Rob returns to guest-host the show with Friend of the Network Cory Drew, just back from his visit to Galaxy’s Edge in Walt Disney World!
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Having been to Galaxy’s Edge once (which will be twice after this weekend) I just have a couple of comments:
1. Anyone who is a fan of Star Wars, regardless of what era, will have a good time at Galaxy’s Edge. There’s enough there for everyone and it truly is an immersive experience. I recommend using the My Disney Experience app to make it even more so.
2. The only con that I’ve come across, and it’s a minor one, is there is no background score. You’ll hear music from shops and such, but it is actually like you’re in the movie universe, where they don’t hear the sound track. It’s just makes it feel a little off, considering how much the music is part of the films.
A note of warning: If you are of the same vintage as I am and you go to Smuggler’s Run, nostalgia will hit you like a ton of bricks and you’ll be a kid again. And that’s not a bug, it’s a feature. 😀
I’m SOOO jealous of Cory. I’ll forgive him for not being a Disney World guy overall, but I will give him major props for loving Peter Pan’s Flight. That ride is as old school as it gets (although it has been enhanced several times over the years), but after the Haunted Mansion, it’s probably my second favorite ride at WDW or Universal.
This was a great audio travelogue for the land. I’m hoping to get down there some time in 2020, and I have every intention of getting a lightsaber. Dani is after building a droid.
Thanks for doing this Rob!
Chris
As one of her gifts this holiday season, Kira will be building a droid on Sunday. I’ll let you know how it goes, Chris.
Also, let me know when you’ll be visiting and we’ll see if we can head to WDW and meet-up with you.
I feel so left out.
I’d love to meet up with you down here, Rob. In fact, I can see you loving Hollywood Studios in general. Outside of Galaxy’s Edge, the art deco old school Hollywood vibe of the main area is right up your alley.
Let’s all meet at WDW and do Galaxy’s Edge!!! How fun would that be!
Chris
Rob, I agree with Gene. You would love Hollywood Studios for the movie side of it and the old school Hollywood vibe. My family and I love that park a lot. In fact we spent two days at Hollywood Studios this year when we went over Thanksgiving week.
Pat
Hi Chris,
I was able to tag along with my son as he build his own lightsaber at Savi’s workshop. It was an awesome experience to share with my son. They allow one person to go into the shop with the person who will be building the lightsaber. I was able to video the experience and just soak it all in.
One suggestion to you if you plan to build a lightsaber at Savi’s workshop is to make a reservation. We were told that the spots fill up fast. It is easy to do within the my Disney app. Also a worker told us they take reservation for times after the parks close so you can enjoy the park all day and still make a lightsaber at night. This gives you longer time at the park and a cool experience as being the last few people in the park at night,
Hope you have a fun time when you go.
Pat
I will be in Florida at the beginning of March!
Dagnabbit, that’s too soon. The bank account won’t be back to vacation-ready by then, for certain.
Chris
“Dagnabbit…”
Chris, your grizzled ol’ prospector is showing. 😉
Consarnit!!!
Do you use “vittles” too, Chris?
Thank you, Cory, for the firsthand account of your experience at Galaxy’s Edge. My daughter and I are chomping at the bit to visit. I’m also hoping we can make it there in 2020 (or 2021 at the latest). My wife, on the other hand, sees Disney as the devil’s megacorporation. Getting her to set foot in the park would be like getting B. A. Baracus to board an airplane.
“Would you like some milk, honey?”
Unfortunately, she’s lactose intolerant. 🙁
Perhaps, it’s time to brush up on my Jedi mind trick skills. “This is the amusement park you are looking for.”
Your wife knows what’s up
I know she’s absolutely correct. I just prefer to live in denial.
On behalf of the shareholders, I thank you all.
You’ll love Sunday’s show.
Thank you Cory and Rob for your exciting account of the whole Galaxy’s Edge experience. I would love to go, but being visually impaired (they call it “legally blind” but that always sounds like I need to be licensed for it) I would miss so many of the details that it wouldn’t be worth the extravagant expense. So I am very grateful to you for giving me at least a taste of what it’s like to spend a day in that galaxy far, far away. I am so envious of your transcendent lightsaber building experience. The way you describe it almost made me cry, too.
Good show, as always, Rob. It’s nice to hear something positive about Star Wars. My brother and sister-in-law always give me movie passes for Christmas and you can bet I’ll be using them to see THE RISE OF SKYWALKER before the year is up.
Cheers! (Oh, wait. That’s a different show!)
