7 Surprising Stats and Fascinating Facts from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

By Beth Deitchman

A long time ago—specifically, when Star Wars: A New Hope was released—we first dreamed of visiting a galaxy far, far away and getting a sense of what it would be like to wield a lightsaber or soar on the Millennium Falcon. On May 31, that dream becomes a reality with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland park: The ultimate Star Wars adventure is about to begin—and you are at the center of it! As you prepare for your inaugural trip to Batuu, here are just some of the amazing details behind the creation of this breathtaking new land.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

1. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the largest-ever single-themed land in Disney Parks history.
The land spans more than 14 acres in both Disneyland park and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open on August 29. Though nearly identical, there are three ways to enter the land at Disneyland park and two entrances at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

2. This is the first time fans will ever see a full-size, 100-percent complete Millennium Falcon.
As you gaze upon at the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” docked in Black Spire Outpost, you might marvel at its size: It’s more than 100 feet long. As you enter the Millennium Falcon, you pass through the same starboard airlock used by Han and Chewie in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

3. There’s so much to discover around Black Spire Outpost.
The tallest of the ancient-looking spires you’ll see around the land stands at more than 130 feet high. Additionally, more than 7,000 props were created for each land.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

4. The possibilities are endless when it comes to customizing your experience.
If you visit Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers, you will find more than 120,000 possible combinations for constructing a lightsaber using all the available pieces. There are even more combinations in the Droid Depot, which offers nearly 280,000 ways to create an R-series or BB-series astromech droid using all the available pieces.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

5. You can learn a new game.
Dejarik might just become your new favorite pastime. The chess-type game is played on the table in the main hold and lounge in the Millennium Falcon, and guests can sit at the table inside Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Visit the Toydarian Toymaker marketplace to pick up the game, then hone your Dejarik skills at home while you plan your next journey to Batuu.

6. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has an out-of-this-galaxy soundtrack.
Keep an ear out for an all-new suite of themes from Oscar®-winning composer John Williams, who created the new music specifically for the lands and their attractions. Inside Oga’s Cantina, look for a familiar face who’s playing a new tune (and launching a new career). DJ R-3X—formerly the Starspeeder 3000 pilot from Star Tours—is now the droid in charge of music at the local watering hole. The galactic playlist you’ll hear in Oga’s Cantina features musicians and composers from all around the world who were commissioned by Walt Disney Imagineering to craft original music for the new land.

7. Memories you can bring home with you.
The land has nine different retail locations boasting nearly 700 unique items—including a few “critters.” Visit the Creature Stall to see if you can resist the gaze of the adorable avian Porgs or the rambunctious Kowakian Monkey-Lizards. (But why would you want to?)

Find out more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the links below:

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Invites Guests to Be Heroes of Their Own Adventures in New ‘Living Land’
Lightsabers, Droids, and Holocrons—The Incredible, Immersive Merchandise of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Step Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
How to Taste Your Way Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Creatures, Droids, and Aliens: Meet the Fantastical Figures of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and All Its Starships and Speeders
Don’t Miss These 10 Experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hidden Gems and Attention to Detail Create Authenticity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Creatures, Droids, and Aliens: Meet the Fantastical Figures of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

By Courtney Potter

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will welcome visitors young and young-at-heart to the galactically grand world of Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu—which, as you might imagine, is home to a cavalcade of creatures, from Resistance heroes to chatty droids… from space pirates to mystical proprietors… and even a few lovable aliens! Guests who visit these lands, both at Disneyland park starting Friday, May 31, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios beginning August 29, may discover the presence of these fantastical figures as they take in the sights.

Who might you meet on your visit to Batuu? And where? Read on for more…

Characters

Chewbacca
Found at both the Resistance Encampment and at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, this legendary Wookiee warrior (and Han Solo’s co-pilot) came to Batuu aboard the damaged Falcon. He needs special parts to fix his ship, and the Resistance needs fresh supplies—so Chewie made a deal to loan Hondo Ohnaka the Millennium Falcon for a few smuggling runs in exchange for the items he desperately needs…

Dok-Ondar

Dok-Ondar
A larger-than-life collector of all things odd and hard to find, Dok-Ondar buys, sells, and trades valuable items at his intergalactic Den of Antiquities shop. This Ithorian is a proud curator, amassing a collection that’s truly unrivaled in the galaxy. He’s also known as the “gatekeeper” of the black market in Black Spire Outpost, so locals know not to cross him. Guests can see him working at his desk—taking inventory and barking the occasional order at his assistants between incoming calls.

Oga Garra
This Blutopian crime boss of Black Spire Outpost is a mysterious figure. She is never seen, but is often heard yelling at her servers inside Oga’s Cantina. Her influence stretches throughout the outpost, as her fingers are in every business transaction… and she knows everyone coming and going.

The Gatherers
As believers in the ways of the Force, the Gatherers are a group of men and women dedicated to restoring balance in the galaxy by passing on ancient knowledge. Part of their mission is guiding the next generation of Jedi-hopefuls in building their own unique lightsabers. You can find the Gatherers at Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers.

