INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES AT STAR WARS GALAXY'S EDGE

Immerse yourself in the Star Wars galaxy with a visit to the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu (aka Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida). Imagine being on a Star Wars adventure while engaging in a variety of interactive experiences. Enjoying a pint of blue milk, crafting your own lightsaber and taking the Millenium Falcon for a spin provide an out of this world vacation without having to travel to a galaxy far, far away. 

STORMTROOPERS ON PATROL

Be alert for stormtroopers promoting order and snuffing out rebellion within the spaceport of this Outer Rim world. They like to question passersby and pry into their business. These impromptu encounters can make you stand out in the crowd and provide a personal touch to your Star Wars Galaxy's Edge experience. Additionally, you may bump into Chewbacca or Rey who are enlisting people into the Resistance. 

DRINK BLUE MILK

Ever since Luke Skywalker took a gulp of blue milk in the movie A New Hope, Star Wars fans have been fascinated with the beverage. Disney has concocted a specialty drink to provide visitors to Galaxy's Edge with a refreshment that lets you try the stuff out for yourself. It is plant-based instead of dairy so as not to exclude people from the experience with milk allergies or lactose intolerance. My description of Galaxy's Edge blue milk is it has the consistency of a drinkable yogurt with the taste of cotton candy flavored Faygo. 

Blue Milk is actually made with a base of rice milk powder and coconut oil. It gets it color from adding blue-green algae into the mix rather than artificial coloring. Don't tell Aunt Beru but there is also a version of the drink with Bacardi Rum as an extra ingredient to provide some extra kick to the drink.

CRAFT A LIGHTSABER

Who doesn't want to wield a lightsaber?! Stop by Savi's Workshop to learn some wisdom of the Force and craft your very own lightsaber. Personalize its components and blade color to create a fantastic souvenir that matches your own personal style. Reservations are required so don't try to just walk in or you might miss out on this experience. My son was so GEEKED to participate in this!

ESCAPE A STAR DESTROYER

Oh no! You've been captured as a rebel spy and taken to a star destroyer in the Rise of the Resistance ride at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. Combining cast member theatrical elements with special effects, this ride will have you feeling like you just jumped into the action of a Star Wars movie. Do you have what it takes to escape being imprisoned on a star destroyer and find a way to return to Batuu?

BUILD A DROID

I love droids! I'm such a gearhead! Galaxy's Edge is full of droids and you can even build one to bring home with you. 

Step inside droid depot and construct your very own personalized remote control BB or R series droid. Select pieces off a conveyor belt and get building. Screw together parts just like a mechanic working in a droid factory.

In addition to having a fun remote control toy, these droids can enhance your Galaxy's Edge experience interacting and reacting to elements and objects both on Batuu and around Disney resorts. Plus, when you get home they are still fun to play with around the house.

FLY THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

Participate in a Smugglers Run that utilizes a motion simulator to let you experience what it would be like to fly sci-fi's most famous spaceship. A more intimate version of Star Tours that has you seated in a replica of the Millennium Falcon's cockpit. You aren't just along for the ride as manipulating the spaceship's controls impacts the outcome of your experience. Realistic digital imagery in the cockpit's windows, motion corresponding to the action you are seeing and the interactive elements of the controls make it seem as if you are really taking a flight through the Star Wars galaxy. Hit it Chewie!

The ride queue is amazing too so don't rush through it. It starts off with a life size scale replica of the Millennium Falcon and lets you wander inside this hunk of junk. Don't miss out on taking a photo op at the holochess table!

Have yourself an exciting Star Wars adventure with a visit to the Galaxy's Edge. This experience is also available in Disneyland if California is a more convenient destination than Florida. This is the theme park experience you have been looking for!

GOLDFISH STAR WARS MANDALORIAN CRACKERS

We've found the perfect snack to enjoy while watching new episodes of Star Wars' The Book of Boba Fett streaming on Disney Plus → GOLDFISH from Pepperidge Farm. My kids have been snacking on these crackers since they were toddlers. So, we were geeked to discover Goldfish packaging with a Mandalorian theme featuring "Baby Yoda"! With the character's re-emergence in recent episodes of The Book of Boba Fett had to pick up some of these Star Wars themed Goldfish packages when we spotted them at the grocery store.

It is not just the packaging though with a Star Wars tie-in. In addition to the traditional goldfish shapes, these Pepperidge Farm crackers also come in the form of Baby Yoda (aka Grogu), stormtroopers, and Din Djarin (aka The Madalorian). Sweet! Now just need to pour some blue milk to go along with these crackers.

