The Disneyland Resort has announced that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will see its timeline expanded on April 29, 2026. When this happens, there will be more stories and characters from the different eras of Star Wars in the land for guests to meet and experience. The land will have three main eras of stories that guests will be able to experience when they visit. This ranges from the era of the original trilogy up through the most recent trilogy. It does not include the prequels, although there will probably be nods to that era found in the land as well. Here are the three eras that have been announced as being actively represented in the land:

• Galactic Civil War – The era of the war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. This is where guests will find Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and his Imperial Stormtroopers. Expect the Rebels to be found near the Millennium Falcon and Darth Vader with his Stormtroopers near the TIE Echelon. This could lead to some conflict as Darth Vader and his Imperial Stormtroopers seek out the Rebels and, more specifically, Luke Skywalker. Luke may be wandering around a bit more in this area of the land and may be found near Savi’s Workshop.
• New Republic – This is the era that is commonly referred to as the “Mandoverse.” Guests will find Ahsoka Tano and the Mandalorian himself with Grogu. This era will be found near the Marketplace.
• Age of the Resistance – This is the era that includes the most recent movies in the Star Wars universe. It is the era of Rey, and this area in Galaxy’s Edge is where she may be found.

Daps Magic created the following map of these eras and the regions they will generally be found in. This is not an exact map, but it does give a general idea of the way that the land is being divided for these different eras. It is also is interesting to note that the stories actually progress chronologically across the land, with the oldest stories being in the most developed part of Black Spire Outpost and the newest story in the least developed part on the outskirts of the outpost on Batuu.

Along with these additional characters and stories arriving in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, there are also other updates happening in the land. This will include updates to some of the decorations and even shops. All of the changes can be found here. These will all be indicative of the evolution that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge continues to experience since opening in 2019. “We’ve always seen Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as a platform for storytelling, a land that would continue to live and grow and evolve,” explained Asa Kalama, vice president for creative and interactive experiences at Walt Disney Imagineering.

Read why The Force is Strong with the Changes Coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Here!

Classic Characters

Disney also revealed some of the thought process behind bringing these new classic characters to the land. “We knew Vader had to arrive,” said Michael Serna, executive creative director for Disney Live Entertainment. “He’s the iconic villain — the best villain ever, in my opinion.”

It was also explained that in this expanded timeline, Darth Vader has arrived on Batuu at Black Spire Outpost in search of Luke Skywalker. He will generally be found near the TIE Echelon. “One of the lesser-known facts about the TIE Echelon is that it’s actually an Imperial-era ship,” Kalama says. “It carries the same color and markings of all the TIEs from that era.” Since 2019, when Galaxy’s Edge opened, this ship has been the property of Kylo Ren. Kalama explained that for him, it was “sort of like a vintage car. So canonically, it aligns with the new, updated timeline we’re celebrating now.”

Nearby, the Rebels will be found near the Millennium Falcon. Both Han Solo and Princess Leia will be debuting new looks when they arrive on Batuu. Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment teams worked in collaboration with Lucasfilm to create these new looks. Han will be in his iconic vest, and Leia will be in a battle-ready white outfit. However, her hair will be up in a practical crown braid. This will be similar to what was seen in The Empire Strikes Back on Hoth.

“This is Leia’s adventure look,” explains Lucasfilm senior creative executive Matt Martin. “It’s inspired by some comic book appearances from this era, as well as the look that she had in Star Wars Battlefront II, the video game. But this is really the first time we get to see it physically created on a person.”

Other parts of the land will see more characters from other eras that have already been seen on Batuu. “And of course, R2-D2 will be roaming throughout!” Serna added with a laugh. “He’s in all of these stories.” And there will be more stories, too. A new comic book will be arriving ahead of the switch-over at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It will explain why the Rebels and Imperial forces come to Batuu.

The Story Continues

Throughout the land, there will be other updates that continue the Star Wars story in different ways. This will include updates to shops, props, and even the music. For the first time, the iconic music of John Williams will be heard throughout the land when guests visit. “It is so unbelievably emotional and impactful to be standing in front of the Falcon or next to Savi’s and hear the Force theme gently playing in the background,” Kalama shared. “It totally transforms your emotional response to the land.”

When the changes completely take effect on April 29, 2026, this will be a new chapter for Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars, and Disneyland. It will not be the last chapter, however. One thing that is always consistent at Disney is that it continues to “keep moving forward,” and it continues to evolve with time. This leads to many exciting possibilities for the near future and beyond!

What do you think about these stories and how they will be distributed in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? What are you most excited about with these updates? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!