Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Food is Colorful, Offbeat, and Often Delicious

(Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens this week and it’s too big and too immersive to be contained in a single review. Our extensive coverage will be collected here.)

Like any theme park land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland features a variety of food for you to enjoy, all of it themed as if it came from a galaxy far, far away. We had food we loved, food we liked, food that barely missed the mark, and yes, food that we didn’t even finish because…yuck.

When you visit Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, here’s what you should eat and drink. And what you should avoid.

Reminder: Starting tomorrow, we will be posting videos from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Please subscribe to the Ordinary Adventures YouTube channel to be alerted of those videos.

The Milk Stand

First, let’s talk about the Milk Stand, where they sell frozen cups of both Blue Bantha Milk (the same that we saw Luke Skywalker drinking in A New Hope) and Green Milk (the same which we saw Luke milking from the Thala-sirens in The Last Jedi). When I was in Black Spire Outpost, there was a long line to try these two beverages. I think most people, including Disney, were hoping they could be to Galaxy’s Edge what Butterbeer is at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. I braved the line and got the Blue Milk because, at $8 a glass, I decided it wasn’t worth getting both. I had also heard that the green milk has a grassy aftertaste and that the Blue version was better, hence my choice.

It should be noted that both of the milks are made of non-dairy blends of coconut and rice milk, which probably means that more guests with varied dietary restrictions can try them. The Blue Milk tastes like berry yogurt, with the flavor dialed down. The mixture feels thicker than your normal slushie, but not quite as thick as a milkshake. Honestly, I was not impressed. (Sidenote: the green milk actually has a very yellowish color and looks more yellow than green in person.)

Here are the ingredients:

• Blue Milk: Coconut and rice milk with dragonfruit, pineapple, lime and watermelon flavoring
• Green Milk: Coconut and rice milk with Mandarin Orange, Passion Fruit, Grapefruit, and Orange Blossom flavoring.

I know everyone going to Galaxy’s Edge will need to try the same Blue Milk that Luke Skywalker drank, but everyone I talked to seemed disappointed. It’s not great. I even saw people throwing out their cups before finishing the beverage. And let’s be clear: this is an $8 beverage in a really small cup. So I’d save your money and not spend it at the Milk Stand. Believe me, you’ll need the credits to buy things elsewhere in the land.

Kat Saka’s Kettle

At Kat Saka’s Kettle, you can munch on Outpost Mix, a sweet, savory snack made with popcorn created by Batuu farmer Kat Saka, who collects spices from around the galaxy. I have yet to taste it, but I’ve heard that the sweet pieces of popcorn taste like fruit loops while the spicy pieces only have a little bit of spice to them. You can also buy beverages here as well.

Ronto Roasters

Ronto Roasters is easy to see from a distance, with their large podracer engine calling you from afar. The engine (as seen in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) has been repurposed as a roasting grill, and a former smelter droid can be seen turning the spit of meats. You might recognize the droid as seen in Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Return of the Jedi.

The quick service food location offers just a couple of offerings both in the morning and at night, alongside some signature beverages. I was able to try the Ronto Wrap, which was quite tasty and highly recommended. There are a few seats here, but I think the food is intended to be munched on while you’re exploring Batuu.

Here is the full menu:

Entrées

• Ronto Wrap: Roasted Pork, Grilled Pork Sausage, Peppercorn Sauce, tangy Slaw, wrapped in Pita.
• Nuna Turkey Jerky available in sweet or spicy.

Breakfast

• Ronto Morning Wrap:  Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Pork Sausage, Shredded Cheddar, Peppercorn Sauce, wrapped in Pita.
• Rising Moons Overnight Oats: Oats, Dragon Fruit, Yogurt, Seasonal Fruit.

Specialty Beverages

• Tatooine Sunset: Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, Odwalla® Lemonade with Melon and Blueberry.
• Meiloorun Juice: Barrilitos Aguas Frescas Pineapple, Simply Lemonade with Blueberry, White Cranberry Juice, Lemon Juice, and Desert Pear Sour Sarlacc Minute Maid Limeade with Raspberry and spicy Mango.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

This is the big sitdown counter service restaurant in Galaxy’s Edge. Housed in a working hangar bay, the dishes are all early creations that look very otherworldly. Here’s the official description:

“Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs has docked a food freighter loaded with fresh supplies and is ready to satisfy the appetites of visitors and locals alike with an array of exotic offerings. His planet-hopping travels allow him to prepare fare with unusual flavors that delight customers.”

