Here's a little history of the song, "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins:
"Feed the Birds" was the first song that the Sherman brothers (Richard and Robert) wrote for Mary Poppins and, according to Richard Sherman, was the heart beat of the entire movie. Walt Disney called a meeting with the Sherman Brothers so they could play what they had written for the movie. After they had played all the songs and explained to Walt how they thought the story could go, Walt said, "Play that Bird Lady song again." After Richard had played and sung it for him, Walt replied, "Yep, that's what it's all about, isn't it?" After this meeting, Walt put the Sherman Brothers under contact to develop the score for the movie, as they weren't under contract at first.
Another touching story is shared by Richard Sherman who, along with his brother Robert, wrote the music for Mary Poppins. Although Walt Disney never told the Sherman Brothers what his favorite song was from the movie, Richard Sherman recalls that there were many evenings when he, Robert, and Walt Disney were all working late. On some of those occasions, Walt would call them into his office and say, simply, "Play it." Richard knew Walt meant the song "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins. So Richard would sing and play the song for Walt.
On December 5th, 2001 at the re-dedication ceremony of the Partners Statue for Walt's 100th birthday on Main Street at Disneyland, Richard Sherman was asked to play a couple of songs. After doing so, Richard then said "I'm now going to play Walt Disney's favorite song and it's just for him." He then played, "Feed the Birds." When he was finished he blew a kiss to the statue and got off stage. He was told afterwards that out of the clear blue sky, a single bird flew directly by his piano and then back up to the clouds. Richard was moved by that and said, "That was Walt, saying 'thanks.'"
A video of that day showing a bird flying down as Richard Sherman was playing that song can be found on the bonus material (Backstage Disney, The Making of Mary Poppins) of the Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary Edition 2-disc DVD.
It has been a little over a month since I have returned from my visit to Galaxy's Edge which has given time for everything that I experienced there to digest a little bit. I was able to visit Galaxy's Edge twice - once with a reservation on June 21st and also on June 24th, the first day that reservations weren't required.
On June 21st, we had reservations for Galaxy's Edge from 11:00am-3:00pm. I totally expected the 24th to be a mad house. I even told my family beforehand that I thought it would be the busiest day in the history of Disneyland. When we left our hotel, the Del Sol, that morning at 7:15am, I fully expected to see the security checkpoint lines backed up all the way to Harbor Blvd. What a pleasant surprise it was to see normal length lines when we got there.
Because of the expected demand for Galaxy's Edge on the 24th, Disneyland set up a reservation system with "boarding groups" to get into the land. However the status of Galaxy's Edge was "open" when we got into the park so we headed right to it. The line for Smuggler's Run was insane - even longer than the lines for Oga's Cantina on reservation days! We were told at one point by a cast member that the wait time was 240 minutes. The longest posted wait time was 190 minutes. As soon as I was allowed to, I made another reservation to get back into Galaxy's Edge just in case we wanted to later. I was put in "Boarding group 18" and we were able to get back into Galaxy's Edge around 11:00, although we chose not to.
In this review, I'll go through Galaxy's Edge bit by bit first showing pictures and then offering my opinion, including the good and bad, from all the different areas.
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
The entrance to Smuggler's Run
Although it's difficult to see in this picture, the wait time was listed as only 35 minutes in this picture. It feels a lot faster than that because of how immersive and detailed the queue is.
The queue winds around the side of the Millennium Falcon showing the amazing detail that went into the creation of this ship.
The queue then goes inside...here's a table with Sabacc cards left on it.
You are then taken above the Falcon where you get to view it from yet another angle.
You then see a pre-show animatronic Hondo who tells you about your mission. Here's a video of it:
But just when you think it can't get any better, you are taken into the Falcon where you are given "job cards" for the attraction (either Pilot, Gunner, or Engineer) and are able to take in your surroundings before being called into action.
Right before you get on the attraction, you are given a little bit more information by Hondo...
