Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite is back at the Disneyland Resort. This year, there are more nights than ever. This celebration of all that is Star Wars comes ahead of Star Wars Celebration Japan in a little over a week, and then May the 4th. Currently, May 4th is the only night that has sold out of Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite tickets.
On the opening night, I attended Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite to check out this year’s offerings. Below is a look at some of the photos I took throughout the night.
A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey
My photos on this night began by seeing A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey. This takes place in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in the area around the Millennium Falcon. This is a moment of conflict between the Resistance and the First Order that is easily the best offering at Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite. It is simply magical seeing everyone get into the story that is unfolding around them during this moment.
Droids
My next photo was taken in Tomorrowland at the Tomorrowland Terrace. This was where three droids were found interacting with guests who waited in line for a quick picture. R2-D2, R5-D4, and BB-8 could all be found on the stage. They appeared to be enjoying being in the spotlight, especially R2.
Emporer Palpatine
Just a few steps away, Emperor Palpatine and his royal guard could be seen on the second level of Star Wars Launch Bay. He glowered down at attendees as they moved by, stopped for photos, pointed, and then moved on. While he was fairly far away and it was pretty dark, it was still awesome getting to see him.
Chopper
The next stop was getting to meet Chopper. At first, it looked like there would also be a chance to meet Sabine Wren. However, she left before we made it to the front of the line. Chopper was having a blast being even more the center of attention, though, so it was a win-win.
Fans of the Force Costume Cavalcade
Since it wasn’t far away, we watched Fans of the Force Costume Cavalcade next. This is always fun to see Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in their Star Wars-inspired outfits as they accompany hundreds of their closest Star Wars friends who are decked out in varying levels of cosplay and outfits. This is a cute moment, and those who attend can scan a QR code so they can get the group picture in front of the castle with Mickey and Minnie.
Queen Amidala
Visiting Queen Amidala was the next stop. She was solo over in Fantasy Faire. We stopped by a couple of times but saw no sign of Anakin Skywalker. Perhaps our timing was off. Amidala was awesome, however.
Partners Statue
The lights around the Partners Statue during Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite are really quite awesome. I love the effect and took several photos before moving on.
DJ
The DJ that was found on the other side of the Hub in front of the Partners Statue was also a lot of fun. It was a little surprising to hear some of the music choices of the night that were a bit adult in nature. I suppose since it is Disneyland After Dark, it must be ok to have some adult-themed tunes.
Saying Goodnight
There was a goodnight moment with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as the event came to a close. We made our way down Main Street, USA (which had some fantastic projections this year) to check out this moment. Mickey and Minnie were absolutely adorable and a lot of fun to watch. It would have been awesome to see even more characters at this “fond farewell” moment. For 90s Nite, there were almost too many. Perhaps somewhere in the middle would be great.
Final Thoughts
Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite was a lot of fun. It was a night spent with new friends and old. They say “it takes a village.” For this night, that was definitely true. After my sciatica had rendered me useless for almost a week, I couldn’t walk more than a couple of dozen yards. Thankfully, Caitie pushed me around for most of the night (except for when I would wheel myself away to go see something), and other friends brought more adventure and laughter to the evening.
The event itself was similar but different from previous years. There was no March of the First Order this year, and that was a bit of a bummer. Moving the lightsaber training to Fantasyland Theatre was a very good move. The lightsaber moment with Rey also continues to be an incredible moment that everyone should get to experience. There was also a new band playing on Tom Sawyer Island. It was a fun group, but I’m not entirely sure how they fit into a Star Wars night. I almost wish there had been a band that would do Star Wars parodies of popular songs or something.
It will be interesting to see how this Disneyland After Dark evolves moving forward. It is an incredible opportunity to see many characters from a galaxy far, far away that generally don’t make appearances in the parks. It also has some great music, incredible moments, and delicious foods (those Yoda biegnets I could eat all day!). It does feel like it might be missing something without the fireworks that were once shown or March of the First Order.
Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite continues to be one of my favorite after-hours events at Disneyland each year. It is so fun to be celebrating this fandom with so many other people who are there to do the same. It’s a positive vibe AND we get to hear John Williams’ iconic Star Wars scores throughout the park! I can see why people want to celebrate May the 4th by attending this event. It also makes sense that this was the first night to sell out. After attending this event, I can’t wait for more Star Wars content to arrive. Thankfully, season two of Andor is not very far off!
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