You can either eat inside the spacious hangar or grab a table in the rustic outdoor seating area surrounded by the crumbling walls of the old marketplace. The inside has booths situated inside shipping containers and even has some crates hung from the vaulted ceilings. The seats are repurposed space barrels. You even eat from intergalactic metal space sporks that look cool. That’s right, even the silverware looks cool! The seating outside has some worn tarps hanging overhead to help with the sunny seasons.

I tried the Fried Endorian Tip-yip, which is fried Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, Potato Mash and Herb Gravy. I really didn’t like the taste of the gravy and it ruined the dish for me. What I did love, and is currently the best thing I ate at Galaxy’s Edge, is the Smoked Kaadu Ribs. These are sticky pork ribs on a cabbage slaw and with a blueberry corn muffin. It’s very sweet and unlike any ribs I’ve ever had before. I highly recommend it.

I also tried the Batuu-bon, a Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Mousse, Coffee Custard which is very similar to one of the desserts they serve in Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. It was as good as expected. The Phattro drink is Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, Odwalla Lemonade, Desert Pear, and has a sweet and spicy kick.

Note that the Blue and Green Milk are not available here. The Cantina has a non-frozen version of the Blue Milk, but if you want the frozen milk, you need to go to the Milk Stand.

Here is a look at the full menu:

Breakfast

• Rising Moons Overnight Oats: Oats, Dragon Fruit, Yogurt, Seasonal Fruit
• Bright Suns Morning: Three-Cheese Egg Bite, Pork Sausage, Purple Potato Hash, Mini Mustafarian Lava Roll
• Mustafarian Lava Roll: sweet galactic delight

Lunch & Dinner

• Felucian Garden Spread (Lunch Only): Plant-based “Kefta”, Herb Hummus, Tomato-Cucumber Relish, Pita

• Braised Shaak Roast (Dinner Only): Beef Pot Roast, Cavatelli Pasta, Wilted Kale, Mushrooms

• Ithorian Garden Loaf (Dinner Only): Plant-based “Meatloaf”, Roasted Vegetable Potato Mash, Seasonal Vegetables, Mushroom Sauce

• Smoked Kaadu Ribs: Sticky Pork Ribs, Blueberry Corn Muffin, Cabbage Slaw

• Roasted Endorian Tip-Yip Salad: Marinated Chicken, Mixed Greens, Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Quinoa, and Pumpkin Seeds, tossed in Green Curry Ranch

• Fried Endorian Tip-yip: crispy Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, Potato Mash, Herb Gravy

• Yobshrimp Noodle Salad: Chilled Shrimp, Marinated Noodles, Vegetables, Cilantro

Desserts

• Oi-oi Puff: Raspberry Cream Puff, Passion Fruit Mousse
• Batuu-bon: Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Mousse, Coffee Custard

Specialty Beverages

• Moof Juice: Simply Fruit Punch, Simply Orange with Pineapple, Chipotle-Pineapple
• Phattro: Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, Odwalla Lemonade, Desert Pear
• Batuubucha Tea: Suja Pineapple Passionfruit Kombucha™

Review & New Footage: Disneyland’s ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is Incredible – and the Closest We’ll Come to Being in ‘Star Wars’

Review: Disneyland’s ‘Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’ Ride Let’s You Explore the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy – and Then Pilot It

Review: Oga’s Cantina at ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is a Dream Come True for ‘Star Wars’ Fans Who Like Their Booze

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Food is Colorful, Offbeat, and Often Delicious

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Shops Offer Awesome Merchandise for Casual Fans and Serious Collectors Alike

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Review: Oga’s Cantina at ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is a Dream Come True for ‘Star Wars’ Fans Who Like Their Booze

(Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens this week and it’s too big and too immersive to be contained in a single review. Our extensive coverage will be collected here.)

Walking through the eastern street of Black Spire Outpost on the Planet Batuu (but actually in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland), you will come across a big building with music blaring out the front door. It’s the Star Wars version of walking past a hopping club in the city. There’s even a long line of hopeful clubgoers lining the sidewalk, wanting to get in. The only thing missing is a huge bouncer standing in front of the door with his arms crossed wearing a leather jacket. (Disneyland, please add a big alien bouncer to stand outside these doors. It would be awesome.)

While Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has only two main attractions (only one of which will be open on day one), many cast members refer to Oga’s Cantina as the secret third attraction. And if you want to get into the Cantina, you are going to have to wait it out. I waited in line for 45 minutes to get into the Cantina during a preview day, and have heard of people waiting upwards of two hours to get into the bar. Yes, that is two hours of their four-hour reservation in the land spent waiting in line for a bar. Choose wisely, kids.

