Ever since Disney announced they were building Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, fans have been anxious to experience the world of Batuu for themselves. Now that the grand opening is just weeks away, Disney is sharing more information on how access to the land is going to be handled.
What’s happening:
- With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge slated to open on May 31, Disneyland has been actively planning on how to manage the crowds of guests expected to attend.
- In an effort to keep the guest experience a pleasant one, and avoid capacity if possible, Disneyland has already set strict guidelines for how guests may access the land.
- For the first several weeks it’s open, (May 31-June 23) only guests with an existing reservation (already full) will be allowed in and will have a maximum of 4 hours to experience the land. This group includes:
- Disneyland Resort Hotel guests
- Guests with confirmed reservations
- After this initial period, guests will not be required to have a reservation, but will need to be in the park in order to join a virtual queue or “boarding group” via the Disneyland app.
- This means guests will be required to have valid theme park admission to access Galaxy’s Edge. It also means they won’t have to stand by line for hours hoping for access. They will be free to enjoy the park until their boarding group is called.
- Additionally, guests visiting the land after June 23 will not be limited to how much time they can spend in Galaxy’s Edge.
- The LA Times notes that Disneyland officials haven’t said how long they plan on using this virtual queue system for Galaxy’s Edge.
How it works:
May 31-June 23:
- No standby line will be available to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Only guests with reservations will be able to access the land during this time.
- Guests will have 4 hours to experience the land and will be given colored wristbands to indicate their reservation time.
- The LA Times reports, “once a time window expires, park employees dressed as Star Wars characters will politely tell park goers that they need to leave the land to make way for new visitors.”
June 24 and beyond:
- Reservations will no longer be required to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge after June 23.
- As needed, to manage demand, Disneyland Resort will implement a virtual queuing system to visit the new land so guests can enjoy the rest of the resort while waiting to visit Batuu.
- The Disneyland app will have a dedicated module, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Status and Access, available from the main page, on which guests can request to join a boarding group to visit the land, once they have entered the park.
- Boarding groups will be sent a push notification when it is their turn to enter the land and they can monitor status of boarding groups from the app.
- What if you don’t have a smart device?:
- There will also be the ability to join a boarding group from select locations inside Disneyland Park, if a guest is not using the app.
- The boarding group is tied to admission media that will be scanned upon entry into the land.
- Signage throughout the park will also display boarding group status.
**Admission into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be subject to capacity, and having an assigned boarding group will not guarantee entrance to the land.**
What they’re saying:
- Disneyland vice president Kris Theiler on the four hour time limit: “Four hours is a long time in the land. Most guests are going to find that they're ready to roll after four hours.”
Kris Theiler also spoke with the Orange County Register about the new systems in place:
- Theiler’s lighthearted take on guests hesitant to leave: “We’ll be utilizing the troopers to help us, for sure.”
- Theiler on the virtual queue system: “It’s very, very important for us that our guests who are coming here don’t spend their time standing in line to get into the land.”
- Theiler on why Disney’s setting strict standards: “We want each group to feel like they had an awesome experience.”
Good to know:
- Galaxy’s Edge will open with only one ride, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
- The second attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is expected to open later in 2019, though no date has been announced at this time.
- Guests will be able to enjoy unique shopping and dining experiences from opening day onward, including the opportunity to handbuild their own lightsaber, or sample that famous blue milk beverage.
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