Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is seeing its timeline expanded once again. This time, the change will see what fans have been clamoring for since the land opened: characters and stories from the original Star Wars trilogy. That’s right, soon guests at Disneyland will be able to see Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker (who previously visited Batuu), and even Han Solo when they visit Black Spire Outpost.
This is a significant change for this land at Disneyland. When it opened in 2019, the land captured one moment in time that took place in the midst of the newest trilogy in the Skywalker Saga of Star Wars films. This is the third trilogy of the movies and includes Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This moment in time saw Kylo Ren and the First Order having landed on the planet and searching for Resistance members. This included Rey, Vi Moradi, and also Chewbacca.
Where’s Darth Vader?
While Chewbacca was known and loved by all ages of Star Wars fans, newer characters like Rey, Kylo Ren, and Vi Moradi were not as well-known or beloved to wider audiences who weren’t as big of Star Wars fans. Yes, they were loved by many Star Wars fans, but they did not have the generations of the fandom that had grown up with some of the classic characters. Since the land opened in 2019, it has not been uncommon for me to be asked, “Where’s Darth Vader?” or for Star Wars fans whistfully wish that they could see Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia.
Through the years, I’ve spent many hours enjoying taking pictures in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This has been particularly true with the addition of new characters, including Ahsoka Tano, Hera Syndulla with Chopper, Boba Fett, and Djin Djarin with Grogu. These characters were introduced to the land as they appeared on their various Disney+ series. As I watched these characters arrive in the land, it was often younger fans who were running up and getting photos with them (in general, yes, there were exceptions… especially with the arrival of droids at different times!).
The Arrival of Luke
In 2025, Luke Skywalker came to Batuu as part of the Season of the Force at Disneyland. This was the Luke Skywalker who was seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. I stopped by to take photos of Luke a couple of times and almost immediately noticed that there were more older fans coming up to him. There were also multiple times I observed a parent just as excited to see Luke as their child. Where I often saw parents supporting their kids who were excited to meet some of the newer characters (Boba Fett was an exception here as well to an extent), now I saw parents having as much enthusiasm as their kids in wanting to be in the picture with Luke.
At the time, I commented to a friend on how awesome it would be to expand on this idea and let people meet Darth Vader and other classic characters in the land. The inner child of Mr. Daps finds it terrifyingly awesome that we will be able to see Darth Vader striding through the land!
What About the Music?
Similar stories could be told about the questions and conversations about the music in the land. For the most part, the music of John Williams isn’t currently heard in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There have been many times I’ve had people question me on the why behind this. It really is a testament to the power of John Williams’ music in the Star Wars movies. His music is just as beloved as a favorite character. It only makes sense that if Disney was going to add original characters from the films, that original music would also come with them. This will help generations of all ages connect with the Star Wars stories they love and the land where they can be physically experienced.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Disneyland Handcrafted
It seems perfectly fitting that the announcement for the changes coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland comes just a week ahead of the arrival of Disneyland Handcrafted on Disney+ and Disney’s YouTube channel. This film looks at the early days of Disneyland, but also a strong reminder of the spirit and vision that Walt Disney had. This was a vision that evolved through the years and was always changing, which is what he also believed Disneyland should do as well.
Now, seven decades later, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge demonstrates exactly how that culture of creativity and evolution continues at Disney. Is this the original vision for how Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge would operate and the story it would tell? Absolutely not. Is that a bad thing? I would also argue that it isn’t. I think things are always changing, whether we want them to or not. With that in mind, things can either change intentionally or unintentionally. With that, things will either change for the better or the worse. To make things change for the better, people/companies/organizations need to be proactive and intentional.
Time for Change
Since the day that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, Disney has undoubtedly been collecting data and observing how things work in this land. With this information, the company can analyze and adjust to make Galaxy’s Edge even better for all who visit. As new stories entered the Star Wars universe, new characters were introduced to the land. These were small and incremental changes to the timeline of the land that could almost be viewed as timeline-adjacent. They weren’t exactly the same timeline as the story that was initially told, but they weren’t THAT far away either. What didn’t happen was the introduction of characters that were decades away. This didn’t stop people from wishing for those beloved characters, though. Clearly, Disney has been tracking that.
Changing something like an entire land and storyline is a big deal. It is something that doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s like trying to turn a massive ship. It takes plenty of analyzing and looking at the law of unintended consequences, plenty of planning, and then comes the whole implementation of whatever the new plans and ideas are. We are now in the implementation phase.
To ALL Who Come to This Happy Place
The implementation phase can be the most exciting and the most terrifying. This is where the new ideas get introduced to the world, and the fan base reacts. Fan bases are known for having passionate opinions. The Star Wars fan base will undoubtedly have opinions about this change. However, I again look to the past and to Walt Disney as I look toward the future of this land. On the opening day of Disneyland, Walt said, “To ALL who come to this happy place – welcome.” He didn’t say to just certain fandoms, certain demographics, or educational levels. He said, “Disneyland is your land,” collectively.
As we look at the changes coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, it is important to remember that Disneyland is for everyone. It is also important to acknowledge that, as exciting as change can be, it can also be hard. To keep Disneyland a happy place, we need, as fans, to be aware of how different people react to change. There are so many ways to react and emotions that can be felt with change. Some people will be excited, and others will be terrified. Some will think this is a great update for the land, others will think it is ruining it. In general, most of these feelings arise because we, as fans, care about this special place.
Keep Kind
We need to acknowledge that other people will have different feelings and opinions on these changes than perhaps what we think is “right.” With that in mind, it’s ok to disagree. Just disagree without being disagreeable. This means continuing to keep kind, even when other opinions don’t align with our own. It also means showing respect to our fellow Disney and Star Wars fans. We also need to build people up and not tear them down. We do this by saving the things or people we love, and not fighting the things we hate.
A Vibrant Land of Star Wars Fans
The changes coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be met with enthusiastic excitement by some and other emotions by others. I personally am excited about them as they continue to make Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge a place that can connect with more people and help cultivate more Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge fans.
Some of my favorite days at Galaxy’s Edge have been when the land has been packed with fans carrying around lightsabers, droids, and wearing Jedi robes. It brings the land to life and adds a vibrancy (especially the lightsabers) to the visit. I hope that these changes will continue to encourage fans to share their love of Star Wars with each other at Disneyland. I also hope that this will create an environment and culture where people can be immersed in the bigger Star Wars story and become a part of it in their own way during their visit.
More to Look Forward To
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has an exciting future ahead of it. With these changes, the addition of the new missions to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and new Star Wars movies on the way, the possibilities are endless for what could come next. The future is full of unknowns, but it is good to know that Disney continues to analyze, adjust, and evolve as time goes on to provide the best experience possible for all who come to The Happiest Place on Earth.
What do you think of these changes coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? How do you feel about change in the Disney Parks? What are you most looking forward to in the coming months and years as Disneyland and the Disney Parks continue through this era of growth? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
