Disney theme park guests who have a Disney Visa credit card receive exclusive benefits when visiting the parks. One of those perks just changed as part of a sweeping strategy shift at Disneyland.
Disneyland replaced a long-standing Disney Visa card member perk with a new experience. We share details on how to access this benefit and how it aligns with a bigger-picture plan for Disneyland. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a Disneyland dining location permanently closing and Disney policy changes that continue to divide guests.
READ MORE – 3 Disneyland Single Rider Lines You Should Definitely Use and 2 You Should Skip
Disneyland Visa Card Member Perk Changes
Disney Visa card members receive exclusive access to a character greeting at Disneyland Park that’s not available to other guests. For several years, the spotlight character was Darth Vader, and card members could meet him inside Star Wars Launch Bay in Tomorrowland. This is no longer the case, as Vader moves to a different experience, which we explain below.
As of April 29, 2026, Kylo Ren meets Disney Visa card members instead of Darth Vader. The location remains the same. Eligible guests should look for signage outside of Star Wars Launch Bay, across from Autopia.
Disney Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
READ MORE – This Disneyland Ride Has a Secret Guest Book—Here’s Who Gets to Sign It!
Kylo Ren meets card members from 2 to 6 PM daily, subject to change.
Guests who are not Disney Visa card members can still meet Kylo Ren at Star Wars Launch Bay, though his schedule differs for the general public. Consult the Disneyland app on the day of your visit for set times.
Disney launched a new tier of Visa membership, the Disney Inspire Visa card, earlier this year.
Kylo Ren Swap Part of Disneyland’s New Star Wars Strategy
Kylo Ren moved into Star Wars Launch Bay as part of a larger shift in how Disneyland approaches its Star Wars stories and characters.
The same day Kylo debuted in Launch Bay, the timeline of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on the other side of the park expanded to include live character appearances by the stars of the original Star Wars trilogy: Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Darth Vader.
Before now, Galaxy’s Edge was mainly focused on the sequel trilogy, of which Kylo is the antagonist. With Vader now part of the story in Galaxy’s Edge, Disney decided to pull Kylo Ren from the Galaxy’s Edge roster and move him to Launch Bay in Tomorrowland, replacing Vader there.
Kylo Ren is still the main villain in the signature ride of Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Rey, Kylo Ren’s adversary in the sequel trilogy, continues to make character appearances in Galaxy’s Edge.
On May 22, the Galaxy’s Edge timeline expansion will continue as the Mandalorian and Grogu permanently join the story of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
Don’t Miss the Latest Disney News
Don’t miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.