But honestly? What’s inside will be worth it for many Star Wars fans.

Reminder: Starting tomorrow, we will be posting videos from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Please subscribe to the Ordinary Adventures YouTube channel to be alerted of those videos.

Drinking in the Star Wars Galaxy

Not only does every Star Wars fan want to visit the Cantina, but it’s the first public space within Disneyland to offer adult beverages. Disney Imagineers wanted to keep the space intimate, just like we’ve seen of cantinas in the movies, so the maximum occupancy of the establishment is 276. However, I’ve heard that they will be trying to keep it closer to 200 so that it’s not uncomfortably crowded. It’s a shame that Imagineering didn’t anticipate the demand of this place and find a solution, like building a couple of cantinas or one building with two identical cantinas inside it with an entrance that switches.

Because of the Cantina’s size and the demand, there are some rules in place. Guests can stay in Oga’s for only 45 minutes and are limited to two drinks per ID. Also, most of the seating in Ogas are booths on the side that fit eight people, so if your group is smaller than that, you will be seated with strangers to fill up the seats. Some people will complain about this, but I think this only adds to the atmosphere of what the Cantina should be.

There’s a lot to look at in the Cantina. If you look at photos of any of the Cantinas from Star Wars canon, this one looks a lot cooler, at least architecturally. Behind the bar are all sorts of interesting devices, and even a tank with an interesting animatronic toad creature. A notice board at the front of the bar has all sorts of postings, all written in aurebesh – the alien language seen throughout the Star Wars Universe.

In a cool touch, the Disney Play app on your phone will allow you to use your camera to translate aurebesh throughout the land. When I was in the land, I didn’t have access to a datapad (i.e., my phone), but I ran into someone who did who was trying to translate the postings, but the dark light in the Cantina was not interacting with the app well. So just keep that in mind.

REX and Oga and Other Details

On one side of the Cantina is a DJ droid playing Star Wars-style cantina music. The droid may be familiar to Disney theme park fans because it’s REX, the former pilot who used to fly you around during the original Star Tours ride. Here, he has taken on the name DJ R-3X and Paul Ruebens (known to most as Pee-Wee Herman) reprises the role.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that this animatronic droid is actually surrounded with some screen-used props from Rogue One, so be on the lookout for those. And you shouldn’t get the same show twice from REX because he performs a three-hour loop of music. The music is awesome and seeing Rex moving around is very cool.

The proprietor, Oga, is heard but not seen. Since the First Order took up occupation on Batuu, she has not shown her face, but her orders can periodically be heard over the intercom system. The Cantina is powered by a hyperdrive, which you can see at the end of the bar near the entrance. It doesn’t always work correctly, so occasionally the power to the Cantina will go out before it reboots.

Everything Else

If I have one complaint about the Cantina (other than the line), it’s that it lacks the alien creatures and droids that we see in the movies. This is also a bigger complaint I have about the land itself. Everyone wants to visit a Star Wars Cantina, but without the alien locals, it’s just a cool sci-fi themed bar. That’s not to say it’s bad – it’s going to be extremely popular and for good reason – but I just wish that Disney could have somehow populated the place with a few aliens and droids to make it feel more like an otherworldly experience. Perhaps an animatronic alien bartender who just complains all the time. Or a table of alien creatures behind a VIP rope, so that guests couldn’t get near them. I know all of that takes up space, which is very limited already, but I feel like the lack of creatures is what prevents this from feeling like a true Cantina experience. Let’s just call it room for improvement rather than a real problem.

As far as the drinks, everything is pre-mixed, and they offer some selection beyond cocktails, including some craft brewed beer, cider wine, and mocktails. Drinks generally run in the $15 range, unless you want your cocktail served in a giant Porg or Endor-inspired tiki mug. Then you’re spending closer to $30 or $40. Yes, for one drink with a souvenir glass…and yes, they are cool souvenir glasses. They also have a Beer Flight, which lets you try all four beer options, served in a souvenir tray and in four rancor teeth glasses. That will cost you $75.

