7 Best Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland

Are you a Star Wars fan?  And are you planning a trip to Disneyland and want to know all about the best Star Wars experiences?  If so, you’ve come to the right place.  My family and I recently traveled to another galaxy called The Happiest Place on Earth and I’m sharing all the details.  From Star Wars rides to building lightsabers and droids, here are the best Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland!

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7 Best Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland

1. Galaxy’s Edge
2. Star Wars:  Rise of the Resistance
3. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
4. Droid Depot
5. Savi’s Workshop
6. Oga’s Cantina
7. Special Events and Attractions

1.  Galaxy’s Edge

Galaxy’s Edge, aka Star Wars Land, is the long awaited Star Wars addition to Disneyland Resort.  It’s supposed to take place on the planet of Batuu, in the village of Black Spire Outpost.  

There are two rides located in Galaxy’s Edge and two Star Wars themed experiences (more about that below), but it’s fun to just walk around Galaxy’s Edge and take it at all.  Disney designed this land to be as immersive as possible and it really is.  You can even buy Coca-Cola drinks that look like thermal detonators from one of the carts in Galaxy’s Edge.  And it’s not unusual to see Star Wars characters walking around, like Storm Troopers, Rey, Chewbacca, the Mandalorian and Grogu!

There are also several photo opportunities with different spacecraft.  Because of that, this is an area where you’ll want to take advantage of the PhotoPass.  My family and I dressed up in our Star Wars gear and asked a Disney photographer take our photos.  

Pro tip:  Don’t wait until the end of the day to take photos in Galaxy’s Edge.  That’s because some of the areas become full of strollers so you’ll end up with a bunch of strollers in the background of your photos as the day progresses.

2.  Star Wars:  Rise of the Resistance

Star Wars:  Rise of the Resistance is one of the best rides at Disneyland and it’s located in Galaxy’s Edge.  My family and I had the opportunity to ride it twice during our last visit but it’s more than just a ride.  It’s difficult to write more about it without revealing any spoilers but needless to say, it’s a must-do while at Disneyland, even for those who aren’t Star Wars fans.  Currently, guests can ride it by waiting in a standby line but a virtual queue may also be offered depending on the crowd levels.*  Guests can also purchase lightening lane pass to ride it.  For more info, click here.

Pro tip:  Keep checking the Disneyland app to find out wait times and also to find out if the virtual queue is available.  If the virtual queue is available, you will need to obtain a boarding pass through the Disneyland app in order to ride it.  Also, Rise of the Resistance frequently breaks down during the day, so it’s best to ride it earlier in the morning if this is a ride that you and/or your family really want to ride.

3.  Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is another Star Wars-themed ride, except it’s in 3D.  It’s located in Tomorrowland, but it’s also a favorite of mine.  There, you (or someone else in your travel party) might be chosen as the Rebel Spy.  My son was chosen as the Rebel Spy during our last visit to Disneyland and he was so excited! Not all the rides are the same, so we are always excited when we get to experience a different version of the ride.

I’d choose this ride any day over Millennium Falcon:  Smugglers Run.  Smugglers Run (located in Galaxy’s Edge) is very underwhelming and it’s not worth the wait to ride it.  But, if you’ve never been on it before, it’s worth experiencing at least once.

4.  Droid Depot

One of the best Star Wars experiences at Disneyland is building a droid at the Droid Depot.  The Droid Depot is located in Galaxy’s Edge (although it’s difficult to locate).  If you have a younger child, it’s worth the splurge.  My son enjoyed this experience more than Savi’s Workshop.  Guests can choose between two different types of Droids to make (BB-8 or R2D2).  My son chose to build a droid similar to BB-8 and it’s also remote control.  The experience itself can be a bit chaotic and rushed, but the end result (the droid) is a lot of fun.  If this is something that you and/or your family are interested in, you’ll definitely want to make reservations beforehand.  Our reservation was for the end of the day so that we didn’t have to carry my son’s droid all over Disneyland that day.

5.  Savi’s Workshop

Savi’s Workshop is also located in Galaxy’s Edge.  There, guests can build their own lightsabers during a themed experience.  Disclaimer, though – it’s pricey to do so.  Like the Droid Depot, reservations are required.  My son and I both participated in this and while we enjoyed it, I found the instructions to be very confusing and (like the Droid Depot) rushed.  The experience is approximately 20 minutes and I was expecting more, especially since it costs so much to participate.  However, it was cool that we were able to build our own lightsaber and we also received a special commemorative pin.  If you have younger kids, then I’d recommend building a droid at the Droid Depot instead.  If you or your children are ultimate Star Wars fans, though, then you’ll want to put Savi’s Workshop on your list.  Like the Droid Depot, we also scheduled our reservation for later in the day so that we wouldn’t have to carry around our lightsabers all day.  We also had some nighttime photos taken with our lightsabers in front of the Millennium Falcon.

6.  Oga’s Cantina

I put Oga’s Cantina at the end of this list because I think it’s worth it to experience at least once, especially if you are a Star Wars fan.  It’s located in Galaxy’s Edge and reservations are strongly recommended.  If you’ve ever wanted to know what blue milk tastes like, then this is your chance.  While the menu for Olga’s Cantina can be found here, it’s not very kid friendly.  As a result, it’s geared more for adults, especially since it’s one of the locations at Disneyland that serves alcohol.

7.  Special Events and Attractions

The month of May is a fun time to visit Disneyland, especially for Star Wars fans.  That’s because Disneyland celebrates May the 4th in grand style, from turning Space Mountain into Hyperspace Mountain, to Star Wars-themed treats and collectible Star Wars-themed sippers and popcorn buckets in the park, and even a special event in Disneyland called Disneyland After Dark Star Wars Nite.  During a recent visit in May, I was able to purchase a collectible Grogu sipper after riding Hyperspace in Tomorrowland, which made this Star Wars fan very happy!

And for guests who can’t quite make it into the park, there are several Star Wars-themed treats that can be purchased at the Grand Californian.*

*You don’t need to be a guest to purchase the treats.  They are for sale in the lobby.

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