Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open at Walt Disney World on August 29, 2019. At this time, guests won’t need reservations to access the brand new land where Star Wars fantasies will finally become a reality. However, those plans could change based on how the opening unfolds at Disneyland.
Prior to the opening of the land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a nearly identical version will open in Disneyland on May 31, 2019. Guests who wish to visit a galaxy far, far away at Disneyland between May 31, 2019 and June 23, 2019 will need a valid theme park ticket and will need to make a free virtual reservation. Those reservations reportedly offer guests a specific four-hour window to visit and explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Could a similar system come to Walt Disney World?
Disney has already placed a warning for guests planning to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Walt Disney World about access and experiences being unavailable due to demand.
“Access to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its experiences may be unavailable based on Guest demand and other factors.”
Disney
Park capacity and capacity within the land itself is quite limited. Disney has made it very clear that no FastPass+ reservations will be available at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and that having a ticket or an Annual Pass doesn’t guarantee admittance. However, they haven’t announced any formal plans to adopt a similar online reservation system like we have seen in Disneyland.
Realistically, guests should expect Disney to roll out some sort of system at Walt Disney World ahead of the land’s opening. The current format, one that could create a massive crowd full of unhappy guests due to the free-for-all format, seems like a recipe for disaster. The online reservation system could assist in maintaining the crowds – guests are less likely to show up when the land opens if they didn’t secure a reservation – while keeping some sort of sanity around what’s expected to be the largest opening in Walt Disney World history.
Stay tuned. There are several months ahead of the land’s debut at Hollywood Studios. Plan on Walt Disney World paying close attention to Disneyland and learning from what does and does not work during their opening.
Photo via Disney