Vi Moradi
Vi Moradi is a spy and intelligence officer for the Resistance who traveled to Batuu to scout the planet for its viability as a potential Resistance recruiting station. This strong-willed, hot-tempered, quick-witted woman is trying to stay one step ahead of the First Order while recruiting for the Resistance as she traverses the twisting pathways of Black Spire Outpost. You never know where you might see her lurking throughout the land…

Hondo Ohnaka

Hondo Ohnaka
Established in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, Hondo Ohnaka is a Weequay pirate turned “legitimate” businessman (although most would call him a smuggler). A rough-around-the-edges rogue, he is always looking out for the next big score. Hondo founded Ohnaka Transport Solutions, which operates out of Black Spire Outpost and specializes in acquiring or delivering restricted items. In Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, he asks guests to help him acquire some prized cargo of importance to both the First Order and the Resistance. Of course, Hondo himself will be pocketing a sizeable profit along the way.

Kylo Ren

Kylo Ren
The Supreme Leader of the First Order strikes fear in the hearts of his foes with his imposing mask, long dark robes, iconic hilted red lightsaber, and notoriously violent temper. As a highly trained, Force-sensitive warrior, Kylo Ren is determined to root out the Resistance—and travels to Batuu to search for and destroy any traces he can find. He can often be found at Docking Bay 9, the First Order Encampment.

Rey
Sometime after the Battle of Crait at the conclusion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Resistance hero Rey made her way to Batuu. Here, she leads the recruitment effort for the Resistance (based out of the Resistance Encampment) by actively inspiring supporters along the galaxy’s Outer Rim.

Zabaka
Zabaka is a Toydarian, the flying alien species first seen in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Her small Toydarian Toymaker stall has thrived in Black Spire Outpost by selling quality toys—and through her good relationships with other proprietors in town. Guests can see the silhouette of Zabaka going about her daily business through her workshop window.

CREATURES

Convor
A popular pet throughout the galaxy, Convor is a gold-and-brown plumed bird first seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. You can find Convor at the Creature Stall.

Dianoga from Star Wars: A New Hope

Dianoga
This slimy, tentacled carnivore was first seen in Star Wars: A New Hope when it attacked Luke Skywalker in the Death Star trash compactor. When guests stop for a drink at the water fountain in the Black Spire Outpost marketplace, they may see the eye of a dianoga (nicknamed “Tiny”) pop out of the water tank above! Plus, Dok-Ondar has a juvenile dianoga in a tank at his Den of Antiquities shop. Its nickname? “Toothy,” of course.

Dokma
This small, timid creature with a protective shell and two eyestalks was seen in the Star Wars Rebels animated series, and can be located at the Creature Stall.

Felucian Fireflies
These glowing creatures are native to the colorful, humid jungle planet Felucia, first seen in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith—and are found at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Fyrnock
A fierce predator typically the size of a small humanoid, this creature—found at the Creature Stall—can only survive under the cover of darkness. It lives in a dark crate at the stall and was first seen in Star Wars Rebels.

Loth-cat

Loth-cat
A sprightly feline that hunts small rodents on the grassy plains of Lothal, this lively animal is known primarily from Star Wars Rebels. At the Creature Stall, guests can see a Loth-cat’s tail sway gently as it sleeps.

Kowakian Monkey-Lizard
This reptilian creature is a favorite pet for denizens of the galaxy’s underworld, most famously Jabba the Hutt. Guests visiting the Creature Stall can see the monkey-lizard’s tail hanging from a cage… and occasionally hear its iconic high-pitched laugh. Chances are high you’ll recognize it from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi!

Momong
Also known as a Trandoshan monkey, this species of primate lives in trees and was first spied in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Guests can see its tail as it hangs from a cage in the Creature Stall.

Mynock
These “beastly things” are bat-like parasites that chew on the power cables and energy conductors of starships, as seen in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. At Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, guests may spy a mynock that’s pickled in one of the Oga’s Cantina tanks.

Ollopom
A short, gentle rodent found in the Gungan Swamps of Naboo (sometimes mistaken for a plant), guests can find an example inside Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Profrogg
This large rodent—which forms complex underground burrowing systems called “towns”—has horns, a snout, super-sharp incisors, and powerful claws used for defense and digging. See a taxidermic profrogg up close at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Puffer Pig
The fact that the puffer pig is a mammalian species capable of sniffing valuable minerals makes it vital to smugglers, as seen in Star Wars Rebels. When scared, it inflates to massive proportions! Visit the Creature Stall and you might see (and hear) one!

Sarlacc Audio-Animatronic at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Sarlacc
This dangerous carnivore can grow to 100 meters long and likes to bury itself in sand—leaving only its huge mouth exposed to the surface, as seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. At Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, the proprietor keeps his infant sarlacc in a special tank that simulates arid atmospheric conditions.

Swamp Slug
Native to the bogs of Dagobah, this creature has thousands of teeth capable of grinding up plants and animals—but not necessarily droids, as R2-D2 fortunately discovered in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Those keeping a close eye will find a swamp slug in one of the Oga’s Cantina tanks.

Wampa at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Wampa
This large, white, furry, carnivorous predator hails from the ice planet Hoth. It often sneaks up on prey prior to attack, as experienced by Luke in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities has a taxidermic wampa in its collection.

Womp Rat
This pest is native to Tatooine, and as Luke noted in Star Wars: A New Hope, it isn’t much bigger than two meters. Guests can see a taxidermic womp rat in Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Worrt
A carnivorous amphibian typically found in the sand dunes of Tatooine, it famously made a brief cameo outside Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It waits for unsuspecting rodents or insects to pass by, then whips its long tongue out to snatch prey! At Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, guests can observe a worrt in one of the Oga’s Cantina tanks, as well as at the Creature Stall.

