Disney Star Wars Land

[Matt_Fury]

They will just talk with you.

I was wearing my t-shirt with a bunch of stormtroopers taking a selfie with Vader and Obi-Wan dueling in the background.  One of the FO Troopers walked up to me, looked at my shirt, and said "Impressive"...then he continued on his patrol.

I've heard if you have your lightsaber out away from Savi's, they will escort you away and you get a cool photo op.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

They cautioned me to make sure my daughter did not cause any trouble (accurate assessment of her- first Stormtrooper to ever hit the mark).  They have a set of canned phrases that they can somehow choose.

[Phrubruh]

Disney Hollywood Studios Rise of the Resistance ride threw videos are up. It is extremely impressive. It would be better if it was set in the OT and included Darth Vader instead of Kylo. It should be a fairly easily overlay to do that someday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pArXPrwa-rc&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlqcpXqP8b8&feature=emb_logo

[Matt_Fury]

All of Galaxy's Edge could be rebranded to the OT practically overnight.

[Phrubruh]

Now that Rise of the Resistance has opened at Disneyland I've noticed a strange trend. You must have a boarding group in order to ride. You get one being in the park at rope drop. At 8am, you must press the boarding group button on your Disneyland app to get assigned. Unfortunately, those boarding groups are lasting about ten seconds. At 8:10am there is mass exodus from the park by people that didn't get a boarding pass. The park has low attendance the rest of the day. If you don't plan on going on that ride, you will enjoy a wonderfully not crowded day at the park. If you do get a boarding group, they will call you when it is ready. Once in line for the ride, it's only about a twenty minute wait.

The best way to get a boarding pass is to make sure all of your party is linked to your phone. Check your data speed before 8am. It might be better to use 4G instead of the park's wifi. It is also best to move to Tomorrowland instead of Main Street for a better wifi signal. At 7:59:59 refresh the app and press the button. If you get a boarding group under 81 you are good for the day. If not, you are not riding that day. Most people leave if they aren't in a low enough boarding group.

If you don't have a smart phone, you have to use the FP machine in Tomorrowland. If you are not within the first five people at that machine, you don't get a boarding pass at all.

It is the Disney lottery. Hotel guests and disabled don't have any advantages over anyone else.

[Phrubruh]

Since Disneyland has been seeing low ride waits because of SWL, Knotts has been packed. Over the holiday weekend, Disneyland has been showing low waits on rides like Space Mountain (35), RSR (50) and Pirates (15) while Knott's filled all of their parking lots by 10am.

[Matt_Fury]

I wonder how long that boarding pass method will run for.  We're planning on going back to DL in fall of 2021, I'm sure it will be just like any other ride by then!

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Starting today, WDW is offering FastPass for Smuggler's Run.

[Matt_Fury]

Nice....that's a fun ride, and the queue is fun as well!

[Jesse James]

My friends just got back from WDW again (got me the first, of what I assume will be all 4 for me, RotR playset ).  It was like 60 for a high there I think the whole week.  They had on beanies and coats.  I lol'd at the pictures.  So weird in Florida to see that I think.  They've loved the park every time they've been there (3 times down now anyway).  It's always busy at Battu East I guess, but fun.  They got two RotR runs in.  I forget how many Smuggler runs...  I really get more excited to go every time they go and tell me stories, show me pictures.  Killing me kinda, haha.  I want to drive down I think, or take a train maybe.  Try something different.  I haven't driven to Florida before...  Wouldn't mind seeing some of Georgia and SC maybe.

[Matt_Fury]

Once you hit the Georgia/Florida border....you're halfway there! 

Galaxy's Edge was busy when we went to DL back in October, but it wasn't horribly packed.  I definitely wanted to call all the youtubers that hate Disney liars for calling it a ghost town though!  We're already planning a trip there next fall (2021).

[Jesse James]

Yeah every time my friends are down to WDW it’s pretty full.  They managed two rides on RotR tho so that seemed to make them happy about the last trip down despite the weird weather.  At least they avoided falling iguanas and stuff.

[Dave]

I just got back from WDW / Hollywood Studios and it was totally packed with temperatures not getting above 40 on two of the days.

It was a hassle needing to be in the part at 7AM to get your boarding pass to Rise of the Resistance, so we only did that one day, but it was a really fun experience.  Smugglers run was consistently 60 -80 minutes wait all day long.  That is a fun ride too, and sitting in the chess table in the Falcon gave me goose bumps.

My wallet is still screaming from all the stuff I bought - color changing droids, droid factory, First Order Short-Range Evacuation Vehicle ($75!!!), mouse droid popcorn holder and thermal detonator coke containers, magnetic stuffed Porg, Rebels Spider, and t-shirts for the kids.  I'm glad I was with a Disney Vacation Club member and got 20% off most items as the markup on most of the toys is pretty ridiculous.

The best part was Savi's build a lightsaber.  The lightsaber is so cool, and the theater and experience of it was off the charts cool.  Goose bumps again.  I picked up extra kykber crystals for different color blade options, including gold.  I didn't do the Droid Workshop, but watched people doing that and it looked pretty cool too.

Oga's cantina was off the charts cool.  I think I was smiling the whole 45 minutes we were in there (you need a reservation and can't stay longer).  All the shops, and food areas were neat too.

Running in to characters like Rey, Kylo Ren, FO Stormtroopers, Chewie, etc. were fun too. 

Its really not about the rides at Hollywood Studios.  Its all about the experience and the ambiance.  The kids loved every minute of it too and they're only 20% the Star Wars fan that I am. 

[Matt_Fury]

The best part was Savi's build a lightsaber.  The lightsaber is so cool, and the theater and experience of it was off the charts cool.  Goose bumps again.  I picked up extra kykber crystals for different color blade options, including gold.  I didn't do the Droid Workshop, but watched people doing that and it looked pretty cool too.

What style did you build?

I went with the elemental/nature....I just thought the rancor tooth was too cool.

[Dave]

What style did you build?

I went with the elemental/nature....I just thought the rancor tooth was too cool.

I was torn between elemental/nature and protection/defense.  I chose protection/defense but kinda wished I had booked two build sessions and done both.  Both have fantastic elements but I went with protection/defense as I really liked the old school KOTOR Jedi feel.  The online description is a perfect pitch for what it is - "Hilt materials bear mysterious motifs and inscriptions that reconnect users with the ancient wellspring of the Force".

If I go back I'll do an elemental/nature with the leather wrappings and rancor tooth.

I have no idea what the margins are on this experience, but I'd pay a pile of dough to be able to get a real "build-your-own" lightsaber mail order kit that allowed you to do all the swapping at home with parts from all of the themes.  The solid metal hilts have a fantastic feel to them that is so much cooler than an FX saber.  You'd miss all the cool theater involved, but the kit itself would be sweet.