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Credit: DisneyIt’s officially Star Wars Day, and thousands of fans have had the same idea of the best way to celebrate: by visiting a galaxy far, far away.
Or, well, the closest thing to it.
Since The Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 – and released its own trilogy, two standalone films, and an ever-growing collection of Disney+ shows – the presence of Star Wars has grown exponentially in its theme parks.
While we already had Star Tours: The Adventures Continue and the odd character meet and greet, today we get to enjoy two entire Star Wars lands (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) and a handful of other themed attractions at parks across the globe.
Related: Disney Ready to Give up on ‘Star Wars’ After Losing Billions
Unsurprisingly, these attractions are incredibly popular on Star Wars Day – AKA May the Fourth Be With You.
Earlier this week, Inside the Magic, reported that Walt Disney World Resort was preparing to use a virtual queue to control the crowds flocking to purchase limited-edition Star Wars Day merchandise at Hollywood Studios and even reopened the Stage 1 Company Store specifically for the occasion.
But now that the day is actually here, we can see just how popular these offerings really are.
At Hollywood Studios, lines for the new Star Wars Day popcorn bucket (shaped like a Stormtrooper’s helmet) reportedly sit at 45 minutes. Other merch is equally in demand, with several stores reaching capacity.
Rise of the Resistance – which has a notoriously long line on the best day – has seen wait times of up to 145 minutes at Hollywood Studios, while the version at Disneyland Resort has a high of 105 minutes as of 11.30 a.m. PST.
Related: Report – New ‘Star Wars’ Series Canceled Just Months Before Premiere
Further afield, Disneyland Paris is also experiencing massive crowds. Despite not having its own Galaxy’s Edge (yet, at least – we’re still holding out hope for an extension in Discoveryland), the park does boast a version of Space Mountain with a permanent Star Wars overlay, a Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, and a character meet-and-greet hub known as Starport: A Star Wars Encounter.
The latter is driving the most demand today. According to Thrill Data, the line to meet the characters – including Rey and Chewbacca – peaked at 250 minutes.
✨ May the 4th ⭐️ : à StarPort ✨
#MayTheForceBeWithYou #MayThe4th #disneylandparis
— 🧞♂️ Cave 0f Wonders (@Cave0fWonders) May 4, 2024
For those who can’t reach the parks, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate Star Wars Day. Today, Lucasfilm released the second trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series The Acolyte, which premieres in June. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire also debuted on the streaming service, while theaters nationwide are holding marathons of all nine installments of the Skywalker Saga.
That includes the recently re-released Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), which is the closest thing we’re probably getting to a new George Lucas project on the big screen (despite recent rumors claiming otherwise).
How are you celebrating Star Wars Day? Let us know in the comments!