I enjoyed a fun sneak peek last week of the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge which officially opens Thursday, 8/29/19, at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Those of you that are headed to Florida for Knoxville’s October Fall Break are in for a treat! Galaxy's Edge is a wonderful addition to the Hollywood Studios park and the Disney Imagineers did an amazing job!!
The much-anticipated ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run was so much fun, a must do! Kids over 38” tall can fly the ship as a Pilot, be a Gunner and protect the ship, or try their hand as an Engineer. My first ride I was designated to be the right-hand pilot and sadly crashed our ship into a giant asteroid. I then took my role as an Engineer and did a much better job! How your crew handles the flight determines the outcome of your “smuggling mission”. Insider info: there is a single rider line which moves very quickly so if you are riding solo or don't care to be split up from your travel companions, this is a great option. Check out a video of my wild ride here!
There is so much to see and do as you explore Batuu (a remote outpost planet) and the village of Black Spire Outpost, your favorite Star Wars characters will come right up to you and carry on a conversation. Several times I ran into Chewy and the Storm Troopers were always marching around up to no good! At one point Rey asked me to come with her and help gather a group of people to share a special code (I will let that be a surprise for those of you that visit!) The Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and Ronto Roasters had some rather interesting food and very tasty delicacies to try as well, along with a fun kids menu! Make your way over to Oga’s Cantina for a specialty cocktail for the adults and grab the kids some blue milk, a refreshing treat that tastes nothing like what you would expect.
I enjoyed exploring all the shops and watching families make their own colorful Droids to take home at the Droid Depot, where I found my favorite droid of all time, the adorable R2-D2! A new ride will be opening in the land on January 17th, 2020 called Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (height requirement for this ride is 40”) where you will board a First Order Fleet Transport and go on an exciting adventure that places you in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance!
If your family loves anything Star Wars and are headed that way be sure to go check it out. From Knoxville, you can fly to Orlando in a little over an hour and take the Magical Express if staying on Disney property. Another more affordable option is to fly Allegiant to Sanford/Orlando and rent a car, or pack the family up and download your favorite Disney movies and enjoy a 10-hour road trip (maybe one day they will create cars that can jump to light speed!)
Shelley Lapham-Pastore is a Creative Arts Teacher, adventure seeker, and the Publisher of Macaroni Kid Knoxville. For more great photos and video of the inside of the Millennium Falcon visit us on IG @ CreativeFamilyFun
