(Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens this week and it’s too big and too immersive to be contained in a single review. Our extensive coverage will be collected here.)
The heart of Black Spire Outpost on the Planet Batuu (actually Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland) is a quaint indoor marketplace that feels like the Star Wars version of an international bazaar. Disney Imagineers traveled to Morocco and Turkey to experience ancient open-air markets, which inspired the design of this area. There are little stalls with Batuu residents selling their goods and wares and everything you can purchase is designed to look “in-universe.” Nothing sports the Star Wars logo or says Disneyland…except maybe the Disney Parks bags, but I hope they will change that eventually to something more in-universe.
And beyond the Marketplace lies even more shops, with each one built around a very specific kind of merchandise. Here’s what you need to know.
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Creature Stall
Here is where you can adopt creatures from across the galaxy, from a Worrt from Dagobah to a Porg from Ach-To, and everything in-between. You can also adopt Rathtars, Tauntauns, Wampas, Puffer Pigs, Mynocks, Krykna and more. I’m predicting the most popular item will be the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards, the same alien species as Salacious Crumb in Return of the Jedi. These creatures come in two different colors (for now, at least) and can sit on your shoulder and can be controlled like the Banshees sold in Pandora: The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World. All the creatures come in a box carrying case that looks like a cage, which is pretty neat.
One of the coolest things at this booth is a “live” (read: animatronic) Loth Cat (seen in Star Wars Rebels) sleeping in a cage inside the booth. The cutest detail is he is sleeping next to a Porg cat toy that seems to have gotten a bit of use.
Toydarian Toymaker
Here is where you can find handcrafted toys, from a Wooden toy Stormtrooper doll (like the one Jyn had in Rogue One) to little “hand-stitched” plush stuffed animals of legendary characters within the galaxy. There are so many cute items here to buy. Be on the lookout for Zabaka the Toydarian, the owner of the shop. You can sometimes see her silhouette visible through the frosted back window of her workshop as she “flits around crafting Wookiee dolls and classic games like chance cubes and sabacc.”
Black Spire Outfitters
Here is where you can buy clothing from the world of Star Wars. Want to dress like a Jedi or like Rey? This is the place to go. The Jedi robes and tunics available for purchase are modeled after the costumes for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. A full set of Jedi robes can cost you around $150-$200, but Tthey look so good, screen-accurate even.
The only bummer is that Disney is not allowing guests to wear the “costumes” in the park. They think that park guests will mistake “cosplayers” for official Disney characters. This seems silly to me, as this has never happened at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Guests wearing their house robes have only made the environment more immersive. I think Disney needs to embrace the fandom more and allow those who want to wear Jedi robes in Galaxy’s Edge to do so. I feel like I might even buy a set of Jedi Robes if I could wear them around Batuu. But there is no point of me buying clothing that I can only wear at Comic-Cons and Halloween.
Jewels of Bith
Here is where you can get your more generic Black Spire Outpost and Batuu merchandise, accessories, trinkets, and other treasures. They sell postcards, shirts, patches, and magnets. Just don’t expect to find any merchandise that says “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” here.
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities is by far my favorite store in Black Spire Outpost. This is the store for serious Star Wars fans, filled with collectibles and geeky references. In fact, I would estimate there are hundreds of easter eggs filling this store, some of them obvious, some of them not. The Ithorian’s den is packed with racks and crates of items featuring mysterious and unique galactic artifacts collected by Dok-Ondar, as mysterious as many of the objects he collects. On the walls and on the second floor of the establishment is an assortment of relics from the films, which aren’t for sale. I could spend hours in here looking at it all. There’s a life-size taxidermic Wampa on the second floor and an infant Sarlacc, which can be seen in a special tank that simulates arid atmospheric conditions. There are masks and weapons covering the walls – it is a Star Wars nerd’s dream.
And the merchandise sold in the store is just as cool as some of the artifacts covering the walls of the establishment. Here is where you can find Legacy Lightsabers, collectible versions of lightsabers belonging to some of the most famous – or infamous – warriors in the galaxy’s history, including Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul. This is also where you can find the lightsaber accessories, like belt clips, carrier bags and display stands.
You can also buy the Sith and Jedi Holocrons here, which include a lot of information about the galaxy and the force. Holocrons store this valuable data, which when paired with kyber crystals can be unlocked and accessed by the owner of these rare artifacts.
Dok’s store is where you can find extra Kyber Crystals, the heart of every lightsaber or Holocron. Each color produces a different color light in the lightsaber blade and also carries a different legendary Jedi or Sith for the Holocron operation. Colors include blue, green, purple, red, yellow and white, the last two which are exclusive to this shop. So if you want a white or yellow saber, you have to come here after building your custom lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop. It’s probably also worth noting that not all of the same colored crystals produce an identical lighsaber, as they can produce different sounds and can have different Jedi and Sith associated with them in the Holocrons. So basically what I’m saying is that collecting them might be a giant money hole of awesomeness.
Be sure to look out for the stone mural when entering this establishment. It depicts an ancient battle between the light and dark sides of the Force. The original bas-relief of this mural was seen in Chancellor Palpatine’s office in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
There are collectibles here based on the legends from around the galaxy. For instance, there is an almost foot-tall bust of Last Jedi-era Luke Skywalker’s face cast in bronze on sale for $130. If that’s too big for you, there is a set of four mini busts of famous Jedi on sale for $110, including Yoda, Plo Koon, Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin.
If the Millennium Falcon is more your thing, they have life-size replicas of the holochess creatures, sold in two different sets of four for $130 each.
But are these really the prices? We’ve been told that you can haggle over the prices with Ondar himself. He sits in his office, a fully animatronic figure, and the salespeople at the register initiate the conversation and transaction. I didn’t purchase anything on my first visit to Batuu, so I’m not sure if he actually ever offers anyone a discount or not. But the animatronic sure did look cool and he’s much bigger than this photo would have you believe.
