Showing posts with label disneyland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disneyland. Show all posts

Foods We Tried in Galaxy's Edge + Nighttime Gathering Dining Package Experience

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Let me preface this by saying that I know what they are trying to do in Galaxy's Edge foodwise. They're trying to make things seem exotic and a little peculiar, like you wouldn't find certain things "on earth." I absolutely commend the attempt. With that said, almost all of the drinks (non-alcoholic since we don't drink alcohol) were a no-go with us, which is sort of a shame, but oh well.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks in Galaxy's Edge


Cold Brew Black Caf - You know how something sounds better in theory than it actually tastes? That was this. Purchased in Docking Bay 7 for $7.79, I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't expect to be crunching Cocoa Puffs along with ice cubes in my coffee drink. Was it interesting to look at, yes? But honestly I would have preferred a regular iced coffee with cream and swirls of chocolate and some luster dust instead of the chocolate cereal that served almost no purpose other than to be different.

Photo Credit: Disneyland

Blue Milk - Purchased at the Milk Stand, this one was my sister's drink. It was, indeed, blue, but she found it overly sweet, and I think she was expecting something more exciting flavor-wise than what she said might be blue raspberry. We could be wrong about the flavor, though. What we both really balked at was the price tag of $8.99 for maybe 10 ounces of a drink. Those cups are pretty small for the price. She was glad she tried it once but by her own admission, she wouldn't buy one again.

Photo Credit: Wookieepedia (Smartguy74)

Green Milk with Red Lichen Paddy Frog Eggs - Also purchased at the Milk Stand, this one was mine, also at a very high price tag of $9.49. I love boba and popping spheres, so having cherry popping spheres with actually pretty fun, and I enjoyed the unique texture of the pineapple. So this one was really good, although it's not on the menu now so I'm not sure if it was just a super limited edition drink. Anyway, I liked it, but not the price, again, for something that is maybe 10 ounces and has zero alcohol.

Cotton Candy Topped Soda - It is exactly as it sounds. I think this is just offered as part of the Nighttime Gathering Dining package right now, and we both tried it on a whim with that package. While it was super fun to look at, topping an already super sweet drink with cotton candy absolutely guarantees a sugar high. I only drank about half of my drink because it was just entirely too sweet with the cotton candy dissolving into the soda. It has sort of a galaxy aesthetic, but I would prefer something a bit more functional.

Lunch and Snack Items in Galaxy's Edge


Endorian Fried Chicken Tip-Yip - Purchased at Docking Bay 7, this was a fried chicken meal with broccolini and macaroni and cheese (we substituted for this). Priced at $15.49, I mean, for Galaxy's Edge it was a "reasonable price." At that point in the day, we were both super hungry so we just needed to eat without having to leave Galaxy's Edge. It was nothing spectacular, but it was energy and that's what we needed.

Photo Credit: Wookieepedia (Smartguy74)

Polystarch Puffbread - This was a snack at the Milk Stand, and it was actually quite yummy. Because of the steep price tag, we only bought one and shared it. It is not a big pastry, so for the $7.29, it wasn't really a good value. I hear tell it was once $5.99 and that makes more sense so talk about some major inflation! But it was probably my favorite thing that I ate in Galaxy's Edge, so I'll give it that.

Nighttime Gathering Dining Package Experience

Did this feel exclusive? Yes, so having a special meal, getting a specialty pin for the experience, having professional photos taken on a special balcony, and having a reserved standing space for the Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga projection show on the spires of Galaxy's Edge does feel very exclusive. I'll go into the actual projection show and such in a later post, this will just cover the foods.

HOWEVER, the $89 price tag per person is absurdly steep and was not worth the price of admission, at least for us. Next time, we'll just stand with everybody else near the Millennium Falcon and crane our necks upwards.

I think if the meal itself had been different, as in, an actual meal instead of a bento, then it might have felt like we were getting the value for the cost. I like me a good bento, but it did sort of lower the value of the experience a bit, not because the food wasn't decent, but because it felt cheap, being plated in a space-age experience bento box.


  


As for the food, the best part of the meal for me was the Wonton citrus-ginger chicken salad taco. That was quite delicious. It was disappointing that they only give you one of the tacos but do give you three of the quite heavy Cheeseburger croquettes. For me, I would have preferred the reverse. The goat cheese spread was delicious with the pita bread chips, loved that. Otherwise the meat and cheese section was just, average, nothing special. And, again, the theme of the cereal was carried through to the desserts. There was a chocolate eclair with cocoa puffs and, I think it was a profiterole. They were fine, relatively tasty, but the whole cereal thing just doesn't work for me.

