Bright suns travelers!
That’s the new greeting so prepare to hear it a lot when you visit the land of Batuu in Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios. It’s Disney World’s newest land and it is changing the way Disney does its new additions.
And that’s not a minor exaggeration. Disney has really stepped up the game with the land of Galaxy’s Edge. While they added some new and really fun things for Pandora and Toy Story (two lands that are still very popular years later), they really took things to the next level.
In fact, I would bet money my entire life savings, that this is just the beginning of an entirely new experience and what Disney will look like in the future. Gone are the days of Disney World being compared to fair food and other amusement parks– Disney has pushed itself into a class of it’s own!
So let’s explore how the land of Batuu is different than anything you’ve ever seen before at Disney World.
(Except when it comes to allergy food offerings at Galaxy’s Edge– I wasn’t happy with my experiences there! )
Even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan, I still recommend going to check out the things I mention below. Or click here If you want to know the top things to do at hollywood studios.
WHY? Because Disney World is going to be changing things! If you go over to Epcot and hang out in the Odyssey Center you’ll see a new experience
for what is going to happen there- and the best way to prepare for those 2021 changes is to see what they debuted in 2019!
This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you, and I may earn commission on qualified sales, check out my affiliate disclosure for more information and all the legal mumbo jumbo.
7 ways Disney is Changing the Game with Galaxy’s Edge!
For years the My Disney App was useful but hella glitchy. Well, that’s changed because now the Play Parks My Disney Ap is more useful than ever- especially when it comes to the land of Batuu. The following two items are important when it comes to using the app and one of the many ways that Disney is changing the experience for guests around the park.
1. Play Parks
Use your “datapad”, which is Batuu speak for your cell phone, and engage in the land in ways that have never been done before!
Disney has been great with using the Play parks addition to add some options for digital entertainment in wait lines (like little games and such). With the whole fuel rod dispute, and rumors that they are using lower quality rods now, I just bring my own portable charger because the my disney app really kills your battery (even on newer phones). That little charger has been going strong all year!
well in batuu, they have added more experiences to the app that really add to the experience. It takes Batuu from a one visit land to multiple visits because it literally adds another layer to what you can see and do!
2. Taking it Digital!
I LOVE THIS> and you will too!
Gone are the days of waiting in uber long lines. Simply join a boarding group virtual que to access the land IF the land of Batuu is at capacity, and then they will announce on your app AND at other signs throughout the park when it is your time to return.
How amazing is that !?!
3. Some Fun and Crazy New Photopass experiences
We’ve seen some really cool photopass experiences come up in the last few years (even more this last year!) so it’s exciting to say that Batuu has one of it’s own unique experiences and then some others that you won’t be finding elsewhere.
Yes, we have the typical experiences around the decorations BUT NOW we also get two unique ones, and one you can only find at Batuu.
These Include the 360 Camera pics below and those ones where they zoom out. I have 2 of them in two different locations and I think they are the coolest things ever!
4. Less “theme park” more immersive
So I’ve been three times now, and if it wasn’t for the My Disney App I would be totally lost.
Gone are the days of bright obnoxious signage and areas directing your paths. Gone are the amusement park guide posts signaling you to toy story land and indiana jones.
In Batuu, you are actually visiting the town (or city? maybe just land) and they are welcoming of tourists, but they aren’t overly accommodating. You can’t live there, and they don’t have loud obvious signs directing you where to go.
If you don’t have a map (you can use the app) you WILL get lost. This is just like visiting somewhere for the first time and being a tourist. There are sections of Batuu that are easily found, and then there are areas where you only find them by accident.
5. Interactive characters as part of the land
If I had to pick a favorite, it would be this addition.
Since we are visitors coming to Batuu, we get to experience the culture, the foods and of course, the natives. Kylo Ren with his storm troopers make appearances and check on the work. Members of the resistance are spotted doing work around the settlement.
It really takes this from ‘fun immersive land’ to ‘Holy shit I just stepped into the movies’
You’ll want to “Dress” the part if you want some talking time with the characters- so pick if you are on the side of the resistance or the First Order. Even something as simple as a magic band can be a nice touch, or you can go all out with some Disney Bounds. I will warn you that you can’t go too extreme.
Disney limits what adults can wear, but this is a great time to get old halloween costumes online for the kids!
6. Exclusive designing (water bottles, gift card, name tags etc)
So we saw peeks of this with the other new lands of Toy Story and Avatar. They had unique nametags and some really fun merch.
However, Galaxy’s Edge takes it over the edge (pun intended) with the new creations. Exclusive gift cards for Batuu, their own language (not just a few catch phrases like toy story, noooo no no, they have lots of hidden language goodies and they act like some of the things you have don’t have words in their culture).
I was blown away by all the little details!
I was wearing this cute loungefly bag that had the Marie character from Aristocats, and one of the cast members Battuu Settlers was commenting how it was such a strange creature and how did I get it to stay on a bag?
7. A one of a Kind Building Experience
There has also been a ‘lack’ of things to do at Disney World for the teenage and up crowd- but with GE, they’ve made it family friendly all around.
One of these cool things they did is add the droid building and custom lightsaber shop.
While it does cost extra, it’s a totally immersive experience designed to make you feel like your on another world, and it’s so flipping cute! You will absolutely love how fun these building experiences are, plus the souvenir is one of a kind because YOU built it!