Get in the Car and Take the Trip!

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Hands up if you’re a Disney person! Keep that hand raised if you would call your family a “Disney Family.” You… You with your hands up. You are my tribe!

Now, give me a shout if you’re a Star Wars person (You won’t hear me shouting).

Admittedly, I know very little about Star Wars. My dad told me to never say that out loud. Writing it for a blog post doesn’t count as out loud, right?!

I have a dad and two brothers. They are huge Star Wars fans, so I grew up knowing the basics… Leia and Luke are twins. Leia has those crazy cinnamon bun buns in her hair. Leia and Hans Solo like-like each other. Light sabers. Darth Vader IS their father. Yada yada yada! (Please don’t tell my dad I just yada yada yada’d Star Wars!)

But that’s it. THAT is the extent of my Star Wars knowledge.

A month or so ago I received one of those magical emails from Disney… You know the type. An annual pass insider email, inviting us to preview a new addition to Walt Disney World before the rest of the world gets to see it. (Can you see where this is going?) Despite my lack of interest in Star Wars, I jumped at the opportunity to load my family into the car mid-week and preview Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge before it officially opens on August 29th.

My husband was less than thrilled with the idea. But he loves us, and he rolled with it.

So, we found ourselves at Hollywood Studios on a random Wednesday, ready to travel to the edge of the galaxy.

And it was absolutely incredible! The Disney Imagineers never cease to amaze me with their incredible attention to detail. All of the thought, the planning, and the foresight that went into developing this planet and then plopping it right down inside Hollywood Studios… It is unbelievable! Dare I say, magical?!

But, the amazing-ness of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not the point of my story. For me, the highlight of the entire trip came before we even left Palm Beach County. The most magical part of the whirlwind twenty-four hours was when I told my 9-year-old son we were going.

He screamed. His jaw legitimately hit the floor and he screamed like I had never heard him scream before. He had just climbed into the car and sat down but had not yet buckled his seatbelt. He launched out of his seat, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling of the car and he continued to scream. I cannot recall the last time he was so excited over anything!

This is a trip that will forever be burned in his memory. I know, twenty years from now, he will recount in graphic detail the way we told him he was going to Galaxy’s Edge for the first time. I know that he will remember his first (and second) time piloting Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. He will remember tasting that sweet and spicy popcorn from Kat Saka’s Kettle. He will remember drinking blue milk like Luke Skywalker. He may even remember that his mom refused to trade seventy-five credits for a Kowakian monkey-lizard.

This quick getaway reminded me of just how important it is to take the trip. Even if it is on a Wednesday. Even if it is inconvenient. Even if it is Star Wars and you know absolutely nothing about Star Wars, take the trip.

The memories that we create with our families are priceless. The quality time spent with our children is what keeps them grounded and feeling secure in a world that is becoming increasingly unstable. So, when given the opportunity, take the trip!

And just a word of advice if you find yourself traveling to the Galaxy’s Edge: Be prepared for the heat… The Planet Batuu has three suns and you can feel the burn!