After the neon buzz of Tomorrowland, stepping into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge felt like we’d actually left Disneyland and teleported to another planet. The towering rock formations, the spaceship parked casually in the middle of the marketplace, the faint sound of droids beeping in the distance—every little detail made it feel real. Jake was already pretending he was on a secret mission, Annie was snapping a hundred photos a minute, and Bill and Ella were practically vibrating with excitement. Henry, of course, looked around and said, “So… when do I get my own spaceship?”
A Galaxy of Exploration
We wandered through the marketplace first, where vendors sold alien-looking food, handcrafted “galactic” trinkets, and even life-sized droids. Ella was immediately drawn to a shop filled with Star Wars creatures—some cute, some… questionable. She begged us to let her adopt a furry little alien, but I had flashbacks of all the stuffed animals she’d abandoned in her room, so that was a hard pass. Meanwhile, Jake was deep in conversation with a cast member about how “real” the Resistance base was, while Annie documented every cool detail for her social media.
Henry? He was focused on one thing—blue milk. He insisted it was a rite of passage and dramatically pretended to collapse from exhaustion until I gave in. The verdict? “Tastes like fruity cereal milk… but from space.”
Joining the Resistance (Sort Of)
Then came the real adventure—Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Now, we’d heard all the hype, but nothing could’ve prepared us for how epic this was. It wasn’t just a ride; it was an entire experience. From the moment we were “captured” by the First Order and led through their ship, I swear Bill’s eyes doubled in size. Ella clung to my hand, half in awe, half in terror (in the best way possible). Jake, ever the fearless leader, was whispering escape strategies the whole time, while Annie just kept repeating, “This is insane!” under her breath.
Henry? Well, he kept acting like he was a secret spy infiltrating enemy territory, which made the whole thing even funnier. At one point, he dramatically whispered to me, “I knew my dad’s instincts would come in handy in a high-pressure situation.” I rolled my eyes, but I won’t lie—it made the whole experience even better.
Fueling Up Like a Jedi
After all that excitement, we needed food. We grabbed a table at Docking Bay 7, where the kids picked meals based entirely on how weird they looked. Bill went for the “space meatballs” (his words, not mine), while Ella insisted on trying something purple. Jake and Annie got what looked like deconstructed galaxy-inspired dishes, and Henry bravely took on the “Mystery Ration” special. (Spoiler: it was just a very spicy stew. But the name really sold it.)
We sat there, munching away under the dim, space-station lighting, laughing about our best moments of the day. These are the parts I love the most—not just the rides or the photos, but these little moments where we’re all just enjoying each other.
Onto the Next Adventure
As much as we wanted to stay and explore every inch of Batuu, there was something else pulling us forward—the Disneyland nighttime entertainment. The kids were already buzzing about the parades, the shows, and, of course, the fireworks. So, with full bellies and still riding the high of our Star Wars adventure, we headed off to our next stop.
Next up: A front-row seat to Disneyland’s most magical nighttime shows!