Disney Dorks was invited to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Grand Opening Ceremony two days before it opened to the public and the details are just amazing.
As a Star Wars lover this was the chance of a lifetime for me, so I jumped on it!
I am all about the details; and with a million hidden gems to discover, I personally felt like Black Spire was an amazing place to explore. I wanted to share my visit, and delve deeper into all the behind the scenes details with you.
First off, let’s talk about the location of Black Spire Outpost (BSO to the natives). It is located on Batuu; “a far-flung destination along the galaxy’s Outer Rim, on the frontier of Wild Space – the uncharted region beyond all known star systems.” It’s a rough and tumble kind of place, full of smugglers and other unsavory elements, many of them looking for a place outside the reach of the First Order. Batuu’s landscape is dotted with tall petrified tree trunks, which hint at this planet’s ancient history. Black Spire gets it’s name from a trunk in the center of the village that is darker than all the others.
As any diehard fan can tell you, the Star Wars galaxy has a very specific design esthetic, which includes round buildings, a rough lived-in feel, and a muted color palette. The Imagineers took special note of this when designing Black Spire, so as soon as you walk in you feel like you’re “Home.” They visited George Lucas’ private archives in California to study original concept art created by Ralph McQuarrie (the artist responsible for shaping the look of the Star Wars galaxy) and took 360-degree digital pictures of original movie props and costumes, to recreate them for the land.
While Galaxy’s Edge is set during the current trilogy, it feels like Han or Leia could walk around a corner any minute, or Obi-Wan and Luke may have driven by in their Landspeeder a few minutes ago. There are hints of the past everywhere you look.
In Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, you’ll be awed by all the treasures he has collected from across the Galaxy. There are even some that he is willing to part with… for a price!
As you enter this legendary antiquities dealers shop, the first thing you see is a bas-relief mural depicting an ancient battle between the light and dark sides of the Force. The original of this mural can be seen in Chancellor Palpatine’s office in Revenge of the Sith.
There are many pieces of jewelry for sale, including Quira’s necklace from Solo and the beacon bracelet worn by Rey in The Last Jedi.
You might notice the necklace worn by Princess Leia Organa at the end of A New Hope. Disney actually contacted the original European designer, who still had the mold, four decades later! They used that mold to re-create this amazing necklace. You know this one’s on my wish list.
This is also the place to find Kyber Crystals, those elusive stones used to power Jedi Lightsabers, which are available in blue, green, purple, red, yellow, and white. Then there are Holocrons; box-like objects where Jedi and Sith alike have stored information about the galaxy and the Force. These can be unlocked and accessed when paired with a Kyber crystal.
In this shop make sure you look up for more hidden gems. You might spy a four eyed Nexu head mounted on the wall – one of the beasts set loose in the Genosian arena to kill Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala at the climax of Attack of the Clones. Or blasters from some of the most iconic Star Wars characters. Those aren’t for sale though, they’re part of Dok-Ondar’s private collection.
There are endless Star Wars Easter Eggs in Dok-Ondar’s Den, so keep your eyes peeled.
After all that exploring you might want to head over to Oga’s Cantina for some refreshment. Oga Garra is the Boss of Black Spire, and you won’t see her at the Cantina because she’s most likely out collecting payments, but she runs a tight ship.
Since it’s an outpost on the edge of the galaxy, things here are pieced together from whatever the residents could salvage, or steal. While I was visiting the Cantina the hyperdrive in the middle of the Cantina broke down! But don’t worry, the employees here know how to gently coax *bang* it back into working order!
Oga serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments, and the music you’ll hear while enjoying your drink was collected from musicians and composers from around the world to give the Cantina a galactic playlist. One of my favorite parts of the Cantina was DJ R-3X, otherwise known as DJ Rex. He’s there all day, singing and mixing tunes for you to enjoy. You might recognize him as the former pilot for Star Tours, before it was updated.
Here you can also take home a unique souvenir in the form of a Tiki inspired mug. They are made to have a hand carved look to them, like something you might buy at a craft fair.