Here's a look at the exit hallway on the way out
My Take: The detail of everything surrounding this attraction is first class. As a Star Wars fan, everything was extremely believable and the details were spot on. Being able to explore the inside of the Millennium Falcon after walking all around it in the queue was one of the highlights of my whole trip to Disneyland this year. My question is...who's Hondo and why in the heck would he be spotlighted in this amazingly detailed attraction? Why not use characters that made Star Wars what it is today instead of trying to force new characters on us that you (Disney) created just to promote the new direction you're trying to take the Star Wars Universe?
The ride portion of the attraction also left a lot to be desired for me. While it was pretty cool to sit in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, once the ride started, it just felt like a big video game. I was a pilot along with my 13 year old daughter and no matter how had we tried, we still crashed into quite a few things. By the end of the ride, I felt a little nauseous and I typically don't get any sort of motion sickness. My kids (ages 10-13) enjoyed it but my 5 year old wanted off about half way through.
So while the design and detail of everything were amazing, there was a feeling of detachment for me since I didn't relate to Hondo. Also, I would have preferred just about anything to a video game type of attraction. Let me sum up by saying, I would go on the ride again so I could see the detail of the queue and explore the Millennium Falcon again.
Oga's Cantina
The entrance to Oga's Cantina
We had to make a reservation to get in. Securing a reservation was actually the very first thing we did when we got to Galaxy's Edge and our reservation still wasn't until 3 hours later.
Once we were given our reservation card, we waited in this line just outside the Cantina.
Our first look inside Oga's Cantina
DJ R-3X was on hand playing some music
Here's a look at the menu
I'm still very disappointed that Disney decided to serve alcohol in Disneyland, as Walt Disney was very much against it.
This is the Jabba Juice and it was great! We all loved it!
This is the Cliff Dweller (yes, I'm a sucker for souvenir mugs). The drink was not good. None of us cared for it.
We were given a standing table. There were a very limited number of booths around the exterior of the Cantina.
My Take: I really enjoyed Oga's Cantina. The atmosphere was fun and it was like walking into a cantina you'd find in the Star Wars universe. The Cantina is small for the demand, as it is probably one of the most difficult things in Galaxy's Edge to get into. From what I've read, Disney is obviously aware of this and will meet the demand by creating an additional Cantina elsewhere in Galaxy's Edge or by adding space to Oga's. The prices for the souvenir mugs were very high, but it didn't deter me so I guess Disney knows what they're doing. While I still wish Disney hadn't made the decision to serve alcohol in Disneyland, if they are going to do it, this is the perfect place for it.
The Droid Depot
Here's the entrance to the Droid Depot
These interactive droids wait just outside the entrance
Once you select the type of droid you want (either a BB unit or R2 unit) and pay for it, you are given a basket and told to head over to the conveyor belt of droid parts. In this picture you can see the droid parts on the conveyor belt in the background. There are many different colors and options for your style of droid.
When the kids gathered all the parts for their droids, we waited in line for a spot to open up at the counter to assemble and activate the droid.
Once a spot opened up, we headed over to the counter to assemble and activate our droids.
After the droid is put together, it needs to be activated. The video below shows that process and the droid being boxed up to take home.
Here's a look at a BB unit...
The finished product!
My Take: Before our trip to Disneyland, I went back and forth as to whether or not I was going to see if my kids wanted to build droids. I had read online that it wasn't worth it for $99 - that the droids were made of a cheap plastic. So I ended up leaning more towards not doing it. But when I asked my kids if they wanted to build a droid, 3 of the 4 were very enthusiastic about it and the fourth, I would find out later, really wanted to but was concerned with the price. So all four of my kids ended up building them and I'm very glad they did. The droids are good quality and so far, after tons of use, have held up pretty well. This definitely beat spending $200 on a lightsaber that would sit on a shelf.
Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities
Here's the entrance. It might seem strange to review a store, but as a Star Wars fan, this was a pretty cool store!