DROIDS

8D-J8
As a former smelter droid, 8D-J8 was reprogrammed to do one thing: turn the meats on the spit at Ronto Roasters, ensuring they are cooked to perfection.

DJ R-3X at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

DJ R-3X
This former Star Tours pilot droid, known affectionately as “Rex,” crash landed on Batuu and was reprogrammed into a DJ by Mubo at the Droid Depot. Mubo gave Rex to Oga Garra to pay off a debt, and “DJ Rex” now provides the musical entertainment inside Oga’s Cantina… and he’s still as chatty as ever!

R5-P8
This sassy droid is Hondo’s most capable astromech at Spaceport, and serves as an automated repair mechanic on the smuggler’s many starships. He calls Hondo out on many occasions, always keeping the pirate on his toes.

Find out more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the links below:

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Invites Guests to Be Heroes of Their Own Adventures in New ‘Living Land’
Lightsabers, Droids, and Holocrons—The Incredible, Immersive Merchandise of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Step Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
How to Taste Your Way Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
7 Surprising Stats and Fascinating Facts from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and All Its Starships and Speeders
Don’t Miss These 10 Experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hidden Gems and Attention to Detail Create Authenticity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

How to Taste Your Way Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

By Beth Deitchman

You’ve embarked on  your inaugural journey to Batuu. You’ve got your Star Wars: Datapad in the palm of one hand, a customized lightsaber in the other. But there’s one thing you must be sure to bring with you on any visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: a healthy appetite.

The new land has been designed to appeal to all five of the senses, and the Disney Parks food and beverage creative teams worked closely with Walt Disney Imagineering to develop an amazing array of out-of-this-galaxy tastes—from Fried Endorian Tip-yip to milk that’s available in colors we haven’t seen before on this side of Tatooine. Batuu, it’s been told, is one of the galaxy’s lesser populated worlds. The cuisine guests will find in Black Spire Outpost has a “farm-to-table” feel that is generally found in more rural communities, and many of the delicious dishes and drinks are inspired by Batuu’s ancient culture. The current generation of Batuuan residents now serves these local-favorite libations in exotic vessels that you truly won’t see anywhere else.

The options are plentiful when the force of your hunger begins to grow strong. Here’s where you’ll find the best of Batuu’s culinary offerings:

Oga’s Cantina from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Oga’s Cantina
This is the land’s main watering hole, and it’s really the heart of Black Spire Outpost. It’s a place to gather with friends and fellow travelers to share tales of your intergalactic adventures and enjoy exotic beverages such as the spicy Bloody Rancor, the foamy Fuzzy Tauntaun, or the fruity Carbon Freeze.

Ronto Roasters tacos from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Ronto Roasters
Bring a more-than-Jawa-sized appetite to this Batuu establishment, which you’ll be able to spot thanks to the large podracing engine that fires up a barbecue pit. A former smelter droid, 8D-J8, tends to a spit of meats while you decide what you have a hankering for. The locals recommend the stall’s signature Ronto Wrap—which might just remind you of delicious roasted pork and grilled sausage. Wash that down with a Tatooine Sunset, a specialty drink that’s reminiscent of flavored ice tea and lemonade, and you’ll be ready to take on your next adventure.

Green and blue milk from The Milk Stand

The Milk Stand
From the first time we laid eyes on Blue Milk in the Star Wars films, we’ve wondered what does that taste like? Wonder no more, as you’ll be able to taste both Blue Milk and the slightly zingier Green Milk at this stall.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge food from Docking Bay 7

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs is rustling up a host of new and unusual dishes out of his mobile kitchen and restaurant, turning the hangar into Tuggs’ Grub. Among Tuggs’ specialties are smoked Kaadu ribs and the must-try Fried Endorian Tip-yip, which we highly recommend that you follow with a Batuu-bon for a stellar end to the meal.

Take advantage of mobile ordering through the Disneyland app for Ronto Roasters, Milk Stand, and Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo (menu items subject to availability). And save some Moof Juice for us!

Find out more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the links below:

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Invites Guests to Be Heroes of Their Own Adventures in New ‘Living Land’
Lightsabers, Droids, and Holocrons—The Incredible, Immersive Merchandise of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Step Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Creatures, Droids, and Aliens: Meet the Fantastical Figures of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
7 Surprising Stats and Fascinating Facts from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and All Its Starships and Speeders
Don’t Miss These 10 Experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hidden Gems and Attention to Detail Create Authenticity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Step Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

By Jim Frye

With the opening of the epic new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park on May 31, 2019, (August 29, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida), the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” is primed and ready to take guests on the biggest adventure of their lives! Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run puts you right in the middle of the action with interactive gameplay that makes you the star of your own Star Wars adventure in a more immersive way than ever before.

Lovingly described at various times as a “piece of junk” or “bucket of bolts,” the Millennium Falcon is the most famous of all the ships in the Star Wars universe. On Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, guests 38 inches or taller climb aboard the Falcon in all her ramshackle glory and settle into the cockpit where they discover the ship still has a few surprises left in her.

Following the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Chewbacca brought the Falcon to Black Spire Outpost for repairs at this spaceport on the edge of the galaxy. In exchange for some much-needed replacement parts, Chewie is loaning the Falcon to Hondo Ohnaka, a smuggler who is now making good use of the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. It is at this point that guests enter the story of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

Here are few helpful facts to help get you into the story of this brand-new adventure.

Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

Who is Hondo Ohnaka, and What Does He Want?
He’s a fan-favorite character from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels animated television series. Hondo is a Weequay pirate, running a “legitimate business” called Ohnaka Transport Solutions. He enlists our help to deliver cargo for him, hoping that we won’t ask too many questions.

This is the first time Hondo Ohnaka has been seen outside the animated TV series. Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni, who created Hondo, consulted with Imagineers to help capture the essence of Hondo’s Audio-Animatronics® figure inside the attraction.

Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

Step Aboard the Falcon
Aboard the Falcon, guests will spend some time in the ship’s main hold and lounge, where they can sit at the famous Dejarik (chess) table. But once inside the cockpit, groups of six will each be assigned one of three critical roles to complete the mission. They’ll either be a pilot, a gunner, or a flight engineer. It’s important that guests work together. If the ship sustains damage, either by hitting obstacles or taking enemy fire, the handling will be affected, and the ship’s hallways will show damage as guests leave the attraction.

You’ll also notice that modifications have been made. For example, Hondo has altered the control sticks for the pilot and co-pilot, and he’s added a harpoon to the Falcon’s weapons, among other tweaks.

Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

Authenticity in the Details
Walt Disney Imagineers worked with Lucasfilm to ensure authenticity in every detail of the Millennium Falcon—down to the hoses, pipes, switches, and even the stickers on the exterior hull. Imagineers pored over archival Lucasfilm photos of the ship, and they visited Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom—where many of the movies were shot—to study Falcon film sets. Rest assured, this IS the Falcon you’ve been wanting to see, and she’s ready for her next adventure. Or in the immortal words of Han Solo: the Millennium Falcon “may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts.”

Find out more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the links below:

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Invites Guests to Be Heroes of Their Own Adventures in New ‘Living Land’
Lightsabers, Droids, and Holocrons—The Incredible, Immersive Merchandise of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
How to Taste Your Way Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Creatures, Droids, and Aliens: Meet the Fantastical Figures of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
7 Surprising Stats and Fascinating Facts from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and All Its Starships and Speeders
Don’t Miss These 10 Experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hidden Gems and Attention to Detail Create Authenticity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Lightsabers, Droids, and Holocrons—The Incredible, Immersive Merchandise of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

By Beth Deitchman

When you imagine your own Star Wars adventure, are you wielding your very own customized lightsaber? Is a droid by your side—the BB-8 to your Rey, or the R2 to your Luke? Is there a Kowakian Monkey-Lizard perched on your shoulder? These iconic elements from a galaxy far, far away are no longer constrained to your imagination—they’re part of your reality at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where the merchandise available in the new land plays a vital role in the storytelling within the land.

The Disney Parks product development team worked with the project team throughout the land’s creation to deliver unique merchandise that expands the fun of playing on Batuu. When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland park on May 31 and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 29, guests will enjoy new story-driven retail experiences that enable them to construct their own lightsabers or build a droid—in incredibly detailed, immersive environments.

Here is some of the merchandise that will be available in the groundbreaking new land:

Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers

Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers

This is one-stop shopping for a hand-built lightsaber that can be customized as guests choose the paths they will follow. Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers is packed with unusual parts and whimsical pieces collected from the far reaches of the galaxy. A group known as the Gatherers first ushers guests into the covert space, then guides them in the construction of one-of-a-kind lightsabers that will be brought to life through the power of kyber crystals.

Four lightsaber themes will be available to guests:

  • Peace and Justice: Utilize salvaged scraps of fallen Jedi temples and crashed starships in Republic-era lightsaber designs that honor the galaxy’s former guardians.
  • Power and Control: Originally forged by warriors from the dark side, objects used in this lightsaber style are rumored remnants from the Sith home world and abandoned temples.
  • Elemental Nature: Craft a lightsaber from special components born from the Force, such as Brylark trees, Cartusion whale bones, or Rancor teeth.
  • Protection and Defense: Incorporate hilt materials bearing mysterious motifs and inscriptions that reconnect a lightsaber’s wielder with the ancient wellspring of the Force.

Droid Depot

Droid Depot

These are most definitely the droids you are looking for. When you enter this workshop, you’ll discover stacks of parts, chips, and manuals—everything that you need to begin to construct the droid that will undoubtedly become your own indispensable sidekick. You have the option to choose from either the BB-series or R-series astromech.

In Droid Depot, droid parts come and go on conveyor belts, providing a range of options to include in your own unit. You’ll also have the option to further customize your droid with personality-affiliation chips, color panels, and more accessories. Once you’ve built your droid, you can place it in an activation station where it comes to life and will be able to interact with other astromech droids, as well as certain other Bluetooth-enabled elements and devices throughout Black Spire Outpost.

Of course, if you want even more droids in your life—and who doesn’t?—Droid Depot also offers prebuild droids, housewares, and apparel, all inspired by the design, engineering, and building of droids, including:

  • Premium Droid Action Figures: R2-D2, BB-8, DJ R-3X, and C-3P0 are among the hero-scale droids, loaded with interactive functionality, that are available at Droid Depot. Our new favorite master of music, DJ R-3X, is both a fully functional remote-control droid and Bluetooth-enabled speaker, with classic DJ sound effects.
  • Color-Changing Droids Figure Packs and Play Set: These droids are built to classic 3 ¾ scale and are ready to go undercover in Black Spire Outpost.
  • Droid Light-Up R2-D2 or BB-8 Headbands: Beloved Star Wars characters inspire these motion-activated dome headbands that respond with lights and sound.
  • Droid Depot Work Shirts and Apparel: Droid fans of all ages will want to add these items to their wardrobes.

