In a Galaxy Far, Far Away …

Let’s Talk About ‘Star Wars’

It’s been a few months since “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” premiered, so it’s time to talk about it. If you haven’t been able to see the movie yet, I’ll try not to go into any major spoilers, but this won’t be completely spoiler-free. You have been warned.

I have always been a huge “Star Wars” fan. I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid, and I’ve really liked all the recent movies — except for “The Last Jedi,” which was pretty horrible. “The Rise of Skywalker” was a true return to form. It was great! I loved the grand size of everything and the big battles. One of my favorite scenes was the characters going into the massive wreckage of the Death Star. The scenery in this movie was really fantastic.

It’s not a perfect movie by any means. I’m not a big fan of how they told us Palpatine was back on the opening crawl and offered no explanation. But to me, “Star Wars” isn’t about being perfect. “Star Wars” is supposed to be a fun space adventure that generations can enjoy together, and “The Rise of Skywalker” was exactly that. I grew up watching “Star Wars,” so it was cool to see this movie in the theaters with my kids. This was a good final chapter for the Skywalker Saga.

Of course, we all know this isn’t the end of “Star Wars.” We might not see these characters again, but rumor has it that new movies are already in the works, not to mention all the shows coming to Disney+. The popularity of “Star Wars” can also be found off-screen in many different places. On the weekend of New Year’s Eve, my family took a trip to Disney World. There’s a lot to do at the parks, but our priority was hitting Galaxy’s Edge, the “Star Wars”-themed park in Hollywood Studios.

We arrived at 6 a.m., an hour before the park opened. Already, there were 5,000 people waiting to get in. I talked to a Disney employee later, and they told me it was the second busiest day they’d ever had, right behind the park’s opening day. As soon as the gates opened, everyone had their phones out, pulling up the park app and trying to get passes for Rise of the Resistance, the new “Star Wars” ride.

Throughout the crowd, you could hear people cheer as they got their pass. People were going nuts! It took us four minutes to get through and get our passes. We had ticket No. 130, which meant we’d be able to get on the ride at 6 that night. A few minutes later, all the tickets were gone. If you’re going to Disney World anytime soon and want to get on Rise of the Resistance, make sure you get there before the park opens and are ready to claim your Boarding Pass. Otherwise, it’s going to be impossible to get on.

“But Tim,” I hear you saying, “those crowds sound terrible. Was the ride even worth it?” Yes, yes it was. Rise of the Resistance is the coolest ride I’ve ever been on, second only to “Avatar” Flight of Passage ride. This was a full experience, lasting over 20 minutes as you go from scene to scene, each one cooler than the last. It was totally different than any other ride I’ve ever been on.

Even if you didn’t like “The Rise of Skywalker,” you have to admit that it’s a pretty good time to be a “Star Wars” fan. Between “The Mandalorian” TV show on Disney+, the future movies, and the theme park, there’s a lot of ways to get to a galaxy far, far away.