3. The draw of the land itself

One of the biggest criticisms drawn against Galaxy’s Edge was the issue that the land was opening with only one attraction. This seemed like a significant mistake on Disney’s part, but their game actually makes sense now.

The Black Spire Outpost is an attraction in and of itself.

Having experienced Galaxy’s Edge multiple times now, it never ceases to surprise me how much time you can spend just exploring Batuu. Like the World of Pandora, there is something about the Black Spire Outpost that holds a universal appeal beyond Star Wars fandom—it’s an invitation to experience an alien world, a science-fantasy culture as if you’re a character in that story. There is so much to find that you could honestly spend hours just taking it in.

Everything in the outpost comes alive. Ships power up as you pass. Droids whistle and coo to each other in maintenance bays. A dianoga peers at you with its single, slimy eye while you drink from the water fountain. Star Wars characters like Rey, Finn, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and Leia’s top spy, Vi Moradi, wander the streets at random, and stormtroopers regularly shake down guests with hilarious results.

Shopping becomes an immersive experience in Galaxy’s Edge, where even if you don’t buy anything, you’re exploring the wares of another world. A drink in Oga’s Cantina isn’t about getting sloshed—it’s about experiencing a Star Wars cantina just like in the movies, complete with Rex from the original Star Tours acting as DJ. Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities feels like an attraction unto itself, a living museum of all things Star Wars. Upcharge experiences like Savi’s Lightsaber workshop and the Droid Depot (which you can still explore) provide even more avenues for diversion. The Star Wars Datapad game on the Play Disney parks app turns the whole land into a giant open world game, where guests can interact in real time with elements throughout the land while embarking on secret missions.

In short, Galaxy’s Edge isn’t all about the rides, and that gives the land a unique draw beyond its main attractions. It’s Disney magic at its best.

4. The subtlety

Some guests were very nervous about the level of immersiveness described for Galaxy’s Edge—a place where all cast members would be in character all the time and guests would be invited to interact with them as if actually visiting the Star Wars universe. We compared it to a Star Wars Renaissance Faire. However, despite some of the initial trepidation guests expressed over this element of Galaxy’s Edge, we were surprised to see just how subtly immersion is used throughout the land.

Galaxy’s Edge isn’t at the stage where there are huge stunt shows yet—maybe that might happen in the future but not yet. The closest thing is when Kylo Ren arrives on the planet demanding to search the outpost for himself after choking one of his officers. There is nothing blusterous or intimidating about Batuu or its denizens really. That’s because the rest of the character encounters and “shows” throughout Galaxy’s Edge are extremely subtle.

One hour, Chewie and Rey will work with a Resistance mechanic to fix an X-Wing or an antenna. At another, Finn or Vi Moradi might sneak into a garage right under stormtrooper noses to plant a surveillance device. All day long, a rather entertaining game of hide and seek takes place where our Resistance heroes carefully dodge stormtroopers with the aid of recruited guests. Kylo Ren occasionally confronts passerbys to “read their thoughts” using the Force, only to dismiss them as useless in most cases.

We recently had what must have been a five minute conversation with Vi Moradi while she was dodging stormtroopers. She was utterly, refreshingly normal—super cool and definitely intelligent enough to be a Resistance spy but genuinely intriguing to talk to. We accepted the invitation to get in on the story and answered questions “in character”, pulling from characters we made for Star Wars: The Old Republic (a video game), but I got the sense that the cast of Galaxy’s Edge know how to roll with it if you just want to be a tourist on Batuu from the mysterious planet Earth.

There are times when the character interactions can almost be too subtle in Galaxy’s Edge—they move fast and can be a challenge to slow down if you aren’t an adorable child. However, we actually appreciate that the land doesn’t feel contrived or overly theatrical. There’s a wonderful organic feel to the way the characters come ago that really contributes to the immersiveness of the land.