Holocrons

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities

If you’re in search of the most mysterious and unique artifacts the galaxy has to offer, then you have come to the right place. The Ithorian Dok-Ondar is as mysterious and as unique as his collection, and he has made quite the variety of items available to guests:

  • Legacy Lightsabers: These are elegant weapons from another, more civilized time—the weapon of choice for both Jedi and Sith alike. Dok-Ondar has amassed a collection of replicas of some of the most famous—or infamous—warriors in the galaxy’s history, including Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul.
  • Lightsaber Accessories: Everything you need to have alongside your lightsaber, from clips and carrier bags to display stands for when your lightsaber is not in use.
  • Kyber Crystals: They are at the heart of every lightsaber and are attuned to the Force. An array of colors are available at Dok-Ondar’s, including blue, green, purple, red, yellow, and white.
  • Holocrons: Looking for stores of valuable information about the galaxy and the Force? Then you’ll want to acquire a Holocron. Pair one with kyber crystals to unlock and access this coveted data.

Creature Stall

Creature Stall

Stop by this exotic market stall to discover some of the galaxy’s most exotic creatures and critters. The stall’s proprietor, Bina, has stocked the storefront with unique companions for guests, including:

  • Kowakian Money-Lizard: A cackling and rambunctious creature who can sit on your shoulder throughout all of your intergalactic adventures.
  • Porg: This creature has traveled all the way from the cliffs of Ahch-To to Black Spire Outpost, where it chirps and flaps its wings… compelling you to bring the adorable avian home with you.
  • Loth-cat: This temperamental member of the tooka family hails from Lothal. Sometimes friendly and always a capable hunter with sharp teeth, this feline is small but spirited.

 

Black Spire Outfitters

Black Spire Outfitters

Outfit yourself for all means of galactic adventure at this colorful apparel shop that carries a stellar selection of robes inspired by those worn by Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, tunics that you may choose to wear under them, and belts—the perfect accessories for wearing a lightsaber hilt. Items at Black Spire Outfitters are sized for all, from youth through adult.

Toydarian Toymaker

Toydarian Toymaker

The busy toymaker Zabaka has assembled an exciting collection of handcrafted toys and collectibles for guests to bring home. The whimsical shop features:

  • Artisan Plush Characters: Look for some of the most famous icons of the galaxy—including Yoda, Chewbacca, Ewoks, and more—brought to life through stylized plush.
  • Games: Cards of Sabacc… Dejarik… Chance Cubes… Your family game night gains an intergalactic twist, thanks to Zabaka.
  • Vehicles: Iconic vessels of the galaxy have been crafted in materials such as wood and metal.

Jewels of Bith

Offering both local goods and tiny treasures, there’s something for everyone at this destination, including:

  • Batuuan Cooling Fan: The moisture vaporators of Tatooine have inspired this hand-held fan, which provides welcome refreshment on Batuu’s hotter days.
  • Gifts of Batuu and Black Spire Outpost: The sights and graphics of the remote planet and its most heavily populated village can be spotted on apparel and drinkware that commemorate your journey to this incredible land.

First Order Cargo

First Order Cargo

They’re here… The First Order has recently come to Black Spire Outpost, where they’re hoping to win the hearts and minds of locals and tourists alike. Explore the dark side at their post, where you can find:

  • Accessories: Caps, pins, patches, and other gear that’s branded to the First Order.
  • Toys and Vehicles: Models and metal replicas of the First Order.

Resistance Supply

This makeshift post has been secretly set up by members of the Resistance. Don’t tell the First Order, but guests can make their way to Resistance Supply to stock up on essential gear and supplies to prepare for their next mission. Among the Resistance-branded goods are:

  • Accessories: Caps, pins, patches, and other gear.
  • Toys and Vehicles: Models and metal replicas of the Resistance fleet.
  • Resistance MRE (Meals Ready to Eat): On-the-go snacks for Resistance fighters.

Find out more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the links below:

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Invites Guests to Be Heroes of Their Own Adventures in New ‘Living Land’
Step Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
How to Taste Your Way Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Creatures, Droids, and Aliens: Meet the Fantastical Figures of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
7 Surprising Stats and Fascinating Facts from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and All Its Starships and Speeders
Don’t Miss These 10 Experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hidden Gems and Attention to Detail Create Authenticity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Invites Guests to Be Heroes of Their Own Adventures in New ‘Living Land’

By Jim Frye

Get ready to join the adventure, because Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will come alive for guests as they play roles in their own Star Wars stories. Whether using the Play Disney Parks mobile app, encountering Star Wars characters, or interacting with Disney cast members, guests can engage with this new land in ways never experienced before in a Disney park.

As we reported, the Play Disney Parks App is key to experiencing this new 14-acre land to its fullest. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the first land in a Disney park designed from the ground up to fully integrate with the Play Disney Parks mobile app. When guests enter the land, they will be able to transform the Play Disney Parks app into their very own Star Wars: Datapad on their mobile devices. As guests earn galactic credits for things they do in the land using their Datapad, the credits will show in their Datapad profile.

PlayDisney Parks App for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

The app will provide four primary functions to unlock a deeper level of storytelling within the land:

  • Hack – Interact with certain droids, blinking door panels, and other scenic elements.
  • Scan – Explore the contents of cargo crates and other containers and collect virtual items.
  • Translate – Understand written languages from the Star Wars
  • Tune – Tap into the signals from satellite dishes and antenna arrays to eavesdrop on characters’ conversations.

