Disney is Making 10 Sweeping Changes to Star Wars Land in Response to Guest Feedback

Versions of Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land opened at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2019 and are anchored to a very specific moment within the Disney sequel trilogy timeline. Rather than creating a land around a well-known place from the Star Wars saga, Disney Imagineering chose to create an entirely new planet within the universe to encourage guests to insert themselves into a fresh, original timeline.

This decision has fueled criticism since the land first opened, with the limited repeatability becoming stale for many returning guests and longtime fans. Disney appears to have listened to that feedback and is now making major changes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland aimed at improving the overall guest experience. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including ride closure updates and looks at new rides around the world. Here’s our look at if these changes will come to Disney World. New Disneyland ride closure end date just removed. See update on Animal Kingdom construction.

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Disney’s Biggest Star Wars Land Mistake

Since its 2019 debut, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been tied to a specific moment in the Disney sequel trilogy timeline, set between The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. That strict timeline limited which characters and stories could appear in the land, even as Disney began bending the rules with the addition of characters from Disney+ series like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.

For years, I have called this one of the biggest flaws of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and something that has held the land back for a lot of guests. We have always felt that the average visitor does not care about a strict, canon-focused timeline. Most people just want to take a picture with Han Solo or Princess Leia and enjoy familiar Star Wars moments. You can see how well this works when you look at the character interactions in Avengers Campus. There is a loose timeline there, but it’s not strictly followed. For instance, WEB SLINGERS is clearly set before Infinity War, but the land does not get overly caught up in the details.

It turns out Disney has been listening. After hearing guest feedback, Disney has decided to roll back the timeline of part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge by several decades, shifting the land into the era of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. At the same time, the land will continue to incorporate stories and characters from The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, creating a more flexible approach that better matches how most guests actually experience Star Wars. These major changes will effectively relaunch the land by introducing original trilogy characters, adding new yet familiar music throughout the area, refreshing stores with updated stories and merchandise, and relocating sequel era characters to more clearly defined areas of the park.

Mickey Visit attended a virtual briefing earlier this week featuring a panel with Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives outlining these sweeping changes, where we received additional details and context directly from Disney. Let’s take a closer look at the positive updates coming to Star Wars land, many of which directly address concerns we have raised for years, while also taking an honest look at whether these changes truly solve the problem in the long term.

Disneyland Changing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Timeline

Disneyland is bringing a new storyline to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which will span multiple eras of the history of the planet Batuu. This timeline shake-up will allow guests to experience eras from the Galactic Civil War and New Republic, along with the Age of the Resistance and First Order. This change reflects feedback that guests, including us, have consistently raised for years. Visitors want to encounter the original trilogy characters they associate with Star Wars, not just characters from newer films.

The timeline for Black Spire Outpost will revert back several decades, which will align with the stories from the original Star Wars films, most closely focusing on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, while also still incorporating stories from The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. Guests will be able to spot new “props and graphics” in some areas that tie into this shift. This timeline shift will not necessarily affect the area surrounding Rise of the Resistance, which will remain primarily focused on the Age of the Resistance and the First Order from the Disney sequel trilogy that concluded with The Rise of Skywalker.

Disney has emphasized that this change is being handled deliberately and with close attention to authenticity. Doug Chiang, Senior Vice President and Executive Design Director at Lucasfilm, addressed how carefully the transition is being approached, noting the collaboration behind the changes:

“This shift is being made with extreme care,” said Doug Chiang. “The Walt Disney Imagineering team continues to set the standard for experiential storytelling. With the expansion of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge timeline at Disneyland to include classic characters from other Star Wars eras, fans will have a unique opportunity to live the Star Wars experience in an even bigger way. Every new detail, no matter how small, will be meticulously recreated to ensure an authentic experience. From iconic heroes and villains to droids and aliens, this next phase offers an unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in the Star Wars saga. I’ve had the tremendous pleasure of working side by side with the amazing Imagineering team, and I’m continually impressed by their passion for immersive storytelling, a passion that parallels our films.”

The storyline reversal takes effect at Disneyland on April 29, 2026, with some enhancements appearing over the next couple of months before the official debut date. At Walt Disney World, the storyline and experiences within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will remain unchanged, a decision Disney says allows for two distinct versions of the land across the resorts. This timeline change also helps set the stage for the Mandalorian storyline update coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at both resorts when it debuts on May 22, 2026. The combination of the below changes and the new storyline for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run basically relaunch this half of the land.

Here are the specific changes planned for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge based on the timeline shift.

Original Trilogy Characters Are Coming

The biggest change that comes as a result of this timeline shift is that guests will now be able to interact with Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker in the land. This is a huge win for guests who have been calling for the inclusion of these famous characters for years. Darth Vader’s search for Luke Skywalker will bring him to Batuu, and this most iconic villain in cinematic history will now be roaming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. He will be joined by Imperial Stormtroopers as they seek out Luke Skywalker.

