Fourth of July, Star Wars Style

 by Beth Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 6, 2022

 

A pup recovering from surgery and receiving medication every few hours kept us tethered to our house over the Fourth of July holiday. Facing a stretch of three days of unstructured time, my son declared it a “Star Wars marathon” weekend. 

 

He broke out the Galaxy’s Edge cookbook he’d bought me several Christmases ago, and paged through the recipes to find some dishes that would coordinate with his selection of movies, carefully linking recipes geographically and thematically to the films.  I readily agreed to his plan for the weekend, expecting him to pull out, at most, three or four recipes for the main meals of the weekend.  We ended up with a dozen recipes to test out.

Our guide for the weekend’s culinary journey was Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Marc Sumerak. It’s a fun book which has served us well in the past, with a few caveats (such as the fact that the Ronto Wrap recipe in the book looks, and tastes,  NOTHING like the delicacy you know and love from Batuu). Beautiful full color photos accompany the recipes, and origin stories and tales from Intergalactic cook Strono “Cookie” Tuggs are shared throughout.  Even if you aren’t a chef, the book is an entertaining read, and the recipes are offered at various levels of difficulty.

 

Armed with pages of instructions, bags of supplies, and new batteries in the remote control, we began our adventure. And almost came to a grinding halt.  Our first recipe was a disaster of epic proportions. For starters, the picture of the Sunrise Caf, a coffee-based drink, was photographed as a glass of basically black coffee.  Our finished product looked so different (and off-putting) that we thought we must have done something wrong, and we poured it out and started over. Attempt number two wasn’t much better.  The flavor of the drink was somewhat Christmasy, but the color was a kind of burnt orange and a touch on the oily side, due, we assume, to the coconut oil in the recipe. To put it kindly, it was not a success.  

 

We tried a much more enjoyable beverage on the next round. The Coruscant Cooler was a sweet-tart blend with cranberry, dark cherry puree, bourbon, vermouth and lime juice, along with a viewing of The Phantom Menace. (In the parks, the Coruscant Cooler is $16.00 at Ronto Roasters.)

The Phantom Menace was followed up with Attack of the Clones, to which we added a serving of Moogan Tea, a chocolate milk and iced tea concoction that was much tastier than it probably sounds on paper! Dinner that night was an entrée of Yobshrimp Noodle Salad from Naboo, since that was where our movie was based, and it was delicious enough that we will offer it for dinner again in the future. The soy sauce and lime marinade gave it a bit of tang, and you can never go wrong with lots of chilled shrimp.

The next day found us queuing up Revenge of the Sith on the television, and lining up chicken and bread in the kitchen.  It was a much more fruitful operation, and the Fried Endorian Tip Yip and Mustafarian Lava Buns were well-received.  In fact, the Lava Buns will probably make their way into our regular dining rotation. They weren’t terribly difficult to make, and were kind of like a pretzel roll in flavor.  The hardest part was actually waiting for the dough to rise.  And the house smelled wonderful with all that yeasty goodness baking up. Plus, it was kind of fun to see the black outer shell of the bread crackle during baking to show the red dough underneath, looking just like a lava rock.  The addition of a few pinches of coarse salt to the outside of the dough also gave the “rocks” a bit of texture and sparkle.

 

Our libations during the movies that evening included the Blurrgfire, a lemony blend with pomegranate juice that was allegedly developed by one of the bartenders at Oga’s Cantina on Batuu, according to our book narrator. In the world of Hollywood Studio’s Oga’s, the Blurrgfire goes for $7.00. It’s normally served non-alcoholic, but we added a touch of watermelon rum to our version.  

 

The Endorian Tip Yip was basically fried chicken strips served over mashed “chokeroot” (with artichoke hearts and parsnips) and a bright green “Gurreck” sauce made from lots of fresh herbs. As a note to those of you trying to order the Tip Yip at Docking Bay 7 in Hollywood Studios ($15.49), it’s a slightly different take than the cookbook. The park’s version has a mac-and-cheese side. (Chokeroot supply chain issues in the Outer Rim, presumably.)

Our final day’s entertainment on the Fourth of July completed our marathon with the original trilogy of Star Wars movies, and a fancier dessert. We cheated a little on our main entrée, using the Pitmaster’s Choice as a burger, rather than as the longer-baked jerky it was meant to be, and paired it with a side of Xizor Salad with its blue Chadian dressing and parmesan crisps. 

For dessert, we baked up the Wroshyr Tree Cake, a lovely chocolate frosted spice cake with crushed pistachio “moss” on the outer edges, designed to look like a section of a tree ring.  Accompanying the films were two non-cookbook recipes: the Yub Nub, a citrusy-pineapple drink, in honor of our Ewok friends in the movie; and Blue Milk, which a quick google search brought to us from the internet, rather than the Galaxy’s Edge book. (The on-planet Yub Nub comes in a souvenir glass at Oga’s in Hollywood Studios for $45.00!) 

And in case you felt bad for us that we missed the various local fireworks’ shows, don’t be sad. George Lucas provided ample fireworks in the final movie of our marathon, Return of the Jedi. And we didn’t need to find parking or fight the crowds! 

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

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9 Reasons to Love Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World

by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 10, 2019

Was the reported $1 billion Disney spent on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Walt Disney World worth it? Well, for this columnist, economist and fan, the answer is: Darn right! 

As for the economics, MyNews13.com recently noted, “Galaxy's Edge, highly-anticipated 14-acre land, was more than three years in the making, costing $1 billion. It created 1,700 new permanent jobs, plus 5,500 trade, artisan and construction jobs, according to Disney.”

