Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Is Now Open To All

Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Is Now Open To All

If you’re reading this, you can now go to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Though the Star Wars-themed section of Disneyland in California, U.S.A. has been open for a few weeks, up until today, you needed a reservation to enter – and those reservations sold out in two hours two months ago. From now on, though, that’s no longer the case. You can just go… with the purchase of a Disneyland ticket of course.

However, it is a tiny bit more complicated than that, at least for a while longer. To try and ease the expected crowds at arguably the most highly anticipated theme park expansion ever, Disneyland is employing a virtual queue system until the park deems it no longer needed. Which could be two days or, more likely, two years.

Here’s how it works. Before you go, download the Disneyland app on your phone. (Yes, this is available for Australians.)

Once you arrive at the park (it won’t let you move ahead in the process until you are physically in the park), you open the app and click on the big banner for Galaxy’s Edge. Under ‘current land status’, it’ll either say that it’s open, which means you can just walk in, or ‘Access by Boarding Group Only’.

If the access is by boarding group only, you simply click on the button in the app to join a boarding group, which basically assigns you a number. Everyone else in your party will have to do this too, either individually or you can link their tickets in the app.

Once you are in a group, you are free to do whatever else you want at Disneyland. Meanwhile, you can keep checking the app to see what boarding groups are currently being let into Galaxy’s Edge, or wait for a push notification telling you when you are allowed to ‘board’.

At that point, you’ll have up to two hours to finish whatever else you are doing. You don’t have to enter the area at that exact time. (It’s unclear if a registered guest would be denied entry if they missed their time by more than a few hours. But, to be fair, if you went through this trouble, would you miss it?)

Finally, once you are in Galaxy’s Edge, there’s no longer a time limit. You can stay for however long as you like. Disney is just hoping that, after a few hours, people will naturally exit, thereby opening space for later boarding groups. That’s bound to happen, since frankly there just isn’t a ton do there if you aren’t shopping or eating.

Also, it’s important to note there is a chance you could go to Disneyland and not get into Galaxy’s Edge. One would guess that, especially for the first few weeks, boarding groups will fill up fast and, virtually, it may seem done for the day.

Or you could arrive in the morning and not get a boarding group that allows you in until later in the evening. But Disney Parks are always in motion. Even if that happens, if you keep checking the app, there’s a chance the crowds could dissipate, people could skip their reservations, and the process could speed up considerably or more boarding groups could be added.

It’s impossible to know for sure. The best thing to do is to check the app on the way to the park, or wherever you are, to see how the wait is looking. You just wouldn’t be able to join a boarding group until you are physically there.

As for the two more limited, in-demand experiences/stores at Galaxy’s Edge—Oga’s Cantina (food/drinks) and Savi’s Workshop (where you build lightsabers), that’s a little different.

Beginning at 7am each day, guests can make same-day reservations at both locations. If you get one, you don’t need a boarding group, the reservation will serve as that. You will, however, need a valid credit card to make the reservation and it’s non-refundable. (If you cancel the cantina, it charges around $15 per guest. At Savi’s, if you cancel, you’re charged full $287 for the saber).

These are certain to sell out very quickly each morning so here are the direct links with specifics: Savi’s Workshop and Oga’s Cantina.

Is this all a little bit confusing? Yes. But it’s much better than spending hundreds of dollars to go to Disneyland and then hanging out in line all day. At least with the app you know where you stand, virtually, and can do other things in the parks while you wait.

Plus, because the virtual queue will be ever-changing, one day it might take a long time to get in and another day it could take no time at all. It all depends on how long people stay, how many people enter, and how many people are at the park. But there’s also absolutely no guarantee you are going to get in.

Also of note, though you can buy Star Wars-themed outfits inside Galaxy’s Edge, you can’t wear those outfits there. Nowhere in Disneyland are guests allowed to cosplay and this post has some more info on that. Err on the side of caution if you aren’t sure. The park doesn’t want kids to get confused between guests and castmembers.

Disney has created a video to visually take you through the entire Galaxy’s Edge entry process, which you can watch below.

I’ll see you on Batuu.