The Menu

Oga’s Cantina – Concoctions without Alcohol

• Hyperdrive (Punch It!) – $6.00 Powerade® Mountain Berry Blast, White Cranberry Juice, Black Cherry Purée, and Sprite®
• Jabba Juice – $6.50 Simply Orange® with Pineapple, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, and Blueberry Popping Pearls
• Blurrgfire – $7.00 Odwalla® Lemonade, Pomegranate Juice, and Habanero-Lime
• Carbon Freeze -$7.50 Powerade® Lemon Lime and Wild Strawberry with Blueberry and Green Apple Popping Pearls
• Cliff Dweller – $32.00 (with Porg souvenir mug) Citrus Juices, Coconut, Hibiscus-Grenadine, and Seagram’s® Ginger Ale
• Blue Bantha – $13.00 Blue Milk served chilled with Bantha-inspired Vanilla-Butter Sugar Cookie

Oga’s Cantina – Provision

• Oga’s Obsession – $7.50 Odwalla® Lemonade, Cotton Candy Flavor, and Blueberry Popping Pearls with a bursting Dried Fruit Mixture

Oga’s Cantina – Snack

• Batuu Bits – $6.00 a light crisp Snack Mix from the galaxy

Oga’s Cantina – Concoctions with Alcohol

• Fuzzy Tauntaun – $15.00 Cîroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, and Simply Orange® topped with Tangerine, Pure Cane Sugar, “Buzzz” Foam
• Dagobah Slug Slinger – $18.00 Herradura Reposado Tequila, Bols Blue Curaçao, Citrus Juices, Ginger, Herbs, and Bitters
• Jedi Mind Trick – $14.00 Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose Vodka, John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, Bols Blue Curaçao, White Grape Juice, Lime Juice, and Grapefruit Bitters
• Bespin Fizz – $17.00 Bacardi Superior Rum, Yuzu Purée, Pomegranate Juice, White Cranberry Juice, and Cloud Swirl
• T-16 Skyhopper – $15.00 Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Bols Melon Liqueur, Kiwi, and Half & Half
• Jet Juice – $14.00 Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Cedilla Açaí Liqueur, White Grape Juice, and Lemon Juice
• The Outer Rim – $16.00 Patrón Silver Tequila, Cedilla Açaí Liqueur, Lime Juice, and Pure Cane Sugar topped with Black Salt and Exotic Fruit Purée
• Yub Nub – $42.00 ( with Endor souvenir mug) Malibu Pineapple Rum, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Citrus Juices, and Passion Fruit

Oga’s Cantina – Beers on Tap

• Gold Squadron Lager – $12.00 (ABV 5.0%) Golden Lager, Blue Point Brewing Co., Patchogue
• Gamorrean Ale – $12.00 (ABV 5.8%) Red Ale, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins
• White Wampa Ale – $13.00 (ABV 4.5%) Hefeweizen, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego
• Bad Motivator IPA – $12.00 (ABV 6.0%) IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico

Oga’s Cantina – Cider on Tap

• Spice Runner Hard Cider – $11.00 (ABV 5.0%) Cider, Angry Orchard Cider Co., Walden

Oga’s Cantina – Wine on Tap

• Toniray, Goldschmidt Vineyards, Sonoma – $13.00
• Imperial Guard, Goldschmidt Vineyards, Sonoma – $16.00

Review & New Footage: Disneyland’s ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is Incredible – and the Closest We’ll Come to Being in ‘Star Wars’

Review: Disneyland’s ‘Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’ Ride Let’s You Explore the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy – and Then Pilot It

Review: Oga’s Cantina at ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is a Dream Come True for ‘Star Wars’ Fans Who Like Their Booze

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Food is Colorful, Offbeat, and Often Delicious

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Shops Offer Awesome Merchandise for Casual Fans and Serious Collectors Alike

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Review: Disneyland’s ‘Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’ Ride Let’s You Explore the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy – and Then Pilot It

(Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens this week and it’s too big and too immersive to be contained in a single review. Our extensive coverage will be collected here.)

Tucked into Black Spire Outpost on the Planet Batuu (actually Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, California), you will find an infamous ship parked at the local port: the Millennium Falcon. And yes, seeing it in-person is amazing.

This life-size recreation of the iconic ship is so much bigger than I ever expected. There is a real difference between seeing it in the movies and seeing it right in front of you. It’s a really cool sight and I’m sure tons of people will be taking photos with it. Disney Photo Pass photographers are stationed around the ship to take your picture, although they might inquire why you want to take a photo with this “hunk of junk” (Yes, even the Disneyland photographers are trained to act in-character.) In fact, the old freighter is under repair and service, and I’ve heard that if you’re lucky and arrive at the right time, you might find Chewbacca underneath the ship, hard at work. The Falcon occasionally sprays mist, and you can hear the crew running tests on the old ship. You might even see them power up the engines to give it a spin.