“Groovy” Mike Decker
Thanks Mike, glad you enjoyed it! I will talk to Cory about anything. IIRC this makes the fifth Fire and Water Network show he has appeared on.
Cory’s great! I think the next F&W mini-sode should be Shag explaining to Cory how he thinks NJ infrastructure works and having Cory school him on it!
The parks engineers and design department are amazing talents.
I can’t recommend “The Imagineering Story” on Disney+ enough. A surprisingly honest documentary series on Imagineering from the beginning to today.
Chris
Yes I’ve been enjoying that series a lot.
Rob and Cory.
This was a great and timely episode to listen to since my family and I were just in WDW over Thanksgiving week this year.
Galaxy’s Edge is a great place to visit and look around. So much detail to look at. My son build his own lightsaber at Savi’s workshop and I was able to video the experience for him.
We had so much fun at the parks this year. It is always a magical place to be with our family. so many great memories over the years.
Pat
Thanks for such a great informative episode! I definitely want to take my kids to Galaxy’s Edge (on the California side, though) sometime soon and to hear Cory give all his positive experiences, it makes me want to go sooner than later! And, Rob, you basically asked Cory all the questions I would have wanted to ask about his experiences so thank you for that. Now I know that I have start saving up for the build-your-own lightsaber…….
Great episode. I unexpectedly enjoyed hearing Cory’s experience more because he is a relative noob, WDW-wise. Veterans like the Franklins know that “the mouse don’t skimp” when it comes to either imagination or attention to detail. To Brian’s wife, I would say that even an evil mega-corp can have admirable qualities.
To any Nuclear Subs who want to meet face-to-lifelike-mask, I think I can be at Walt Disney World in March. I have a favorite bar there: Jock’s Hangar Landing in Disney Springs. In-universe, Indiana Jones’ pilot from the first scene of Raiders founded it. Every item of decor, food, or drink in there is from one of the movies or from real world aviation history, except for a diving bell you can eat your meal in. I will buy you a themed cocktail if we make it happen.
We had a Two True Freaks meet-up at Jock’s a few years ago and it was a great time. 🙂
Then a tradition has already begun! Fire and Water Network in 2020, Longbox Crusade in 2021, and so on. Of course, members and followers of sister networks are welcome every year. And March is a perfect time of year, weather-wise.
We did go to Galaxy’s Edge on Sunday and while we didn’t go on “Rise of the Resistance” (which isn’t surprising, as it only opened 2 weeks ago and demand is HIGH), I did have a couple of things to report back on.
1. While I’m not sure if it was the baby version, we did see plush Yoda’s available in the marketplace, which is set-up like a bazaar with a number of different stalls.
2. Kira built an R2 unit (named R2-C8). We had a reservation for 9:35, but were able to get checked in at about 9:10. There’s a display cabinet with all of the different parts, so she was able to pick out exactly what she wanted (knowing that we had already bought purple accent panels). Once you’re checked in you are given a metal basket that has a diagram of required parts for either a BB or an R series.
You then go to a station (assigned by a Cast Member) at a conveyor belt that has all of the parts going by. Knowing what she wanted, it was easy to grab what we needed (Head, Body, Pair of Legs, and 3rd Leg) and then we went to one side of the assembly area. When a station was open, we went over and followed the instructions on the table. For the R series everything snaps together except for the legs, which are attached with screws using an electric screw driver.
Once everything is assembled, as Cast Member wakes the droid up by placing it in a holder and adding a remote control. The builder (Kira) then hits the activate button which links the remote to the droid. Once you exit, there’s a play area across the way to test out the droid (and advertise to those that haven’t gotten one yet). We actually were done at the time that our reservation was, so the whole process took less than half an hour (for an 11 year-old who knew what she wanted).
Two upgrades that I recommend (which come in a package when you check in) are the personality chip, which can be First Order, Resistance, or Mercenary (2 versions of each), and the backpack. The chip allows for a different sound and will have the droid react differently to the environment, depending on where you are and who (like Stormtroopers or Chewbacca) are near you. The backpack allows for easier carrying than the free cardboard box and can hold any accessories in a pouch.
Thanks for the run down on the build-a-droid activity. That’s what my daughter is dying to do, when we finally get down there. Unfortunately, due to preexisting family travel/vacation obligations and finances, it’s looking like that won’t happen until summer of 2021. **Sigh** If only I’d been born an independently wealthy orphan, who was raised by robots and never married… but then I probably wouldn’t have a daughter to take to Galaxy’s Edge, and that wouldn’t be any fun.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Cory! It sounds amazing!