Here’s Why You MUST Go To “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” ASAP

Jun 05, 2019

If you’re looking for an out of this world experience this summer, and you happen to be a Star Wars fan, then you will need to make arrangements to get to Disneyland STAT. The happiest place on earth just celebrated the grand opening of Star Wars: A Galaxy’s Edge, their largest park expansion ever and the most anticipated.

Star Wars: A Galaxy’s Edge is a 14- acre immersive experience located in the back of the park, adjacent to Frontierland and Critter Country. Once you walk through the entrance, you’ll find yourself transported to the Black Spire Outpost on the far-flung planet of Batuu. The land isn’t designed only for the rabid Star Wars fan; it manages to please all levels of interstellar interest. While you will see hardcore fans shed a tear when they first set eyes on the Millennium Falcon, you’ll also witness the wide-eyed awe of Star Wars newbies getting their first real taste of the Force. It’s an incredible experience for all, and here’s why. (Photo via Josh O/ DisneylandPanda)

The Ride: At present, there is just one ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. A second ride — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — will be gracing the galaxy later this year. But for now, the Falcon experience is more than enough. Visitors enter the Millennium Falcon common room after walking through the iconic hallways and receiving a team card with an assigned role on it. There are three positions — pilot, gunner, or an engineer — each plays a part in the assigned mission. The ride is like a combo of Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Astro-Blasters, it’s an interactive rollicking ride. (Photo via Josh O/ DisneylandPanda)

Food and Drinks: You won’t find any burgers or fries in Batuu. The menu is far more adventurous and exotic then what’s offered in other areas of the park. You can sip on Blue or Green milk available at the Milk Stand. For a snack, head to Kat Saka’s Kettle to gobble down on a mixture of sweet, savory, and spicy popcorn. Ronto Roasters offers up Ronto Wraps, a pita filled with roasted pork, a grilled pork sausage, and topped with tangy slaw. Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it’s also the go-to place for deserts like the Oi-oi Puff (a raspberry cream puff with passion fruit mousse) and Batuu-bon (chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse and coffee custard). (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

The Cantina: Besides the heavily themed restaurant and food stalls, there is one destination that must be high on your list — a visit to Oga’s Cantina. This richly decorated watering hole is the only place in Disneyland (besides the exclusive Club 33) where alcohol is served, which was a big decision to make, but really, how could you have a cantina that’s home to bounty hunters and smugglers without booze? They offer up concoctions such as The Jedi Mind Trick (Ketel One grapefruit and rose vodka with Bols Blue Curaco, white grape juice, and grapefruit bitter) and the Fuzzy Tauntaun (Ciroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, orange juice with a tangerine and sugar foam). There are also heavy duty souvenir mugs you can buy to plus your drink; the Porg one is adorable! (Photos via Sunny Chanel)

The shopping experiences: We won’t lie to you, you will spend more of your hard earned cash than you probably intended to after walking into Galaxy’s Edge. It’s not just the beautifully curated shop hawking Star Wars this and that, it’s the process in which they manage to separate you from your money. At Droid Depot, you can assemble your very own custom “astromech unit’ using a wide array of pieces flowing down a conveyer belt. After you’ve put together your new loyal friend, and it has been activated, the droid will interact with it’s surrounding in wild ways. At Savi’s Lightsabers, Jedis young and old have the opportunity to customize and build a one-of-a-kind lightsaber. This experience, which is shrouded in secrecy and takes place behind closed doors, is an additional $199+, but you walk away with a new family heirloom. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

The experience: Throughout your visit to Batuu, you will meet a variety of citizens of the land and the Star Wars universe. You might see Rey mingling with the masses, or Chewbacca hugging a kid in Mickey ears, and it’s hard not to get a chill in your bones when you see the Stromtroppers patrolling the land. The cast members, those serving the food, selling the stuffies, and guarding the droids, are all part of the narrative. They sprinkle their vernacular with Batuuian phrases such as “Bright Suns” (hello) and “Rising Moon” (Goodbye). To dig deeper into the world, whip out your cell phone and interact with the world via Disney’s Play app. You’ll be able to translate the language on signs and buildings, hack motherboards, and partake in special missions. (Photo via Josh O/ DisneylandPanda)

The look: Beyond all the pomp and circumstance of the lightsabers, droids, and exotic drinks served up in Porgs, what really is awe-inspiring about Galaxy’s Edge is attention to detail and breadth of place-ness. Once you walk through the tunnels into Batuu you are completely transported to another time, another place, and you completely forget you’re in Disneyland, or even on this planet for that matter. Merely being able to meander through the mud-hued walkways and soak in the ambiance is enough of a reason to visit Galaxy’s Edge. (Photo via Josh O/ DisneylandPanda)

To visit Batuu between now and June 23, you will need a reservation. Currently, the best to do that is by booking a Disneyland Resort which comes with a guaranteed time slot to visit the new land. After June 23rd, the park is open to everyone!