Accounts on the early crowds have varied widely. On its August 29^th Opening Day, Galaxy’s Edge hit capacity at 7:00 AM, and was closed accordingly. Subsequent days’ traffic were lighter than many had expected, but it’s hard to disentangle such assessments from the threat of Hurricane Dorian, the normal post-Labor Day attendance slowdown, and some major heat days – not to mention media and online spin vs. company and customer preferences.

To be honest, attendance from the first week-plus does not provide much information of value in terms of assessing Disney’s investment in Galaxy’s Edge. We need a larger sample size.

And as reported by CNBC, Disney offered a different take on the idea that success is measured by people suffering on long lines. With the eight to 10-hour waits at the opening of NBCUniversal’s Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike coaster at Islands of Adventure clearly in mind, Bob Chapek, chairman of parks, experiences and products, was quoted:

“One of the wins that we had with the opening of the original Galaxy’s Edge is that we didn’t have the waits. The deep secret is that we don’t intend to have lines ... If you build in enough capacity, the rides don’t go down and it operates at 99% efficiency, you shouldn’t have 10-hour lines. So, 10-hour lines are not a sign of success. It should be seen as a sign of, frankly, failure.”

Hmmm. There certainly is a point there, but we’re left to disentangle spin and reality. From the perspective of best serving customers, who can seriously argue that 10 hour waits are a plus?

As for my review of Galaxy’s Edge...

Based on arriving at Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu during the opening weekend at Hollywood Studios, and coming back a few more times in subsequent days, here are 9 reasons to love Galaxy’s Edge.

1) Immersion. Upon entering the land, the experience becomes nearly completely immersive. I cannot think of anything in the realm of entertainment that comes close to matching this, especially on such a scale. The vistas, the buildings, décor, and the cast members meld together into a fantastic adventure for visitors.

2) Millennium Falcon. At the center point of this immersion sits the Millennium Falcon. That’s right, the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. Visitors get close-up views, from nearly all angles – from sides, below and above – of one of the most famous space vessels in movie history. And close inspection reveals wondrous levels of detail and artistry.

3) Smugglers Run. The fun with the Millennium Falcon doesn’t stop with taking in the outside of the ship. Rather, on the Smugglers Run ride, you’re inside this iconic ship as part of a smuggling mission. Playing the role as a pilot, gunner or engineer on the bridge of the Millennium Falcon is another unique experience. My son called the ride the most expensive video game ever made. True. But it’s much more than that, of course, given that you’re inside the game, if you will. And feeling like you're sitting where Han Solo, Chewie, Princess Leia, Rey, and Luke Skywalker sat is a Star Wars fan’s dream come true.

Yes, that's me in the Millennium Falcon!

4) More Ships! A truly immersive Star Wars experience must include other ships. And several are positioned throughout Galaxy’s Edge – an A-wing fighter, an X-wing fighter, a TIE Echelon, and a transport ship resting above Hangar Bay 7. Each, again, makes the trip to Batuu more enjoyable – especially the transport ship sitting high above the hangar area and the Falcon.

5) Oga’s Cantina. Stepping inside Oga’s Cantina takes the guest still deeper into the engagement with Black Spire Outpost. It’s a lively bar with décor and atmosphere that feels like it came right out of one of the Star Wars movies. And the drinks – with and without alcohol – are tasty and a heck of a lot of fun. I enjoyed Jabba Juice (Simply Orange with pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe, and blueberry popping pearls), a Black Spire Brew (Cold Brew Joffrey’s Coffee, honey, falernum, passion fruit, and citrus), a Hyperdrive (Powerade Mountain Berry Blast, white cranberry juice, black cherry purée, and Sprite), and the bubbling, smoking Carbon Freeze (Powerade Lemon Lime, wild strawberry, blueberry, and green apple popping pearls).

6) Blue Milk. So, you have a choice at the Black Spire Outpost between Blue Milk and Green Milk. No doubt, the debate will rage on between these Star Wars beverages. I’m in the Blue Milk camp – but I’ll take either on a hot day as both are slushy-type beverages. 

7) Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities. Here’s a fun stop where the shop itself is just as interesting as the merchandise being sold. The collection of light sabers is impressive ... and on the pricey side.

8) Interactions. Galaxy’s Edge does offer opportunities for unique interactions with cast members who portray an assortment of people on Batuu, including Storm Troopers, members of the Resistance, those with the First Order, and so on. There also are very specific characters circulating, such as Kylo Ren and Vi Moradi, a Resistance spy. I happened to have an interaction with Moradi just before Galaxy’s Edge closed one night, and I had to assure her that I was with the freedom fighters.

9) Anticipation. As enjoyable as Galaxy’s Edge is now, there’s also the anticipation for what’s to come. We know that the Rise of the Resistance ride is coming to Galaxy’s Edge on December 5, serving up, as Disney puts it, “a massive, multi-platform, new attraction that is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced at Walt Disney World Resort… or anywhere else in the galaxy!” And sometime after that, the Star Wars hotel – a Galactic Starcruiser named Halcyon – will be arriving to take guests on a two-night, three-day immersive space cruise, including a visit to the Black Spire Outpost.

So far, Disney is doing Galaxy’s Edge right, and everything points to the experience for guests getting even better. That will turn out to be good news for Disney shareholders. And watch out if Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – directed by J.J. Abrams and being released in December of this year – turns out to be a winner, thereby reigniting passion among assorted Star Warsfans who were disenchanted (and justifiably so) with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

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