To say I am a fan of Star Wars is, well, a massive understatement. I’ve seen the films more times than I can count, have shelves dedicated to the in-universe novels, and in the past five years alone, I’ve cosplayed as Princess Leia Organa, Rey, and Anakin Skywalker. It’s a dedication to fandom that’s been passed down from my mom, who can still vividly recall the day her elder brother took her to see the first film in the franchise, 1977’s Star Wars (now better known as Episode IV: A New Hope), a viewing that completely changed her understanding of sci-fi and cinema forever. It was, simply put, unlike anything she had ever seen before. When the prequel trilogy arrived in the late 90s, it was only fitting that her children became absorbed in the same galaxy that had entranced her decades early. It’s a turn of fate that feels especially poignant considering the saga’s deep considerations of family and legacy, the way our parents leave an indelible impact on our lives and futures.
Star Wars has been a constant for generations of fans—those who waited in line eagerly to hear the big reveal of The Empire Strikes Back raised children who were glued to the screen as Anakin began his descent into darkness, who may have since had children of their own become enamored with the battle between the Resistance and the First Order. But whether you’ve had your obsession stoked by family or found your own way into the universe, ahem, Solo, you’ve likely felt that sense of kinship and community—among friends, fellow moviegoers, even complete strangers—forged by a shared adoration for the Skywalker Saga and all the films, television series, comics, books, video games, and more (both Canon and Legends) that have followed.
There’s a universality to the Star Wars franchise, a world so sprawling and developed that no matter who you are, you’re bound to find something—an adventure, a moment, a character—that deeply resonates with you. And if you were to ask any fan, they’d likely be able to recount a memory directly tied to the series—maybe it was the first movie they ever saw in a theater or perhaps the films offered escape during a difficult time, companionship and a thread of hope during a particularly dark moment. To put it simply, the best stories endure, connecting, inspiring, and uniting us along the way, and it is not remotely hyperbolic to say that my life, and the lives of so many others, has been enriched and forever changed by that galaxy far, far away.
Needless to say, my fiancé (who is just as, if not more, obsessed with the franchise as I am, and remains the only adversary who can best me in Star Wars Trivial Pursuit) and I were happier than Ewoks in a treetop when we found ourselves in a living, breathing part of the Star Wars universe just last summer. Both Anaheim’s Disneyland and its Floridian counterpart, Disney World, house a section called Galaxy’s Edge: an immersive world set on the planet Batuu, themed to fit narratively between Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Within its realm, visitors will cross paths with Kylo Ren and First Order stormtroopers as well as Resistance fighters like Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. And from the moment our trek took us from the bright, bouncy sounds of Critter Country (home to favorites like Splash Mountain) to the familiar, swelling notes of an unmistakably John Williams's score, I had one prevailing thought: "Chewie, we're home."
I've been a theme park geek for just about as long as I've been obsessed with Star Wars, so the combination of both was enough to make me short circuit. And like much of Disneyland, Galaxy's Edge is best enjoyed if you suspend both disbelief and the creeping cynicism of adulthood. In putting aside those doubts and insecurities, I found myself an active participant in a story that had a massive impact on my life and identity. Here, legendary Jedi, the looming threat of unthinkable evil, and the ordinary folks who cared for loth cats, brewed caf, and helped assemble droids were not merely characters in a film or audiobook, but tangible figures, each with a detailed backstory, with whom you could interact.
Take, for instance, the very ambience of Oga's Cantina. Listen in to Delilah Dawson's Black Spire (more on that later), and you'll get the full scoop on the namesake proprietor and her dealings on Batuu. A figure both feared and respected by the locals, Oga Gerra is not a person you'd want to cross. But the energy at her cantina? Unmatched. There might not be a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the Mos Eisley Cantina, but Oga's delivers when it comes to strong drinks and a banging soundtrack courtesy of DJ R-3X. And yep, that'd be the same R-3X (formerly known as RX-24) who previously piloted starspeeders over at Star Tours before joining the Resistance and making a crash-landing in Black Spire. R-3X was reprogrammed as a DJ, and his skills are pretty strong; listen closely and you just might be treated to a sample of Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes's "Mad About Me."