'Wicked' Star Michelle Yeoh On Pranking Ariana Grande & Singing With Cynthia Erivo — Exclusive

We've seen Michelle Yeoh's striking sophistication in Crazy Rich Asians, and seen her kick butt in Everything Everywhere All At Once, but in Wicked, we finally hear her sing! "I was terrified," she exclusively reveals to Brit + Co. "First of all, you know, singing in a room with your coach, singing in the recording studio, it's okay because it's very few people and it's you, and it's in a contained area, but that scene had so many people around and you know, and there you have the singing legend Cynthia [Erivo]."

Michelle Yeoh reveals she was "terrified" to sing in the Wicked movie.
Cynthia Erivo was her "rock" throughout filming the scene.
She also says reuniting with director Jon M. Chu was "wonderful."

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

"She was like my rock," Michelle says of the movie's leading lady. "She just looked at me, held my hands and she said, 'I know you can do this because I've heard you, so just sing, just go for it and have fun.' And you know when you have a dear friend who has confidence in you? It just like gives you that extra [push], and I did and I had fun. So that was all in all a good day."

It's no surprise on a movie set with so many musical geniuses — Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Jonathan Bailey — that the cast would break into song between takes. "I was, like, in a rock concert the whole time," Michelle says. "I was just sitting back and watching them and they are like little angels singing. They have such incredible voices."

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

When we meet Michelle Yeoh's character Madame Morrible, she becomes an integral part of both Glinda and Elphaba's lives as a professor and a mentor. And for Michelle, working with Ariana and Cynthia was an "incredible opportunity."

"It was really truly magical in that sense to be surrounded by that kind of kinship and love," she says. "That was very, very special indeed. Ariana is young and she's so eager, and so loving and lovely at the same time. And so working with her — Jon and I sometimes would play tricks on her. He'll come up to me and say, 'can you just scare the h—ll out of Ariana?' And I'm like, 'No,' he said, 'Please, it will be so fun.' And it was! I mean, I scared her so bad her eye lens popped out. We are so naughty."

"And then with Cynthia, she's a pro, come on!" Michelle continues. "She's an Academy nominee, he's a [Tony] winner. She's everything, but at the same time so grounded. And when you work with people like that who is passionate, who is because they only make you better, we only try to make each other better, and that is the true experience of an amazing storyteller. It was fantastic, and having Jon around again was wonderful."

Universal Pictures

In our final moments together I can't help but point out how the film makes room for every kind of woman, and how it'll make every viewer feel more powerful when the credits roll. "I think the most amazing thing, it's like you can be whatever you want to be, and believe that people will accept you for who and what you are," Michelle says. "I think that's the most important thing.

I think the very diverse cast makes a big difference because you know, you have a Madame Morrible who's Asian looking, then you have an Elphaba who's green, but more than green. So I think that the coming together of this cast and particularly at this time — why did they hold out for 20 years before they brought it to a cinematic experience? I think there are very good reasons for that."

See our interview with Ethan Slater to hear more about Ariana Grande & Jonathan Bailey, The Wicked Cast Family, And Embarrassing Crushes.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Ethan Slater Says Ariana Grande Helped 'Wicked' Cast "Immediately" Feel Like A Family

Ethan Slater might have snagged a role in the Wicked movie, but he's as much of a fan as the rest of us. "It was such an honor to be a part of," he exclusively tells Brit + Co. "That sounds like a sort of a platitude, but it really was, I'm such a big fan of Wicked and have been for so long that to be a part of it is insane."

Ethan Slater considers his role in the Wicked movie "an honor."
The cast felt like a family "immediately" thanks to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
He also points out an Easter egg that will change the way you see Jonathan Bailey's 'Dancing Through Life.'

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, as well as director Jon M. Chu, welcomed the cast with open arms — literally. "[They] would hug everyone who came in," he says. "The first day I think every actor had a minimum two-hour meeting with Jon just to walk through all of the designs and all the things and talk about character. And so from from the very beginning, it just felt like it's really safe...This huge movie is something that we've been waiting for for 20 years on a big scale with the biggest stars in the world, it could have felt really intimidating and it felt really familial immediately."

And part of that family dynamic meant there was a lot of laughing, even if there weren't too many pranks. "There was a lot of just hanging out and giggling on set. I think Jon and Michelle [Yeoh] have a real special — they go back and so they were really funny...All of the people in this cast from afar are so intimidating. It's Michelle Yeoh, like, it's Jeff Goldblum. And then in person, they're just down to clown and it was so fun. I don't know if [there were] pranks, I was too nervous to do pranks. And I think people were kind and didn't prank me, but there was a lot of giggles."

