From spires that reach for the sky to droid tracks on the pavement, Galaxy’s Edge is one of the most authentic and immersive experiences available anywhere in the world for Star Wars fans. You can interact with your favorite characters, chug on a glass of blue milk at Oga’s Cantina, build a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop, and pilot the Millennium Falcon. But before you can delve into the Star Wars universe, you need to know – Is Galaxy’s Edge in Florida or California?
The answer is both. There is a Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. There is also a Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Keep reading to learn more about Galaxy’s Edge, including how much it costs to go, what is the difference between the California and Florida Galaxy’s Edge, and which one is better.
Where is Galaxy’s Edge located?
Star Wars: Galaxy Edge is located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, one of the four Disney theme parks in Orlando, Florida. There is also a Galaxy’s Edge in California at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. So, if you’re a Star Wars fan, you can enjoy this themed area on both coasts.
When did Galaxy’s Edge open? How is it designed?
Disney announced Galaxy’s Edge in the summer of 2015 and construction began in 2016. The California Galaxy’s Edge opened on May 31, 2019, followed by the Florida version three months later on August 29, 2019.
The lands are approximately 14 acres in size at both locations. The new planet portrayed in Galaxy’s Edge is called Batuu, which appeared in the Star Wars novel Thrawn: Alliances in 2018. It is designed as a remote frontier region in the Outer Rim of the Unknown Regions. The village outpost where Galaxy’s Edge is set is called the Black Spire Outpost.
The design and aesthetic look of the lands has been inspired by real-world locations including Morocco, Turkey, and Jerusalem. The 135-foot spires represent the petrified remains of an ancient forest and are based on the other-worldly landscape of the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. To add to the ambience, many signs are written in Aurebesh, a fictional language, instead of English.
Galaxy’s Edge in California and Florida have been carefully planned keeping in mind the different latitudes of the locations to ensure sunlight throughout the year as well as ventilation and air circulation in queue areas, given the humidity in Florida.
Is there a difference between Galaxy’s Edge in California and Florida?
The major offerings at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are the same in both Florida and California. However, there are some differences. Because the California Galaxy’s Edge opened three months before the Florida one, Disney was able to use their experience on the west coast to put the final touches at the Orlando location.
Attendance Restrictions
When Galaxy’s Edge opened in California, fans flocked to the Disneyland Resort. Disney, therefore, started a system of reservations to enter the Galaxy’s Edge land so the crowds would not be overwhelming. Guests were permitted to wander inside Galaxy’s Edge in four-hour increments as a crowd-control measure. After the initial month, however, Galaxy’s Edge was opened up to all guests except annual passholders. Following the California trials, Galaxy’s Edge opened without a reservation system in Orlando. Nonetheless, Disney had to institute a virtual queue system to gain entry to Galaxy’s Edge in Florida when wait times soared to 5 hours for the popular Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run ride. There were also long lines at some merchandise locations and milk stands.
Oga’s Cantina
The high demand for grabbing a drink at Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge caught Disney Imagineers somewhat by surprise. To address this, Disney announced a virtual queue to enter Oga’s Cantina in Orlando. Entering the virtual queue is also required for Savi’s Workshop where guests can build a lightsaber. At the Anaheim park in California, the online reservation system opens at 7 am. A reservation fee of $10 is applicable for bookings at Oga’s Cantina; however, this is only charged if the guests are a no-show at their chosen time slot. At least one guest in a party must be over age 14 and guess have 45 minutes in the Cantina. At Savi’s Workshop, guests must pre-pay $199.99, which is the entire cost of the experience. The deposit is forfeited if the guest does not show up.
Star Wars Merchandise
The Galaxy’s Edge California experience indicated to Disney that they needed to stock far more merchandise. Lothcat dolls, Sabaac cards, Jedi robes, and First Order flags flew off the shelves and certain droid parts and Kyber crystals were next to impossible to find. As a result, when Galaxy’s Edge in Florida opened, it was well stocked with merchandise and guests were more likely to get their hands on their favorites souvenirs.
Blue Milk
Another learning from the California Galaxy’s Edge was that there needed to be more than one location that sold blue milk (or the dairy-free green milk) in order to meet demand. This was incorporated into the Orlando Galaxy’s Edge so guests could more easily get a taste of the popular colored milk.
How long can you stay in Galaxy’s Edge?
At first there was a time restriction on how long guests could remain inside Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort in California (four hours – and if you left before your time was up, you couldn’t come back). However, later the restrictions were removed. Guests can now stay as long as they like at both the lands.
The entry is controlled through a virtual queue in California, which you can join via the Disneyland app. In Florida, park reservations are required as well as a valid admission ticket for Disney’s Hollywood Studios for that day. A limited number of walk-ins are accepted at specialty experiences in Galaxy’s Edge, but reservations are highly recommended for Savi’s Workshop, Oga’s Cantina, and Droid Depot.
Do I need a special ticket for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?
There is no separate ticket or extra ticket for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. To gain access to Galaxy’s Edge in California, you need to purchase a ticket to the Disneyland Resort. To visit Galaxy’s Edge in Florida, you need a park admission ticket for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
How much does it cost to go to Galaxy’s Edge?
The cost of going to Galaxy’s Edge is the cost of your park ticket. A 1-day 1-park ticket for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is $139 for adults (age 10+) for tier 4 and $154 for tier 5. In Florida, a 1-day 1-park ticket costs $102 for adults which is good for any of the four Disney theme parks in Orlando, including Disney’s Hollywood Studios where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is located.
Which one is better: Galaxy’s Edge California or Galaxy’s Edge Florida?
The good news is that you can enjoy a nearly identical experience in the Anaheim and Orlando versions of Galaxy’s Edge. The one thing that’s exclusive to Walt Disney World, at least currently, is a wrecked escape pod that has crash landed and created a crater. Also, the colors are bolder in Florida, giving it a more vibrant feel than California. Lastly, the menu in the restaurants inside Galaxy’s Edge in Florida and California is similar but not exactly the same – (we’re talking minor differences such as scrambled eggs vs omelets in the breakfast wraps). Alcohol is only available in Oga’s Cantina in California whereas in Florida it’s served at additional locations. You can even get alcoholic versions of blue milk and green milk in Orlando that are spiked with tequila or rum.
Have you been to Galaxy’s Edge in Florida or California? What did you think? Which one is better? Tell us in the comments below.