But this isn’t just a photo opportunity. It’s also the entrance to the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction. The queue line for the ride takes you all around the ship: you’ll see it from behind, from above, and yes, even from inside. And then you get to pilot it.

Reminder: Starting tomorrow, we will be posting videos from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Please subscribe to the Ordinary Adventures YouTube channel to be alerted of those videos.

The Background Story

The story so far: Chewbacca brought the Falcon to Black Spire Outpost for repairs at this spaceport on the edge of the galaxy after the events of The Last Jedi. In exchange for some much-needed replacement parts, Chewie is loaning the Falcon to Hondo Ohnaka, a smuggler who fans know from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. For those who haven’t watched the animated television series, Hondo is a Weequay pirate always looking for the next big score. Hondo is brought to life with a wonderful animatronic figure, one of the best Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created. They even consulted with Clone Wars/Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni in bringing the animated character to life in this attraction.

When we find Hondo in Batuu, he is now running a “legitimate business” out of the spaceport called Ohnaka Transport Solutions. He has more cargo than he can handle and needs extra flight crews to make some runs for him. Naturally, he is looking for crews that won’t ask too many questions. That’s where we come in.

A Dream Come True

After progressing through the rather large queue line that takes you through Hondo’s space garage, we get to climb on board the Millennium Falcon and spend some time in the ship’s main hold and lounge. You can sit at the famous Dejarik (holochess) table or adventure around the space, exploring every nook and cranny. Just don’t push any buttons you aren’t supposed to! There are lots of easter eggs to be found here. For instance, Luke Skywalker’s training remote from A New Hope is sitting with the helmet in one of the bunks.

Walking into the main hold for the first time, I actually teared up. This is the closest we’ll ever be to actually being in the world of Star Wars and being on board this ship. I wonder if guests will feel they have enough time to explore and take photos in this area before their group is called to go on their mission, particularly in the cockpit. Will park guests be holding up the line taking selfies in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon? It’s a real concern!

The Ride Itself

Park guests are separated into groups of six and randomly assigned one of three roles to complete their mission. From what I can tell, you can’t ask to be the pilot, but you can trade seats with members of your own crew, if they are willing. The attraction itself is a motion simulator with actual rider interaction. Here are the roles you can take on.

Pilots: The left pilot controls the horizontal motion of the flight, while the right pilot controls the vertical motion and the lightspeed lever. If the Falcon sustains damage – such as smashing into obstacles or taking enemy fire – and is not properly repaired, the ship’s handling is affected.

Gunners: This position uses the guns on either side of the ship to defend the Falcon and the cargo it acquires on this mission. There is an automatic setting for newbies and a manual setting that makes it more video-gamey.

Flight Engineers: It is the job of the engineers to keep the Falcon from falling apart on the mission. You do this by basically pressing any button that lights up. The more damage your pilots encounter, the more work your job is. It is also your job to take control of the “special modifications” Hondo installed for these unusual missions.

Initial Thoughts

At the time of this writing, I only had the chance to pilot the Falcon and it was a lot of fun. I imagine the gunner role would also be fun, but I’m skeptical that the engineer role would be as thrilling because you will be so far back from the cockpit window (i.e., the screen) to see much and will spend most of your time pushing buttons on the side panels to watch and enjoy the action. I will say that this ride feels more like a video game than a standard motion simulator, and will probably be more fun with a group of six friends than a random grouping of strangers, especially since the ride encourages you to communicate with (AKA yell at) one another as the mission intensity heats up.

The ride is a collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Industrial Light and Magic and the day I took on a job for Hondo, there was only one mission available. However, I assume more missions (levels) will be added over time. At the end of the mission, Hondo informs guests how well they accomplished their objectives and awards them credits…after taking his cut and subtracting damages. I’m not exactly sure yet what you can do with your credits, but I assume it connects to your datapad (AKA the Disney Play app on your phone) and allows you to purchase digital goods.

One cool touch: if your mission goes poorly, as you exit the ship, you will notice the Falcon’s hallways show damage caused by your disastrous flight. Yeah, you’ll want to ride this one more than once.

Review & New Footage: Disneyland’s ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is Incredible – and the Closest We’ll Come to Being in ‘Star Wars’

Review: Disneyland’s ‘Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’ Ride Let’s You Explore the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy – and Then Pilot It

Review: Oga’s Cantina at ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is a Dream Come True for ‘Star Wars’ Fans Who Like Their Booze

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Food is Colorful, Offbeat, and Often Delicious

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Shops Offer Awesome Merchandise for Casual Fans and Serious Collectors Alike

The post Review: Disneyland’s ‘Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’ Ride Let’s You Explore the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy – and Then Pilot It appeared first on /Film.

