Photos by Ava Twomey
Less than two months after debuting inside the most highly-themed expansion ever built at a Disney’s theme park, the Docking Bay 7 restaurant at Walt Disney World’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has quietly dropped the elaborate alien names from its menu.
When Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge opened earlier this summer at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a lot of attention was given to the immersive theming applied to everything within the anticipated land, especially the exclusive edibles. An entree of pork ribs or fried chicken would be imaginatively transformed into “smoked kadu” or “Endorian tip-yip” through the magic of themed menu names.
Now, Walt Disney World has revised their in-park and online menus to remove or greatly reduce the presence of these unfamiliar words, in favor of simply stating the real-world ingredients. The “in universe” names are still present on some menu boards at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but have been shrunk down to small subtitles.
The change is event more drastic online and in the My Disney Experience app, which has eliminated the themed menu names entirely. These changes don’t yet apply to Disneyland’s website and app.
The simplified menu names mostly apply to Docking Bay 7’s lunch and dinner menu, as the breakfast items are virtually unchanged.
The nomenclature at Ronto Roaster is also still largely intact. However, we have seen some recent additions to the offerings at the Hollywood Studios quick-service stand, such as a chicken version of the Ronto Wrap, and a snack mix with chips and pork rinds.
Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge recently added a few new menu items such as a Garden Patty Bun and a Ronto-Less Garden Wrap.
While the loss of these names will surely disappoint some Star Wars fans, the change is apparently an effort to help guests (many of whom are not native English speakers) better identify their dining options. This isn’t the first time that an ambitious attempt at theming has been abandoned after an attraction’s opening. For example when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter first opened, many of the employees had British accents, which has since fallen by the wayside.
What do you think about this change? Did you think the menu names were clever ways to become more immersed in your own Star Wars story, or were they just confusing and unnecessary? Let us know in the comments below, then feast on these videos of food at Galaxy’s Edge.
I went to Disneyland right after SWGE opened. Nobody could figure out where they were going or what they were looking at. A nice idea in theory, but even regulars to the park were lost. Most of the food was as bad as the names. Only the most devoted fans appreciated it. The rest of us bailed to more familiar restaurants for real food. Hopefully the additions are better than the original offerings.
JUST PLAIN DUMMB! Why in the HECK create a highly themed place and DE-theme any part of it. Coming next, re-name the whole area to Star Wars: GALAXY SPRINGS!!! Stupidity marches on.
Speaking on behalf of myself only, I agree with you.
The food is great. I was so unhappy when the Ithorian Loaf vanished from the menu at Disneyland.
The menu was easy to read – right under the names it TELLS YOU WHAT IT IS. The land is about immersion. Don’t like it? Go grab a hot dog somewhere else in the park and leave the fun to the rest of us.
Really, how disappointing. It was a unique and cool idea (it wasn’t like they didn’t give a clear description of what it was under the name). If people don’t like the theme of immersion then eat at Toy Story land and don’t ruin it for the rest of us!