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SYFY WIRE Star Wars Weekly

Star Wars Weekly: Everything you need to know about the Galaxy's Edge opening at Disneyland

By Bryan Young
Galaxy's Edge opening Getty Images

Time again for STAR WARS WEEKLY, the SYFY WIRE series that rounds up the most important news of the week from a galaxy far, far away. Think of us as your own personal Star Wars Holocron.

GALAXY'S EDGE OPENS!

Though Disney cast members, their families, press, and celebrities have been getting sneak peeks at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge for weeks, the park officially opened to the public today.

Lines were long ...

Though fans can only get inside during their assigned four-hour windows, that hasn't prevented a crush of people from showing up, excited to be there for the first day.

Even for the opening event, the throngs of people were dying to get in; they've got to be packed in like absolute sardines today.

It came as no surprise that Disney CEO Bob Iger was on hand to launch the park, but he assembled a bunch of Star Wars veterans to help: Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and even George Lucas himself.

Galaxy's Edge opening; George Lucas, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Bob Iger, Harrison Ford

THE MILLENNIUM FALCON: SMUGGLER'S RUN

The signature attraction at Galaxy's Edge is Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. Fans are hired by the space pirate Hondo Ohnaka to steal a shipment of coaxium from Corellia.

He's borrowed the ship from Chewbacca, and if all goes well, the shipment of coaxium will be used to help the ailing Resistance and profit old Hondo.

I have to say, there's not a feeling in the world that I can liken taking control of the Falcon to.

It's just pure joy.

Here I am on the ride with SYFY WIRE's Katie Wilson:

You're going to want to get in and explore the ride.

And trust me, the left pilot is the best position. Sure, the right pilot sends you into hyperspace, but left is the one who controls the ride the most.

VI MORADI: RESISTANCE SPY

Vi Moradi, first introduced in Delilah Dawson's Phasma, is a central character to the Resistance and Batuu in general. She scouted the location of Batuu and is helping them hide there, and the First Order desperately wants to capture her.

Since this is a Disney park, naturally there are interactive shows to check out, and Vi features prominently in the park.

Here she is dodging First Order troopers and getting an assist from Chewbacca:

If you run into her at the park, whatever you do, don't alert the First Order.

Vi was created for Galaxy's Edge but is soon going to be starring in a brand-new book, Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire, which will fill in more details about the goings-on in the park.

DJ-R3X

I'll leave you with this, my favorite photograph I captured during my time on Batuu.

It's Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) hanging out at the cantina, taking video and pictures of DJ-R3X.

For those who don't know, R3X was the original pilot on Star Tours and was phased out when the ride was revamped. Ruebens was the voice of R3X. Now he's made a new life in Oga's Cantina, once again voiced by Ruebens.

Seeing him there, awestruck and taking photos of his own character like the rest of us, was magic.

And until next week: May the Force be with you!