kids meals. Both locations offer mobile ordering, and are a great way to taste your way through the Star Wars universe.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
You’ll want to head to Tomorrowland for a 3D journey (or many journeys) through the Star Wars galaxy. What makes this ride unique is that there are so many different versions of it, each with its own combination of destinations, characters, and storylines. So every time you ride it, you could have a completely different experience. One time you might find yourself racing through the forests of Endor, while another time you could be dodging Imperial Star Destroyers in a space battle. Each Star Tours: The Adventures Continue journey has four different sections, and those sections are regularly rotated, so this is one attraction that you’ll want to ride again and again!
Disney also recently announced that even more sequences will be coming to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in 2024. That will mean even more ride possibilities!
World of Color - One
One of the best things to come about from the Disney100 Celebration kicking off at the Disneyland Resort is the new nighttime entertainment. For Star Wars fans, World of Color - One at Disney California Adventure Park is no exception. This show highlights some of the most beloved stories from the last 100 years of the Disney Company, including Star Wars!
The approximately two minute long Star Wars segment of World of Color - One easily gets the most crowd reaction. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but it is powerful! The music, characters and ships from the original trilogy are beautifully highlighted. And some of your favorite characters from the most recent films make an appearance as well.
World or Color - One typically plays twice each night, but can play up to three times during busier travel times. You can join a virtual queue each day for an assigned viewing area, or you can walk-up to see what’s available before each showtime. In order to join a virtual queue, you must either be inside Disney California Adventure Park, OR be inside Disneyland AND have a Park Hopper Ticket. The later shows will normally have more open viewing space. Dining and dessert packages with premium viewing locations are also available for purchase, and are
Limited Time Star Wars at Disneyland Options
Hyperspace Mountain
One of our favorite Disneyland attractions is without a doubt, Space Mountain. However, there is one version of the attraction that we love even more than the classic; Hyperspace Mountain! For a limited time, this year it’s May 1 - June 4, 2023, Space Mountain is temporarily transformed into Hyperspace Mountain. This thrilling coaster gets a Star Wars themed overlay that includes X-wings and Tie-fighters having an epic space battle. Special effects and of course, the iconic music put you right in the middle of the action. If you are a Star Wars fan, you’ll NEED to get to Disneyland to experience this at least once. It’s the best!Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite
The Disneyland Resort will occasionally host private themed parties on select nights during the year. These events are called Disneyland After Dark, and this year they are offering some Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nites. This Star Wars themed party at Disneyland will include special Star Wars character meet-n-greets, dance parties, specialty merchandise and menu items, access to select attractions, and even a Star Wars: Celebrate the Nite Fireworks Show.
This year there are more Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nites than ever before. Guests can experience these separate ticketed events on May 2, 4, 8 and 11, 2023 from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am. If you have a party ticket, you can get into Disneyland as early as 6:00 pm with your party ticket. If you have a theme park ticket for the day, you can enter whenever you’d like, then check-in for the event as early as 6:00 pm.
If you DON’T have a party ticket, you’ll need to leave Disneyland Park when it closes to regular guests at 9:00 pm. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, you can head over to Disney California Adventure Park (maybe for a viewing of World of Color - One?!). Ticket prices for Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite range from $149 - $169 per guest (ages 3+) depending on event date. Due to the limited nature of these events, Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nites tickets are only available directly through Disney.
How to Book Star Wars at Disneyland
When you’re ready to live out your Star Wars dreams and make them reality at Disneyland, we are ready to help! For the best and most flexible experience, we highly recommend our Extra Day Free ticket. This ticket gets you five full days of Disneyland for the price of a four day ticket. This way you can take your time roaming the streets of Batuu and see how many versions of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue you can experience. Plus, take in a nighttime show… or two… or three.
No matter when or how long you go to Disneyland, we are your Disneyland experts. We’ll help you save the most and have the best experience. Book at getawaytoday.com or call our vacation experts at 855-GET-AWAY
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