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Review & New Footage: Disneyland’s ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is Incredible – and the Closest We’ll Come to Being in ‘Star Wars’

(Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens this week and it’s too big and too immersive to be contained in a single review. Our extensive coverage will be collected here.)

When you are in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, it really does feel like you are being transported to a planet somewhere in the Star Wars galaxy. I had a chance to visit Disneyland’s newest expansion and I was blown away. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Review & Overview: Includes A Ton Of New Footage

Reminder: Starting tomorrow, we will be posting videos from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Please subscribe to the Ordinary Adventures YouTube channel to be alerted of those videos. The footage and photos in this piece were provided to us from Disney Parks.

A Planet With History

This is not just another theme park land within Disneyland, like Adventureland or Tomorrowland. Galaxy’s Edge is a location within recognized Star Wars canon.

The planet Batuu used to be a remote outpost planet on the edge of the Outer Rim, one that was often used as the last stop before entering Wild Space. This was, of course, years before the introduction of hyperspace technology. The planet, and specifically the colony of Black Spire Outpost, is long-overlooked by most travelers and has become a port for smugglers, rogue traders, and adventurers who travel from the galactic frontier to unknown space.

Leading up to the opening of the land, comic books and novels have been released to establish stories that have taken on this planet. Black Spire Outpost and Dok Ondar were both mentioned in Solo: A Star Wars Story. In Timothy Zahn’s novel Thrawn: Alliances, Anakin Skywalker searched Batuu for a missing Padmé Amidala during the Clone Wars and had his first encounter with Commander Thrawn there. And there are many more stories being published to flesh out the Batuu adventures of Hondo Ohnaka (from the animated Star Wars shows) and Leia Organa’s top spy Vi Moradi, who chooses Batuu for the Resistance’s secret command post. And yes, guests may encounter Vi as they explore Black Spire Outpost.

Where We Find Batuu Now

Visitors to Galaxy’s Edge will find Batuu 25-or-so years after the Battle of Yavin – specifically, between the events of  Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Black Spire Outpost has now become a safe haven for those looking to hide from the First Order during the sequel trilogy. This is being pitched as not someone else’s story that you wander into, but your personal adventure in Star Wars.

Of course, things aren’t peaceful for long. The First Order has occupied Black Spire Outpost, named for the giant petrified black trees that tower over it. This is where most of our adventure will take place (for now, at least). However, there is also an area out in the forest where the Resistance has set up a secret base in the ancient ruins. This will be the setting for a future adventure when the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride opens sometime later this year (as early as August or as late as October, if you listen to rumors). We’ll return to this neck of the woods (pun intended) soon enough.

What is clear immediately when walking around Batuu is how amazing the theming is. Everything feels like Star Wars. Everything feels lived-in and used, like there’s a genuine sense of history. There are even marks of blaster fire on the buildings! It’s not a clean-looking royal city like we saw in the prequels – this is the dirty Star Wars we have seen in the George Lucas, J.J. Abrams, and Rian Johnson films. The attention to detail is amazing. It’s just incredible to walk through and zero-in on all the little details, appreciating every nuance. One amazing touch among many: we walked through a square with hanging lights that used the domes of old R2-unit droids as the light covers.

You might even find a troop of First Order Stormtroopers on patrol. Kylo Ren might show up and make a grand entrance from his TIE Fighter. The costumed characters are much more interactive in Galaxy’s Edge than elsewhere. To meet Kylo Ren in other areas at Disneyland, you would have to visit him at his meeting greet at Launch Bay, in close quarters. Here you can sometimes see him walking through the land with his Stormtrooper patrol, investigating the rumors of Resistance presence on the planet. Even the Stormtroopers are much more interactive and seem to have a larger bank of questions and responses. You may even see First Order generals making their way around the area, questioning guests.

Once you’re done with exploring Black Spire Outpost, venture west through the forest towards the ruins. This is where the Resistance has begun setting up their new base of operations. It feels very secluded and there is a lot of land between the Black Spire Outpost and Resistance base to help tell the story, which is amazing to me because Disney could have used it for more shops or more rides. Instead, theming won out – that’s a good thing.

