Bright Suns Doug!
I’m excited to hear that you will soon be traveling to a galaxy “not” so far away. I love to help fellow Star Wars fans, and I believe next year will be quite the year with the 50th anniversary. So strap in and let’s make the jump to Hyperspace.
Ok, so the first thing I would do is to advance scout and plan, like the Rebel Alliance, to maximize your day. As a traveler staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you will be able to book your advanced dining reservations 60 days prior to arrival for the length of your stay. When your booking opens, I would prioritize a reservation at Olga’s Cantina. Here you can enjoy drinks and snacks inspired by Galaxy Far Far Away. Oh, and let the bartender know that you are part of the rebellion; they might have something to tell you. While we’re talking about dining, there are plenty of options to have unique food while visiting the planet Batuu. I just tried some of the new offerings at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and think you will love it. You can find more about all of your options and offerings in the My Disney Experience app.
Next, be sure to download the
My Disney Experience app. This is the next best thing to having your own Droid to help with your mission. One of the benefits of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort is that you will be able to book your Lightning Lanes 7 days prior to your arrival for the length of your stay. You will want to prioritize booking a Single Lightning Lane Pass for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and use your Multi Pass option for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. I don’t want to give anything away, but you are absolutely going to love both of these immersive experiences.
Many travelers like to dress the part when visiting, but there are some rules, so let’s talk about them. According to Disney World’s Park Dress Guidelines, guests 14 years and older are not allowed to wear costumes. You are allowed to wear Star Wars-inspired clothing, and I found a great article on the
Disney Parks Blog that provides more information about what is allowed.
One of the coolest things you can do is interact with the land using the
Play Disney app. You can use your DataPad (also known as a smart phone) to complete missions and collect virtual prizes. You can do this experience at your own pace while visiting so take your time and have fun.
No visit to the planet Batuu would be complete without either building your own Droid or Lightsaber. Your visit to Savi’s Workshop will take you to a secretive location to build your very own custom lightsaber. This is my absolute favorite experience while visiting Batuu. Over at the Droid Depot, you can construct a remote-controlled Droid and even give it a personality like a certain spunky droid we all know and love.
Finally, be sure to visit all of the merchandise shops to spend your credits at. I love Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, where you will find rare items like Jedi and Sith Holocrons, along with a few famously owned lightsabers.
Doug, I hope you have an amazing time visiting the planet Batuu. If you have any further questions, please stop by, and my fellow panelists and I will be happy to assist you.
May the Force be with You,
Robert