Still, despite the temptation of a Bloody Rancor or a Bespin Fizz, we started our day with the greatest breakfast this side of Tatooine: a nice frosty glass of blue milk. (Fret not, fellow herbivores: the "milk" in question isn't of bantha origins—it's a blend of coconut and rice milk with undertones of dragon fruit, pineapple, and lime.) We strolled around the park in absolute wonder, popping into stalls selling everything from plush porgs to kyber crystals to robes befitting a great Jedi Knight (or Sith Lord, if that's more your style). Every aspect of the land was crafted to feel wholly immersive: sales associates asked for payment in the form of "credits" (the currency used throughout the galaxy after the fall of the Empire), the streets (and bathrooms) pulsed with the sounds of podraces and every galactic genre of music from Black Spire's radio station BSO 401.72, and the occasional chirping of droids found throughout the park all added to a kind of bizarre realism. Though we were standing in the middle of a theme park in Southern California, it all felt so strangely real, as if, somehow, we truly had been transported to another world that was once a thing of fantasy.
And then, we saw it for the first time—the very ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. The Millennium Falcon.
There was a magic in being able to stand in the shadow of a starship (or hunk of junk, depending on who you ask) I had only seen on screen. The iconic silhouette, the misters miming exhaust fumes, and the occasional appearance of Chewbacca dutifully working on the freighter’s undercarriage made the universe feel wholly true-to-life. And while seeing the Falcon from the outside certainly left an impression, it pales in comparison to what it felt like to be at the helm. On the innovative simulator Smuggler's Run, riders are assigned to the positions of Pilot, Gunner, or Engineer, roles that come with responsibilities that have a real time impact on the mission. So, in a moment that fulfilled every childhood (and okay, adulthood) dream, I was lucky enough to be able to pilot the Millennium Falcon. With my trusty co-pilot by my side, I triumphantly and quite inadvertently crashed the Falcon into spires and structures (sorry, Han!) before getting the hang of the different levers and buttons. Just to sit in the cockpit was a thrill beyond comprehension, but steering the Falcon through obstacles and working together with a crew of four perfect strangers, laughing and yelling and trying to out-gun and out-maneuver anything that stood in our way, is an experience I won't soon forget.
It was a moment that exemplified fandom's capability for pure good, its capacity to bring together folks from completely different backgrounds with the unbridled joy of sheer enthusiasm. We'd never see those four teenage kids again, but for two minutes, they were our gunners and our engineers, and we were piloting the Millennium Falcon. And when I pulled the lever that launched the Falcon into hyperspace and watched the screen before us dissolve into that familiar array of bright fragments of light, I felt the kind of unrestrained delight that we grown-ups usually leave to the younglings.
After recovering from our smuggling run, we had a few more things to cross off our Black Spire bucket list. We started at Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities, a gorgeously crafted gift shop in the guise of a shop selling in-world relics and valuables. When you first step into Dok-Ondar's in Disneyland, you'll find yourself face-to-face with a mural depicting the constant struggle between the Light and the Dark sides of the Force. If the frieze looks familiar, good eyes! It's the very same from Palpatine's office in Revenge of the Sith. Look around a little more and you'll find a wide array of curiosities. Both Jedi and Sith holocrons sit upon the shelves holding mystical prophecies while busts and figurines of the galaxy's heroes (and foes) stare out from behind glass cases. Dok-Ondar's is the perfect stop for any Easter egg-loving fan. Scan the walls and you'll see nods to the films and television series while lightsabers, blasters, and battle axes from your favorite battle sequences and animatronic baby sarlacs alike really sell the shop's real-world feel.
My personal favorite feature of Dok-Ondar's was one of the back walls, which displayed busts of various creatures like prized hunting trophies. There's a kod-yok, the gentle, bison-like grazers found on Vandor's plains. To its right, a critter that will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen the original trilogy—of course, I'm talking about the taun-taun. On Hoth's Echo Base, the Rebel Alliance mounted these bipedal steeds to make their patrols. (They also come in handy if your galactic hero is succumbing to hypothermia...and, well, we thought they smelled bad on the outside.) In between those two furry figures, you'll find the head of a not-so-cuddly Corellian hound. You might recall these snarlers from the opening scenes of Solo: A Star Wars Story, where (fun fact!) they were portrayed by very well-trained, real-life pups wearing massive, outrageously detailed costumes. Rounding out Dok's creature wall is an intimidating sharp-fanged nexu (the same species released on the Geonosian arena by Poggle the Lesser in Attack of the Clones) and a bust of an anooba, a little-known beastie that fans of The Clone Wars animated series might recognize as the species of Embo's faithful hound. And if you're really eagle-eyed, you'll catch a glimpse of these canine creatures on the hand-painted armor worn by Sabine Wren (of Rebels, and soon, the Ahsoka live action series!).