Stormtrooper Goldfish

Baby Yoda in Pram

The Mandalorian Goldfish

THE TASTE OF BLUE MILK

George Lucas made something as mundane as milk exotic when he showed Luke Skywalker drink the blue tinted beverage at his Tatooine homestead during a scene within the original Star Wars (1977) movie. Since then blue milk has become synonymous with Star Wars fanship so it was obvious that Disney's theme parks would incorporate the drink within its food and beverage offerings at Galaxy's Edge. What better way to help people immerse themselves in the feeling of traveling to a galaxy far, far away then by offering them a glass of the iconic blue milk to drink during a visit to Star Wars Land?

I've dreamed of visiting a cantina at some interstellar space port and having myself a pint of blue milk as an out of this world Star Wars experience since being a kid. Still being a kid at heart of course I was going to buy myself a glass of blue milk during my visit to the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu (aka Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida). Drinking butter beer at Universal Studios' Wizarding World of Harry Potter has become a key aspect of that attraction can Disney replicate that same enthusiasm with its Star Wars Land visitors with its blue milk. I love butter beer and always look forward to enjoying the tasty Harry Potter themed treat during a visit to Universal's theme parks so was excited to give Disney's blue milk a try.

Blue Milk is available through a dedicated beverage stand within the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge area at Disney World and Disney Land. It is made with a concoction of coconut milk and rice milk to be safe to drink for those with a variety of food allergies but most notably dairy. As the dad of kids with food allergies, I'm especially appreciative of Disney being sensitive to this issue.

So what does Disney's Star Wars Blue Milk taste like? A Faygo cotton candy Slurpee but instead of having an icy soda consistency Blue Milk is more like a drinkable yogurt made with a plant-based recipe of ingredients rather than dairy products. In my honest opinion it is worth trying out as part of the Black Spire Outpost experience but once is enough for me unlike the Harry Potter butter beer at Universal's theme parks that I will  enthusiastically drink over and over again.

There is also a Green Milk at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge that is based upon what Mark Hamill refreshed himself with while tromping around Temple Island on Ahch-To in The Force Awakens which spoofed that original Blue Milk scene from the original Star Wars movie. This is also a blend of coconut and rice milk but has more of a citrus and tropical fruit flavoring to it. I didn't try this version of Star Wars milk so can't provide a contrast in its flavoring to the blue milk version. I'm intrigued enough to probably give it a try on a future Disney Parks visit.

A caveat to my lack of interest in drinking Blue Milk again is that there is an alcoholic version of the drink that I didn't try. When I'm with my kids this dad tends not to drink adult beverages around them plus being at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge mask wearing during the pandemic put a damper on my really wanting to do a lot of eating and drinking on site which limited my testing out a number of varieties of things. There is a Blue Milk Cooler which features Bacardi Rum and a Green Milk Cooler with Corazon Blanco Tequila which I would definitely be open to taste testing some day.

I was geeked to try out the Blue Milk as part of the immersive Star Wars experience of imagining visiting a galaxy far, far away but was left with a bit of a disappointing taste in my mouth. That being said if you are someone who loves the flavor of Faygo Cotton Candy soda you are sure the be delighted by the Blue Milk at Disney's Star Wars Galaxy's Edge attraction. Unfortunately, this is a review that doesn't get a Geek Daddy nod or approval but rather a head shake.

All in all we had a fantastic experience at Disney's Star Wars Land. We rode the Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run amusement rides several times and they are both amazing experiences. My son had a memorable moment crafting his own personal lightsaber at Savi's Workshop and my daughter had a blast creating a customized astromech at the Droid Depot. While I was just in awe during our visit checking out all the little details of the Black Spire Outpost that really made me feel like my family had stepped into a real life Star Wars adventure.

I'll raise a glass in salute to our visit to Batuu at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios theme park. Cheers!

Family Movie Night: Star Wars - The Force Awakens

** A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free **

Thanks to the kindness of the nice people at Hasbro our family was able to enjoy a fun Star Wars themed Family Movie Night watching The Force Awakens the weekend before it was released on Blu-ray and DVD. We found a mysterious box on our front porch on April 1st with a big Star Wars logo on the front. It wasn't a joke though but rather the Blu-ray/DVD/DigitalHD movie bundle for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens a few days before the film's official April 5, 2016 release on Blu-ray and DVD.

In addition to receiving The Force Awakens to enjoy, the box was also filled with a variety of Star Wars goodies to help make our Family Movie Night extra special.

Hasbro Star Wars toys are a great way to re-enact favorite scenes from the Star Wars saga of movies. My son practiced his dueling skills with a light up Bladebuilders Kylo Ren lightsaber during The Force Awakens battle sequences while my daughter held tight to a giant Rey action figure throughout the show.  The two of them have also had fun imagining up new adventures for BB-8, Finn, Rey and Maz Kanata with the Takodana Encounter 3.75 Inch Multipack that we also received in our Star Wars gift pack from Hasbro.

