Disneyland is serving alcohol... and the world did not end

May 31, 2019, 11:46 AM · Shortly after 8 o'clock this morning, Oga's Cantina opened in Disneyland's new Star Wars land, and a bartender served the first alcoholic beverage sold to the public inside Walt's original Disneyland park.

And the world did not end.

DJ R3X is playing music by the Modal Nodes, people are having a good time, Disney's making (lots of) money, and the only people inconvenienced by any of this are those queued up outside Oga's Cantina because once again Disney built a bar that was too small for public demand. (Trader Sam, meet Oga. I'm sure you two will have a lot to talk about.)

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has opened to the public at Disneyland and it has been our pleasure to bring you along as we experience Disney's biggest and most ambitious theme park land ever.

FULL LAND REVIEW: Bringing Star Wars to life in Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge

The new ride in the land is Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, where you get the opportunity to fly the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.

Then we had some fun in the queue, learning more about this epic new interactive experience.

STORY: Star Wars land ride review: Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run

Traveling to the edge of the galaxy will make you hungry, so let's learn about the food and drinks available inside Disney's new Star Wars land.

STORY: What are the best things to eat in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge?

And if you want to take home a souvenir from your visit, let's see what for sale in Galaxy's Edge.

STORY: Disney looks to sell experiences, as well as stuff, in its Star Wars land

Disney Parks chairman Bob Chapek spent a few moments with us during the media event to answer our questions about Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, why Disney built it and whether or not it might come to other Disney theme parks around the world.

To dedicate the new land, Disney CEO Bob Iger welcomed Star Wars creator George Lucas, as well as Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford.

Ready to head to Batuu on your own Star Wars adventure? We've got what you need.

PLANNING TIPS: Everything you need to know to visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Once you have visited, we invite you to rate and review the locations within Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Even though the media preview is over, we’re not going to stop talking about the land. I will have a few more analysis posts coming over the weekend to keep the conversation going. The land's second attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will open later this year.

Now through June 23, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is open only to people who made reservations in advance earlier this month. The land opens to all Disneyland ticket holders on June 24. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios on August 29 and no advance reservations will be necessary (or available) there.

Disneyland tickets Buy Tickets: For discount tickets to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, visit our officially authorized Disneyland tickets page.

Replies (7)

May 31, 2019 at 12:56 PM

It's an exciting day no less for Disney theme park fans. I've been checking the ride wait times via the app, mind you I'm 700+ miles away, and Millennium Falcon was at a 5 minute wait at around 10:20 Pacific!

Perhaps Disney on purpose really limited the amount of reservations to keep crowd control down and maximize the enjoyment of those first guests to the new land.

May 31, 2019 at 1:14 PM

I'm guessing wait times are going to be difficult to gauge and not be predictive once the 4-hour reservation periods end. With limited time to explore the new land, I'm not surprised to see short lines in the middle of a reservations period for the ride with most guests choosing to experience that first before moving on to the shops, restaurants, and Cantina in the second half of their window. I think limiting the number of guests in the land through the reservation system is affecting wait times, but I do think limiting the time guests can stay in Galaxy's Edge is having a larger impact. Once the reservation period ends, guests will be free to ride for hours without having to worry about being kicked out before they can grab some Blue Milk or build a lightsaber.

I would say that the photos from this morning show a land far less crowded than the opening days of WWoHP, so you're probably onto something there, but you also have to consider that today's opening day is on a Friday, which is naturally going to limit the number of guests in the park as a whole versus what could be intense crowd levels to come over the weekend. I think that if you're not visiting during the reservation period, but plan to visit later this summer (like me), current wait times are not overly predictive of what to expect starting June 24th. Also, the unknown debut of RotR could have a HUGE impact on crowds - will Disney formally announce when the hallmark attraction opens (perhaps causing guests to delay a potential visit), or will they quietly open it one day with an official "grand opening" once the internet gets its panties out of a knot?

May 31, 2019 at 1:55 PM

I didn't attempt to get a reservation for this phase of operation. If I had, I would have been much more focused on experiencing the land than riding the ride. The ride isn't going anywhere, but having a chance to explore all the nooks and crannies with out the land at capacity won't be an experience that many get for a good long time I'd expect.

May 31, 2019 at 2:19 PM

Adding alcohol was long overdue at the original Disney theme park, especially considering how well that has worked out for the rest of Disney's theme parks everywhere. Only time I have ever had to deal with the negatives naysayers decry has been drunks at private events after park hours- or outside of the theme parks themselves. Used to be an issue at long departed Pleasure Island usually involving terming CPs and ICPs on Thursday Cast Nights there. Likewise outsidw the thene parks at Universal Orlando, where some CityWalk events had similar drawback. But really not a concern overall inside the actual theme park gates anywhere.

June 1, 2019 at 5:32 AM

Actually Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai Disneylands all still do not publicly sell alcohol, and it's working out fine for them. The ban was never about preventing guests from getting drunk, that's a canard. The no alcohol policy was about preserving a child-like playful atmosphere in the park for adults to enjoy and return to their youth with their own children. Japanese love to drink alcohol, but they don't want a bar in TDL because they want to feel like kids again.

A question for those who have been to the new land. Why is there a fence around the Millennium Falcon? The fence looks temporary, is it? I think guests would like to get closer, explore the details, and even touch the most iconic ship in the galaxy. This is like putting a fence around Sleeping Beauty Castle. Seems odd.

June 1, 2019 at 12:44 PM

Man, this looks really good. I love Star Wars, but I thought this new land wouldn't have a strong impact on me. I think I'll be wrong.

I'm actually excited about this place. Nice work Disney. And nice work Robert for presenting enough depth to get me intrigued.

June 1, 2019 at 11:03 PM

The company isn't Walt's Company, he's been dead over 50 years. "The Walt Disney Company" is a huge public mega-corporation that is worth over $200 billion, its a totally different situation.

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