Four years ago, I wrote “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Needs to Break the Rules.” That frankly felt overdue even at the time, as the land had a lot of squandered potential outside of Rise of the Resistance, the #1 attraction at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Fast-forward to April 2026, and Disney is finally making many of the exact changes I suggested, from introducing the iconic John Williams score as background music to breaking the sacred timeline by introducing characters from the original trilogy. These changes will be controversial with some diehard Star Wars fans who put story and continuity above all else (presumably a very small percentage of all guests–less than 1%).
As you might expect as someone who advocated for these changes, I’m here in part to defend them. After all I believe that theme parks should be places of joy and fun, not rigid rules. But I’m also here in part to argue that this is only a half-measure, and Disney isn’t going nearly far enough with the changes. That breaking free of the unnecessarily limiting constraints of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a good thing, but it should be just a start of something bigger and better.
I appreciate Imagineering’s decision to make Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge a distinct place in Batuu. As opposed to being a catch-all intellectual property land or setting pulled from one of the movies, it’s a novel location that fits within the existing universe and plays by its rules.
From the outset, doing something different and new was a risky approach. It’s also one that many fans have derided. To this day, we still receive comments from Star Wars fans who are visiting Galaxy’s Edge for the first time and are utterly baffled (and disappointed) by the decision to not set the land in Tatooine (the most common request) or somewhere recognizable from the films.
It would’ve been easier for Disney to simply “play the hits” and give guests what they want in terms of recognizable visuals. Even outside of hardcore Star Wars fans, the majority of casual guests likely would’ve been more satisfied with a familiar effort that checked more boxes in terms of recreating a setting from the movies. Basically, in making it a ‘step into the scene’ from Star Wars, a la Cars Land or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or World of Frozen.
Instead, Imagineering had creative freedom and swung for the fences. They created the planet of Batuu, a totally new environment but one that speaks the language (both literally and visually) of Star Wars. The design motifs are reminiscent of other planets from the various Star Wars films, in addition to the obvious things like the Millennium Falcon, droids, characters, and transport. Batuu is new, yet familiar.
The end result is a land that is an almost unprecedented mix of intellectual property and original design. For all hardcore theme park fans crow about “original park IP,” this is almost it. Much like how Villains Land with its Art Nouveau and Modernisme-inspired “Conjured Architecture” should be close to original, which is one reason why Imagineers are so excited to work on that project.
Obviously, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is based on blockbuster movie IP, but so much of the setting was built from scratch. There’s a lot that the keen eye will recognize as distinctly Star Wars, but even more than looks original.
This is precisely why we dubbed the land Space Morocco–because outside of the gigantic Millennium Falcon parked in the central courtyard, Galaxy’s Edge arguably has as much in common with Morocco (but in outer space) as Star Wars. Honestly, it almost feels like a knock-off; like some bootleg Space Place Land that another theme park would build to skirt various intellectual property laws.
For fans wanting a wish fulfillment land, this was the first of many disappointments with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Personally, I’m still mixed on the setting of Space Morocco/Batuu. I used to view the original setting as purely an asset and sign of ambition. But I’m also a realist and I’ve heard the complaints enough that I can concede this is a problem–there’s a clear expectations versus reality mismatch with Galaxy’s Edge.
Regardless, redesigning the setting to transform Batuu into Tatooine is a non-starter. It’d be too costly, especially for a land that’s pretty popular, even if not exactly what guests want. Fortunately, there are a ton of other ‘soft’ fixes that can (and are) being made.
Disneyland has now announced that they’re doing exactly that, “unlocking” the sacred timeline and making a bunch of soft changes so that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge better comports with guest expectations (my words, not theirs). Here’s a rundown:
- Rolling back the timeline and bring new storylines to life on Batuu, spanning multiple eras of the planet’s rich history. These updates will make the Galactic Civil War and New Republic, as well as the Age of the Resistance and First Order, part of the story in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
- Introducing Darth Vader, Han Solo, Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker as permanent inhabitants of Batuu, in addition to existing characters (albeit in their own ‘regions’ of the land to preserve thematic integrity to the greatest extent possible).
- The addition of beloved scores from legendary composer John Williams, pulling themes from the first six films.
- Updates to buildings and shops throughout the land, including the addition of new props and graphics to better reflect a broader history of Batuu with the new storylines.
We have separate articles covering each of the changes and our thoughts on the moves Disney is making. The TL;DR of all of that is pretty much “what took so long?!” Suffice to say, we’re 100% on board with all of these changes. Frankly, we’re more inclined to argue that they don’t go far enough, not that there are too many changes.
I have consistently and repeatedly been advocating for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to have a soft reboot. And I have hoped that this would be the year that we’d get it, with a relaunch of the land coinciding with the debut of the Mandalorian and Grogu Mission for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
A lot of what we’d expect from a soft reboot is precisely what’s happening. Further bending (or breaking) of the rigid timeline rules, introduction of beloved characters, John Williams music, and other changes to make the land more classically and distinctly Star Wars.
Almost all of this is pretty low-hanging fruit, and the type of thing we’d expect Walt Disney Imagineering to be able to accomplish during overnights (right down to the new props in gift shops) without any construction walls. For the ‘big’ stuff, it should be mostly like flipping a switch from April 28 to April 29, 2026. This is pretty much the marketable ‘package’ of changes that we’ve been expecting for a while. These changes will be great.
My hope, though, was that there’d be more.
