Star Wars Original Trilogy Fans Get the Disneyland Update They’ve Been Waiting 7 Years For

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012, the company’s plans for the Star Wars franchise went well beyond producing a slate of new movies and TV shows. The galaxy far, far away was poised to become an integral part of all corners of the Mouse House’s empire, including Disney Parks. In 2019, seven years after the Lucasfilm purchase, Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The Star Wars-themed area aims to give park attendees an immersive experience by transporting them to the planet of Batuu, where they can enjoy refreshments at the cantina, fly the Millennium Falcon, and meet some of their favorite Star Wars characters. Nearly a decade after Galaxy’s Edge launched, it’s getting a revamp — one that will make longtime fans very happy.

A new post on the official Star Wars website outlines key changes that are happening at Galaxy’s Edge this year. Most notably, starting on April 29th at Disneyland, original trilogy characters will become part of the experience for the first time. Previously, the Galaxy’s Edge “timeline” (as the Star Wars site calls it) took place during the sequel trilogy era. Now, Batuu is going back in time, meaning attendees will be able to see Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and more. The rehaul will also include characters and elements from The Mandalorian.

In addition to different characters, shops around Galaxy’s Edge will be altered to better fit within the Galactic Civil War era. For example, First Order Cargo is being renamed Black Spire Surplus. There are also plans to play musical cues from the first six Star Wars films across the park.

Why Now is the Perfect Time for Disney to Revamp Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

When Galaxy’s Edge originally opened in 2019, it made sense for the sequel trilogy era to be the primary focus. The premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was only months away, so it was a nice bit of corporate synergy. As Disney revved up the marketing campaign for the Skywalker Saga finale, fans could travel to Batuu to see characters like Rey, Kylo Ren, and BB-8 and experience the Resistance/First Order conflict up close. But now, there isn’t really one specific era that defines current Star Wars projects. The Mandalorian & Grogu takes place in the age of the New Republic, while next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter is set years after the events of Rise of Skywalker.

With the sequel trilogy over and Lucasfilm jumping around the Star Wars timeline with its new movies and TV shows, it’s only logical for Galaxy’s Edge to be flexible and change things. At this point, Star Wars is a massive franchise, and it would arguably be limiting to keep the primary Galaxy’s Edge timeline stuck in the sequel trilogy era. By making this shift, Disney is giving themselves an opportunity to craft different kinds of experiences for fans, such as meeting Han Solo and Chewbacca at the Millennium Falcon. These changes, which could encourage people to make a return trip to Batuu, were always part of the plan for the area. Asa Kalama, an executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, told StarWars.com that they want Galaxy’s Edge to be “a platform for storytelling” that can “evolve” over time. It’s possible that in another handful of years, the timeline will shift again.

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Altering the timeline to include The Mandalorian is another savvy bit of corporate synergy on Disney’s part. It’s no coincidence that these changes to Galaxy’s Edge become official about a month before The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters. As anticipation for the new movie hits its peak, fans will have a chance to see the titular duo walking around Black Spire Outpost and fly alongside them in a new Smugglers Run mission. Ahsoka Tano is another character park attendees may encounter, which lines up nicely with Ahsoka Season 2’s projected release date of this year.

Disney isn’t wiping out all of the sequel trilogy references in Galaxy’s Edge. The fan-favorite Rise of the Resistance ride “is remaining unchanged.” It’s near there where people could still meet Rey. While it’s definitely exciting that the original trilogy is becoming the main attraction at Galaxy’s Edge, it’s smart to make sure the moden movies still have some kind of presence as well. Star Wars has cross-generational appeal, so while those who were introduced to the franchise through the sequels get a thrill out of seeing Rey, fans who grew up with the classics can meet their favorites as well.

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