With Ariana Grande's natural humor and SNL star Bowen Yang, it's no wonder some of the funniest moments happened during the Shiz University scenes. "I cannot wait for like the roll out of everything that Bowen said that isn't in the movie, or Ari, honestly, said that isn't in the movie. Just take after take."

"It's hard not to [laughing while filming]," he continues. "I think we were pretty good. But the moments where somebody broke, it was always great. There's one that's seared into my memory of, in Doctor Dillamond's classroom, I don't remember what Ari said but she got Cynthia and it's just the two of them across the way and they're staring at each other and she got her so good. There's something really wonderful about breaking. It's delightful."

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Another standout scene featuring the Shiz students is "Dancing Through Life," and the number's rehearsal is one of Ethan Slater's most memorable days on Wicked. "We had a rehearsal with, I don't know, maybe 100 dancers working on 'Dancing Through Life' and Jon came down, this was really early on and he gathered all the dancers around and he gave this speech [where] he basically told the story about how he fell in love with filmmaking," he says. "And it was because of dancers and it was because of the collaboration between dancers and the camera. And he was like, 'We're all in this together. And if you need anything, find me. I'm in the director's chair, but I'm accessible.' And he was, I would sit next to him and watch take after take and he would like point things [out]. He was just so generous."

Is directing something Ethan himself would be interested in? "There's so much I have to learn, but I'm excited to learn it," he says. "And I write and I love writing for the screen and all of that someday I would love to take that on. But I think I'm self aware enough to know that it might be a little ways down the line."

Now, bringing it back to the "Dancing Through Life" of it all, I couldn't help but dance in my seat throughout the song, and Ethan Slater promises it was just as fun to film as it is to watch. "[Jonathan Bailey] the most charismatic human on the planet, it's nuts," he says. "That whole scene was so fun and it was fun. Jonny and Ari are so funny, they're just an incredible duo and they're so funny individually."

"What you can't see is that even in the shots that I'm not in, I'm like, just right here [off camera]," he continues. "I'm just like really close by just out of frame which is like a little Easter egg just for me, you know, watching it and be like, 'Oh I was there!' But I just got to sort of be around in their orbit. They're magnetic, both of them."

Universal Pictures

While his character Boq spends the whole film nursing a huge crush on Glinda, Ethan Slater actually swept Ariana Grande off her feet IRL. The duo made headlines when they reportedly coupled up while filming, but Ethan says he still feels like a middle schooler when it comes to romance — and that "just existing" means he embarrasses himself in front of his crushes.

"I definitely am a person who suddenly can't speak or just be like, 'Oh my God, good morning and thank you for coming,'" he says, pretending to tear up. "That is kind of my MO and always has been. I think I've never left the place of feeling like a 7th grader." I guess we're all just fools in love!

"Dancing Through Life" is just one number Wicked fans have been looking forward to — "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" are two of the most recognizable showtunes, and they're so recognizable that a line from "Defying Gravity," "Everyone Deserves The Chance To Fly," became the tagline for the film.

"The message that 'what makes us different makes us unique' is really powerful, and I think it's two-fold," Ethan Slater says. "One is, it's empowering to each person that you do deserve it, you deserve happiness, you deserve to be seen and you deserve to do the great things that you want to be doing. But also as a directive, you know, the way that we treat others. It's not just me that deserves that, it's you. And making sure that you treat others the way that you would want to be treated, or to acknowledge the humanity in others that it's so easy to acknowledge in yourself. So I think it's both things. I think it's both empowering and it's like a good way to treat people."

Universal Pictures

What does Ethan pick when he wants to sing? (No, it's not Spongebob). "Honestly, if I just want to like belt at the top of my lungs, I go to Jesus Christ Superstar. I do "Heaven On Their Minds." It's so good. It's incredible. Talk about a great movie musical."

While the fan (and theatre kid) reactions have been incredible so far, Ethan Slater says he loved talking to the original Wicked cast. "I've become very close with Chris Fitzgerald, who was the original Boq and with Norbert Leo Butz who is the original Fiyero," he says. "So after they saw it, I got to talk with them a little bit about what it was like to see and that was really meaningful. Not just because they're friends of mine and not just because I look up to them, but because it meant a lot to me that I took care of Boq, this role that Chris created. And he's, the best of the best so that was really cool."

