Star Wars Day Favorites

Okay guys! Here I'm going to talk about some of my favorite Star Wars Things because It's Star Wars.

So first off I should show you guys what I got today... I'm a huge fan of the T Shirt designer Johnny Cupcakes. My sister used to go to Boston College and she went into this bakery one day all excited to get some cupcakes... only to discover that it was actually a really cool T shirt store! And they have really cool Pop Culture T Shirts. I actually got one for Animal Crossing recently, I have ones with Eve from Wall E, Hello Kitty and Starlord... and I got this "Baby Yodel" T Shirt. These are limited edition t shirts that he makes "Baked to Order" So when you order it's more like a pre order. You can order them for a certain amount of time- usually it's about a week or two- these ones are until Thursday... so I'll link it right here just in case you wanted to get it.

But anyway it's super cute and it's Baby Yoda!

this is the Animal Crossing one- which is no longer available. 

The Mandalorian BTW is probably my favorite Star Wars thing recently. It's a really good show! I'm actually thinking of watching it again because I loved it but I don't totally remember it all that well... so I think I need to re watch it... but I think my favorite TV moment recently was the scene at the end of the first episode where we get to see The Child for the first time. It was just SOOOO unexpected and there was NOTHING before letting us know about it... and the episode itself was good on it's own... but then Baby Yoda came in and it was like a whole different thing. And the character did add to the show. It was a really great change!

My favorite Star Wars Character? Han Solo! Han Solo was my first crush as a kid... and I still 100% love Han Solo. He's grumpy but sweet and loyal... plus he's fighting for what's right but he's also kind of selfish... he's a surprising character and you never really know what to expect from him. And he's maybe one of the smartest in the series... Leia probably is... but I like Han Solo the best. 

My favorite Star Wars Movie... I think it's Return of The Jedi! This isn't the best Star Wars Movie... I think The Empire Strikes Back  is the best Star Wars Movie... but my personal favorite is Return of The Jedi. I love when Leia saves Han Solo! I think that seeing the whole original trilogy is the best way to watch it and Return of The Jedi is just a really great conclusion to the series. I feel like if I just catch it on TV though without watching the other 2- I don't like it that much... which is why I say Empire is the best one... but Return of The Jedi is my favorite. 

Do I like the new movies... Yes. I find these easier to watch than the original trilogy... the only one that I really didn't like at all was Rogue One. The Last Jedi... I can see why people didn't like it. I get their opinion- but I just kind of liked the movie for some reason. Do I think they needed to send Finn and Rose on their mission... no- but I actually enjoyed that little sub plot for some reason. I know it's an unpopular opinion... but I thought it was pretty good. And I like Rise of Skywalker better than that one. I also liked Solo. 

Also I've never been to Galaxy's Edge BUT I REALLY WANNA GO!  I'm sure I'll go within the next couple years... but it just looks like so much fun. I'm probably going to go broke because I'll build a lightsaber and a droid and I'll buy all the silly little things that you have to buy... stuff I don't need to enjoy the land but... I totally want because I'm a huge Disney Nerd and a huge Star Wars Nerd. 

So... I think I'm going to watch The Force Awakens tonight because I've seen the original trilogy a million times as a kid- but I've only seen The Force Awakens a few times, and The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker I've only seen once... it seems crazy! But I love it! 

May The Force Be With You! 

-Shannon 

Fandom Battle: Harry Potter vs. Star Wars vs. Marvel

Alright guys... this is probably going to be a hard post to write... but a fun one too. I was watching a Dis Unplugged episode where Pete said in terms of Harry Potter or Star Wars as properties he prefers Harry Potter... and then I thought "huh... this is interesting."

I'm not even really sure I'll draw a conclusion in this post... but I still wanted to talk about them and although this is a Disney Blog, I will probably post some Harry Potter things to because I think it belongs here.

