“Star Wars characters appear in Star Wars theme park” might not sound like news, but this is actually a significant change for Galaxy’s Edge. The land has been strict about its time period since it opened in May 2019. It’s set between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, and Disney avoided elements that might undermine guests’ immersion in that particular period. (This is a land that launched with even retail and food service employees instructed to stay in character, with food items exclusively referred to with made-up Star Wars words like “Endorian tip-yip”; both have been rolled back, but Disney was taking the theme very seriously at first.) Regular appearances from Rey, a masked Kylo Ren, and First Order officers and Stormtroopers have been a standard feature since day one, sequel trilogy actors appear in both video and audio-animatronic form in its signature ride Rise of the Resistance, and the lead characters from earlier movies have remained out of sight. OG-only fans could meet up with Chewbacca and check-out a life-sized R2-D2 sold in the Droid Depot, both of whom are alive and… well, present in Force Awakens. (R2’s not exactly doing well in that one, spending most of it under a tarp in a closet or garage somewhere.) Han Solo and Darth Vader were nowhere to be seen (although Luke did make some appearances at the park in 2025). The Mandalorian and Grogu were later added as walkaround characters in 2022, but their timeline is fuzzy enough where it’s entirely possible they could’ve bummed around Battuu (the planet Galaxy’s Edge is set on) when the First Order was there. This all changes in April, signaling a major change in the land’s approach to immersion.
Anybody who was really into the LARPing aspect of Galaxy’s Edge might be comforted to hear that Disney will still try to maintain some thematic separation between the original and sequel characters. Luke, Leia, Han, and Vader will appear in one part of the land, near the Millennium Falcon, Oga’s Cantina, and the shops, while Rey will patrol on the opposite side, near the Resistance camp setting of Rise of the Resistance. And in the marketplace between the two ends of the land guests will be able to meet Ahsoka Tano and the Mandalorian and Grogu.
In addition to the character additions, Galaxy’s Edge will also start featuring selections from John Williams’ film scores in April. First Order Cargo, a store that sold First Order merchandise (for all the aspiring space fascists on your holiday list), will change its name to Black Spire Surplus alongside the timeline shift, with a newer, broader range of items on sale. Other stores will also see a merch refresh to reflect the altered timeline. It’s the biggest change to Galaxy’s Edge since it opened, and should breathe some new life into the land several years into its run.
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