As A Longtime Star Wars Fan, It's About Time Disneyland Announced These Big Changes To Galaxy's Edge

Back in 2019, Disneyland saw the biggest expansion in its history when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge first opened. I got to preview the land at the time, and was instantly impressed with the way it made me feel like I was in a galaxy far, far away. Having said that, it’s clear that not everybody loves the original concept for the land, specifically its setting.

The world of Batuu, the planet guests visit when going to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, was a new location in the franchise, and its setting was placed firmly in the middle of the then-unfinished sequel trilogy. This was something of a disappointment for classic Star Wars fans who wanted to see the likes of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader walking through it, and starting in April, you’ll be able to see exactly that.

Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge Is Transforming, And It’s About Time

Over the last few years, Disneyland has quietly been moving away from the first time period of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Characters like The Mandalorian and Grogu, Ahsoka Tano, and even Luke Skywalker have made appearances in the park from time to time. However, today Disneyland officially announced plans to abandon the sequel trilogy timeline for most of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and add the Galactic Civil War and New Republic Era. These changes will go into effect starting April 29.

While I have nothing against the sequel trilogy (except for that last movie), and I think using an original setting like Batuu is the perfect location for a Star Wars theme park land, I, like many fans, grew up with the original trilogy, and so being able to experience a period that immediately follows those movies, complete with the characters that made, and continue to make, Star Wars great, is a welcome change.

For those who actively disliked the original concept, this is basically what they’ve wanted the whole time. For others, it’s simply welcome that a change is being made. It will add fresh life to the land and make it feel new again for those who have been there before.

Han Solo, Leia, And Darth Vader Will Join Luke Skywalker On Batuu

One of the things that made Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge great when it first opened was the way it felt alive. The denizens of Batuu would walk around and interact with guests in character. The likes of Rey or Kylo Ren weren’t standing at the end of a line for a photo op, they were wandering around and would talk to you and have in-world conversations (though Rey would still stop for a photo when she wasn’t hiding from the First Order).

That will be the case with the changes coming to Galaxy’s Edge. What will be changing are the characters you may meet. Luke Skywalker, who made a brief appearance during last year’s Season of the Force at Disneyland, will become a regular visitor to Batuu, and he’ll bring with him his dear friend Han Solo and his sister Leia Organa.

Even better, the greatest villain of them all, Darth Vader, will be on hand. Seeing him walk around Batuu looking for Luke is going to make you feel like you truly are standing in the middle of a Star Wars adventure.

Major Batuu Locations Will Change Along With The Story

This will result in shifts in the way the story around Batuu is told. In the original era of Galaxy’s Edge, Oga’s Cantina was run by a woman who had total control of the criminal underworld of the planet. Decades earlier, Oga will be relatively new to the planet, only just beginning to find her place.

Other locations, like the merch store First Order Cargo, will become Black Spire Surplus, with a new collection on offer that will be more fitting to its era. The same will be true for Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

The Droid Depot and Savi's Workshop, where guests can build and purchase lightsabers, will undergo light story changes to match the new timeline. It sounds like running into Jedi Knight Luke at Savi's Workshop is a distinct possibility.

One complaint about Galaxy's Edge from some fans has been the lack of the franchise's iconic music. This will also change with the new update, as John Williams' incredible scores will play throughout, putting fans in the right frame of mind.

Sequel Trilogy Characters Will Still Hang Out Around Rise Of The Resistance

Rey and the Resistance won’t be gone for good, of course. There’s still a massive attraction called Rise of the Resistance, arguably the best ride at Disneyland that isn’t going away. For that reason, the area around the ride will still be dedicated to the Age of Resistance.

Rey and any other sequel trilogy characters who might get added will simply be found in this part of the land. Essentially, walking between the two attractions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will see you travel in time as well as space. With Galaxy’s Edge being so large, there’s absolutely no problem with this concept. The two parts of the land won’t infringe on each other, and each one should make you feel like you're in its specific era.

Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge Will Remain, Giving Fans A Choice

That sound you hear in the distance is thousands of Walt Disney World fans shouting, “Be Fair To Florida.” Unfortunately, fans hoping that Batuu East will undergo this same change are out of luck, at least for the foreseeable future. Disney World's Galaxy's Edge will not see any of these updates.

While that will likely upset some, I think it’s great. I’ve always felt that creating two identical Galaxy Edge lands at Disneyland and Disney World was an error when they could have made the land the same, but set both in different times, when different versions of the same attractions.

While I’m still waiting for that last part, the fact that the two versions of Galaxy’s Edge will have more differences is a good thing, as it gives people more of a reason to visit both locations. I’d love to see Disney World’s land introduce more sequel trilogy era characters and really begin to offer more that can’t be found at Disneyland.

These Galaxy's Edge Changes Are Coming At The Perfect Time

All of this is happening as Star Wars is about to launch what has to be seen as its second wave under the Disney brand. Following a new movie trilogy and a couple of spinoffs, we've been without Star Wars movies for several years, but that's all about to change.

Alongside the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters, the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run attraction will gain a new mission focused on the popular characters. Given everything else that's changing about Galaxy's Edge, it's a safe bet that, at least at Disneyland, this is not a temporary change.

Now is the perfect time to give Galaxy's Edge some attention and make it something a little different, and a bit more special. I'm excited for April 29 as I can't wait to see how all these changes manifest. I'm looking forward to my next trip to Batuu.