Is Disneyland FINALLY Correcting the Biggest Problem in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?

I have long been discussing how the biggest problem in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is Disney's commitment on sticking to the sequel timeline which greatly restricts what characters can appear in the land.

We've seen the restrictions around this timeline loosen more and more the past few years with numerous character appearances outside of that timeline like the Mandalorian with Grogu, Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Sabrine Wen which are all characters recently seen on the Star Wars Disney+ shows.

But this still has left out a large number of characters that connect with all guests and that's the characters from the original films! R2D2's debut in the land was met with great popularity and now it appears Disneyland is listening as they may introduce yet another familiar character.

Is Luke Skywalker Finally Coming to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge?

Disney Parks shared a reel on Instagram this morning that showed a clip of what appears to be Luke Skywalker and R2D2 in front of the Millennium Falcon in Disneyland. The caption reads, “A Jedi… like his father before him” which just further confirms that this is definitely Luke Skywalker.

In the comments, Disney Parks tagged Season of the Force and said more details will be shared on Feb. 10, 2025.

So from all these clues, it is clear that Luke Skywalker is going to make his Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge debut during the Season of the Force celebration!

Season of the Force Disneyland Event

Season of the Force originally debuted at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2015 which introduced some iconic Star Wars traditions to the theme parks we still enjoy now like Hyperspace Mountain. Season of the Force returned for the first time to Disneyland in 2024 and now looks to be a yearly event since it is returning for 2025. This year's Season of the Force celebration will take place March 28-May 11, 2025 at Disneyland.

Season of the Force also overlaps with the popular May the 4th celebration and Disneyland After Dark special event Disneyland Star Wars Nite events which makes this time of year a fun celebration for Star Wars fans.

Unfortunately, this event and the rare characters it brings has only been introduced at Disneyland. This is a bummer for Walt Disney World Star Wars fans!

Disneyland Makes Biggest Move Yet to Correct Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Problem

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is based on a planet created by Imagineers just for this land called Batuu with the focus on a town called Black Spire Outpost. The timeline of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has been followed fairly strictly as the time in the Star Wars universe aligns most closely with the sequel trilogy. This has been a source of frustration for many Star Wars fans that want to visit the land and interact with characters they grew up with like Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo.

While we've seen the reigns loosen with the introduction of characters form the popular Disney+ Star Wars shows, like Sabine Wren, Ahsoka, Boba Fett, and the Mandalorian, we have still been asking for characters from the original films!

We've seen characters from the original Star Wars films appear at events like Star Wars Nite and Sweethearts Nite and they've been met with tons of positive reception. The appearance of Ewoks at one year's Star Wars Nite caused lines that reached up to three hours! Guests are dying to see these characters in the park. And since the loss of Star Wars: Launch Bay, guests cannot even interact with Darth Vader any longer unless they are a Disney Visa cardmember.

This likely announcement of Luke Skywalker is big news even if it is just for the Season of the Force event. This opens up so many possibilities for other characters from the original films that all guests feel a connection with. This would help breathe life into Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge which has seen some demand fall for repeat visitors as so many experiences in the land are so “one and done.” Droid Depot no longer needing to require reservations is a good example of that, many of us that visit frequently are needing a new connection to the space.

Using Season of the Force as an opportunity to introduce the original characters seems like a good compromise for Disneyland so they can still retain the story of the land while also offering flexibility for guests to connect to the land in different ways. It is definitely a step in the right direction.

The next call to action here? Introduce holiday decorations into the land!

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