Check out the latest news on Wicked: Part 2 for more, and our interview with Wicked Star Michelle Yeoh On Pranking Ariana Grande & Singing With Cynthia Erivo!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

pop culture wicked interview movie entertainment

15 Plus Size Party Dresses That Make You Feel As Good As You Look

Listen — I'm always looking for a reason to get new party dresses, and the holiday season gives PLENTY of reason alone. We've got sequins and velvet on our brains, but we want everyone to look — and feel! — their best. So, here are some of the best plus size options because there's so many stylish pieces out there that deserve to be highlighted. From mini to maxi, these 15 plus size dresses are going to make someone jealous during the holiday party you're attending.

Sequin Plus Size Dresses

Target

Eloquii Mini Cowl Sequin Dress

Whoo, you'll be one hot mama in this pink sequin dress! It's worth noting that sequins and the holidays go together like hot chocolate and winter, so this is our way of saying this dress deserves a spot in your closet.

Torrid

Torrid Mini Sequin Mesh Dress

Want to go a little shorter and vibrant without going the pink route? Feast your eyes on this mini dress! It's designed to hug your curves and give you your own personalized version of Jessica Rabbit's dress. Don't lie — we know you've always wanted to wear something sultry like she did in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Boohoo

Boohoo Sequin Wrap Dress

As always, leopard print remains the easiest fall/winter trend that anyone can wear. We never thought we'd see it in sequin form, but we've immediately fallen in love with this wrap dress. You can keep the rest of your accessories simple because it's sure to make a statement!

Macy's

Macy's Kiyonna Starry Sequined Lace Dress

Have a winter wedding to attend and want to wear something that feels black-tie without distracting from the bride (huge faux pas)? Dance your way into this sequined lace dress that has — gasp! — pockets!

PrettyLittleThing

PrettyLittleThing Asymmetric Sequin Maxi Dress

OR, wear this form-fitting maxi dress that is as sleek as it's sexy. It's bound to make you walk with your head held high and when paired with a pair of sexy stilettos? Whew, our hearts go out to the ex that happens to see you at the wedding reception.

Lane Bryant

Lane Bryant Lurex Shimmer Dress

Not all holiday parties are meant for you to expel an intoxicating amount of sex appeal. If you're attending a family-friendly event, keep it very demure with with this shimmer dress. It has a silhouette that'll flatter your frame and pockets in case you don't feel like carrying a clutch or wristlet.

Midi Plus Size Dresses

BloomChic

BloomChic Velvet Ruched Midi Dress

Skip the sequins and drape your body in this velvet ruched midi dress. This luxe emerald shade will immediately make you luxurious along with a pair of jewel-encrusted heels.

Eloquii

Eloquii Lurex Midi Dress

This dress is making us blush because it's so pretty. All you have to do is pull it over your head and shoulders without fretting over a back zipper. It has an elastic waist so you'll have room to breathe even though your waist may look cinched in.

ASOS

ASOS DESIGN Velvet Midi Dress

Still want to wear something that gives you a little more breathing room? Wear this deep burgundy dress instead. It's the color of the season and comes with an asymmetrical neckline that's hard to ignore.

Amazon

SCOMCHIC Short Sleeve Wrap Dress

Love burgundy, but can't stand velvet? This dress will give you everything you're comfortable with. It doesn't feature a pesky zipper and feels lightweight. It'll look like you're floating on the tides of Christmas if you choose to wear it to your family's annual winter party.

JCPenney

Jessica Howard Sweater Dress

Sweater dresses can be worn to parties, especially if they look like this! The red color is the perfect shade for Christmas gatherings and the flouncy hemline makes it the perfect piece to dress up or down. Just add your footwear of choice and you'll be good to go!

Maxi Plus Size Dresses

Ashley Stewart

Ashley Stewart Hi Low Lurex Mermaid Gown

Excited to bring your S.O. or plus-one along with you to job's holiday party? You have to show up in this mermaid gown. The color alone is fit for a queen, meaning it'll automatically make you look regal. Isn't that what getting dressed up for holiday parties are all about?

Forever21

Forever21 Tiered Tie-Strap Maxi Dress

Honestly, this dress could serve as the perfect wedding reception option too, but you're more than welcome to wear it to a holiday party! The tiered hem gives it a playful appeal while the color balances that with chicness.

Anthropologie

Anthropologie Fleur Strapless Satin Maxi Dress

Take a break from sequins and velvet by wearing satin. It's the kind of fabric that immediately elevates any look which is why we're adding something similar to our winter wardrobe.

City Chic

City Chic Forbidden Love Maxi Dress

Not ready to part ways with summer's bardot trend? We hear ya and agree that you shouldn't have to when plus size party dresses like this exist. Known as the 'Forbidden Love' dress, it may make someone fall in love with you once they spot you wearing it from across the room.

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