Leia Organa and Han Solo will make their first appearances in the land, reuniting with Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca. Leia Organa’s outfit draws from both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, a look Disney described during the media briefing as “Adventure Leia.” Leia can be spotted near the Millennium Falcon as she recruits travelers and locals to keep Luke safe. Han Solo will also be in this area, where he may be “tempted” by the local cantina. Based on the concept art we were shown, Han Solo will appear in a classic outfit inspired by The Empire Strikes Back.

As for Luke Skywalker, he will be roaming the outpost as he seeks knowledge of the Force and artifacts related to lightsaber building, which likely means we will be able to find him near Savi’s Workshop. During the media briefing, Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives shared that the team studied imagery from Return of the Jedi alongside physical costumes from The Mandalorian to create his “truly Jedi Knight” focused look, which guests first saw during last year’s Season of the Force event.

Their presence will be more fully explained in a new comic book series called Echoes of the Empire, which will release its first issue on April 22, 2026. This series will showcase these characters and why they’re on Batuu.

Rey Anchored by Rise of the Resistance Attraction

Disney will be keeping Rey in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is a huge relief as I think she is a core element of the land, especially due to her presence in the Rise of the Resistance attraction. In honor of her key moments in that attraction, she will now solely be found around this area of the land, where Chewbacca and R2-D2 will also continue to make appearances.

According to Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives, keeping characters within their individual storylines is an important part of maintaining clarity in the land so that guests “don’t have a crossover that gets very confusing and unpleasant.” To avoid that issue, characters will be kept “where they belong story-wise,” while still roaming the land and interacting with guests rather than being confined to fixed locations. This approach makes sense, as it avoids awkward moments, such as Rey interacting with a version of Leia or Luke that exists roughly 30 years earlier in the timeline.

Rise of the Resistance Refurbishment Unrelated

Rise of the Resistance, easily the most popular experience in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, is currently scheduled for a refurbishment at Disneyland starting January 20, 2026. During the media panel, Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives were directly asked whether the refurbishment is connected to these broader changes or if any major updates to the attraction are planned. They clarified that no ride changes are coming and that the work is simply a routine, scheduled refurbishment.

This ride is truly the gem of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is why the planned refurbishment has caught the attention of so many readers, especially since there is currently no announced end date. Fans do not need to worry, though. This popular attraction isn’t going anywhere. This refurbishment will surely be complete before these changes go into effect, if not much earlier.

Kylo Ren Moving to Star Wars Launch Bay

As for Kylo Ren, he will be relocated to Star Wars Launch Bay as he replaces Darth Vader at the Disney Visa Cardmember and DVC exclusive meet and greet. I am glad they decided to keep interactions with Kylo Ren an available option, as he is still a popular character with many guests.

This is, in fact, an upgrade for Kylo Ren fans, as the one-on-one interaction allows for a more personal experience and photo ops. You can see this nice throwback picture above from what the Kylo Ren character interaction was like back in 2018 in Star Wars Launch Bay. This change also makes sense, as Darth Vader’s presence effectively replaces the narrative role Kylo Ren previously filled in the land while searching for Rey.

Recent Character Additions Found in Certain Locations

Ahsoka Tano, The Mandalorian, and Grogu will be found near the marketplace, so these iconic and fan-favorite characters will remain a part of the land, which is great news, as these are popular additions. As for R2-D2, he will continue to be found near Droid Depot and the garage.

It’s helpful to have a sense of where these characters will appear and to know they will likely be anchored to specific areas, as they are roaming characters and do not have designated character interaction lines. This is part of the magic of Disneyland, which heavily relies on roaming characters to create immersive experiences for guests.

John Williams’ Music Replacing the Current Atmosphere Loop

One of the most impactful changes coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a complete overhaul of the land’s musical atmosphere. The area will feature newly arranged versions of some of the most iconic scores by John Williams, music that many guests will instantly recognize. These arrangements pull from themes across the first six Star Wars films, with Disney describing the update as a combination of new rearrangements of Williams’ classic work interwoven with fresh edits of his most recognizable scores.

This is a big improvement for the land, as it puts the emotional connection to the films front and center instead of relying on background atmosphere alone, which often fell flat. Once guests pass through the tunnels into the land, they will hear the iconic “Main Title” and Force Theme before transitioning to motifs from other well-known tracks, including “Han Solo and the Princess,” “The Desert and the Robot Auction,” “The Emperor,” and more. And at Oga’s Cantina, the lively “Cantina Band” will continue to play.