One of the things I love about this place is they have decided to produce collectibles of such niche characters and things that only hardcore Star Wars fans would be interested in. For instance, there’s a mask replica for a Jedi Temple Guard and his lightsaber. I really wonder if things like that will last in this store when sold next to collectibles featuring characters that mainstream audiences love. I hope so.
If you’re more of a dark side fan, you can find busts of Darth Maul or the Emperor, cast in a volcanic black. There’s a statue of Darth Vader’s castle which has a glowing lava feature for $200. If you’re more of an Imperial or First Order fan, you can buy a replica of a TIE Fighter helmet for only $450. On sale for the first time ever is an Imperial comlink and an imperial credit, which is cast in faux gold. Or how about a General Grievous mask replica for $325?
Here you can buy replica jewelry, wigs and accessories. Do you want Rose Tico’s necklace? How about the Resistance ring from Last Jedi for $150? Princess Amidala’s headpiece? Jyn Erso’s Kyber crystal necklace? Yoda’s staff? To recreate Princess Leia Organa’s iconic necklace worn at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope, Disney reached out to the original European designer, who still had the original mold from four decades ago. That mold was then used to create the new replica on sale here.
First Order Cargo
One of the first things you’ll encounter when entering Black Spire Outpost is the First Order. A giant First Order TIE Fighter is stationed right at the front of the land, right next to First Order Cargo, a store dedicated to the new occupants of this land. Here you can buy First Order merchandise, and even a full-size First Order Stormtrooper armor, if your wallet can afford such a thing at $6,615. Kylo Ren’s helmet replica (pre-Last Jedi) at $750 seems like a bargain in comparison.
Resistance Supply
The Resistance Supply is a set of carts that honestly don’t feel as thematic as the rest of the land. They sell Resistance goods, from t-shirts, to jackets, to patches, to action figures. This is the place to get anything Resistance-related in the land. One of the more ridiculous things you can buy at the Resistance Suppy is a Resistance MRE (Ready to Eat) Kit. It’s filled with snacks and candy and runs $25. The kit is actually a pretty faithful prop replica based off Luke Skywalker’s kit from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Disney asked actor Mark Hamill what he remembered was in his original kit and re-created some of those items in the version.
Droid Depot
Look for tracks in the ground and maybe they will bring you somewhere special. Imagineers took rubbings from the feet of the R2-D2 droid used in Star Wars: A New Hope and turned those into a set of three-dimensional wheels which they rolled through the land before the concrete pathways fully dried to leave behind authentic droid tracks that guests might spot as they explore the outpost. Where do the tracks lead? Droid Depot of course! Located on the south part of Black Spire Outpost is the Droid Depot, a place where you can build your own droid or buy droid merchandise.
The build-your-own-droid experience in Droid Depot was inspired, in part, by young Anakin Skywalker tinkering with C-3PO in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Tracks on the ceilings are transporting droid parts, and legs and domes and pieces can be found scattered throughout the store. The cost to build your own droid is $99. You can build a BB-style droid or R2-style droid. Surprisingly, no custom C3-units are offered at this time. A carry box and instructions are included in the price, and various personality-affiliation chips and other accessories will be available for an additional charge.
Droid Depot also offers prebuilt droids, housewares and apparel, all inspired by the design, engineering and building of droids. Other cool items I spotted in this store: a restraining bolt magnet for $10, a large mixing bowl that looks like R2-D2’s dome head for $75, and if you have the cash, they are selling a life-size remote controlled custom replica of R2-D2. You can pick the colors and everything. No discounts allowed. They also sell a remote control version of DJ R-3X for $150. He is a fully functional remote-control droid and Bluetooth-enabled speaker, with classic DJ sound effects. And also popular are Light-Up R2-D2 and BB-8 Headbands.
Savi’s Workshop
Savi’s Workshop is a place where you can find old scrap metal in Batuu. But it’s not really a scrap metal shop, but a place where you can build your own lightsaber. The experience inside Savi’s Workshop draws some of its inspiration from episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where Jedi younglings learn how to build their own lightsabers. This is an experience that is said to be on the same level of show as Olivanders Wand shop in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But unlike Olivanders, the catch here is that you need to pay for the lightsbaer before doing the experience. It’s a very small low-key affair and you’re only allowed to bring one guest in with you.
This is one of the only experiences inside the land I have yet to personally experience. It begins outside the workshop, where you meet one of Savi’s Gatherers, pay the $199.99 plus tax, and choose one of four available hilt themes and receive a cloisonné pin to identify your selection. Themes include:
- Peace and Justice: Salvaged scraps from fallen Jedi temples and crashed starships in these Republic-era designs honor the galaxy’s former guardians.
- Power and Control: Originally forged by dark side warriors, this style features rumored remnants from the Sith homeworld and abandoned temples.
- Elemental Nature: This theme embodies the Force—an energy created by all living things, like Brylark trees, Cartusion whale bones and Rancor teeth.
- Protection and Defense: Hilt materials bear mysterious motifs and inscriptions that reconnect users with the ancient wellspring of the Force.
The Gatherers help you select the kyber crystal, which is available in red, blue, green or violet. You assemble your hilt with parts based on your theme. Each box of parts includes one hilt, four sleeves (pick two), two emitters (pick one), two pommel caps (pick one), and two sets of activation plates and switches. Upon hilt completion, the unused parts will be collected by the Gatherers and returned to Savi’s inventory. Lighting up the blade for the first time is said to be one of the most magical experiences in a Disney Park. Alongside the saber and blade, you get a carrying case. There are additional accessories (like a belt attachment) and other kyber crystals available for purchase at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.
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