The Launch Bay is also where you will find some character meet and greets with some of your favourite Star Wars characters. Currently you can choose to step into the Dark side and meet Kylo Ren on the bridge of his Star Destroyer as he attempts to persuade you to join the dark side. The experiences are very intimate because the way the line works you do not actually see the character until it is your turn which is great!
You can also choose the light side (don't worry you can do both) and meet Chewbacca in a hidden rebel base where he will interact with you and respond to what you say in his famous Wookie growl. We had so much fun at this interaction! I was wearing a Darth Vader dress and he was not a fan! He ketp pointing at my dress and crossing his arms and making sad or scared Wookie groans. I love how in character they were, they truly bring them to life!
Outside the Launch Bay the experience doesn't end, as all day long there are two First Order Stormtroopers patrolling the area interacting with park guests outside of the building. This was probably one of my favorite touches to the Launch Bay area!
Periodically throughout the day (generally every hour until 4pm) Captain Phasma will come out with an army of Stormtroopers for Captain Phasma's First Order Stormtrooper March. She will lead the march from the Launch Bay to the stage in front of the Chinese Theatre. She will then go on stage and announce that she is there under the order of General Hux before heading down to the Stormtroopers who have lined up in front of the stage to give them commands. They will then March back to the Launch Bay.
The stage in front of the Chinese Theatre is also the location for the current stage show Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away which takes place several times throughout the day. The show plays out iconic moments from the movies on screens as well as all of your favourite characters each taking the stage.
Closing out the day is the current Star Wars fireworks display Symphony in the Stars: A Galactic Spectacular. Being major Star Wars fans we decided to get the full experience with the Symphony in the Stars fireworks dessert party. We thought this was a great experience! We found our own table and various dessert and beverage stations were setup with Star Wars themed desserts and beverages. Also included is alcoholic beverages, we tried two out of the 4 choices. My favourite was the "Jakku Juicy Cocktail (Green Apple Lemonade with Citrus Vodka). The other drink we tried was "The Force"(Pomegranate Lemonade with Jim Beam Bourbon), this one I really didn't prefer(not a bourbon drinker).
The presentation and atmosphere for the dessert party was fantastic! I am more of a picky eater so my favourite treats were the Mickey Ice Cream bars and Darth Vader chocolate cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting. My husband really enjoyed the other desserts, and the options were plentiful and included: Darth Maul Eclairs, BB8 Lemon Cakes, Fruit Sabers, etc! Also included in the party was a souvenir Chewbacca drink stein! If you are a Star Wars fanatic like us and love desserts I would highly recommend the dessert party!
Once we had filled ourselves up it was time for the fireworks to start! The fireworks display was absolutely incredible! We went back another night to watch them again because we loved them so much! The show is about 8 minutes long and is a fireworks display synchronised with Star Wars music and voice clips. This would be up there with my favourite fireworks displays in Disney, and the show is only going to get better! In the upcoming months the fireworks are going to be enhanced to include lightsaber battles in the sky with lasers, light projections, fire as well as other special effects! I'm pretty excited to see the new show when we return in October!!
As you can see there is lots and lots of Star Wars at Hollywood Studios! All of these additions have been to hold everyone over until the new land is built. There is no confirmed date for when this should be opening (I would expect at least 2019-2020). Disney recently announced this expansion and released the below concept art which looks amazing! The land is expected to be very immersive and will include two new attractions, including a simulator inside the Millennium Falcon!! There will also be themed restaurants and a market with various shops.