My Final Thoughts

For me and my sister, in our opinion, the food in Galaxy's Edge was not worth the cost. It was not a good value for us overall, and we would likely not eat in that part of Disneyland again.

Our suggestions for improvement would be to not try so hard. Quality over space-age experience would be a really good start. And, let's be honest, the pricing is over-the-top. Counting the Nighttime Gathering experience, the food and drink cost us $247.53 in Galaxy's Edge, and let's be honest now, we were being pretty frugal with our choices. There were only 2 of us. I hate to think how much a family of 4 would spend especially if you throw in the occasional alcoholic drink.

Anyway, this was just our experience. If Galaxy's Edge food is your jam, that's awesome. Of everything, I would try the Green Milk with Red Lichen Paddy Frog Eggs again and I think my sister might like that one too.

Photo Credit: Me unless stated otherwise

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Ride Recap in Star Wars Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

We went, we saw, we conquered, we had an amazing trip to Disneyland!

I'm going to do my recap posts sort of backwards, starting with the last day first.

Our final day was spent primarily in Galaxy's Edge and I have to give kudos to Disney's imagineers at creating such an immersive experience. Literally, it feels like you are in Star Wars, which was sort of what I was expecting, but not to that level.

We'll cover the Galaxy's Edge rides with this post.

  

Yes, we paid for lightning lane for Rise of the Resistance because neither of us wanted to wait 1-2 hours in line for a ride. We're just not those people. With that being said, this is a pretty cool ride, as immersive as Galaxy's Edge itself. You are involved in the story. You're captured by the First Order, interrogated, rescued, all the things. The special effects are pretty epic too, especially one drop in particular that neither of us was expecting, so that was thrilling!

  

What was hilarious was that the ride went down that morning, something that seems to happen with decent regularity. I get it, that ride is complicated, and it would be super easy for things to go wrong. So, nobody was in line for lightning lane (can't speak for the regular line). We just happened to be there at almost the exact second the ride came back up. So we dashed through with our lightning lane passes and we literally had an entire transport to ourselves, JUST THE TWO OF US! That was crazy! And it made the experience that much more immersive, especially considering this was our first time on the ride!

  

Disney put a lot of money and effort into that ride, and I give them absolute props for what they created. We both loved it and will definitely ride it again on our next trip.

Next up is Smuggler's Run, which we both thoroughly enjoyed as well. We were with a sweet little family of 4, and the main concept of the ride is that you are in control of the Millennium Falcon. Each of you is given a job to do with the buttons, knobs, switches in the cabin to make sure the Falcon flies properly. And you get a rating at the end for accuracy. Mine was about 60% accuracy with the buttons, so considering I had no idea what I was doing, that was pretty awesome.

My favorite part wasn't necessarily the ride, but the sense of being inside the Millennium Falcon. I'm old school Star Wars, so for me, anything from the OT is going to be a hit. It was fun feeling like you were walking where Han and Chewie had walked.

I do wish the ride was designed in a way that allowed you to focus on the experience and not on pushing buttons or flipping switches to keep the Falcon from crashing. I feel like I was looking at the console for flashing buttons more than I was focusing on the actual experience. That may just be because this was our first and only time so far on the ride, so I may not have the same response next time.

Of the two rides, because I am old school, I did personally enjoy Smuggler's Run more than Rise of the Resistance. Kylo Ren was never my jam so to have an entire ride be First Order centric was a bit over the top for me, but still, they were both amazing, and I will gladly go on both again. It just depends, I think, on where riders are in their personal Star Wars fandom journey as to which ride they will enjoy more.

A brief mention is that Galaxy's Edge does need more rides. Just having two rides there is not enough for the enormity of that part of the park, so I hope that a few more rides will be added. And for me and mine, we would love a ride that is Mandalorian themed. That would be epic, in the best way!

Future Galaxy's Edge posts will cover the Bounty Hunter magicband+ game, the Shadows of Memory Skywalker Saga light show, the lightsaber build experience, Character experiences, photo ops, and more.

Photo Disclaimer: All photos, unless otherwise stated, have been taken by either me or my sister. I will be hiding our faces when sharing photos where our faces are seen.

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Trip Plans!

