Credit: Disney (background image)/Lucasfilm (timeline)
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is an absolutely incredible experience for Star Wars fans — and, presumably, for casual viewers who have seen the original trilogy, the sequel trilogy, or even The Mandalorian on Disney+.
The problem, for lack of a better term, lies in the fact that Batuu — the Outer Rim planet that Galaxy’s Edge is supposed to be based on — isn’t familiar to casual fans, beyond the fact that it exists within both Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park in Orlando, Florida.
The “Mandalorian set” — those who were never really interested in Star Wars prior to the existence of Grogu (AKA Baby Yoda AKA The Child) and his bounty hunter caretaker Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) — don’t necessarily know who Vi Moradi and Oga Garra are, let alone care enough about the intricacies of the Star Wars-themed land to dig deeply into the backstory Walt Disney Imagineers have created.
The backstory, to be fair, is rich, detailed, and, frankly, amazing if you’re a proverbial “Star Wars person.” But, for those who don’t fall into this category, the lack of familiar characters beyond Chewbacca, Rey, and Kylo Ren isn’t necessarily appealing.
The challenge here is that setting Galaxy’s Edge at this point in the timeline means many familiar Star Wars characters — including the original trilogy trio of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — have already passed away or are much older than they are at their most recognizable, younger ages in regard to character greetings.
As Orlando Weekly pointed out:
The lack of nearly any reference to the original trilogy didn’t help matters [referring to the low crowds at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort when their respective Galaxy’s Edge lands opened]. The Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca were there, but otherwise, this was a land filled with lesser-known and newer Star Wars characters and references. The poor performance of film after film proved Disney didn’t have the golden touch that George Lucas had when it came to his sci-fi fantasy realms. That is, until Disney tried its hand at a Star Wars television series, The Mandalorian.
The series, exclusive to Disney’s streaming service, became an instant cultural phenomenon when it debuted in late 2019, winning seven Emmy Awards while being praised by critics and fans alike.
Nerdist, fortunately, has developed a viable solution to this issue: a seasonal overlay that would allow the land to showcase a different point in the Star Wars timeline during different months of the year. Here’s what they shared:
We believe that Galaxy’s Edge should have a seasonal overlay, much as the Haunted Mansion does at Disneyland for September through January. During this time, the Haunted Mansion gets a total revamp themed to The Nightmare Before Christmas, called Haunted Mansion Holiday. Fans absolutely love getting a different experience for a different time of the year.
We think Walt Disney Imagineering should do something similar for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But instead of just one ride, we propose they do it for the entire land. While that might sound costly and too hard to pull off, we actually think it’s wouldn’t be very hard to do at all. In fact, it would probably be easier to manage than what they currently do for Haunted Mansion each year.
It’s true that it wouldn’t actually be immensely challenging to change the overall look of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to fit with different eras within the newly revamped galactic timeline.
Removing traces of the First Order — including the Red Fury 709th Legion banners hanging around Blackspire Outpost — would be crucial, but those are easy to replace with flags or banners that suit various timelines. The biggest issue is Kylo Ren’s ship, but rumors are already swirling that it could be replaced with the Razor Crest purely as fan service — Din Djarin’s pre-Imperial ship has already been destroyed for over two decades at Batuu’s current point in the timeline.
Nerdist asserts that January to April could be devoted to the Age of Republic:
…with cast members dressed up as Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, Ahsoka, and more. Clone Troopers could replace the First Order troops we have now patrolling Black Spire Outpost (via a simple helmet switch). Bounty hunters like Cade Bane [sic: Cad Bane] could wander into Oga’s Cantina.
They go on to suggest that the summer season could be devoted to the Age of Rebellion, featuring iconic original trilogy characters, newly popular Mandalorian characters, and even animated Star Wars Rebels characters — such as The Ghost pilot Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Jedi Ezra Bridger, and fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano.
Just putting it out there — how incredible would it be to meet Ahsoka and her two white lightsabers walking toward the Millennium Falcon? Be still my heart.
Per Nerdist’s idea, for the fall and holiday season, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disney Parks on both coasts could return to its original Age of Resistance incarnation.
Of all the theories currently floating around about how to de-canonize Galaxy’s Edge to make it more accessible to those who aren’t Star Wars superfans — or to those who prefer other eras of the Star Wars timeline over the Age of Resistance — this is among the most reasonable we’ve seen. Plus, it would also encourage Guests to return time and time again for new experiences and new merchandise — translating, ultimately, to more money for The Walt Disney Company.
Many of the things fans love about the existing Disney Parks Star Wars land could remain the same, from Ronto Roaster wraps to the menu at Docking Bay 7 to the building Astromech droids and legacy lightsaber designs at the Droid Depot and Savi’s Workshop, respectively.
Insofar as attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run could remain as-is throughout the year — perhaps with the addition of Han Solo on planet Batuu during the Age of Rebellion.
The popular Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction, on the other hand, would need a bit of tweaking as each era came and went. The Rey hologram would need to be replaced with an appropriate Star Wars character and the BB-8 droid that can be seen in the queue could, perhaps, be replaced with R2-D2 or even a C-3PO animatronic.
Of course, at this point, this is all speculation based on some fans’ ideas, but we think Walt Disney Imagineering could make it work. What are your thoughts?
13
Credit: Disney (background image)/Lucasfilm (timeline)