Dok Ondar, the animatronic figure seen sitting here in this picture, is the owner of this shop.
In the video below, I've done a 360 degree look at the upper portion of the shop - just decorations, unfortunately, as a lot of the things on the walls I would love to have at home!
Ever wonder what the rest of a Sarlacc looks like? No? Well, here's a model of one anyway. This is the creature on Tatooine that Jabba the Hut was going to feed Luke and Han to and who ended up eating Boba Fett in Return of the Jedi.
And here's a closer look at the part we don't get to see in the movies.
And a quick look at a couple of things for sale...
My Take: The merchandise in Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities is pricey for the most part. There are a couple of things in there that are inexpensive if you're just looking for a small souvenir, but otherwise expect to pay a lot if shopping here. I consider myself to be a Star Wars fan - not a fanatic, but definitely a fan and, as such, I found the merchandise in here to be really cool. I considered buying quite a few things in here but remembered what I just spent at the Droid Depot and decided against it. It was a bit crowded in here and, for a time, cast members had to restrict entrance and start a queue outside. I wish the store was a little bit bigger as the line for the lightsabers was so long, it wrapped in front of the lightsaber display case so I couldn't get a look at what was in it. Dok's is a must see if you're a Star Wars fan.
The Marketplace
Here's the entrance to the marketplace when entering Galaxy's Edge from Critter Country.
The marketplace definitely gave you the feeling that you were in a different place (other than Disneyland). The detail was awesome.
All the shops had some very cool things in them and were set up like you'd imagine shops would be in this type of a Star Wars setting. The drawback is that the shops were all very small.
Here's a look at Kat Saka's Kettle, which serves popcorn
And here's the menu. My wife and daughter tried the popcorn. It was pricey for the size. My wife really liked it and my 16 year old daughter didn't. Neither said it was too spicy, but, rather, more tangy.
Here's a look at Ronto Roasters. I'm not a fan of sausage so I didn't try anything here...
In the water fountains near the restrooms, there is a Dianoga (the creature that look Luke underwater in the trash compactor scene in Star Wars). This a fun detail.
My Take: The Marketplace was truly awesome! The details rival those of the Millennium Falcon queue. The only trouble is the shops were very small. So small that because of the congestion in a couple of them, I didn't dare go in. Overall though, I loved this area of Galaxy's Edge.
Docking Bay 7
Beneath the red-striped cargo plane in the center of the picture is Docking Bay 7, Galaxy's Edge's only sit down restaurant.
Once your order has been placed, this is where you pick it up.
Here's a look at the breakfast menu...
...and here's the regular menu.
This is the Yobshrimp Noodle Salad.
This is the Kid's Meal Fried Endorian Tip Yip. The kids really enjoyed it.
This is the Roasted Endorian Tip-Yip Salad. The chicken was good but the orange things (we couldn't figure out what they were) didn't go well with the salad.
My Take: All food in Disneyland is very overpriced and the food at Docking Bay 7 is no exception. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of my meal - the Fried Endorian Tip-Yip. It was a big piece of chicken over mashed potatoes and gravy. Despite being a little difficult to eat the chicken because of it's size and shape, the meal was delicious! Easily one of the best meals I've had at Disneyland.
Overall, Docking Bay 7 was hit and miss. My 16 year old prefers to avoid food with gluten in it and we found something for her to order. But when the person taking the order put it in to the system she had to put it in as something else because apparently there wasn't a way to ring up a gluten free meal in the computer so the chefs will know to prepare the dish gluten free. So the chef had to be called out to the front to make sure they got the meal right. Both cast members, the one taking the order and the chef were very friendly and helpful. In fact, the one taking our order had the same name as my daughter and even let my daughter wear her name tag for a picture!
