After nearly three years of promises, hints, and teases, Disney finally made “Star Wars Land” official on August 15, 2015, during that year’s D23 Expo.

This experience is designed to be so thoroughly immersive, the company has even rolled out a brand-new term for it: Disney 360, so named for having every second of every hour be totally subsumed in a narrative (think live-action role-playing games, but on a much grander scale). Disney's Animal Kingdom Hours .

But there are many dangers lying in wait, ranging from natural phenomena that make hyperspace travel difficult, if not outright impossible, to a number of technologically-superior military threats contained in the region, including the Gyrsks, who have been secretly watching both the Old Republic and Galactic Empire for several decades and had even made some tentative steps to invade. 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. This, in turn, will influence how the trading outpost’s denizens will respond to you, whether they put a bounty on your head (for owing more money than what you currently have) or, possibly, attempt to sidle up to you to get some of those credits for themselves. We utilize cookies to ensure that we provide you the best experience on our website.

Here are all of our recent news updates, in-depth features, and speculative pieces regarding Galaxy’s Edge, both here in Orlando and in Anaheim. The bridge is where guests will be able to man certain vital controls – under the watchful eyes of the crew, of course – at least during certain parts of the sojourn. The Milk Stand, meanwhile, is a glorified food-and-beverage cart that sells only Blue and Green Milk (the frozen version, that is – a non-frozen, deluxe version can be found at Oga’s Cantina). Indeed, just to convey the scope of the undertaking, Galaxy’s Edge is 14 acres in size, making it the biggest expansion Disney has ever devoted to just one property; Industrial Light & Magic, the visual-effects company that writer-director George Lucas started in 1975 in order to help him realize his Star Wars films, has been recruited to help develop the area; and John Williams, the legendary composer responsible for all of the (main) movies’ soundtracks, was tasked with composing an original theme exclusively for the project. That called me to stay. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge takes place exclusively in Black Spire, meaning that – just like with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter or Pandora: The World of Avatar – the entire theme-park land will be devoted to faithfully recreating just one location. Though the company had been releasing a small-but-steady trickle of information on the project’s contents all throughout this time, it really started to open the floodgates during the 2017 D23 Expo, debuting a fully-detailed, 50-foot-long, half-inch-to-one-foot scale model of the entire land; revealing the expansion’s name as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge; and disclosing the new ride vehicle for one of the two attractions. But the real brunt of the work here just may be Disney’s distinct effort to erase the traditional distinctions between retail spaces and theme-park attractions, such as what we find in Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers. And as the finishing touch, a giant berm will surround the entire area, shielding Batuu from the prying eyes outside, making it as secluded and immersive as is Diagon Alley (where Disney picked the trick up). We have another exhaustive feature on this topic, as well. At the very center of this safe haven for the galaxy’s seamy underbelly is Black Spire Outpost, Batuu’s capital, which Disney describes this way: 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. The main entranceway (connecting to Grand Avenue), in the upper right-hand corner of the map, leads to an area that is technically beyond the borders of Black Spire proper; here sits a collection of ancient ruins scattered in a patch of wilderness, which is meant to feel like a separate, distinct section from all the rest of Galaxy’s Edge (creating two different sub-districts, much like how The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley consists of its own series of individual sub-areas). Disney has updated their digital map of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to include Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. And, finally, Kat Saka’s Kettle is where the grain vendor peddles the “ever popular” Outpost Mix, which is a blend of sweet, savory, and spicy popcorn. The attempt can best be summed up in just one word: immersion. One quick note as we move towards the end of our comprehensive coverage of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: it has already been suggested that Disney is saving space at Hollywood Studios (and, perhaps, Disneyland Park) for at least one expansion, should the new area prove to be as successful as the company clearly thinks it will be.
Described by Disney as the most immersive ride it’s ever built, this flagship attraction has guests becoming members of General Organa’s titular militia as they wind their way through the group’s newly-repurposed base on Batuu (otherwise known as the attraction’s queue) – before they’re captured by the First Order and taken aboard one of its imposing Resurgent-class Star Destroyers. First up, on the 3rd, the financial publication Barron’s posted the results of its behind-the-scenes tour of the still-under-construction Star Wars Land over in Disneyland, which included a whole host of little details that covered everything from new snippets on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance’s queue and ride experience to the seating arrangements (or lack thereof) of Oga’s Cantina, the area’s restaurant.

Moving beyond it, we enter Black Spire Outpost and come across its exotic-looking marketplace, which houses five street stalls (the Creature Stall, Toydarian Toymaker, Jewels of Bith, Black Spire Outfitters, and Kat Saka’s Kettle) and the quick-service eatery Ronto Roasters.
The Disneyland one is the opposite because of geographical positioning. And, on the flip side – of course – the Mouse House is also taking some of the storylines that were already developed in the novels, audiobooks, comic books, short stories, and videogames and, apparently, shuttling them over to Black Spire Outpost for visitors’ vacation pleasure. Lucas infamously wanted to update first the ride’s tech and, then, once the new batch of Star Wars films saw release from 1999 to 2005, its story, but Disney’s executive leadership at the time was more interested in keeping costs low than refreshing an attraction that was still popular, even if it was aging.