Star Wars Nite is the Disneyland After Darkish particular occasion throughout Season of the Pressure that includes galactic leisure, uncommon characters, themed snacks, and distinctive picture ops. This assessment covers what to anticipate throughout the celebration, whether or not the arduous ticket celebration is value your time & cash, and who ought to (and may not) attend.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the occasions, Disneyland After Darkish events are limited-time events that happen after common park hours and have distinctive themes, festivities, character meet & greets, particular nighttime leisure, entry to sights with decreased wait instances, and extra. It’s the Disneyland equal of After Hours at Walt Disney World, albeit sometimes with extra on the thematic entrance. On this case, meaning Star Wars stuff.
With every separately-ticketed Disneyland After Darkish celebration, attendees get 4 hours of celebration time after the parks near day company. Plus, the Star Wars Nite ticket additionally consists of admission to Disneyland as early as 6:00 PM—that’s 3 hours earlier than the celebration begins—on the legitimate date of your ticket. That quantities to a complete of seven hours park time earlier than and through Star Wars Nite.
Along with all of the Star Wars themed enjoyable dropped at life only for the celebration, admission additionally consists of commemorative keepsakes equivalent to a memento credential and an occasion information map, plus limitless digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass pictures taken all through Disneyland After Darkish, which is a pleasant since quite a bit about these occasions revolves round pictures and enjoyable.
Listed below are Disneyland After Darkish: Star Wars Nite celebration dates:
- April 8, 2025
- April 10, 2025
- April 22, 2025
- April 24, 2025
- April 29, 2025
- Might 1, 2025
- Might 4, 2025
- Might 6, 2025
Tickets to Star Wars Nite price $169 or $179 per visitor (ages 3+), relying on the date. Might the Fourth is $189.
Company with a ticket to this occasion don’t have to make a theme park reservation to enter Disneyland at 6:00 PM or later. Parking charges are usually not included within the ticket value. Lightning Lane Multi Go is just not obtainable throughout the occasion.
Throughout Disneyland After Darkish: Star Wars Nite, get able to dive into an expanded array of themed meals and expertise out-of-this-world leisure choices with new plot twists and enhanced pleasure. Right here’s a rundown of the varied choices throughout Star Wars Nites:
Star Wars Nites Leisure
- A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey – Carry your lightsaber to the Millennium Falcon and take part in a robust present of unity!
- Lightsaber Tutorial – Attend an illustration of lightsaber abilities at Fantasyland Theatre and learn to wield a lightsaber from elite instructors.
- Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes – Contemporary off their gig at Mos Eisley, the well-known Cantina Band will take a fast journey across the Rivers of America, enjoying their most iconic piece of music.
- Followers of the Pressure Costume Cavalcade – A Star Wars Nite Costume Showcase – Gown as your favourite Star Wars character and take part in a sensational celebration of your fandom on Foremost Avenue, U.S.A. To take part, meet in City Sq. 10 minutes previous to the present.
- Shadows of Reminiscence: A Skywalker Saga – Watch gorgeous projection results rework the spires of Batuu right into a canvas for the legendary story of the Skywalkers.
- Galactic DJ Celebration Zone – Dance the night time away when a DJ kicks off a galactic celebration on Foremost Avenue.
- Select Your Path – Declare your allegiance to the sunshine or darkish aspect of the Pressure throughout an interactive duel of the fates on Foremost Avenue.
- Fond Farewell – Because the galactic festivities come to an in depth, bid a fond farewell to your Disney buddies Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse—wearing costumes impressed by their favourite droids—as you move by the Foremost Avenue, U.S.A. practice station.
Star Wars Nites Points of interest
Experience among the park’s Star Wars-themed sights—together with Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (topic to availability, which can differ and isn’t assured) all through the occasion, often with shorter wait instances.
Along with the Star Wars sights, nearly each excessive profile experience in Disneyland is open, except for these which are closed for refurbishment (clearly).
