Star Wars: Galactic Nights

Star Wars: Galactic Nights

It’s no secret that I love Star Wars, especially the sequel trilogy. I had even Disney bounded as Dapper Rey for Dapper Day. So when Disney announced a Star Wars: Galactic Nights event at Hollywood Studios, I had to go.

Before the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land opened at Hollywood Studios, the most Star Wars we could get in the parks was the simple meet-and-greet area in Star Wars Launch Bay. To be honest, as much as I loved meeting Chewbacca and Kylo Ren, this was pretty weak. I was so stoked at the prospect of getting some Star Wars in the parks.

The first thing I had to do was plan out my outfit. My favorite Star Wars character is Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren, but he’s a boy character, and I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. Then again, I successfully Disney bounded as Donald Duck just fine, so I figured I could pass as female Kylo Ren.

I found a Kylo Ren mask at a local flea market for super cheap, so I figured that was a sign. I then found a leather dress at Nordstrom Rack, and the outfit was starting to come together. I had knee-high black boots with heels, but I opted for my Tory Burch thigh-high riding boots because I figured it would be easier to walk around the park in flats, even if the knee-high heels looked better. I got a plastic toy Kylo light saber and inexpensive elbow-length leather gloves from eBay, and I finished the look with some messy hair and red lipstick.

Because I was pregnant, I couldn’t go on any rides, so I spent most of my time going around, taking photos and admiring everyone else’s outfits. My husband and my friend Joy went on the rides with practically no wait though. That’s the nice thing about going to Disney’s After Hours events or parties like this one. We also got to see a panel hosted by Warwick Davis, who is known for his several appearances in multiple Star Wars movies, starting with his role as Wicket in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. We even watched a live interview with Joonas Suotamo, aka the new Chewbacca.

The whole event was so much fun and totally worth the price. It wasn’t any more expensive than a regular After Hours event, and it had so much more to offer, especially for a Star Wars fan — between the panels, interviews, special photo areas, extra character meet-and-greets (like Rey and Darth Vader), and more. I would highly recommend it if they ever offer this again. And it would be even better now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open. But if they don’t offer it again, then maybe I’ll try out either the holiday or the Halloween parties at Magic Kingdom next time.

What to Wear to Walt Disney World

What to Wear to Walt Disney World

Sure, anyone can tell you to wear comfortable shoes and to dress for the weather (e.g., the hot Florida sun or afternoon showers), but let’s face it. When you’re at Disney World, you’re probably going to take photos that you’ll want to look at for years to come, so you shouldn’t dress like a slob.

Did you know that while kids are allowed to dress up, people age 14 and older are not allowed in the parks if they are in costume? While you may not be able to dress up in a costume, there are still ways you can capture the essence of a character without actually dressing as that character. My best suggestion is to think of that character’s color palette and accessories. For example, Snow White dresses in blue and has a red bow in her hair. Plus, she poses like this:

SnowWhite

Notice that my fingernails are also yellow, like Snow White’s skirt. See? You can dress up at Disney without literally dressing in costume. However, I wouldn’t recommend wearing a blazer all day in the middle of summer at Disney World.

Here’s an example of me channeling my inner Princess Jasmine. Jasmine wears all blue and is (I think) the only princess who wears pants. She also has a blue headband and fabulous gold earrings and necklace. Bonus points if you pose in front of your character’s ride.

Princess Jasmine

Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean that I always want to dress up like a princess. (Although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love dressing like a princess!) Sometimes you just have to go with a classic, and what’s more classic than Mickey Mouse? Of course I have my Mouseketeer hat, my “home” T-shirt with Cinderella Castle on it, black shoes, red Fitbit, Mickey bangle bracelet and yellow Magic Band. I could have gone with my red Magic Band, but I decided on yellow to match Mickey’s iconic yellow shoes because, well, I don’t own a pair of yellow shoes, and I can’t picture myself buying a pair either.

Mickey Mouse Disney Bound

Thanks to Disney’s purchase of the Star Wars franchise, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is loaded with Star Wars experiences. My favorite character from the newest movie is BB-8. And when I saw this T-shirt and Mickey ears on Etsy, I had to have them. These are probably my favorite pair of ears I own, and I own several, haha! Plus, I wore my pearl earrings (because they are little white balls, like BB-8), white scalloped shorts (because of the color and round shape of the scalloping) and carried around my BB-8 thermos, which you can pick up at the popcorn cart outside of Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios. I just wish I had an orange Magic Band!

bb8

Dressing up for Disney World doesn’t mean that you have to dress like any particular character either. Sometimes it’s fun to dress in a theme instead of a character. For example, my husband and I wore “safari gear” on a trip to Animal Kingdom. I even made sure to wear my purse that looks like a satchel.

sarai outfits at Animal Kingdom

Have more suggestions or ideas of what to wear on your next Disney trip? Let me know in the comments!