The Fix
After lots of waiting, they’re here. We’re finally beginning to see fixes for what ails Galaxy’s Edge – focused on adding flexible, fan-service, and yep, even fun.
First, let’s get this off the table: for now (and probably forever), Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be set in the timeline of the sequel trilogy. Sure, fans daydream about simply swapping Kylo Ren animatronics on Rise of the Resistance for Darth Vader; Hondo Onaka for Han Solo; and Rey walk-around characters with Princess Leia.
One day, sure, it’s possible. But as of press time, rumors suggest that Disney’s serious about moving forward with Rey-focused spin-off films… So even if Lucasfilm probably privately regrets the way the sequel trilogy concluded, they clearly still see merit in the characters and world it produced.
It’s also worth saying that new generations have re-discovered the highly controversial prequel trilogy from the early 2000s with new eyes, turning the oft-derided set of films focused on Anakin Skywalker into treasured classics… It’s a re-assessment that Disney is no doubt hoping their own sequel trilogy will undergo when the kids who grew up with it become spendy young adults with nostalgia for Rey, Poe, Finn, and Kylo Ren. Still, it seems that Imagineers have agreed to at least loosen their iron grip on Galaxy’s Edge in a few key ways…
1. Story bubbles
For better or worse, the land’s explicit connection to the sequel trilogy is foundational and baked-in to its two rides – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. But the land as a whole is gaining a little more flexibility…
We might be able to track this to the 2021 opening of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, which has proven the uniquely powerful role of the parks as promotional pieces. On the day that any Marvel Studios project lands on Disney+ or in theaters, you can count on that character appearing in Avengers Campus – a land that’s precisely the opposite of Galaxy’s Edge because it embraces the “multiverse,” allowing characters who are dead in the “MCU” to show up… The mindset? “It’s not that serious.” People want to see Iron Man, even if it doesn’t really make logical, timeline sense that he should exist next to Ms. Marvel.
A bit of that same flexibility is now being practiced and expanded in Galaxy’s Edge, where heroes from the expanded universe of Disney+ Original Series set in and around The Mandalorian’s original trilogy timeline are appearing in Galaxy’s Edge alongside promotion of their respective shows. Imagineers’ excuse here comes by way of “story bubbles,” meaning that as you see Asohka Tano in Batuu as she sneaks around on a mission, the story that she’s engaged with is completely disconnected from the reason that Rey’s making her way through town, and never shall the two meet, cross paths, or interact. At least this gives fans a “best of both worlds,” where they can meet the Mandalorian and Grogu while Imagineers still get to be proud of the land’s immersion.
2. Music
You have to give Imagineers credit. In their fervor to make Galaxy’s Edge “real,” they made a risky choice: to feature a subtle, mystical musical score only at the entrance portals into the land. Once you’re actually standing in Batuu, the land’s “score” is made entirely of environmental sounds – hidden beasts rummaging through the forests on the Resistance side; ships arriving and departing in the port; and an “in-universe” radio station playing spacey pop music on the outskirts of the village. The decision was nothing if not bold, and certainly a commendable attempt to do something genuinely new…
But a clear comparison is difficult to ignore. Part of the magic of stepping into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is being swept into the world by way of the films’ iconic score. What would Hogsmeade be without the instantly memorable and transportive music? It goes without saying that if Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley were “real” places, you wouldn’t hear a John Williams score as you walked their streets… but c’mon. Who cares? Music is an essential part of the experience, even if it’s not technically “realistic.”
The lack of music in Galaxy’s Edge on account of some heady, self-serious claim of “realism” had long been a sticking point when, in 2024, the Californian version of the land announced a correction connected to the “Season of the Force” promotional event. At last, the land’s sound system would be used to play Star Wars‘ score in sync with the park’s fireworks. While the rest of the park would play the soundtrack of “Wondrous Journeys,” for example, guests inside Galaxy’s Edge would be treated to “Fire of the Rising Moons.”
Even though the presentation was connected to the “Season of the Force” promotion, it didn’t take long for Disney to confirm that the land-specific score would stick around. Even better, when Disneyland’s fireworks show swaps out, so does the music used in “Fire of the Rising Moons,” ensuring that Galaxy’s Edge’s audio stays synced to the show. Finally, guests in Galaxy’s Edge can hear that emotional, iconic score… even if only during the fireworks.
3. Droids
One particularly stinging aspect of the lack of entertainment inside Galaxy’s Edge was the insinuation – true or not – that such “premium” experiences had instead been held back for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser project. When that $5,000, two-night, on-land “cruise” experience closed for business in 2023, fans hoped that it would spur Disney to send the additional entertainment back to the land (where, perhaps, it always should’ve been).
While so far that hasn’t happened, Disney was in the field testing a new “free-roaming” walk-around Droid experience in Galaxy’s Edge. A flock of three duck-like “BD-1” Droids caused quite a sensation as they marched through Black Spire Outpost on a test run.
Of course, as is typical of Disney’s most extraordinary animatronics, Disney was quick to assert that this was merely a test run of a very early prototype. And like many very impressive animatronics Disney seems to field test for social media coverage, fans felt frustratingly certain that we’ll never see the BD-1 Droids return, much less become a standard part of the experience…
But at least as part of the “Season of the Force” promotion in Spring 2024, Disney did make the BD-1 Droids a regular appearance in the land, even adding their daily marches to the Disneyland app. As for whether they’ll continue to make regular appearances, we’ll have to wait and see. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
4. Action on the horizon?
Reportedly, the inner machinations at Disney Parks are indeed churning en route to bringing more action and entertainment to Galaxy’s Edge… if sources are to be believed, internal evaluation and team feedback is working to convince Disney management that if Galaxy’s Edge is given the rooftop stunt shows and action-oriented character encounters it’s designed for, it’ll have a measurable impact on the land’s food and beverage sales as well as retail operations…
(And apparently, the land could use it… Last year, Disneyland jumped the price of the build-your-own Lightsaber experience from $199.99 to $249.99 – a move that must’ve been disastrous for sales since they made the uncharacteristic and rarely-seen move of lowering the price back down to $219.99. Yikes.) If park operations teams can convince leaders that the investment in entertainment will pay off in increased sales, then management’s opinions will do a serious 180 here.
So, what do you think? Is Disney making the right moves in turning Galaxy’s Edge into a place more guests want to visit, that Star Wars fans adore, and that Imagineering fans are proud of? What do you think would set Galaxy’s Edge on the right course? Let us know in the comments below!