Star Wars Nites Picture Ops
Let Disney PhotoPass photographers seize photographs towards event-themed backdrops, together with:
- Gentle Aspect Picture Location
- Darkish Aspect Picture Location
- Star Wars Nite Lightsaber Picture Op
- Scarif Postcard
- Speeder Bikes
- Endor Postcard
- Mythosaur
- Mustafar Postcard
- Tatooine Postcard
- Jabba the Hutt
- Hoth Postcard
- Boba Fett’s Throne
- Emperor Palpatine’s Throne
- Bo-Katan’s Throne
For essentially the most half, these had quick strains. That was very true with the postcard backdrops, all of which appeared like they have been 5 minutes or much less.
Star Wars Nites Characters
There are a selection of character meet & greets round Disneyland, in addition to character encounters. The distinction is that the previous is one thing with a line with a posed picture, whereas the latter is one you see from a distance.
For instance, Padme Amidala was beforehand probably the most in style character meet & greets at Star Wars Nites, commanding a 2+ hour wait. For 2025, she has a selfie station (with a personality attendant) permitting for pictures of company on benches. It’s a lot greater capability, and took me solely ~5 minutes. To every their very own, however I’ll take this over a prolonged line.
One other extra excessive instance is Darth Maul. He was up on the highest stage of the Star Wars Launch Bay constructing, twirling round his lightsabers, placing on just a little present and interacting with company. I suppose a selfie would’ve been doable, however it could’ve appeared simply as very similar to Puddy in Devils face paint as Darth Maul.
Different characters chances are you’ll spot throughout Star Wars Nites embody Anakin Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine, Ewoks, BB-8, Boba Fett, Jawas, Mandalorian with Child Yoda, Ahsoka Tano, R2-D2, and lots of others. The Ewoks and Jawas have been each meet & greets, they usually had actually lengthy strains.
Star Wars Nite Technique
When you’re into assembly characters, it is best to begin your night time by lining up on your highest precedence one a minimum of half-hour prematurely. You may line up earlier, however there’s diminishing returns–particularly when you’re not an Annual Passholder and would in any other case be having fun with Disneyland. Character strains can get lengthy throughout the occasion, so ready now means not having to attend later.
When you’re not into characters or they’re low-priority, it is best to begin with the 1-2 punch of “Shadows of Reminiscence: A Skywalker Saga” and “A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey,” each of that are held within the courtyard in entrance of the Millennium Falcon. Shadows of Reminiscence is improbable, nevertheless it’s not party-exclusive. You additionally need to arrive half-hour early for this, because the courtyard does replenish prematurely of showtime.
You may as well do both of this stuff on the tail finish of Star Wars Nites. There’s one other “Shadows of Reminiscence: A Skywalker Saga” and “A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey” showtime on the finish of the night time, so you possibly can end with that when you begin with characters. Or you possibly can end with characters when you begin with the reveals.
If Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one thing you need to expertise, take into account doing it round official park closing. It’s technically open throughout Star Wars Nite, however often closes midway into the occasion. It additionally remains to be breakdown susceptible. After I handed Rise of the Resistance at round 8:30 p.m., it had a posted 30 minute wait and I noticed no line outdoor–so it in all probability wasn’t even that lengthy.
Nothing else actually requires technique, a minimum of from what I skilled. I’ve heard individuals point out Cellular Order time slots, however there was no meals that was must-eat for me. I ended up ready ~5 minutes in line at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree for a “Porg” Stomach Sandwich. It was completely improbable. I’ve lower than zero curiosity in merchandise, so I can’t communicate to that in any respect.
Is Star Wars Nite Price It?
Within the curiosity of transparency, I ought to disclose a few issues. The primary is that we have been invited company of Disneyland, and thus didn’t pay for these tickets. You would possibly need to weigh our opinions accordingly or take this assessment with a grain of salt. I’d wish to assume the assessment is honest and wouldn’t differ had we paid out of pocket, however you will be the choose of that.