Guests can use the app to play a multiplayer game throughout the land, “Outpost Control,” that occurs several times daily. The First Order wants to install surveillance devices in door panels to spy on the Resistance, while the Resistance is trying to remove them. Guests can choose to support either side by hacking the panels for the Resistance or the First Order. The game concludes when one side successfully hacks a majority of the available panels. While waiting to board Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, guests may take on a job for Hondo Ohnaka, proving through this in-queue game that they are ready to pilot the Millennium Falcon. Certain functions performed with the app may trigger physical effects within the land.

Kylo Ren walk around character

Interact with Star Wars Characters
Since this is a Living Land, guests will meet and interact with many people and characters from the Star Wars galaxy:

  • Rey, a hero of the Resistance, may be seen near the ancient ruins outside Black Spire Outpost, recruiting Batuuan locals and visitors alike to the Resistance cause.
  • Several times daily, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren may appear at the First Order encampment at Docking Bay 9. With Stormtroopers in his wake, Kylo Ren will then march through Black Spire Outpost in search of the Resistance.
  • Guests may stumble upon Resistance spy Vi Moradi in Black Spire Outpost as she keeps tabs on the First Order. Vi may pass on some tricks of her trade and ensure those she encounters know that the Resistance is gaining strength.
  • The mighty Chewbacca will sometimes be spotted in Black Spire Outpost or just outside the Resistance encampment in the ancient ruins of Batuu, rounding up recruits.
  • First Order Stormtroopers patrol Black Spire Outpost under the command of Kylo Ren. They will sometimes snap the occasional order at guests, or question them about the presence of the Resistance on Batuu.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Disney Cast Members Will Also Become Part of the Story
Disney cast members working in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can become part of the story, as local citizens of Batuu. They are encouraged to develop their own identities and personas within the stories of their roles, and to interact with guests.

Walt Disney Imagineering spent three years developing the costumes. Cast members can pick and choose from a variety of options to create looks that best fit the personalities they want to portray. They can choose from tunics, wraps, vests, and more, and then augment their base costume with accessories such as necklaces, scarves, and hats. Also, the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge cast member nametags are customized specifically for the land, with names translated into Aurebesh, the written language in the Star Wars galaxy.

Find out more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the links below:

Lightsabers, Droids, and Holocrons—The Incredible, Immersive Merchandise of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Step Aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
How to Taste Your Way Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Creatures, Droids, and Aliens: Meet the Fantastical Figures of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
7 Surprising Stats and Fascinating Facts from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and All Its Starships and Speeders
Don’t Miss These 10 Experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hidden Gems and Attention to Detail Create Authenticity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Disney Legend Alan Menken on Making New Musical Magic in Aladdin

By Beth Deitchman

The music of Aladdin has captivated us since the animated classic first took us to “A Whole New World” some 27 years ago. Now Disney’s new live-action reimagining of the film has us singing a new tune—and hearing the beloved tunes from the original in an entirely new light. For the vibrant and exciting film (now playing at a theater near you), Disney Legend Alan Menken revisited Agrabah to compose a new score for Aladdin, as well as update the iconic songs he wrote with fellow Disney Legends Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman.

Menken, an eight-time Oscar® winner, spoke to D23 about wearing “two hats” this time around: protecting the original music that fans know and love, while also delivering a fresh and contemporary update that’s organic to the live action and adventure director Guy Ritchie has brought to the new film.

Aladdin

According to Menken, the song “One Jump Ahead” posed the biggest challenge. He describes the song as somewhat “vaudevillian” in the animated film, a soundtrack for Aladdin as he danced his way out of trouble. In the new film, Menken says, “Guy really wanted Aladdin to be a street kid who really knew his way around and had a lot of swagger and a lot of confidence. It was more of a chase than a dance.”

Aladdin

For Genie’s big numbers, “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali,” actor Will Smith was a true partner. “He was as much the architect of the new arrangements as we were,” Menken says, sharing that Smith came in to the film with a clear sense of how his performance would come through in the songs. “He brought his personality and his style to [the songs] in the same way that Robin Williams did,” Menken says.

Aladdin

The Oscar-, Tony-® and Grammy®-winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman) collaborated with Menken to create “Speechless,” a brand-new song sung in the film by Jasmine (Naomi Scott). Together they looked at contemporary music and top female vocalists as they determined how best to approach the song, which they felt should live in both the pop world and the world of Aladdin. “We knew that [in this adaptation] Jasmine is a flesh-and-blood, three-dimensional young woman who wants to be heard and respected, and this song needs to reflect that,” Menken emphasizes. Pasek and Paul came back with what Menken describes as “a staggeringly beautiful lyric,” and a demo of the song was recorded. “It definitely raised the bar for the entire movie in a big way and, from that point forward, it was a matter of making sure that the movie supported the emotion in the song, that the storyline laid the right pipe for it,” explains Menken, who added orchestral elements to the version that appears in the film, so that it would be more wedded with the tone of the rest of the score.

Menken has lived with the songs of Aladdin for nearly three decades and has watched them take on new lives on stage and now again in the live-action reimagining. When asked if he has a sentimental favorite—from either the original 1992 film or the new release—he says he couldn’t possibly choose one over the rest. “I think ‘A Whole New World’ has a different feel to it and I love it. They’re both wonderful, but they’re different. ‘Friend Like Me’ is just through the roof and I credit Will with that, and I love Robin’s version, too,” Menken shares. Like a parent describing his children, he loves each of the songs equally and in unique ways.