Marvel 

Marvel seems like it should be #3 on my list. I just started liking it in the last couple years... but the last couple years have also been REALLY amazing for Marvel... and maybe less amazing for Harry Potter and even maybe Star Wars. I think the movies I'm most excited to see in theaters right now are Marvel and Star Wars. And Marvel in particular is something I'm more likely to watch more often. If I'm bored or cleaning my room or something... there's usually a Marvel Movie on in the backround. There's a reason I started Marvel Mondays! I just feel like the characters are really great and I'm just always excited to see it... and I like that each movie adds something. It's almost like an actual comic or a serial or something. These are really great.

As far as Disney/ Universal rides and attractions go... I'm pretty excited for the new Marvel Land coming to DCA... but I don't think it will be anything like Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, or The Wizarding World or Diagon Alley. I feel like it might be slightly on the more kid friendly side than the way we see the Marvel movies today. Although the Guardians ride does look amazing.



Harry Potter 

This... might actually be the number 3 on my list... which is sad because I feel like I have the most fond memories of Harry Potter and it's something I'm always going to love... I'm always going to watch all 8 of the movies... I'm always going to read the books... but I don't love the direction the franchise is headed to be quite honest.

I LOVED Fantastic beasts when it first came out... but The Crimes of Grindlewald just didn't really add anything to the franchise for me. I thought it SUCKED when I first saw it in theaters... seeing it a second time and seeing like 7 minutes worth of deleted scenes that developed some minor characters slightly made a huge difference... but even still... it isn't the best movie and that kind of made me change my mind on the whole franchise...

I also didn't love Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. I didn't see the play itself... I'm sure it's a good play... but I don't like that they made another Harry Potter book. I liked the way that the books ended and this changed that ending and it just didn't really work for me.

As far as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter... this is the only one of the parks I actually visited- but they've actually added and improved it a lot since I first went that I'm not even sure my thoughts on it are the same as they were back then. I loved walking into Hogwarts- that's probably the best queue line of any attraction ever... and I loved The Forbidden Journey a lot. That was a fun ride. I didn't go to Ollivanders or anything... but it was still really like walking around a Harry Potter set... which I did really love. And the Butterbeer was really fun to try and I really liked it a lot.

Star Wars 
What can I even say about Star Wars... as far as movies go... this one was the first one that I saw and really loved. Sometime in the late 90s when I was about 6 they rereleased the original trilogy... and I remember seeing commercials and I was like "I Really want to see this movie." And my mom was like "Oh yeah, that's Star Wars. That's one of your Dad's favorites." So my love of Star Wars was something I kind of shared with my Dad and really my mom too. And I still remember watching it as a kid. I remember I HATED The Empire Strikes Back because Han Solo died and I LOVE HAN SOLO. He was like my first crush ever... he's probably my favorite fictional character of all time... so that broke my heart as a kid... but then seeing Leia save him in Return of The Jedi was just the most awesome thing of all time.

I remember playing with the toys for the prequels as well... although I know the prequels have problems and Attack of The Clones was kind of boring... I'm maybe going to rewatch it sometime. My boyfriend wants to watch them again. The Phantom Menace was genuinely an okay movie and it was really fun to watch as a kid. And Revenge of The Sith was a great movie too... I know the trilogy is bad... but I can't remember it unfondly.

As for the new movies... I think Rogue One might actually be my least favorite Star Wars movie... but I did LOVE The Force Awakens and I liked The Last Jedi... but I know it had PROBLEMS and it wasn't what I wanted the movie to be really... but I do think it kind of set up for a more exciting world after the events of The Last Jedi. And I thought Solo was a fun movie too... Han Solo is my favorite- so I was more excited for Solo than the other movies... and probably more than anyone else was excited for Solo too honestly. I love Han Solo.

And I really think what they're doing in Disney World and Disneyland with Galaxy's Edge and the eventual Star Wars Hotel is unlike anything we've seen before and I can't wait to see it for myself someday. I think I'm going to start saving up and go sometime next year because... I love Star Wars and I can't just not go to it.