Another layer of the storytelling in Black Spire are the costumes, which Disney Imagineers spent three years developing. Cast Members can personalize their costume each day with many options; including tunics, vests, scarves, hats, and necklaces. They are encouraged to come up with their own persona or character, be it a Smuggler or a Batuu Native. I would really encourage you to interact with Cast Members as they play a large part in the story of Batuu. If you take the time to talk with them they have ‘trinkets’ they may entrust you with; like trading cards of Resistance Spies!
You will be greeted with salutations of “Bright Suns!” or “Rising Moons!” depending on what time of day it is, and “May the Spires Keep You” or “Good Journey” as you leave a shop. If you’re looking for the restroom you might be directed toward the “Refresher,” and you’ll have to park your “youngling transport,” AKA stroller, before you get in line for Smugglers Run. All of this makes it even easier to immerse yourself in your chosen role of Resistance fighter, First Order loyalist, or Scoundrel.
In Black Spire there won’t be lines for traditional Meet and Greets. Character like Stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Rey, and Resistance spy Vi Moradi will be roaming Black Spire. This means it may be harder to get a good picture with your favorite character, but it adds to the authenticity of the Glaxay’s Edge. I had a chance encounter with Rey and we took some scans together!
Another one of my favorite spots was the open-air Marketplace. Imagineers traveled to places like Turkey and Morocco to find inspiration for this open air souk.
I was lucky enough to visit Black Spire during the day and at night, and at night all the lanterns are lit, giving it a beautiful glow. I am in love with all the lanterns!
Jewels of Bith is the shop to visit if you’re looking for small trinkets like pins and coffee mugs. I recommend this shop because it’s where I got my own pair of Han’s dice, just like the ones that hang in the Millennium Falcon!
Black Spire Outfitters is the shop to visit if you’re looking for authentic Batuuan attire. My favorite part of this shop was the rainbow of fabric hanging from the ceiling. Many of them are labeled as ‘Sold’, or ‘On Hold.’ If you look closely, and you’ve been practicing your Aurebesh, you’ll see a bolt of fabric with Lando Calrissian’s name on it. There’s also a droid in this shop. A shop employee told me that it belongs to the shopkeeper, and sews all her creations, but it only works when she’s there.
Black Spire is full of amazing Photo Ops – I found this Speeder next to Savi’s Workshop. With different themed areas like Resistance and First Order encampments there are endless amounts of places to take pictures in your Disneybounds! I think next time I’ll go as Leia.
When Disney created this new land they planned for it to be completely immersive. At more than 14 acres – the largest single-themed land in Disney Parks history – there is room for you to roam, explore, and build your own story. That’s why Black Spire is a new place, on a new planet – so you can build your story here! You can be a Resistance Spy one day and a Loyal First Order subject the next.
The ‘Play Disney Parks Mobile App’ is a big part of that. By using the ‘Datapad’ in your pocket to collect credits the land becomes so much more immersive. The mobile app really draws you in, and makes you feel like part of the story. Using the app lets you interact with the land on a deeper level.
The ‘Hack’ function lets you ‘slice’ door panels or interact with droids.
The ‘Scan’ feature enables you to scan crates to see what cargo is inside.
Using the ‘Translate’ option you’ll be able to understand all the languages from the Star Wars galaxy used in Galaxy’s Edge, and the ‘Tune’ function lets you tap into antenna’s and eavesdrop on secret conversations.
When Galaxy’s Edge opens in Disney World I’ll be writing another in-depth blog on this feature, which I’m really excited about!
I found Black Spire to be magical – when you’re there you feel like you’re on another planet, and I didn’t want to leave at the end of the night! Just like Pandora, this land comes alive at night, with spectacular lighting and lanterns hidden in places you don’t see during the day. My advice is to take your time, interact with cast members, learn the lingo, and enjoy some out-of-this-world drinks!
Have you experienced Black Spire? Let us know how you felt about it, and if you haven’t gone yet what are you most looking forward to?