You can see an A-Wing and X-Wing, which make great photo ops. You might even find Rey or Chewbacca wandering around here, helping to set-up the new Resistance base. Again, it’s very cool to have encounters with these characters just in the middle of the park and not having to wait hours in a line at Launch Bay. I’m skeptical that it will be practical to do this on busy days, though.

Unlike other parts of the Disneyland resort, there is no music to be heard in the background, just ambient noises from the world. It’s like this way all over the land. You only hear John Williams’ new score in the entrances to the land, and inside the land itself. Galaxy’s Edge is also the first theme park land to be outfitted with Dolby Atmos speakers. Standing outside at night, you will hear spaceships fly by you overhead and while you can’t see them, you can certainly feel them.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is Incredible

There does not exist another theme park land in the world with such immersive theming and detail. Galaxy’s Edge will transport you to the world of Star Wars and it’s simply incredible. The stores cater to both general audiences and hardcore fans equally in a way I’ve never seen before. The collectible merchandise being offered is insane and I am going to be so broke because of Batuu’s existence. Smoked Kaadu Ribs at Docking Bay 7 and the Ronto Wrap at Ronto’s Roasters are new Disneyland food classics in the making. Oga’s Cantina is a blast and all the sugary alcohol drinks are great.

As for the single ride, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run lets us explore that iconic ship in a way I never thought would be possible. Star Wars fans are going to freak out. I nearly cried! The ride itself is more of an immersive video game than a ride – it’s a lot of fun, but I don’t think it will blow anyone away. That said, I’m pretty sure Rise of the Resistance will do just that. Everything I’ve heard about that trackless dark ride sounds next-level, and we’ll be able to experience that later this year.

The Disney cast members who operate the establishments are all “citizens” of Batuu and remain in-character as you interact with them. They have customized their costumes through a mix of available options and have constructed backstories and vocabulary. If someone working a stand says “Bright Suns,” that is the Batuu equivalent of “good morning.” They ask for payment in credit,s but don’t worry, you can pay with your credit card. For some reason, credits translate into pennies exactly. Who would have thought?

I’m loving some of the interactions I’ve had with cast members thus far but I’m cynical that it will last. How long will these cast members and Disney entertain staying in-character and having interesting interplays with guests when there are so many huge lines? I hope they can make it work indefinitely.

While I loved the experience, it’s not perfect. I was disappointed by the Blue Milk beverage and I’m not sure if I’d ever get it again. If there is one thing missing from the otherwise immersive atmosphere, it is more droids, aliens and non-cashier citizens of Batuu. I hope that Disneyland eventually fills the Cantina and Black Spire Outpost with an abundance of streetmosphere characters who could bring a bit more Star Wars life into this spaceport.

And who knows? That might be in the eventual plans. This is only Batuu 1.0, and Disney has said that the planet of Batuu will evolve over the years and I can only see it improving.

This is just the start of our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge coverage. More is on the way, including detailed looks at every food option and Oga’s Cantina, a glimpse at the many shops, and of course, our impressions of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Watch this space!

Review & New Footage: Disneyland’s ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is Incredible – and the Closest We’ll Come to Being in ‘Star Wars’

Review: Disneyland’s ‘Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’ Ride Let’s You Explore the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy – and Then Pilot It

Review: Oga’s Cantina at ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is a Dream Come True for ‘Star Wars’ Fans Who Like Their Booze

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Food is Colorful, Offbeat, and Often Delicious

Review: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ Shops Offer Awesome Merchandise for Casual Fans and Serious Collectors Alike

The post Review & New Footage: Disneyland’s ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ is Incredible – and the Closest We’ll Come to Being in ‘Star Wars’ appeared first on /Film.

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Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead’ Cast Adds Ella Purnell as Dave Bautista’s Daughter

Zack Snyder‘s first post-DCEU film is Army of the Dead, an action movie about mercenaries trying to pull off a heist during a zombie outbreak. Dave Bautista was previously announced as the star of the film, and now more Army of the Dead cast members have joined the team. Most notable among the bunch is Ella Purnell, who will play Bautista’s daughter. More on the Army of the Dead cast below.

The Wrap is reporting Ella Purnell, who appeared in Kick-Ass 2 and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, has joined the cast of Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Purnell is listed as playing daughter to Dave Bautista’s character. Per a character breakdown that we previously reported on, Purnell’s character is “Kate: Taciturn, hard-working, driven. She is Scott’s daughter, but estranged from her father. She is a volunteer with the World Health Organization.” Bautista’s part is “Scott: Dry witted, thoughtful. Estranged from his family.”

