my first trip to galaxy’s edge

One of my cherished family traditions is spending Christmas and New Years Day in Orlando Florida. With six kids in the family, Disney World was out of budget and not a part of our Orlando tradition. And that’s part of why my first trip to Galaxy’s Edge was so special. For the first time ever, my whole family did a big 2-day Disney trip. We celebrated my niece’s birthday at Magic Kingdom and then explored Hollywood Studios to visit Batuu. I’d been dreaming about getting to see Galaxy’s Edge for so long, and it was an unforgettable experience. I’m hugely grateful to the many folks who shared tips with me on instagram! These were some of my favorite moments from the trip (if you want to avoid Batuu spoilers, maybe skip this blog)…

Piloting the millennium falcon

While we jumped on the Rise of the Resistance first, which was absolutely mindblowing, I may have enjoyed the millennium falcon ride even more. I got to pilot her, alongside my siblings, and feel the thrill of igniting the hyperdrive, chasing a train filled with coaxium, and bumping into just about everything along the way. Waiting to ride the Smuggler’s Run did not take too long, but we had already walked our feet off the day before at Magic Kingdom, so the wait was a bit of a struggle. Still, somehow, I found myself thinking the most about Smuggler’s Run the next day. What a blast!

As a side note, I’ve decided that this is the apartment I’ll keep my eye on for my next move. I’m looking for that built-on-ancient-ruins-with-petrified-trees-all-around vibe.

docking Bay 7

I’m definitely not one for theme park food, but Disney has certainly been stepping it up. My whole family enjoyed our time at Docking Bay 7. While the chicken nugget cubes were not exactly the most exciting thing, we loved the other offerings. My brother and I are vegetarian and particularly enjoyed the meatless kefta. Also, the chocolate dessert was delightfully strange and yummy. From the barrels of meiloorun fruits to the wobbly seats, Docking Bay 7 was such an immersive experience. As for the other offerings at Disney, I’m not a kettle corn person and couldn’t take more than a few sips of the blue milk, but it wouldn’t feel right if all the food and drink was palatable to everyone. It’s the edge of the galaxy after all. A few of my family members did get to go to Oga’s Canteen which was a surprisingly fun experience, given how tired we were by that time.

This wooden lothcat

Yes, that’s right. One of my favorite things about visiting Batuu was seeing this little lothcat carving in the market. It’s impossible not to be swept away into the outer rim when you see a world you love come to life. Loth cats have become one of my favorite parts of the Star Wars universe, and seeing all of the little nuggets of lore and Rebels easter eggs was incredible.

I’m not a stuffed animal person, or else I definitely would have snagged myself a lothcat from the market. I did, however, buy one of Jyn’s kyber crystal pendants, a little porg keychain, an aurebesh translation key (it’s a write-off), and an Ahsoka doll as a gift for my niece who I’ve introduced to “Clone Wars.”

my ita bag & pINS

I finished making my own ita bag (using All Well’s full moon bag pattern) just in time for this Disney trip and loaded up my insert with some of my favorite Star Wars Rebels pins. As you may know, Star Wars Rebels is my favorite Star Wars content out there, so naturally I had to bring along my Rebels collection.

Pins in this bag include:

• Sabine, Hera, and Ahsoka metal ladies from Utterly Magical
• Star filler pins from Sword and Whetstone
• Mortis hands trio and chopper from HansPins
• Ahsoka on a loth wolf from Hunter and Convor
• Morai & four lothcats from Tiny Mango Junior
• Purrgil and mouse droid from Aviculae
• Lothwolf from Fabled Pins
• Holocron from Punch It Chew Press
• Porg from UtinniBikini
• Pink Kyber Crystals from ClusterfPins
• Meiloorun and Starbird from me 😀

And that wraps my top memories from Galaxy’s Edge. I have small regrets, including not seeing Kylo Ren and having sore feet from Magic Kingdom the day before, but it was such an incredible time. I still can’t believe that a place like Galaxy’s Edge exists for us to experience.

If you have been to Galaxy’s Edge, I’d love to hear about your favorite memories, so feel free to drop a comment below!