The biggest missed opportunity with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge continues to be the seldom-used catwalks in the land that were intended to come alive for mini-shows. For those who are unaware, the original idea for these catwalks was brief action sequences, such as rooftop battles or shootouts involving opposing characters like Vi Moradi and Stormtroopers.
The goal was to make the land feel like a living world with real conflict and stakes, and action that could arise at any point. These battles would be scripted, of course, but they’d be varied and part of an evolving storyline (loose term) throughout the day, which would immerse guests in the action and reinforce the notion that they were “living their own Star Wars story,” as the original marketing tagline suggested.
If you experienced Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge around opening day on either coast, you might’ve gotten a taste of some of this. Even more was performed on a one-off basis during media events for the respective openings (and again for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance).
If you’ve ever felt that Galaxy’s Edge is lacking in kinetic energy, or has a lived-in quality but still doesn’t quite feel alive, this is more or less the reason. The atmospheric acts and brief battle sequences that were supposed to occur throughout the day would’ve offered exactly that energy and intensity, raising the stakes and truly immersing guests in the action.
Even if you missed all of that, it’s possible you’ve still gotten a taste of it. There have been times when the catwalks have been utilized for more straightforward ‘smile and wave’ purposes, or even the Stormtroopers heckling guests. Even this adds a lot to the land!
When Galaxy’s Edge really hums is when there’s activity along the catwalks that happens to overlap with action on the ground. The way the characters at each level engage, with guests in the middle, can be something special and give a layered quality to the land.
Once again, this is just a small sliver of what was originally planned–but it’s in these brief moments when you can see the full potential of the land. If you squint just right, it’s almost like being part of something special. Galaxy’s Edge no longer feels lifeless, it feels fully alive–like stepping onto the set of a new production and being amidst the action.
Maybe Disneyland has some of this planned with the introduction of Darth Vader, Luke & Leia, and Han Solo. Vader being on the hunt for Luke might be a tease of this, but more likely is that Vader is filling the shoes of Kylo Ren.
The best reference point, for anyone who experienced it, is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. While I doubt the land itself would’ve ever reached those same stratospheric heights, it’s a similar idea.
Speaking of Starcruiser, this is another sore subject for myself and other fans. Shortly after closing, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro teased that “something will happen” when asked about the future Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Unlike a lot of fans, we did not take this to mean that the building would see future use as a Star Wars hotel or anything of the sort. (To the contrary. See: Why Walt Disney World Will NOT Reimagine Starcruiser Into a Star Wars Hotel.)
When discussing Starcruiser, D’Amaro also said that “not everything’s going to work. What did work, though, is we took creativity and storytelling to a completely new level, to a level that had never existed before…It didn’t work commercially. And so, when we realized that, you just make a call and move on.”
Separately, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser had one of the highest guest satisfaction scores at Walt Disney World of all-time. Countless average guests called it one of their best-ever Disney experiences.
While we are not interested in relitigating the debate over whether Starcruiser “worked” or not as a cohesive product offering, there is little denying that–at minimum–it had kernels of good ideas. It also had instances of great technology, storytelling, and more.
No matter where you stand on Starcruiser, it’s fairly undeniable that there were aspects of the failed experience that could have been salvaged and lived on. Between that and D’Amaro’s teases, we honestly had expected and hoped that Walt Disney Imagineering would “recycle” some of the assets and ideas from Starcruiser by now. From the specific shows to the technology, there is so much that could–and should–live on.
Ultimately, I’m really pleased by Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm finally being willing to break the rules in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, at least at Disneyland. I know diehard Star Wars fans who love the strict rules of Batuu will disagree, and that’s perfectly understandable. I love that Imagineering had the opportunity to take a big swing with Galaxy’s Edge, but over 6 years later, it still hasn’t quite lived up to its promise.
Bending or breaking the rules could fix that, making Batuu a vibrant canvas for adventures that comport more closely with guest expectations. It could make the land feel alive and exciting, even if it becomes less coherent from a storytelling perspective. It could also make the land perform better with casual visitors, who hear “Star Wars land” and expect to be able to see Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Leia, Han Solo and other characters they actually know and care about.
At the same time, all of this is just a start. Music will help with kinetic energy. As will characters guests care about. But if Imagineers really want to make this lived-in land–which is so frequently derided by fans as lifeless–feel more alive, then they really need to add atmospheric action. I know modern Disney is practically allergic to spending money on entertainment, but it’s badly needed here.
Beyond that, importing those great ideas that worked from Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser would be a huge win. Most guests have never even seen most of that due to the spectacular speed at which the Starcruiser crashed and burned (and its colossal cost pre-closure), so this would all be brand-new to most guests. Adding the dinner show in an all new-venue behind Oga’s Cantina, as originally intended, also seems like a no-brainer that would be a license to print money that would pay for itself many times over.
All of this is on my longer-term wishlist for truly “fixing” Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. In the meantime, it’s reassuring that Imagineering is listening to guest feedback about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and finally acting accordingly. The land has so much unrealized potential, and this soft reboot of Galaxy’s Edge could be exactly the shot in the arm that’s needed. We can’t wait to experience the “unlocked” land starting April 29, 2026!
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited to see the timeline “unlocked” in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Excited for the added characters, expanded story, John Williams music, or any other upcoming changes? Hope that this is the first of many additions, that will eventually include atmospheric action on the catwalks, Starcruiser stuff, etc? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!