May the 4th be with you as we celebrate Star Wars Day this year! And what better way to celebrate after an epic movie marathon of your favourite space saga, than getting up-to-date with all the latest information on the new Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Although Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in California will open on 31st May, the park expansion at Hollywood Studios in Orlando is set to welcome visitors on 29th August. However, only one of the area’s main rides will be open from the first day – the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is set to open at an as-yet unconfirmed date.

This wholly-immersive land comes with the tag line ‘Live Your Star Wars Adventure’ and it's clear that a lot of effort has gone into realising that dream! You’ll find yourself on the planet Batuu, at the edge of the galaxy, between Wild Space and the Unknown Regions, on the smugglers’ paradise of the Black Spire Outpost. This settlement, built on the remains of an ancient civilisation, is surrounded by soaring ancient petrified trees which give the village its name. It is home to a number of traders, scoundrels and smugglers, and, it seems, Resistance members, about whom whispers of their presence has attracted the attention of the First Order…

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run simulator ride

For the first of the area’s two rides, you take on the mission given to you by the local smuggler and pirate Hondo Ohnaka. This character appears in the Clone Wars animated series, and is realised here in stunning animatronic form as he orders you to help deliver some items to one of his customers. You’ll be part of the action in the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride, where you will find yourself in the cockpit of the famous ship (recreated in full scale for the attraction), having to take charge of the controls alongside the rest of your crew. What makes this interactive simulation ride even more special (apart from the fact that you are at the helm of the iconic Millennium Falcon!) is that the outcome of your mission is directly influenced by the actions of all of your crew, there are roles for pilots, gunners and engineers, which means that you can experience a different ride depending on your seat and who is in your group. You’ll need to cooperate to succeed at this mission, and it’s definitely a ride that you’ll be keen to try again, to see the different outcomes!

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance indoor ride

Although Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance won’t be open on 29th August, it is set to be one of the most immersive experiences that Disney has ever created. Even while you are in the queue area there is a special something that Star Wars fans should notice, literally at their feet. Below you on the ground you’ll see footprints of Resistance soldiers, as well as a droid track – which was created from the bottom of one of the original R2-D2s!

These tracks will lead to a series of caves where the Resistance have set up their base. Here, you board a transport ship piloted by Nien Nunb, which is duly intercepted by a First Order Star Destroyer in which you’ll find yourself inside a hangar and interrogation room, before finally coming face-to-face with Kylo Ren!

Even though the two rides are set to be spectacular additions to the park, it is the world-building that is at the core of Galaxy’s Edge. There has been a lot of co-operation between the Disney Imagineers and Lucasfilm, as well as the directors JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson to make sure that all the details of the Star Wars universe were accurately represented in the world of Black Spire. It is this attention to detail that really helps you feel as though you are a part of the world, as you walk the streets of the outpost.

Make sure that you visit the traders and workshops where you can pick up some amazing merchandise and mementos, or grab a drink at Oga’s Cantina, or a bite to eat at one of the street vendors selling a range of food and drinks from a variety of cultures from throughout the star systems!

Build-your-own lightsaber and droid

If you have ever dreamt of owning your own hand-built lightsaber then Savi’s Workshop should be of interest. Enter the workshop and construct your own lightsaber, which is brought to life with colourful kyber crystals. You can choose from a selection of lightsaber themes, Peace and Justice, Power and Control, Elemental Nature, Protection and Defence. All of these lightsabers use different elements unique to their theme, for example the Power and Control theme lightsabers are forged with objects that are remnants of the Sith homeworld and temples.

You can even build your own droid over at the Droid Depot. Create your own take on BB8 or R2-D2 as you pick from either the BB-series or R-series unit, then design, build and finally activate your new sidekick! You can also buy pre-built droids, model kits, accessories and other fun droid-based artefacts.

