Disney World’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening-Day Crowd Quickly Reaches Capacity

When the highly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened Thursday at Walt Disney World Resort, it quickly reached capacity. Shortly after it was fully opened to the public, the land was forced to enact the boarding-pass system, or a virtual queue, according to the park’s official app.

That meant guests could not just enter the land. Rather, they had to wait until it was their group’s turn.

At 10:30 a.m. ET, the app said the foremost group would not be allowed in until the “afternoon.” 

The ride in the land, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, had a three-hour wait at 10:30 a.m. ET, according to the app.

By 2:45 p.m. ET, the land had gone off the wait and was listed as open to all, according to the park app. The wait time for the ride was down to two hours. 

This scenario mirrors what happened when Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland in June. The land was so popular, the boarding-pass system was needed within an hour — and used for a good chunk of that day.

Smugglers Run at SoCal was also immensely popular, with a three-hour wait at one point on opening day.

The Star Wars land in Anaheim had a soft opening May 31, when a reservation was required to get into the 14-acre area that features Smugglers Run and a number of shops and restaurants, all in the theme of a galaxy far, far away.

For the moment, the land at both parks only has one ride. A second, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will open at Disney World in December and at Disneyland in January.

Star Wars: #GalaxysEdge opened today at Disney World — and it’s just as packed as when it opened here. The virtual queue is on and there is a bit of a wait for Smugglers Run… pic.twitter.com/EGwcEvPTni

— Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) August 29, 2019

11:45 a.m.: Updated with info about the land going off the wait.

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