This is a second in our Galaxy’s Edge Series, after our recent trip to review Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Anaheim. This new land is a wonderfully immersive experience, and we are excited to share how autistic and sensory sensitive individuals can enjoy this new Land at Disney!
Our first post in this series focused on crowds and the most anxiety-free ways on how to get into Galaxy’s Edge. Today, we are going to talk about some areas to get away from it all if you or you kiddo do get overwhelmed.
There are not any “sensory break” areas in Disneyland, and this is true for Galaxy’s Edge as well. The land does feel quite open and hot, so one of our goals was to find some shady, quiet spots to relax in.
- The tunnels at Fantasy Land and Frontier entrances
There are three entrances into Galaxy’s Edge, and the two closer to Fantasy Land both feature short tunnels; despite being thoroughfares these are wonderfully cool and quiet. I would love for Disney to put some benches in here! Great place to take a moment. - By Oga’s Cantina
This little archway right by Oga’s Cantina is right in the middle of a big thoroughfare as well, but it does offer some shade (no seating), we found that people just sat on the ground. Disney in general tends to not have a lot of outdoor seating other than restaurants, so people tend to sit on the ground when they need to rest. If you need a moment to get away from others in a bit of shade, this is place where no one is likely to bother you.
3. By the First Order
In general, this areas tends to be a little quieter. Most people are excited to crowd into Oga’s Cantina, see the Millenium Falcon and ride Smuggler’s Run, or try the Blue Milk, so the First Order area gets less crowds overall. If the First Order Cargo shop is not busy, the air conditions is fantastic and it is not noisy or overly bright inside the store. It might be a good place to distract a sensory kiddo and get away from the hustle and bustle outside. Otherwise, if you are looking for a place to take a quick break, the area to the left of the shop has a tiny alley way that has some shade and goes back a little ways, and may provide some privacy for those who need a moment to decompress.
4. Millennium Falcon – There is some seating to the right of the Millennium Falcon, by the photography area. These orange cargo boxes aren’t cushioned seating, but they do give you the chance to rest your feet a bit. While they are out in the sun, they might be good for a brief place to rest. This is more of a crowded area, but it may help to sit and have a cold drink.
5.Rise of the Resistance Area
This area is very quiet for now, before the Rise of the Resistance Ride opens up. It won’t stay that way, but until it does it makes a fantastic place to take a break.
This area also offers no shade, but there are rock seating areas along the path. There are no sensory break areas, but at least a spot to rest physically. For sensory break areas you are best off in the alleyway by the First Order, or in other places in Disneyland, such as the old smoking areas, described in this post.
photo via @stephishappening
6. The restaurants were all fairly crowded, and between the crowds and noises, they may not be an ideal place for a sensory break. This land does not feel like a place where one might have a full sit down meal, which means all of the restaurants are fairly busy throughout as people have snacks and quick counter meals.
7. The shops were all very busy and crowded, with a lot going on, except for the First Order Cargo. I would avoid these if you need a sensory break.
Overall, while our team found Galaxy’s Edge less overwhelming sensory wise than other parts of Disneyland, there also weren’t as many places to get a break. Here is a map which includes shady spots (blue circles) and sunny spots (red circles) to take a break:
Where did you take a sensory break?