We always like to include some themed activities to our Family Movie Night entertainment.  We started off the evening with a target shooting competition using a Star Wars NERF Episode VII First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe Blaster.  I'd like to brag that I won this competition hands down but I'm also honest and have to say my wife took first place with my son doing pretty well too but I did hit more targets than my little girl did to avoid last place.  Of course she schooled me in the next competition of the night which was several rounds of R2D2 Bop It.  I have to say my daughter really loves that game!



Of course you can't have a Family Movie Night without treats! We snacked on Star Wars themed JELLO Jigglers of Chewbacca, C3P0, Darth Vader,  R2D2 & Yoda along with some popchips and blue "bantha" milk.  Here's my preferred recipe for Blue Milk just like Anakin and Luke Skywalker drank growing up on Tatooine:

Ingredients:

1 cup of milk;
1/2 teaspoon of unsweetened blue fruit punch mix;
1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

Directions:

• Pour the milk into a tall glass and gently stir in the blue fruit punch mix;

• The drink should initially be light tinted blue.  Add more of the fruit punch mix to get a darker color if you desire;

• Add sugar to sweeten the taste.

There you have it our evening wasn't extravagant but we had a really good time for our Star Wars: The Force Awakens Family Movie Night.  To add some fun to your own Star Wars themed movie night enjoy these free The Force Awakens activity sheets:



#StarWars #TheForceAwakens #Hasbro

ENJOY AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD SNACK MADE FROM GENERAL MILLS CEREAL & YOPLAIT GO-GURT

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone. #AwakenYourTastebuds #CollectiveBias

 
Who isn't excited about the new Star Wars™ movie that will be hitting theaters in December?! I've been a fan of these movies since I was six and am so excited to share the experience of enjoying a brand new film together with my six year old twins.  To get them up to speed on all the characters and canon from past films, we devoted a weekend for a movie marathon viewing the original trilogy. Of course if you're going to be having a movie marathon you need something fun to snack on so we made an out-of-this-world treat to enjoy.

Cereal doesn't need to just be for breakfast! We combined General Mills Star Wars™ Darth Vader Cereal with Yoplait Star Wars™ Strawberry Smoothie Go-Gurt® to create futuristic looking popsicle treats.  Throw in some blue milk to drink along with it and you have a great snack that looks like it could have been served in a scene from a sci-fi movie.

We made a quick visit over to our local Walmart to pickup all the supplies we needed including Star Wars™ Darth Vader Cereal, Star Wars™ Go-Gurt®, popsicle molds, and wooden sticks so as my daughter would say making these treats ourselves was "easy peasy."  Not only did my kids really find these snacks to be a tasty treat but they had a blast helping out in the kitchen making them which was an activity that really enhanced our movie marathon experience.

 Here are some simple DIY instructions for these out-of-this-world snacks:

Cereal Freezes

The Cereal Freezes are a great mixture of the smooth strawberry taste of Yoplait Go-Gurt® blended with fruity flavored cereal and marshmallows from General Mills Star Wars™ Darth Vader Cereal to provide a crunchy texture.

Ingredients:

1 Large Banana;
1 Cup of Yoplait StrawBerry Smoothie Go-Gurt®;
1/2 Cup of Milk;
1/2 Cup of General Mills Star Wars™ Darth Vader Cereal.

Directions:

• In a bowl mix up the banana until mashed and smooth;

• Slowly add in the Go-Gurt® and milk to the ball.  Mix until blended with the banana mash;

• Add Star Wars™ Darth Vader Cereal to the mixture.  Make sure to stir by hand at this point to avoid crushing the marshmallows and cereal;

• Pour the mix into popsicle molds. Insert a wooden popsicle stick as a handle.  Freeze for 8 hours until solid;

• Once frozen, place the popsicle molds under the kitchen faucet and  spray with warm water.  Gently pull the Cereal Freezes from their popsicle molds.

Blue Milk

Feel like a hero from Star Wars™ by enjoying some Blue Milk along with your Cereal Freeze.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Milk;
1/2 teaspoon of unsweetened blue fruit punch mix;
1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

Directions:

• Pour the milk into a tall glass and gently stir in the blue fruit punch mix;

• The drink should initially be lightly tinted blue.  Add more of the fruit punch mix to get a darker color if you desire;

• Add sugar to sweeten the taste.

Voila! There you have it some delicious and simple to make snacks that can provide some out-of-this-world flair for a party, family game night, or a movie watching marathon.  My kids really love this snack and I'm sure yours will too!

Do you have any favorite snacks you like to make for Family Movie Nights? Find more #AwakenYourTastebuds inspiration here.