As soon as we realised we would have to travel via Los Angeles to get to Hawaii. There was only one place I wanted to visit, Disneyland! For any Star Wars fan, a trip to Disneyland is at the top of their bucket list to experience Galaxy’s Edge. Ever since the new land opened in 2019, I have seen numerous posts on social media about the Star Wars-themed land and dreamed about visiting. So, on our journey home, we arranged to spend some time at the theme park.
Before our trip, I contacted many of my online Star Wars friends from America. Asking them for tips and tricks to help plan our adventure to Galaxy’s Edge. I am glad I did ask for advice, as the ticketing system has changed a lot since I last went to Disneyland. First, you must buy your ticket and then make your reservation. The last time we went, it was still Fast Pass, and now it is all done on the Genie Plus app with extra Lightening Lanes for the popular rides. All of this was new to us.
Despite all their advice, I messed up! When booking the tickets, I brought the two-park hopper tickets. I thought I reserved to visit California Adventure first, but I actually booked Disneyland for the morning. Which meant we couldn’t enter the other park until after 1 pm. I also booked sessions at Savi’s Workshop for 3.30 pm. So we didn’t get to spend as much time in California Adventure as I would have liked.
Galaxy’s Edge
On the day, we took full advantage of both the Disney Genie Plus app and Lightening Lane passes. Enabling us to ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance at Galaxy’s Edge and Star Tours before 11.30. I even had time to stop by Docking Bay Seven and grab a Cold Brew Black Caf. Creating a fantastic Star Wars-themed morning.
The main reason for this trip to Disneyland was to experience Galaxy’s Edge for ourselves. We also took full advantage of being there and rode some classic rides. First, Splash Mountain and then Haunted Mansion. Which had a Nightmare Before Christmas makeover for the holiday period!
Avenger’s Campus
At 1, we headed over to California Adventure to wander around. Really all we wanted to do was check out Avenger’s Campus and grab something to eat. Here we got to see the Avenger’s headquarters, Ancient Sanctum and The shrine for T-Challa. At the headquarters, we saw Hawkeye and Kate Bishop fight the Tracksuit Mafia. Then the Doctor Strange show at the Sanctum. But the highlight was riding Guardians of the Galaxy Breakout. Having ridden the Tower of Terror before, we knew what to expect from this ride. But the Marvel makeover really added to this thrill ride.
In the afternoon, we headed back to Disneyland for a Star Wars-themed afternoon. This involved building our lightsabers and having drinks at Oga’s Cantina. Then once again, riding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance. As we couldn’t use the Genie Plus app a second time. We still took advantage of the app and kept an eye on the queuing times. We managed to find a time when the queue was less than 45 mins.
My advice when going to Disneyland is to make the most of the numerous Disney bloggers online. Read about all the tips and tricks for planning your trip. Even with all the advice, I still found the information confusing, so get as much advice beforehand. Definitely download the Disney Genie Plus app, as it saves time and makes planning your day easier. Also, take advantage of the Photo Pass feature of the app. I never ask people to take photos of us, so having photographers around the park is very handy. Plus, the pictures they took on the day were amazing.