Maybe the extra damning disclosure is that we aren’t diehard Star Wars followers and, as such, realistically wouldn’t have paid to attend this explicit Disneyland After Darkish within the first place. To be clear, we don’t dislike Star Wars–we’re simply informal. We’ve watched the unique trilogy greater than as soon as, and the Disney motion pictures 1-2 instances every, in addition to all seasons of The Mandalorian.
However after that, we fell off. Not for the explanations some offended followers cite–I’m not on some ethical campaign towards Star Wars or no matter. We simply really feel that the standard has been scattershot within the Disney+ period. (I really feel the very same means about Marvel.) I do type of surprise how Kathleen Kennedy remains to be employed given the current output and cancelled tasks, so maybe that does make me a diehard fan in spite of everything!
Anyway, Star Wars Nites could be very clearly aimed on the most hardcore followers. I’d take {that a} step additional and say that it’s aimed toward a selected sort of essentially the most hardcore followers: cosplayers.
This isn’t to say that you just couldn’t have enjoyable when you’re not a Star Wars cosplayer. You may. I’d truly take {that a} step additional and say that even informal company can have a improbable time at Star Wars Nites. However the goal demographic is sort of clearly and undeniably cosplayers. Everybody else received’t get as a lot out of Star Wars Nites.
To get essentially the most mileage out of the Star Wars Nites, you’ll completely need to costume in costume. And most company did! I felt just a little misplaced carrying my ’84 Los Angeles Olympics sweatshirt, despite the fact that I shouldn’t have; it’s a rad sweatshirt. Past dressing for the event, you actually ought to have a lightsaber. That’s virtually obligatory. Fortunately, we did have one in every of these due to our previous expertise doing Savi’s Workshop for Handbuilt Lightsabers (which we extremely advocate).
Star Wars Nites is sort of a park-wide model of the ‘Dwell Your Personal Star Wars Journey’ slogan for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Which is to say that this occasion is oriented round company, and supplying you with the prospect to be an energetic participant in Star Wars enjoyable, festivities, and fandom.
For these company, Star Wars Nites is certain to be a ton of enjoyable, because it presents the chance to immerse themselves in all issues Star Wars with fellow followers, take a ton of pictures with cool backdrops and characters.
The occasion additionally has a palpable vitality, and there’s pleasure amongst the viewers. There’s one thing to be stated for communal experiences like this, and Star Wars Nites jogs my memory of the D23 Expo–which I completely adore as a hardcore Disney fan–from that perspective. A minimum of, that’s the charitable framing.
Much less charitably, Star Wars Nites is a guest-centric occasion as a result of virtually not one of the leisure can stand by itself from a passive perspective. Which means that when you’re simply hoping to sit down again and revel in leisure, you’re going to be disillusioned. Nearly none of it really works until you’re an energetic participant.
Truthfully, I’m not even certain it really works from that angle until you’re a child (or child at coronary heart?). The Lightsaber Tutorial, for instance, isn’t even pretty much as good as Jedi Coaching Academy (RIP) and appears like its goal demo is elementary college aged children, regardless of attendees and individuals skewing my age. Then there’s the costume cavalcade, which is in regards to the saddest cavalcade ever. It’s mainly only a bunch of company strolling to Sleeping Magnificence Fortress whereas being led by a automobile with Minnie & Mickey. Nobody will get pleasure from watching this–it’s all in regards to the group picture on the finish.
This can be a sharp distinction to Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Celebration, which is the gold customary of occasions at Disneyland Resort. As somebody who’s each an informal Star Wars fanatic and an informal Halloween fanatic (which means we don’t beautify and didn’t put on costumes when it was simply the 2 of us), I view Oogie Boogie Bash as head-and-shoulders superior to Star Wars Nites. Now that is a robust occasion, and one we now have paid to attend each single yr it’s been provided.
