Oga’s Cantina is a bar in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and has been one of many land’s hottest points of interest because it opened over 5 years in the past at each Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Disneyland. However demand has been dying down, and Disney is lastly making significant adjustments to Advance Eating Reservation guidelines. This covers the adjustments, plus our commentary concerning the why of this and whether or not WDW will quickly comply with swimsuit.
Right here is the alert from the Oga’s Cantina web page on the Disneyland Resort web site: “Incoming transmission: Starting August 19, Oga’s Cantina will transition to walk-up availability with a standard standby queue and can not supply new reservations. Any current reservations will likely be honored.”
Word that this alteration solely applies to Disneyland in California. Oga’s Cantina at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World (Florida) remains to be accepting Advance Eating Reservations. There aren’t any adjustments to Batuu East, the outpost in Florida. Not less than, for now. We’ll cowl that in higher depth deeper on this submit…
Additionally observe that each variations of Oga’s Cantina nonetheless have a number of insurance policies in place, most notably:
- Company could also be requested to attend in a conventional standby queue.
- Be mindful, all members of your celebration should be current earlier than seating, and hosts should carry your complete celebration to the desk at one time. Not less than one individual within the celebration should be 14 years of age or older.
- This expertise takes place in an enclosed house with low lighting ranges and excessive exercise, and is restricted to 45 minutes per celebration.
- Oga’s Cantina consists primarily of standing room, with restricted seating. Seating just isn’t assured upon entry.
- Separate events could also be seated collectively, and huge events could also be separated.
- Restrict 2 alcoholic drinks per visitor per transaction.
- A restricted menu of snack choices is offered at Oga’s Cantina.
We’re drawing your consideration to all of those factors, as they’re widespread complaints about this Star Wars Bar. We routinely get reader responses to our 25 Finest Bars & Lounges at Walt Disney World, which ranks Oga’s Cantina very extremely, that it shouldn’t even be on the listing, interval, as a result of [insert one or more of the above bullet points]. These make it a non-starter for a lot of visitors.
This isn’t the primary discrepancy between Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World. Most notably, there’s a significant pricing distinction at Savi’s Workshop between the 2 coasts, with the Walt Disney World model costing $249.99 and the Disneyland model costing $219.99. Neither model of Savi’s Workshop affords Annual Move or different reductions.
Savi’s Workshop at Disneyland did price $250 for a short bit, however fell from that value again right down to $219.99. On the subject of Disney, any drop is a giant one, as costs usually solely go in a single course–up. That’s nonetheless up from the $200 price ticket on the Savi’s Workshop lightsaber constructing expertise when it first debuted, however just about the whole lot at Disneyland is costlier than it was ~5 years in the past.
The value went down at Disneyland as a result of demand dropped. It’s so simple as that. Disneyland is extra dependent upon an area fanbase, and the California park largely exhausted demand for lightsaber constructing amongst locals, and is now reliant on the smaller slice of vacationers that go to Disneyland. Against this, Savi’s Workshop remains to be a well-liked reservation at Walt Disney World because of a gentle stream of recent vacationers. Even so, it’s not as in style there because it as soon as was.
We carry this up as a result of it’s an nearly equivalent story with Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World.
Because of the aforementioned bullet factors, Oga’s Cantina just isn’t precisely a well-liked bar at Disneyland Resort. Ask the common native to make a listing of their favourite watering holes at Disneyland that they frequent most frequently, and I’d be shocked if Oga’s Cantina tops many lists. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s left off most lists.
There are Star Wars superfans, positive, and the aforementioned smaller slice of vacationers. Oga’s Cantina is a must-do for first-timers and nonetheless appears sufficiently in style with Star Wars followers. However there aren’t sufficient of both to maintain demand. The dominant demographic is locals, they usually’ve gotten their fill of Oga’s Cantina.