After we dropped some credits on trinkets from Dok-Ondar's shop, it came time for us to join the Resistance's fight against the First Order in one of the galaxy's (or, er, Disney's) newest and most innovative rides: Rise of the Resistance. The queue snakes under a waterfall and through a Resistance base (where you can spot flight suits, helmets, weaponry, and other battle-ready equipment, many of which harken back to the film franchise or expanded canonical universe) before landing you in a briefing room where a hologram of Daisy Ridley's Rey shares mission details alongside pilot Poe Dameron and an adorable, full-scale animatronic of roly-poly droid BB-8. You're ushered into a transport, but when captured by a tractor beam, you find yourself face-to-face with the First Order...and an army of stormtroopers. I won't spoil anything else from the ride, except to say this: stepping into that Star Destroyer's hangar bay is by far one of the most awe-inducing things I have ever experienced. Trust me on this one: if you are a Star Wars fan, you need to get on this ride sometime in your life. Where else are you going to be able to dodge missiles from an AT-AT or come face-to-face with Kylo Ren and General Hux in real life?
Before taking our leave, we had one final stop to make. What Star Wars fan hasn't dreamt of assembling and wielding their very own lightsaber? At Savi's Workshop, a group known as the Gatherers guided my fiancé through the process of selecting scrap metal for his lightsaber, finding the kyber crystal that most resonated with him (in this case, a green-toned gem similar to that used by one of his personal favorite Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn), and constructing the hilt. Afterwards, the builders gathered together to activate and ignite their sabers in a touching ceremony that utilized audio clips from Force-wielding heroes like the great Master Yoda. It was an unadulterated love letter to Star Wars fans, a moment crafted for longtime geeks and the newly initiated alike. And that newly minted saber? Well, let's just say it made a fine addition to our collection.
Exhausted, we sauntered toward our hotel. After taking in the bright bursts of fireworks that ignited the night sky over Batuu and one last fond look back at the stalls of the Black Spire's marketplace, we traded in that otherworldly score for the upbeat, fairytale glimmer of Main Street. It was time to head back to reality, fly home, log into work, and deal with all the anxieties, fears, and stressors of life in our modern, pandemic-altered world. But no matter what we might face after we put our travels behind us, there was one thing that was certain:
The Force would be with us. Always.
Visit Batuu in Audio
If you're planning a trip to Galaxy's Edge sometime in the future (or if you just want a great listen that further expands on the Star Wars galaxy), both Black Spire and A Crash of Fate are absolute must-listens. Checking out these audiobooks before you hit the parks will get you more acquainted with the setting, help you recognize neat little Easter eggs, and lend a greater understanding of the proprietors (like Oga or Dok-Ondar) of the shops and restaurants you'll peruse.
A planet of lush forests, precarious mountains, and towering petrified trees, Batuu is on the furthest possible frontier of the galactic map, the last settled world before the mysterious expanse of Wild Space. And when Vi Morandi, General Leia Organa's top spy, finds herself on the run from a shuttle full of storm troopers, she'll need to rely on the rogues, smugglers, adventurers, and heroes of Black Spire Outpost to not only survive but spark the fire of the Resistance before the First Order snuffs it out entirely.
Who says that teen romance doesn't have its place in a war-torn galaxy? In this YA addition to the Star Wars canon, you'll meet Izzy and Jules, who were best friends until Izzy's family abruptly left Batuu when she was six. Now she's back, and Jules, the boy who never left, is unsure what to make of her. While on the run from vengeful smugglers and an angry pirate, Jules and Izzy will come to terms with who they are and just how much they mean to one another.
