Disneyland crowds quickly fill Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to capacity on first day reservations are no longer required

Thousands of Star Wars fans streamed into Galaxy’s Edge Monday morning as Disneyland swung open the doors to the new land on Monday for the first time after the 24-day reservation period.

By 7:25 a.m., the rope drop line stretched from the Frontierland entrance on the hub back to Coca-Cola Corner on Main Street U.S.A. Ten minutes later, thousands were heading toward Galaxy’s Edge. Excitement filled the air as a throng of fans headed through Frontierland, along the Rivers of America and past the Haunted Mansion toward the Critter Country entrance to the new Star Wars land.

Fans held smartphones aloft as they entered Galaxy’s Edge, documenting the experience on social media. The eager darted ahead to get to the front of the crowd. Disneyland employees, including park president Josh D’Amaro, waved to the Star Wars faithful as they streamed past a blue pinstriped X-wing fighter. Cheers erupted as fans spotted the 112-foot-long Millennium Falcon for the first time.

About two-thirds of the crowd immediately got in line for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The rush to the new attraction caused the line to stretch throughout the land to the X-wing fighter docked near the Critter Country entrance. The wait time swelled to more than 3 hours at 7:45 a.m.  But the queue quickly shrunk to 2 hours, 40 minutes shortly after 8 a.m. Disneyland employees routed visitors to a backstage queue area for the Smugglers Run attraction.

By 8 a.m., reservations were snapped up for the entire day for Oga’s Cantina and Savi’s lightsaber-building ship. The queue for the droid-building shop was relatively short at 15 minutes. Shoppers filled the vendor stalls along in the marketplace row. Thrilled fans snapped selfies with Loth Cat plush dolls. The restaurants did light business during breakfast.

At 8:20 a.m. the land had reached capacity and guests were shunted into a “virtual queue” to wait for a time when they could enter the new land. By 9 a.m., the park was issuing boarding passes for “late morning.”

The land felt comfortable at the capacity set by Disneyland. The return queue for Oga’s visitors with reservations was 10 to 15 minutes. Oga’s was busy but not full at 9 a.m. A new system in the bar keeps track of when parties enter and how many drinks they’ve ordered. Oga’s sets a 45-minute and 2-drink maximum.

Crowds were initially small before the park opened, with early arrivals almost outnumbered by employees, but the 14-acre land rapidly began filling up.

Slightly more than 100 people waited in line Monday morning for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland front gates as just under 100 employees milled about with little to do before the park opened.

By 6:30 a.m., there were a few hundred people in line outside the Disneyland gates in Star Wars shirts and Minnie Mouse ears. One young fan hoisted a red lightsaber in the air to signal his place in line to a friend. Fans talked and scrolled through their smartphones.

The new parking lot tram pickup/drop off area near the Mickey & Friends garage had opened Sunday, according to social media reports. The new Pixar Pals parking structure wasn’t expected to open until the end of June.

PHOTOS: New Parking Security Screening and Tram Stops as Part of Pixar Pals Garage Project Now Open at Disneyland Resorthttps://t.co/7uiJt2dhlm pic.twitter.com/tdNR86pZEh

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) June 23, 2019

Just before 7 a.m., the line to get into the park stretched to the overhead Monorail tracks as the gates to Disneyland opened. A cheer went up among the assembled. Fans speed walked to the Sleeping Beauty Castle hub. A rope line near the Frontierland entrance kept hundreds of fans from proceeding any further.

Fans made reservations for Oga’s Cantina and Savi’s lightsaber workshop as they waited for the rope drop. Reservations for the cocktail bar and lightsaber-building shop were still available for 8:55 and 9:25 a.m. a few minutes after they became available at 7 a.m.

Disneyland kept the Toy Story parking lot open all night and opened the Mickey & Friends parking structure at 6 a.m.

Harbor Boulevard was virtually traffic-free just before 6 a.m. Monday morning. The Harbor pickup/drop off lot was nearly empty with 2 cars and a taxi cab. A single Disneyland shuttle bus from the Toy Story parking lot dropped off 8 people.

Eight security gates were open at the Harbor Boulevard entrance at 6 a.m. Monday with no lines.

Disneyland employees told visitors they would enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge through the Critter Country entrance.

A flyer handed out by employees explained how the Galaxy’s Edge virtual queue boarding pass system would work. But it didn’t appear the few hundred people in line at 6:30 a.m. would have any trouble getting into the new land.