However when our meals came out, we got the Shrimp Pasta meal by mistake (this is what was rung in as the gluten free meal even though it was supposed to be a green salad). And actually, before we got the shrimp pasta, we were actually given a completely different order that included a pot roast and a dessert even though we didn't order either. To make a long story shorter, my wife tried to eat the shrimp pasta meal because we had already been waiting for quite a while and had to exchange the meal one time before already, but she's not a shrimp person and after one bite, knew she couldn't stomach it. When she took it back to try to explain the situation, the cast members at the counter were not helpful. They got the manager, who was very helpful, and we got the meal that we ordered in the first place.
I have no doubt that it was the nature of the order - the gluten free meal - that caused the mistake and I understand that it's not too common to get a gluten free request. But it seems like they should be able to have a button on the Point of Sale system to indicate a gluten free meal instead of having to ring it in as something else and call the chef out. I was a little disappointed that we spent so much time (about an hour of our 4 hour reservation period) eating as I would have preferred to be out and about exploring the land.
Another thing I'll say is that most of the detail in Galaxy's Edge was great, but when I entered Docking Bay 7, I was a little confused as to where to go. Also, the seating areas inside didn't flow very well. For the most part the food was good though. I loved and recommend the Fried Endorian Tip-Yip!
Milk Stand
Here's a look at the Milk Stand
And from another angle.
Here we are, purchasing both the blue and green milk.
The pricing...
The blue milk
The green milk
My Take: I enjoyed both flavors of "milk" (they were actually more like smoothies). My wife and 16 year old daughter liked the green milk better while the 5-13 year old kids all liked the blue milk better. You can see how small the cup is, especially for $7.99. And although I'm a sucker for souvenir cups, I don't feel any sort of attachment to the creature that Luke milked in 'The Last Jedi' (which is the image on the souvenir cup). Had there been Aunt Beru or the Lars homestead (where the blue milk was made in Star Wars), I probably would have one on the shelf of my Disney Room as we speak.
This and That
The character interactions throughout the land were great!
But beware, Storm Troopers DO NOT sign autographs!
Storm Troopers even walk the city walls, maintaining order at the Black Spire Outpost.
I love that the Coke and Sprite are bottled in thermal detonators.
A land speeder?!? What?!? I'm totally geeking out now...
There is nothing like having a life size Millennium Falcon right in front of you!
Kylo Ren'sTie Echelon.
This is where the Rise of the Resistance attraction will be when it opens January 17, 2020. As a side note, the cast member in this picture thought it was more important to "stay in character" than to answer my questions about the future of this ride. All he would say when I asked him about Rise of the Resistance were things like, "I don't know what you are referring to. But there is a battle being waged behind me between the resistance and the First Order." I left extremely frustrated...
My Take: Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is amazing! I don't think I've seen such great detail anywhere in Disney Parks before. When I left Galaxy's Edge and went back into Disneyland, I felt like I was in a completely different world. But here's the thing...I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. When I go to Disneyland, I want to feel like I'm in Disneyland. So feeling like I'm not at Disneyland when I go to Galaxy's Edge presents a unique inner struggle. And this is precisely why I think Disney should have put Galaxy's Edge either in California Adventure or in a completely separate 3rd park.
Smuggler's Run was full of detail. And with that detail, history. I could walk through that line 10 times and still want to come back and see more. But it wouldn't be to go on the ride portion of the attraction, it would be to see all the amazing detail. This is also strange to me - that the pre-show is better than the actual show.
I remember when Cars Land opened back in 2012, I found it odd that in the entire new land (12 acres) there were only 3 attractions. But now in Galaxy's Edge, which is 14 acres, there are going to only be 2 attractions. While the detail in the area is great, that just seems like a waste of space to me. I guess I'm more of a fan of the Fantasyland type of footprint - make a lot of cool attractions for everyone in the family to enjoy, not just a couple of bigger attractions geared toward older kids/adults.
Overall, Galaxy's Edge is a fun place to see. I'm excited to return to become more familiar with it so it hopefully will feel more like Disneyland to me.
