My Review of Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite

Disneyland After Dark is a series of after hours events that has been taking place in California. First there was Sweethearts Nite, then Villains Nite, and finally Star Wars Nite. The first two Star Wars Nites were held in early May. I attended the final one on May 27. It was held on that day because that’s when Star Wars Celebration was taking place at Anaheim Convention Center.

You know me, I’m a huge Star Wars fan. It’s been an important part of my life since 1977. I love Galaxy’s Edge, I’ve been multiple times on both coasts. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is my all time favorite ride. When Star Wars Weekends were canceled at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; well, let’s just say that I wasn’t happy. When I learned about the Disneyland event I set an alarm so that I could buy my tickets for Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite the moment that they went on sale. Of course my theme park buddy/Star Wars fan/daughter would accompany me.

With our Disneyland After Dark tickets we could get into Disneyland Park at 6:00 pm. The actual event ran from 9:00 until 1:00. We are Magic Keyholders, but we have the lowest level available to non-California residents, so we were blocked out because it was Memorial Day weekend. We left Star Wars Celebration as soon as things wrapped up so that we could enjoy our final few hours at Disneyland.

Even though we arrived early, it was backed up to get in. There was a long line for security and another long line to enter the park. We didn’t get in until about 6:30. We received wristbands, a lanyard, and a map.

Disneyland Park was clearing out because it closed at 8:00, and we got a lot done in our first 90 minutes. We walked onto several of the smaller Fantasyland rides, and we also got something to eat. The evening was off to a great start.

I wouldn’t really say that things went downhill, but there were plenty of small hiccups along the way. The fireworks were at 9:30. It was a great show, but it was less than six minutes long. I’ve had a hit or miss relationship with Disneyland fireworks so I was glad to see the entire thing! Sleeping Beauty Castle was part of the show, but it was more as a backdrop than full-on projections.

Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite was packed. I have never been to an after hours event that had so many people! Because of the crowd, we had to pick and choose what we wanted to do.

Since we had spent a few days at Disneyland earlier in the week, we opted to mostly skip the rides. The one we really wanted to hit was Hyperspace Mountain. Sadly, it was down for a good portion of the evening. We happened to be in the right place at the right time, and a wonderful Cast Member told us that she thought that it had just opened again. We ended up walking on. By the time we got off, the Wait Time was nearly an hour.

There were special characters and photo opportunities throughout the evening. Some of the characters were still socially distanced. I think that was more of a way to let as many people get pictures as possible than keeping people safe from Covid. There were lines for the characters, and lines for the PhotoPass spots. PhotoPass was included in the cost.

I really enjoyed the extra entertainment. March of the First Order took place in Tomorrowland. They made it seem like a ship landed and they marched off, which was a cool sound effect. My favorite entertainment was actually listed under characters. A Cantina Band floated on a barge in Frontierland. They seemed to be having such a good time!

Like most Disney special events, it was impossible to do everything. Knowing that when we went in helped, because I didn’t feel like we missed out on too much.

Rise of the Resistance was closed, which I think added to the crowd. If the ride had been open that’s where a lot of people would have headed.

Also, as much as I enjoyed the extra entertainment, there wasn’t anything overly spectacular. One of my favorite things about Star Wars Weekends as well as the after hours Galactic Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was the panels. There were certainly enough stars and creative minds in town for Star Wars Celebration, utilizing them during the event would have made it more special.

I had a great time at Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite. That said, I honestly don’t think that it was worth the $175 per person cost. I know that the price was higher because of the Star Wars Celebration crowd, but I think that they bumped it up a little bit too much. I’m glad I went, but when and if Star Wars Celebration is held in Anaheim or Orlando again and the same event is held, I don’t think I’ll go; at least not at that price. Then again, it was fun spending the entire evening with other Star Wars fans.