The one good piece of leisure that’s distinctive to Star Wars Nites is “A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey.” This can be a comparatively easy and easy Resistance vs. First Order scene, the type of temporary story second initially deliberate to happen night time in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
It culminates within the many company with lightsabers activating them to assist defeat the First Order. The company are what actually make this punch above its weight and switch it into one thing particular. In any other case, at another arduous ticket occasion, it’d be a minor leisure providing.
My largest frustration with Star Wars Nite, as an entire, is that there’s next-to-nothing that couldn’t be taking place nightly in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge or each day throughout Season of the Pressure. Except for the costume cavalcade and probability to cosplay within the park with tons of different company, there’s nothing right here that feels prefer it necessitated a tough ticket occasion. And even the participatory angle was already executed higher a decade in the past throughout the (free) Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Nevertheless, I don’t assume it’s fully honest to dismiss Star Wars Nites as an providing just for hardcore followers who need a night oriented round them and immersing themselves within the fandom.
Star Wars Nites can also be occasion for informal company who couldn’t care much less about Star Wars and simply need a low crowds night time within the park. Mainly, when considered as Disneyland After Darkish with a lightweight layer of Star Wars stuff on prime, that’s greatest loved in passing or at arm’s size.
From my perspective, what made Star Wars Nite cool was seeing all the different company and the vitality they gave off–not collaborating in any of that, myself. It was a chance to experiencing Disneyland with very low crowds (minus Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) and extremely quick strains (minus the Star Wars rides).
Just about each experience was a walk-on throughout the date we did Star Wars Nites, from Matterhorn to Large Thunder Mountain Railroad. Star Wars Nites makes numerous sense from this attitude, and you may simply get extra executed throughout the 7 hours of ticket validity than throughout common working hours on the identical day throughout Star Wars Nites.
With occasion tickets costing lower than $30 greater than 1-day tickets, I’d completely advocate this Disneyland After Darkish occasion over an everyday day within the park (particularly since Lightning Lane Multi-Go isn’t provided–the shortage of that bridges the hole).
That is actually the place all the Disneyland After Darkish (or After Hours at Walt Disney World) occasions are winners from my perspective. They’re all superior to an everyday day within the park, and provide a quasi-VIP expertise with quick wait instances and no have to problem with Lightning Lanes. The truth is, the argument may very well be made that this occasion is sort of akin to Lightning Lane Premier Go, which is rather more costly.
In the end, Star Wars Nites strikes me as a worthwhile arduous ticket occasion for hardcore followers who’ve disposable revenue and need to ‘stay their very own Star Wars journey,’ be immersed in a fandom-centric expertise, and are available residence with tons of cool pictures. The celebration has a fantastic vibe, and the vitality alone in all probability makes it extremely interesting to followers who need to actively interact.
It’s not occasion–in any respect–for individuals who aren’t into participatory choices and need to get pleasure from passive leisure. The most effective factor on that entrance is “A Gathering of the Resistance with Rey,” and even that isn’t that good. Different choices are cute, just like the Cantina Band floating across the Rivers of America, however they’re so fleeting (lower than 5 minutes for a set) that they’re barely a blip on the radar.
As locals and Annual Passholders, distinctive leisure and different worthwhile choices distinct from day-to-day Disneyland experiences is generally what we needed out of Star Wars Nite. Truthfully, I walked away extremely underwhelmed. However I acknowledge that not everyone seems to be us, and this Disneyland After Darkish occasion will maintain much more enchantment for vacationers, rare guests, and others.
On the different finish of the spectrum, Star Wars Nites will be nice as a Disneyland After Darkish occasion for informal company who need low congestion & crowds, quick strains & wait instances. Company who would possibly like seeing the Star Wars stuff from afar, however aren’t there for it.
Reasonably, they’re there for the rides, firstly. So whether or not you’re a Star Wars diehard or an informal visitor who doesn’t know a Wookie from a Wampa, this occasion may very well be value your money and time. Positively not when you’re into having fun with leisure, although. Persist with Oogie Boogie Bash for that.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited for Disneyland After Darkish: Star Wars Nite ? Excited or disillusioned in regards to the leisure and different choices? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