Other new cast members include Ana De La Reguera (Goliath), Theo Rossi (Luke Cage) and Huma Qureshi (Viceroy’s House). No word on who these actors are playing, but here’s the rest of the characters that appear in Snyder’s new film:

Vanderohe (30s-40s): Strong as a beast, with muscles bulging out of his tight T-shirt, this guy is a “badass,” but also good-humored. Known for his expertise when it comes to killing zombies. He has a philosophical approach to life to counteract his emotional scars from what he witnessed in the war. (Lead).

Frank Peters (50s-60s): He is a “cool-as-hell older dude with slicked-back gray hair and aviators.” A chopper pilot, brought on board to transport the team into the zombie-held territory. (Lead).

Lilly (Late 20s-30s): Restless, a tough cookie, also known as the Coyote, helping those, who, for whatever reason, need to get back inside the zombie stronghold. She’s canny and crafty, with all the skills to survive in the most hostile of environments. (Lead).

Cruz (Female, late 30s-40s): Latina, a mechanic, owner of a body shop. Hard-drinking and tough-talking, she’s more than happy to join the mission into the zombie stronghold, but it’s not for the money. (Lead).

Ludwig Dieter (Male, 20s): A scrawny Swiss-German kid and master safe-cracker. He has broken into more high security vaults than anybody else in the world. Dieter is the only one who is vocally excited about the mission and considers the upcoming adventure real “fun.” (Lead).

Reggie (20s): “Tough as can be—jacked, stacked and cool.” He, too, is a member of the team whose primary role is straight-up zombie killer. (Supporting).

Adeline (30s): Disenfranchised immigrant, a refugee, she’s a single mom with two young children, willing to do anything to keep her kids safe. (Lead).

Burt Cummings (30s): Thin, with a “porny mustache,” greasy-haired, this guy is a tobacco-chewing, self-important jerk, cocky and alienating, who is taking advantage of the power he has obtained over the refugees. (Lead).

Mikey Guzman (30s): Fearless, highly capable, he is a sharp-shooter, able to kill multiple zombies with a single shot. He is looking for the one big score that will change his life. (Supporting).

Martin (30s): A Ray-Ban wearing fellow in a suit, he is right-hand-man to billionaire Hunter Bly. Former head of security at Blye’s Las Vegas casino. No one is quite sure of his motivations. (Lead).

Army of the Dead focuses on a “zombie outbreak in Las Vegas and a man assembling a group of mercenaries to pull off the greatest heist.” I have no love for Snyder’s superhero flicks, but I am a fan of his Dawn of the Dead remake, so the prospect of the filmmaker returning to the zombie genre piques my interest. I’ve also grown quite fond of Dave Bautista as a character actor. All told, this might turn out to be a must-see. There’s no release date locked down for Army of the Dead yet, but production is slated to begin this July.

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Superhero Bits: ‘Avengers’ Game News Coming to E3, Chris Hemsworth Almost Played Gambit & More

Want to see the next installment of the Marvel Comics documentary series Seminal Moments? Are you ready to learn more about the upcoming Avengers video game at E3? What did David Harbour‘s remake of Hellboy make in its entire domestic run? Is Millie Bobby Brown in The Eternals or not? Why was the ending of Dark Phoenix reshot? All that and more in this edition of Superhero Bits.

Watch the next installment of Seminal Moments from Marvel Comics, looking back at the first issue of X-Men.

Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame concluded its box office run  in China as the third highest-grossing film there.

Tune into Square Enix Live E3 2019 for the worldwide reveal of "Marvel’s Avengers"! ?? The event begins June 10th at 6pm PT: https://t.co/SCYMbJYt8j #SquareEnixE3 #Reassemble #PlayAvengers pic.twitter.com/2fWM6ekUue

— The Avengers (@Avengers) May 29, 2019

At the upcoming E3 2019 video game exhibition, there will be news of the upcoming Avengers video game.

Captain Marvel‘s first week of digital sales through Fandango NOW are on par with Black Panther‘s sales.

Charles Xavier builds Cerebro in the latest promo for the third and final season of Legion, coming June 24.

David Harbour’s Hellboy reboot concluded its domestic box office run with a measly gross of $21.9 million.

Watch as Jean Grey unleashes her power on a new poster for Dark Phoenix in the style of ancient Chinese art.

VFX artist Trent Claus of Lola’s VFX talked about the process of de-aging Stan Lee in Avengers: Endgame.

Continue Reading Superhero Bits

Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Superhero Bits, we have to split this post over THREE pages. Click the link above to continue to the next page of Superhero Bits.

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