Alan Menken

And like any proud parent, Menken has been happy to see the songs go out into the world and resonate with audiences. “These songs are living their lives,” he says. “I’m sort of there to help guide them along, and the fact that I get the privilege of reinventing them a number of times is a new phenomenon. I don’t know many composers that have gotten the opportunity to do what I’ve been doing. It’s a thrill.”

Stream the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Dedication at Disneyland

By Jocelyn Buhlman

It’s almost time… Disney Parks Blog is hosting a #DisneyParksLIVE stream covering the out-of-this-world dedication ceremony of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge today, and you can watch right here at 8:20 p.m. PDT | 11:20 p.m. EDT

We’ve been covering all the exciting updates on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge all day, so be sure to check out some of our other stories to learn more about the newest addition to the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland on May 31 and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 29.

One Man’s Trash: Meet Forky, Toy Story 4’s Anxious New Addition

By Zach Johnson

From the moment of his creation, Forky (voice of Tony Hale) experiences an existential crisis. As he tries to explain to Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4 (in U.S. theaters June 24, 2019), “I am not a toy! I was made for soup, salad… and then the trash!” Because unlike Bonnie’s other toys—Buzz Lightyear (voice of Disney Legend Tim Allen), Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack), Rex (voice of Wallace Shawn), and Hamm (voice of John Ratzenberger), to name a few—Forky wasn’t manufactured. Bonnie crafted him during kindergarten orientation, and he instantly became her favorite toy—a fact not lost on Woody, who wants her to be happy.

The Toy Story films are built upon the idea that everything has a purpose, director Josh Cooley says: “A toy’s purpose is to be there for its child, and a cup’s purpose is to hold water. Being that he’s a spork, it’s like, ‘Soup, salad, chili. I’m single use.’ Now he has a whole new purpose.”

Because of Forky, Cooley adds, “Woody has a new purpose as well.”

Toy Story 4

To bring Forky to life onscreen, animator Claudio De Oliveira picked up sporks from his local pizza place and created different iterations to understand how each element—googly eyes, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, etc.—could be animated. “I would be trying to glue down an eye, and all of a sudden, the eye would turn and look at me,” he says. “Straight into my soul.” After involving his kids in the crafting process, De Oliveira realized, “Even though he’s so limited, we would be able to find ways to convey emotion and make him feel like he belongs in this world.”

Toy Story 4

De Oliveira says early access to Hale’s voice recordings helped artists figure out Forky, as they were all working with “very limited resources” at that point in the production. For example, De Oliveira recalls how Hale’s different line readings of the word “trash” were so imaginative they inspired artists to finesse Forky’s design. “He just reminded us that we could find a way to do it.”

Toy Story 4
In retrospect, producer Jonas Rivera says adding a character like Forky to the mix was a no-brainer. “One thing I remember kicking around was the idea of kids at Christmas. Sometimes my kids will open a toy and then play with the box more,” he says. “I thought, ‘If you were a toy, that would be the worst insult.’” Just as Woody was initially wary of Buzz in Toy Story, he adds, “There was something about it amplifying Woody feeling replaced by the dumbest thing.”

Toy Story 4

“And it’s the ‘toy truth’ of it, really,” Cooley says of Forky gaining sentience via Bonnie. “Our kids, they do make craft projects and they play with them, so they could be alive in this world.”

Keep checking D23 for all things Toy Story 4 before it hits theaters June 21!

Tickets for Toy Story 4 are on sale now via Fandango.

10 Uplifting Facts About Up to Celebrate Film’s 10th Anniversary

By Tim Lammers

Without question, one of the most uplifting Disney-Pixar films in the last 10 years is 2009’s Up, which not only went on to become a Best Animated Feature Oscar winner, but one of only three animated films in Academy Award history to earn a Best Picture Oscar nomination (Walt Disney’s 1991 classic Beauty and the Beast was the first, while Disney-Pixar’s smash hit Toy Story 3 from 2010 was the third).

Up follows the emotional story of Carl Fredricksen (voice of Ed Asner), an elderly widower who attempts to fulfill his late wife Ellie’s dream to travel to the beautiful South American destination of Paradise Falls. Taking flight in his house kept afloat by helium-filled balloons, Carl soon discovers that a young Wilderness Explorer, Russell (Jordan Nagai), is an accidental stowaway on his front porch, but that’s not the only unusual turn the trip takes: They also encounter a lovable canine named Dug, whose thoughts are interpreted through a talking dog collar; an exotic bird that Russell names “Kevin”; and lastly, Carl’s long-lost boyhood hero, Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), who is not all that he seems.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Up on May 29 as D23 continues to celebrate its own 10th anniversary, here are 10 uplifting facts about the film, taken from interviews conducted in 2009 with co-writer/director Pete Docter, co-writer/co-director and the voice of Dug, Bob Peterson, and Ed Asner.

1. A simple drawing at Pixar sparked the idea for the film.
Trying to unwind from his years of work co-writing and directing Disney-Pixar’s smash hit Monsters, Inc., Docter said he spotted a simple image that was drawn at Pixar that mirrored his desire to escape from everyday life.

“We had a drawing of a house buoyed by balloons at the studio, and there was something that was rather poetic and intriguing about it,” Docter recalled. “We started asking ourselves, ‘Who’s in there and where are they going?’ So, then I drew a picture of these colorful, fun, happy balloons and this super-grouchy guy, and Bob Peterson and I sat in a room and developed it all.”

