Credit: Photos By Randy, FlickrDisney is rolling back on their Star Wars offerings at Walt Disney World, and guests are starting to notice.
The IP that Bob Iger acquired back in 2012, Star Wars, has since developed a strong presence not only in Disney entertainment giving Disney+ a massive boost, but in the theme parks as well. In order to compete with Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney built Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, bringing the world of Batuu to life.
Disney allowed guests to immerse themselves in a galaxy far, far away at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a land that debuted at Walt Disney World in 2019. Here, you’ll feel transported to the bustling Black Spire Outpost on the remote planet of Batuu. Brush shoulders with iconic characters like Rey, Chewbacca, Storm Troopers, and Kylo Ren as they roam the marketplace. Fuel your adventures with galactic fare at restaurants like Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, where you can savor dishes like roasted porg or grab some blue or green milk.
Guests can also pilot the legendary Millennium Falcon on Smugglers Run, a thrilling mission where you’ll work together to navigate the starship through a daring escape. For a different kind of adventure, immerse yourself in the immersive experience of Rise of the Resistance, where you’ll blast off on a harrowing escape from a First Order Star Destroyer.
The land then debuted at Disneyland Park as well, giving the Star Wars fandom a place to call home.
One of the more popular things in both locations is Oga’s Cantina.
Nestled within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney World lies Oga’s Cantina, a notorious smugglers’ den established by the infamous Oga Garra. The story goes that Oga welcomes all – bounty hunters, rogue traders, weary travelers – as long as they can pay the tab and follow the unspoken rules.
Stepping inside Oga’s Cantina is like entering a scene straight out of Star Wars. The dimly lit space is adorned with strange alien artifacts, bubbling concoctions, and exotic creatures. Bartenders, some with unusual features themselves, serve up a unique selection of “exotic beverages.”
These aren’t your typical cocktails! Expect vibrant concoctions with unusual names like the Fuzzy Tauntaun (a fruity concoction) or the Dagobah Slug Slinger (a mysterious green libation). Whether you’re a seasoned smuggler or simply a curious traveler, Oga’s Cantina offers a one-of-a-kind Star Wars experience, perfect for quenching your thirst for adventure (and maybe some out-of-this-world drinks).
With such an immersive theme, this bar location has been extremely popular since it opened, with reservations being hard to come by, even with the drinks costing on average $17+, making it a costly addition to your Disney vacation. Knowing all of this, the standards are high for oga’s, and guests have recently shared that they do not feel that the location holds up to those standards as they once did.
A large conversation has sparked online after one recent Oga’s guest shared their experience, particularly how it went downhill:
“My husband and I went to Oga’s Cantina in May 2022 and had an amazing time. The vibe was so energetic, the bartenders were so into it keeping in character. We went back last week and we noticed a huge difference. The staff generally didn’t seem to care. They still serve the Bespin Fizz, but no dry ice so no fizz and of course charge the same price.”
The post has over 200 replies of many others feeling the same way, one guest even confirmed that many drinks have been removed and prices have increased, “They’ve removed several of the drinks, gotten rid of much of the special drinkware (not even just the souvenir stuff, even the glasses the other drinks are served in), raised prices, and seem to cram an increasingly ridiculous number of people in at a time. Plus they seem to rush you out more than ever; my last two visits I had barely gotten my second drink and the check was already slammed down on the table.”
The continued to state that they wish more food options would become available, “It’s also disappointing how they’ve never even attempted anything special food-wise. Disneyland at least got that pretzel bread.”
Many comments on the size of the location were stated, with one guest noting that they would not return, “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be back, my first visit was fun but my last visit was straight up awful. Disgusting drink, crammed in a booth between two other parties. We didn’t enjoy a single moment lol.”
Other comments brought up the fact that they feel less immersed due to the lack of characterization from the cast members, “Biggest change I’ve noticed is how out of character and unengaged the bartenders and servers are. First time we were there in Jan. ‘20 (right before the pandemic), the cast members were singing (Gungan Drinking song lol) and interacting with each other. Really felt like we were immersed in a Star Wars bar. Then this past winter we visited, and none of the cast members seemed to even bother with the songs or acting in character. Now, this is only anecdotal and a couple of times, but given how other experiences across the parks have been going, I suspect there’s more than a semblance of truth to this.”
Another guest commented that Disney is no longer allowing the cast members to sing the drinking song, which was a point brought up above, as it encourages drinking.
Personally, I have had servers and bartenders at the location who were amazing, as well as some who were looking to turn me over as quickly as possible, rushing me through the experience.
Overall, it appears that the guest opinion of Oga’s Cantina has changed, and with the Star Wars: Galactic Star Cruiser having been recently removed from Disney World, and Disneyland Paris cutting their Star Wars expansion, all eyes are on Galaxy’s Edge to keep the immersive fandom alive.
Do you think that Oga’s Cantina has changed for the worse over the years?