This will bring more music into the land that is currently only heard in attractions and the nighttime shows. The existing “Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga” projection show will continue to run nightly and the “Fire of the Rising Moons” fireworks viewing will continue on select nights. These are superb offerings in the land. We called this offering our new favorite way to watch fireworks at Disneyland.

First Order Cargo Changing to Black Spire Surplus

The store featuring First Order merchandise, First Order Cargo, will be renamed to Black Spire Surplus, which will now be a “military salvage operation offering artifacts from across the history of the galaxy, including Imperial and Rebel items from the Galactic Civil War.”

During the media panel, we received additional details about the storyline behind this shift, which centers on two retired clone troopers who have opened a shop together. According to Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives, the brothers once fought side by side during the Clone Wars before finding themselves on opposite sides of the conflict against the Empire, with one joining the Rebels and the other fighting for the Empire. Now retired, they have set aside their differences and are drawing on their shared wartime experience to run a store specializing in military goods.

The shop will expand to feature “a wide range of military gear and supplies from nearly any era or faction, including Rebel, Imperial, and beyond.” This is great news for collectors, as this will expand the merchandise offerings in this shop to items from more than just the sequel trilogy.

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities Changing Merch Selection

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities will change up its merchandise selection as the “curiosities and artifacts in his shop certainly change with the times.” Because the shop operates like a Star Wars antique store, it will naturally feature older relics from the past as the land’s timeline shifts back several decades.

This is a much-needed refresh, as most of the merch inside Dok-Ondar’s, aside from the rotating character-themed lightsabers, has remained the same for years. A refreshed merchandise update is long overdue, especially for repeat guests and longtime Star Wars fans. It makes sense if you think about it. Would you continue visiting Main Street, U.S.A. shops if the merchandise barely ever changed? Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge needs that same sense of longevity to keep guests coming back to their stores.

Storyline Changes to Existing Experiences

Over at Droid Depot, the Mubo family will continue to operate the store, but now they will be “prototyping the BB-style of droid.” We may see updated droid options, a change that would encourage repeat guests to revisit the experience.

Savi’s Workshop will continue to offer build-your-own lightsaber experiences with hints that interactions with Luke Skywalker may take place as he is “interested in meeting with Savi” as he searches for information on lightsabers and the Force.

As the timeline cycles back a few decades, this will also change the story of Oga’s Cantina, as in this version of Batuu, she has only recently come to Black Spire Outpost and is not in control of the entire village yet. According to Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives, we will get to see the start of that operation. 

The details on the updated merchandise experiences and storyline changes to Oga’s Cantina are slim at this stage, but I expect we will learn more as it gets closer to the debut of these new improvements to the land.

New Food and Beverage Items Likely Coming Soon

During the panel, Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative executives shared that they are “engaged with both our food and beverage and merchandise partners,” noting that those teams have been fully briefed on the timeline shifts and upcoming updates.

While no specific details were revealed, they emphasized that they are “working really closely to update and align some of those offerings as well.”

Will This Change Finally Fix Star Wars Land’s Biggest Problem?

This is a huge step in the right direction, as one of the reasons for the criticism about the strict timeline in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is that it keeps the original trilogy characters, amongst other fan favorites, out of the land. Guests are going to be thrilled to finally see Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker roaming about. Not to mention the intimidating presence of Darth Vader as he interrogates guests.

Another major improvement that I think needs to be highlighted is how much of an impact the change of music will have on the land. Currently, the land focuses more on general ambient noises like the hum of ships, creature noises, and marketplace sounds. The music choice currently means it is staying away from intentional moments in the films and aims to create a living world instead. While that approach may sound appealing on the surface, it ultimately falls short when it comes to tapping into the emotional connection and nostalgia most guests have with the iconic musical scores of John Williams.

But I hesitate to call this a complete “fix” as this just appears to be a timeline swap out rather than a move to reject strict timelines altogether. Now the land is just constrained by a different timeline, even if it’s arguably the most popular one. This timeline move just places the land into a new box, constrained by new limits. While this change gives us classic Star Wars characters, it doesn’t open the land up to prequel era favorite characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Darth Maul, or even Jar Jar Binks.

At the very least, Star Wars Rebels fans can take some comfort in the fact that the existence of Disney+ series like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian has opened the door for characters such as Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren to appear in the land. It would not be surprising to eventually see Ezra Bridger or Bo-Katan Kryze as well. That said, this approach still introduces another rule to follow. These iconic Rebels characters can only appear in their older forms, rather than allowing for younger versions of Ezra or characters like Kanan Jarrus.

I am genuinely excited to see this change, and it is a strong signal that Disney is paying attention to what fans have been asking for. Even so, it still comes across as another workaround rather than a clean break from the timeline gymnastics that have complicated storytelling in the land for years.

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