Up

2. Carl would have needed a lot more balloons to lift his house off the ground.
Priding themselves on details and plausibility, Docter, Peterson and their Pixar crew went so far as to investigate out the number of helium-filled balloons it would take in real life to raise a full-sized house off the ground. While thousands of balloons were suggested to complete the task in Up, Docter learned it would realistically take more like 20-30 million of them.

“We work with scientists, so they approach things from a very logical standpoint. We needed to find out how much lift and loft each balloon has to figure it out,” Docter explained. “There’s a ton of research that goes into every detail. Even the artist who designed Carl’s house, Don Shank, consulted with an architect and learned how a house attaches to a foundation in modern day versus a house that would have been built a lot earlier. All the stuff is there in the movie. It’s all stylized, of course, but it starts with reality.”

Up

3. Upwas a rare film in that it featured a geriatric hero.
Peterson said Up was a departure from most movies in that it featured a geriatric person as the hero of the movie, someone who could deliver the comedy instead of being used as a punchline.

“We talked about characters that had never been done, and truly an underrepresented group of people in society—and just movie characters in general—are old people,” Peterson said. “We knew that the character of Carl would be original, but it also supported a lot of emotional things that old people do. Old people are great comic characters because they’ve truly earned the right to say what they think. It’s funny even thinking about it.”

4. Asner completed the role wanting to be more like Carl.
Even though Asner acquired a fair amount of wisdom by the time worked on Up at age 79, he said there was so much to learn about life after completing the role.

“I love finding characters that, in the end, make me realize, ‘I wish I would have been more like him,’” Asner said. “When I think of Carl, I tend to think of an ideal man, not a grouch. I think of somebody who is wise beyond his years and is finer than most mortals and represents somebody we should all look up to and emulate.”

Up

5. Carl’s character was shaped by classic Hollywood films.
Docter said it was important that Carl’s adventure included an emotional journey that changed the widower’s outlook on life.

“The interesting thing is that the film starts as anything but optimistic. Carl is this closed-off guy who is shutting the world out and trying to live in denial,” Docter said. “But by the end of the movie he’s reached out to all these different characters and has become a vital, alive person again, like Rick from Casablanca or Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. I love those sorts of uplifting stories.”

6. Asner said he was humbled after seeing the film for the first time.
While Asner knew it was an honor to be chosen to star in a Disney-Pixar film, the acclaimed actor admitted that he underestimated all the artistry it took to bring Up to life on the big screen.

“Well, frankly, during the year and a half that I worked on the film, it was highly inflating to my ego,” Asner said. “Then, when I went to see the first screening of the movie, it was a revelation. It punctured my balloon to see all the unbelievable art up there on screen that I only added a grace note to.”

7. Docter said Asner brought a perfect balance to Carl.
Asner’s work was as the curmudgeonly Carl came with a bit of a personal touch, Docter said.

“He’s such a perfect guy for the role. He does this great, grouchy curmudgeon character, but that also makes him likable,” Docter said. “He’s also kind of like that as a person. He’d come to the studio to record with us and say (mimicking Asner grumbling), ‘You again!’ But as he would leave, he would shake your hand warmly and say, ‘Thank you so much.’ You really got the sense that he loves what he’s doing.”

Up

8. Docter said the success of Up hinged on the relatability of its characters.
Despite all of its visual wonders, Docter said from a story standpoint that Up’s characters needed to be relatable for the film to resonate with its audiences.

“They have problems that we see in our own lives and have a hole in their lives that prevents them from being a complete person,” Docter said. “Russell has an absentee father and Carl lost his wife. Those holes make for a richer character.”

Docter added that the relatability factor also applied to the dog characters in the film: “When we get to animation, we try to be as specific as we can. You’ve seen a lot of animated dogs, and most of them stand on two legs and talk, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But in our film, we tried to look at real dogs and be inspired as much as we could by what real dogs think about, how they move and how they act. We had a dog behaviorist come in and talk about individual dog behavior and group dog behavior, and all of that went into the movie. The more specific you can be, the more relatable they become.”

Up

9. Peterson was proud to voice Dug, and not just because of the comedy he brings to the film.
While Dug and other canines in Carl Muntz’s dog pack seem to always have rodents on their minds (“Squirrel!” is frequently blurted out loud), Peterson said there’s much more to Dug’s character than his comedic interludes.

“The undying love that dogs give us—the unconditional love—is exactly what Carl needed in the story,” Peterson observed. “Carl is given a new family, effectively, with a new grandson in Russell and a dog with Dug, and it was up to him to connect with these new family members after his wife passed on. What sort of better gauntlet was there to put in front of him than a dog who immediately loves you for who you are? I just love dogs, and I feel honored to play them in their essence.”

Up kiss

10. Carl and Ellie’s ‘Married Life’ scene was inspired by silent home movies.
Docter said that he and Peterson initially designed Up’s classic “Married Life” scene with snippets of dialogue, but ultimately decided to go a “silent movie” route (accompanied by Michael Giacchino’s Oscar-winning score) after recalling the atmosphere of his parents’ home movies.

“I grew up in a time where our parents took a lot of Super 8 movies of us,” Docter said. “When you watch them, of course it’s without dialogue—just the whirring of the projector. There’s something almost more emotional about it without the sound. With Up, as an audience member you’re asked to contribute to the scene, and it comes to life in your own head.”