Galaxy’s Edge souvenirs and merchandise

There is plenty more that you can pick up at Galaxy’s Edge if you want to take some souvenirs back home, or just want to keep a memento of your trip. Pick up a new friend at the Creature Stall, where Bina the owner has trawled the galaxy in search of the exotic species on display. The shop of the Toydarian Toymaker Zabaka is a great place to find some traditional Star Wars universe toys for the kids, while if you are looking for something a bit different, then Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities is sure to be worth a visit. This legendary antiques dealer has a range of unique items, from jewellery to tools and kyber crystals. You can even see a famous lightsaber or two here! Complete your look with a trip to Black Spire Outfitters, where you can find something for every occasion, or world that you plan to visit!

Galaxy’s Edge eateries

After all that exploring you’ll probably have worked up an appetite, or a thirst! Head to Oga’s Cantina – the hive of local smugglers and bounty hunters – for a chance to take the weight off your feet and enjoy a drink, while listening to the droid DJ R-3X, who was the Starspeeder from the original Star Tours ride. You can try out some amazing drinks with ingredients sourced from across the galaxy, but remember if you plan to try the selections with alcohol, such as the Jedi Mind Trick cocktail, you’ll need to produce valid ID.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo offers a variety of dishes concocted by Chef Cookie Tuggs, who is serving up a selection of tasty foods to refuel his hungry patrons! Take a seat inside the hangar and enjoy your meal, or soak up the sunshine in the outdoor seating area of the old marketplace.

Grab some food and drink to go at Ronto Roasters, where grilled meat is on the menu! Cooked on a hanging podracer engine, with a droid turning the spit, you can try out a selection of mouthwatering wraps and sandwiches such as the Ronto Wrap (filled with spiced grilled sausage and roasted pork), or the Turkey Jerky. You can even grab a drink to go with your meal, such as the Meiloorun Juice, Tatooine Sunset, or Sour Sarlacc.

If it’s warm, you might want to try out one of the frozen treats at the Milk Stand. Remember the blue milk that Luke Skywalker is drinking in A New Hope, or the green milk in The Last Jedi? Well you can try it for yourself with a frosty twist while you are in Black Spire! For another sweet treat, Kat Saka’s Kettle is a vibrant snack shop serving up speciality popcorn and drinks, try the signature Outpost Mix, a sweet and savoury blend that you can enjoy as you explore the marketplace.

Discover more with Play Disney

Speaking of exploring, there are a lot of hidden extras in this land that you will only discover if you have the Play Disney Parks app installed on your mobile device, which is available for both Apple and Android devices.

When you arrive on Batuu, the app will transform into a galactic datapad, which is designed to enhance your experience. You can use it to translate the galactic languages, either written or spoken, or scan objects around the outpost and discover hidden items. You can even tune into communications sent by the planet’s residents to discover more about the outpost, not to mention the ability to ‘hack’ the devices, control panels and even droids in the area! You can even pledge your allegiance to the First Order, show your support for the Resistance, or adopt the life of a smuggler and deal with anyone you need to. Whichever path you follow, you’ll receive digital rewards such as maps, galactic credits and ship schematics with every job you complete! Don’t forget that there is free Wi-Fi in Hollywood Studios, so you can use this to keep your mobile data use down.

You can see the effort that has gone into making this a truly immersive experience for fans of Star Wars, and even those who just love theme parks. This lovingly-crafted world has plenty of hidden treasures to seek out. If you are visiting Galaxy’s Edge, remember that your FastPass+ service will be unavailable for the attractions, at least at this stage. As capacity is limited and the new land is going to be a massive draw to the park, it’s important to remember that access to the Hollywood Studios may be restricted, as will access to the land once you are in the park. Although we don’t yet know when Rise of the Resistance will be opening, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for any updates that we get!

Galaxy’s Edge promises to be a fantastic addition to the park, and we’d love to hear what you are looking forward to the most. Is it the new rides, the imaginative market or the interactive datapads? Will you be going as soon as you can, or waiting until Rise of the Resistance opens? Let us know your thoughts!