During opening month, guests to the much-anticipated new park will need to reserve

Millennium Falcon
Courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Disney is opening its anticipated Star Wars Land at Disneyland and Walt Disney World months ahead of schedule, but with the surprise debut come a few unexpected reveals, including ticket reservations and Fastpass plans.

When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens on May 31 at Disneyland in California and Aug. 29 at Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, you won’t need to pay high prices for Star Wars Land tickets or buy anything except park admission to see Galaxy’s Edge in all its glory.

Still, while there is no additional fee required to enter or even attend Star Wars Land’s big opening on both coasts, you will need a reservation time in certain cases. Finally seeing the spires of planet Batuu, visiting Oga’s Cantina, and experiencing the Millennium Falcon up close may just require a bit of extra planning.

Read on to learn how to get into the parks, and stay tuned as further information about the Star Wars land openings is revealed:

At First, Disneyland Will Require Reservations

From May 31 to June 23, 2019—the first month Disneyland’s Star Wars Land will be in operation—guests will need a free reservation in addition to Disneyland tickets to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Guests with Disneyland admission who do not have Star Wars Land reservations cannot enter that section of the park during this time. The number of Star Wars Land reservations will be limited, and details on how to obtain Disneyland’s Star Wars reservations will soon be announced.

There is one way to nearly guarantee you’ll attend the big Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening: by staying at a Disneyland hotel. Guests of Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa between May 31 and June 23, 2019 will be given designated reservations to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland during their stay. (Disneyland tickets will still be required for park entrance, in addition to the Star Wars Land reservations.) Entry into the Star Wars-themed land is subject to capacity limitations, and further details about Disneyland Resort hotels’ Star Wars reservations are to come. But at this time, reserving a room at one of Disneyland’s hotels is the best way to ensure attendance during its first few weeks.

By Summer, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Will No Longer Require Reservations

Starting June 24, 2019, reservations will no longer be required for guests to enter. Hopeful Jedis only need general admission Disneyland tickets to visit the Star Wars-themed land, as well as some patience, as Galaxy’s Edge will likely be very crowded and entry will depend on capacity. Even a hotel stay at one of Disneyland’s three on-property hotels—Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa—will not guarantee entry to Black Spire Outpost to make your own lightsaber and take home a droid, but crowds and entry are both likely to be organized.

Walt Disney World’s Star Wars Land Will Not Require Reservations

Though Disney World vacations typically require advance planning for dining, attractions, and rides, you won’t need to make any extra plans to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios once it opens on Aug. 29, 2019. Reservations will not be required to enter Star Wars Land at Disney World, and guests will only need Walt Disney World tickets (with admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios) to visit. Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel will not guarantee entry into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Capacity will be limited and the park is likely to be extremely busy, so anticipate a wait to enter both Star Wars Land and possibly the park itself. (More details about Disney World’s Star Wars-themed land opening are to come.)

Both Star Wars Lands Will Open with One, Not Two Attractions

When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland this May and Walt Disney World this August, only one of the attractions will be in operation. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, which lets guests be a pilot, gunner, or flight engineer on the famed ship, will be up and running. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a high-concept experience touted to be “four rides in one” will not open with the rest of the land. The multifaceted journey, which sees riders joining the Resistance before being sucked into a Star Destroyer to battle the First Order, will open later in 2019 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Star Wars-themed lands.

There Will Be No Fastpass at First

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will not offer Fastpass or MAXPASS at Disneyland or Fastpass+ reservations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when both lands open. The same applies for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. When Star Wars Land’s second ride opens at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios later this year, Fastpass, MAXPASS, and Fastpass+ will also not be offered. Eventually, Fastpass, MAXPASS, and Fastpass+ reservations will be offered for both rides on both coasts, but Disney has not yet announced these dates and details.

We’ll Know Even More about Entering Star Wars Land Soon

Disneyland will not have Annual Passholder or DVC member previews, and there will be no ticketed preview events prior to Galaxy’s Edge opening day at Disneyland Park, so for now, your best bet to enter as soon as possible is to snag a reservation ticket. (Disneyland admission is still required, and details on reservations are to come.)

There is no guaranteed entry into Star Wars Land at Walt Disney World—even with an annual pass, park admission, or a Walt Disney World hotel reservation—but staying at certain hotels will provide additional time to access the land. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be included in Extra Magic Hours, open to guests of Walt Disney World-operated hotels along with a growing list of others, including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, and Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. All annual pass blockout dates and ticket prices are already announced on both coasts, so there are no surprises there. Still, plenty more information will be released in the coming months, so stay tuned for further details on how to access this once-in-a-lifetime Star Wars opening.
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