This was our third time attending Star Wars Nite, an After Dark event at Disneyland. While my husband and I had fun (it's STAR WARS, we're automatically going to have a good time), we think the last two years were better experiences overall, though fans who are going for the first time might not feel the same as we do since they have nothing to compare it to. I'm sharing many photos from the event and our overall experience today. Buckle up! This a photo-heavy post.
Jumpsuit: ASOS
Cardigan: Forever 21 | (Similar)
Faux Leather Bows: Forever 21 | (Similar)
Yoda Ears: Crocheted by my mom
Bag: Dok Ondar's at Galaxy's Edge
Nike Revolution 5: Nordstrom Rack | (Similar)
Green Shoe Laces: Amazon
Lightsaber: Entertainment Earth or Amazon
WHAT JASON WORE
Orange Long-sleeve: Amazon (Sleeves DIY'ed by me)
Brown Vest: Amazon
Brown Tank: Amazon
Corduroy Pants: Amazon
Headpiece: Amazon
Jewels (Eyes): Amazon
Waist Pack: Amazon
Nike Revolution 5: Kohls | (Similar)
Orange Shoe Laces: Amazon
Jason and I bounded as Jar Jar Binks and Master Yoda while our friends, Ash and Bryan showed up in their Han Solo and teenage Kylo Ren cosplays. We had a great time with our characters, and interacting with others throughout the night. It made for some fun conversations! Dressing up is not required, but it adds another level of fun. We loved showing our love for The Phantom Menace!
This year, there are several dates to attend in April and May. Ticket prices are $159 and $169, depending on which night you choose to go. Tickets for April are still available here.
The event runs from 9pm-1am, but guests with a ticket can enter Disneyland as early as 6pm. No park admission or reservation is needed for After Dark events! However, if you also get a reservation for the day, like we did, you can arrive earlier than 6pm and bypass the 6pm crowds. The check-in is located in Tomorrowland at the old Starcade building and it's open in the afternoon, I heard 2:30pm. You'll receive a lanyard (it's not laminated this year, so be careful with it), a guide map, and a chance to purchase Star Wars Nite merchandise. There isn't much but they went with a Darth Vader theme!
Anyone who doesn't have an event ticket must leave Disneyland at 8pm. The Cast Members do a fantastic job of checking to ensure only those with a wristband are present. You'll be asked to show your wristbands a few times as it gets closer to the event's start.
We enjoyed getting photos with Star Wars characters we missed last year, like Queen Amidala and Anakin, the Jawas and R5-D4, and even BB-8! However, we were disappointed that no new characters were on the roster. In fact, there were fewer character meet-and-greets because some weren't present, such as Captain Rex, Sabine, Ezra, and the Seventh Sister.
While Hera Syndulla and Fennec Shand are not new characters, they've returned for Star Wars Nite on Batuu. This made me happy, especially for those who may have missed seeing them before they traveled off the planet.
Many of the meet-and-greets are walk-throughs, meaning the CMs are trying to keep the line continuously going, which can make it hard to get photos and videos depending on who is running it. Just be ready! Please also note that when you get in line to meet a group of characters, some could disappear for a break at any given moment. This happened to us with Luke, Leia, and R2-D2. We were just about to go up and meet them when Luke and Leia left. We were told that we would have to get back in line to see them. However, as we got closer to the end of the line, they still weren't back, so we waited in a corner in line and let others in line go ahead of us. It had been at least 30 minutes since they'd been gone which felt unusual considering the event is only 4 hours long. A CM saw us waiting in line and told us we had to keep moving with the rest of the people, so we didn't get to meet the twins. It was quite unfortunate!
The photo-ops were also the same as last year, except for the addition of a Light Side and Dark Side photo-op, which was the night's theme.
There are a few mini-shows throughout the night, like the March of the First Order in Tomorrowland, where fans can witness Captain Phasma and her First Order Stormtroopers marching. It's my absolute favorite! Another fun one is seeing Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes playing Cantina music on the Rivers of America. Fans who like the lightsaber meet-ups on Batuu will probably enjoy it even more on Star Wars Nite because Rey is present!
The Light Side and Dark Side theme was mostly evident on Main St. and the castle, which were red and blue. Fans are encouraged to vote for their preference with a QR code. The votes are tallied, and the results determine which side wins a few times throughout the night, where the colors are no longer split but become completely red or blue. It was visually pretty cool, but I prefer the sparkly castle with the Star Wars projections they've done before. It felt more magical to me!
We didn't get the chance to walk over and see "It's a Small World" but I believe there were hyperspace projections like previous years!
There are several new drinks and foods to try and some returning favorites. I tried the new Wookie Whoopie Pie available at Galactic Grill and the Alien Pizza Planet for $7.99. It's a chocolate whoopie pie with caramel mousse and white, dark, and silver crunch pearls. It's a bit of a messy eat, but I absolutely LOVED it! I wish it were something that they'd carry outside of the event.
Another one of my favorites that I didn't get this time around is the Galactic Princess Sundae from the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor on Main St. It's brown sugar-cinnamon flavored icecream with marshmallow creme, caramel, and cinnamon rolls with streusel to represent Princess Leia's space buns. Delicious!
There is a special commemorative patch for Magic Keyholders available for pick-up at Mickey's Toontown. We didn't make it over there, but I thought I'd share it here if you're interested! It's best to pick it up towards the beginning of the evening as they could run out.
For more fun with Jar Jar and Yoda, be sure to visit my Reels page on Instagram.
Have you been to Star Wars Nite? What was your favorite thing about the event? If you haven't, please let me know if you have any questions! Leave a comment below or get in touch with me on Instagram or Twitter.
Most lightsaber edits (some photos are unedited because the lightsaber was really that bright) thanks to Galactic Surplus.
Disclaimer: Affiliate links were used in this post meaning if you purchase something from Amazon or Entertainment Earth, I will receive a commission.
No comments