Theme Park Rangers Radar hits Disney: Pixar Place, Starcruiser songs, Orange Bird waffle

In this week’s travels for Theme Park Rangers Radar, we’re circling around to a new old place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, listening to the sounds of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and snacking with Orange Bird.

Radar is a nook for Central Florida theme park notes and news. It appears on OrlandoSentinel.com on Wednesdays.

Return to Pixar Place

Pixar Place has reopened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The dead-end street of the theme park has more life after being closed for the bulk of the past few years.

Its centerpiece is again Edna Mode, the fashionista character from “The Incredibles.” She holds court in her own meet-and-greet station, which features a queue displaying her superhero costume designs. It’s retro chic.

There are two addition character-encounter areas outside, backed into the brick wall, separated by a colorful Pixar painting with the big ball on a gate, which looks like it could swing open and set free a character cavalcade. Nope, not yet.

On a recent visit, Mr. Incredible and Elasti-Girl were paired on one side, and Scully from “Monsters, Inc.” manned the other side. (His former station inside Walt Disney Presents appears to be closed.)

There are other props and walls for photo backdrops at Pixar Place, and a small snack station where folks can purchase Jack-Jack’s Num Num Cookie ($6.19). But not much to do back there beyond meet, greet and chill out.

The space has had an unusual history, including an era as an entrance to the Toy Story Mania attraction. Before that, there was “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It,” which closed in 2006.

Once upon a time, there was a dancing Luxo lamp on the shelf, but it’s now part of another mural. We used to walk that way to try to peer into the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge construction area. Pixar Place shut down along with all other character meet and greets for pandemic but eventually was reopened to give some breathing room and the much-desired social distance.

Higher and higher with Gaya

Disney has released a soundtrack for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, and it features Gaya, a central character from the experience who serves as the onboard entertainment. The tracks are available on streaming platforms.

Gaya – pronounced “GUY-uh” – has a lot of backstory, as intergalactic superstars do. Her species is Twi’lek; her home world is Ryloth. Her skin is purple.

It’s been a while since I was aboard Starcruiser and heard the music live. Months later, I liked “Poverty of Love” best; it’s probably closest to a torch song. The album begins with “New World,” which is both trippy and sounds like droids were involved.

Basically proving that intergalactic superstars are the same everywhere, there’s a self-involved song named, appropriately, “Gaya!” The lyrics rhyme her name with fire and choir, it appears.

The song “Coaxium” makes reference to a jumping to the hyperzone and gets into the spirit of space travel. “Faster, faster, rebel blasters,” she sings. “We’re moving like supernovas.” It’s a head-bobber. A couple of time, I thought the singers were channeling Kris Kross’ “Jump.” It was that wiggida wiggida wiggida whack. (Uh huh, uh huh).

Orange you glad?

I was headed to Epcot for a Guardians of the Galaxy cookie, but a little birdie told me to go to Connections Eatery instead. OK, it was Orange Bird, and I ended up ordering an Orange Bird liege waffle ($4.19).

It’s about the size of an adult’s fist. It’s deliciously dense with orange sugary matter around the edge with an edible O.B. disc on top. You might think the flavor to be zesty, but I might think that’s your imagination.

Bonus luck: Was first brought, in error, the everyday Connections Eatery liege waffle (with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce), which I was allowed to keep. Insert your own “buy one orange bird, get other waffle for free” comment.

Weekend outlook

• Two new acts appear in Garden Rocks, the concert series for Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. They’re A.J. Croce (son of Jim Croce) on Friday and Saturday and then Casting Crowns on Sunday and Monday.

• SeaWorld Orlando’s Viva La Musica wraps up with Jon Secada on Saturday and Melina Leon on Sunday.

• Gatorland marks Gatorpalooza events on Saturday and Sunday. Its Florida Man Challenge, which literally goes through the swamp, is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.

• At Orange County Regional History Center, the Asian Cultural Association will perform Kathak dance 2-3 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, Wenxian Zhang, a Rollins College professor. will talk about the history of Asian immigrants in Florida from the late 19th century to today. (Also discussed: DeLand’s Lue Gim Gong, a k a the “Citrus Wizard of Florida.”)

What’s on your radar? Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com.