I do feel like I have to mention some of the bad things about Star Wars... since I did nitpick Harry Potter. George Lucas... you made 3 amazing films... why did you edit them after they were released and changed things. Why add Hayden Christiansen to the original trilogy.... there's just so much. Honestly... I don't really mind the changes. It's weird- but its not enough to ruin anything for me.

With that ALL being said... I have to say my favorite is Star Wars. My second favorite overall would probably still be Harry Potter and Number 3... but creeping up is definitely Marvel.

I also have to say that these movies are more than movies to me... they're more like hobbies. My friends and I all loved Harry Potter growing up... so THAT is an important part of my friendships and I think it's something that I can immediately relate to people with. Honestly if they've read Harry Potter or not... it's usually something to start conversation and that always makes me really happy.

Marvel is a more current "hobby" of mine where my boyfriend and I see the movies together and we discuss them for... ever afterwards. We saw Endgame 2 times already and I really liked hunting for the Funko Pops and rewatching some of the other movies.

And Star Wars is just something I will always love. It's been my favorite since I was a kid... and The original Trilogy is still something I'd consider as one of my favorite movies.

So take that all as you will... I love all these movies... and I think that is all I have to say!

May The Force Be With You! Excelsior! Always.
-Shannon

Everything I know about Star Wars Galaxy's Edge!

Happy Star Wars Day everyone! Today I had to talk about Star Wars Galaxy's Edge! This is opening this month in Disneyland and in August for Walt Disney World.

There are a lot of technical aspects about getting into the land that I don't know a lot about. I know Disneyland has a reservation system that I'm not exactly sure about. I don't think Walt Disney World has that same reservation system as of yet... I'm sure if you are going to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge... you can probably tell more about it than I can. I also know that there's no Fastpass for the ride that is opening yet. Not sure if and when they will do that... but right now there's no fastpasses for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge.

This land is probably going to be the most themed land yet. You're really going to feel like you are going to be a part of the Star Wars Story. In the Millennium Falcon Smuggler's Run ride you actually board the Millennium Falcon and you will be able to fly it and have a mission that you could pass or fail. And the end of the ride will show the falcon in good shape if you pass, or in rough shape if you failed. And with your magic band- the cast members at the park will interact with you based off of that. It sounds really fun and kind of cool too.

Plus the ride has a really advanced Animatronic named Hondo Ohnaka- a Space Pirate that I think gives you your mission... he really looks like a Cast Member in a costume... but he's an animatronic... which is pretty awesome.

There's also a Play Disney Parks App that will give you missions to follow and play inside of the land. This sounds like a fun idea for kids... maybe for when you're waiting in line. Personally... I'm not sure how much I would want to be on my phone at a theme park... but that's just me. Maybe this will make the wait go so much faster for you guys!

They have Coke and Water Bottles themed to the land. They have the star  wars writing on the bottles and the Coke Bottles are shaped kind of like BB8. This is a little detail they didn't really need to do... but I think it is super, super fun that they did that. It would be kind of fun to see them do this in other lands too. I'm not sure how- but it'd be fun if they had Toy Story or Pixar themed coke bottles anywhere.

They have a few dining options too. They're all quick service- but they have a lot of detail to them. Oga's Cantina will make you feel like you're in the Cantina from the movie... and that sounds like a lot of fun. They have another location too that I believe is like a kiosk... but it has more detail to it than most. And they'll have a popcorn location... which sounds great too! I think it has some spicy, sweet popcorn options... which is my favorite type of flavor combo.

The Rise of The Resistance Ride sounds amazing... but it will not open with the land itself. I believe it is Disney's Longest Attraction and it has a trackless ride system that pulls you through a lot of stuff... it sounds like it will be incredibly detailed and advanced and really fun. This one sounds incredible and I'm looking forward to knowing what it's like!

The land itself sounds incredible- even if you can't get on the ride... it seems like there's a lot to explore, a lot to eat and a lot to do.

May The Force Be With You!
-Shannon