Truthfully, I’m shocked that it took this lengthy to make the change. There have been loads of occasions in latest months when Oga’s Cantina hasn’t had a lot of a line at Disneyland, interval, and I’d fairly safely assume that tables had been going unfilled. I’m a kind of locals who has principally gotten my fill of the Star Wars bar, so I don’t go in to verify issues out an excessive amount of, however I wouldn’t be shocked if somebody advised me the 45 minute time restrict wasn’t being enforced–or was solely loosely enforced on busy dates.
As for whether or not the identical change might come to Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World, the above dialogue ought to kind of deal with that.
Already, it’s value noting that Advance Eating Reservations for Oga’s Cantina are nowhere close to as aggressive as they as soon as had been. As I sit right here typing this, each single time slot for right this moment–and any day into the long run–is offered for reserving. The Stroll-Up Waitlist can also be open, and reveals a forty five minute look forward to some cause (assuming that’s correct, you’d be higher off reserving an ADR ~20 minutes into the long run; nevertheless it most likely isn’t correct).
Between the brand new lounge scent carrying off and pent-up demand being exhausted, that is the norm. There’s additionally the truth that Oga’s Cantina is often open for a full hour after Disney’s Hollywood Studios closes, which the additional time serving to soak up extra demand.
Nonetheless, I additionally really feel prefer it’s the norm for chaotic crowds outdoors Oga’s Cantina at Walt Disney World.
You will get in same-day, however you’ll have to attend more often than not and, judging by the road outdoors, it’s presumably nonetheless busy inside. Disney likes to pack eating places to the best extent potential, and that appears very true at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Past that, I additionally wouldn’t anticipate Walt Disney World to ditch ADRs at Oga’s Cantina for the straightforward cause that trip planners largely love the understanding of advance bookings. This information is being met with thunderous applause (okay, possibly it’s not fairly thunderous, however the response is just about “good, that is the way it ought to’ve at all times been”) amongst Disneyland diehards.
If the announcement had been made for Walt Disney World, I’d hazard a guess that reactions could be rather more blended. There are few issues Walt Disney World planners disdain greater than uncertainty. Even when the tip result’s precisely the identical (e.g. I can e-book an ADR for Oga’s Cantina ~20 minutes from now and be seated similtaneously somebody who booked ~60+10 days out), WDW visitors love the readability provided by advance planning.
For this visitor demographics hole on full show, look no additional than the approaches to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World vs. Disneyland. By in style visitor demand, Walt Disney World switched from same-day Genie+ trip reservations to pre-arrival Lightning Lanes final yr.
Disneyland additionally made the change to Lightning Lane Multi-Move…however in identify solely. The system is functionally equivalent to the Genie+ service, with visitors not making same-day line-skipping choices till truly getting into the park.
In the end, the one change that I might see coming to Oga’s Cantina at Walt Disney World could be enjoyable that 45-minute time restrict. And actually, it’s completely potential that this has already occurred on a case-by-case foundation. There’s actually no cause to present visitors the boot if tables are empty, ADRs are going unclaimed, and there aren’t any Stroll-Up Waitlist visitors ready.
This might additionally imply different casual coverage adjustments, similar to not seating separate events collectively or giving visitors higher alternative over the place they stand or, ideally, sit. Decreased demand might additionally ease up the burden on Solid Members to show over the house sooner, permitting for an expanded menu of meals and possibly even drinks that aren’t premade.
There are a variety of incremental enhancements that could possibly be achieved at Oga’s Cantina so it’s extra worthy of being thought of among the many prime bars at Walt Disney World (or Disneyland).
Even right this moment, Oga’s Cantina is a cool place to expertise, and spending a while there will be satisfying. It’s not your typical relaxed lounge expertise, nevertheless it has quite a bit to see and recognize. The passion of different patrons is contagious, and the sick beats from DJ R3X will likely be felt in your bones. It ranks among the many higher issues to do in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is saying one thing on condition that it is a land of highlights.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Lodge Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
Ideas on Disney ditching ADRs for the Star Wars bar at Disneyland? Have you ever visited Oga’s Cantina lately? What was your expertise like? What did you consider the theme and ambiance? What concerning the drinks? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Trying ahead to experiencing Oga’s Cantina, or is it low in your listing of Star Wars Land priorities? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