Monday, June 23, 2025

My sister and I had a trip planned to the Oregon coast in late September, but because of some personal things that happened this year, neither of us were excited about going, at least, not right now.

Instead, we took a crazy leap and switched the plane tickets to Orange County, CA.

Photo Credit: Undercover Tourist

Yes, we are going to Disneyland in August! 

I understand, the world has a lot going on right now.

But it is Disneyland's 70th anniversary and the park is awash with that theme, and we wanted to do something undeniably fun. Plus, there are 2 Star Wars rides that weren't there the last time we went (it has been a LOOOOOOONG TIME), and there's also the glorious redesign of the log flume ride to Tiana'a Bayou Adventure, which I am so excited about!

At the end of the day, people do need to do what is best for them and their mental health. It is important to care about events going on in the world, and to even donate to causes we care about, but those events should not encompass our every waking moment if we are not living them.

This year is a journey of self-discovery. So much has changed in my personal life, but I am starting to feel emotionally healthier than I have been for quite some time. 

One of the reasons is ditching social media. No, I am not unaware of world events, but I don't feel the need to be on a social platform other than my blog. As of now, this is the only place where people can find me. And it is a relief to have it that way. 

Another reason is being selfish with my time. I say selfish, but is it really?  Doing what I want to do in the time allotted to me outside of work should not be considered a selfish act. I have given myself permission to say no to people when they ask things that are an imposition and do not benefit me. It means that I have stepped back from people who have been a burden on me mentally and physically. And while that was a difficult decision to make, it was necessary. I still care about these people, but I have no desire to see them.

Instead, it's a Disneyland trip with my sister a.k.a best friend in August where we won't be staying on property but will be within a 5 minute walk of the park entrances. We have our tickets, a lunch reservation to the Blue Bayou Restaurant in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and plans to just love every moment of our time there. It will be an immersive getaway, and is something we both need!

Lastly, I am choosing to focus on things I love and leave the other things alone. You can walk away, and in fact, more people should. I'm happy and content with the things that I love and I do not have to defend or explain them to anyone else. Just as I don't require others to defend their loves to me. It's time to live and let live more than I have in the past.

Remember to take care of yourselves and do the things you love. Disney here I come!
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Disneyland Memories - Market House General Store

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Photo Credit: Davelandweb


I absolutely loved this general store/coffee shop on Main Street in Disneyland before it became a Starbucks. I remember how fun it was as a teen and young adult to actually buy coffees and teas that were different, not something you would regularly purchase at a franchise. There was a cinnamon tea latte that was magnificent and I usually ended up drinking at least two whenever we visited the park.

This was back when Disneyland actually felt more small town. You would walk into Market Street and it was an unbranded coffee shop, just like you might find in any other little town in America. Well, I say unbranded, but I do believe the treats you bought were definitely Disneyfied!

I don't remember the wait being all that long, but of course, this was more than 10 years ago the last time I had a non-Starbucks Market House drink. But it was charming to just be in the store and relax and wait for your drink.

Now, I'm not knocking Starbucks. I have been known on many occasions to love me a caramel macchiato from Starbucks, and I actually like how their drinks taste, with that strong bitter note at the end. To each their own, I guess. So know that I do really enjoy Starbucks specialty coffees. I just get tired of waiting in endless lines in Disney and Starbucks, unfortunately, created just another crazy long line, losing a lot of the original Market House charm.

Photo Credit: Davelandweb


I miss Market House the way it was. Because it was something special that you could only get in Disney, both the drink offerings and the overall store experience. The Cinnamon Tea Latte was under $3, which you will never find in a coffee franchise now, ever.

Oh my gosh, I seem to be remembering this incredible cookie that they served too, although I can't find proof of it online so it may be my memory malfunctioning. It was just always a really nice way to start your Disneyland experience, stopping in on Main Street before venturing onto any of the rides. 

And let me just say that all the adorable home decor and kitchen items were just so much fun to browse through. I loved that part of it; having the barrels of goods lining the walls and counters. There was just so much to look at and enjoy.

If you want a walk down memory lane, I recommend checking out this article from the Touring Plans website. It's ideal for the super nostalgic or curious, including a snapshot of the Market House menu and its pricing. And there's also Davelandweb, with so many amazing photos of Market House through the years. That's been a lot of fun to browse through.

A lot can change in 12 years, but Market House the way it was will always hold a special place in my heart.
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