Disney Says Goodbye to 'Star Wars' Expansion, New Update Abandons Plans

It’s looking like Disney may not be moving forward with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Paris after the park’s latest expansion update.

In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm, the entertainment company founded by George Lucas, in a merger that included the immensely popular Star Wars franchise. Following this acquisition, Disney swiftly integrated Star Wars into its theme parks, unveiling Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This immersive themed land, located within Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, transports visitors to the fictional planet of Batuu, offering an authentic and highly detailed Star Wars experience.

Galaxy’s Edge features major attractions such as Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, allowing guests to pilot the Millennium Falcon and embark on thrilling adventures within the Star Wars universe. Beyond attractions, the land includes themed dining experiences, unique shops offering Star Wars merchandise, and character interactions with droids, stormtroopers, and iconic figures like Rey and Kylo Ren.

The news of Disneyland Paris being added to Disneyland Paris was officially announced by Bob Iger on February 27, 2018. The land was said to be completed between 2021 to 2025, along with Kingdom of Arendelle, the new Frozen land that is currently underway. While there is still artwork on the construction walls in Walt Disney Studios Park, we have not heard any updates on the new expansion, leaving some fans to believe the land may not come to fruition.

Natasha Rafalski, CEO of Disneyland Paris, recently spoke out on the new expansion in Walt Disney Studios Park, and while it was nice to hear Disney being more open to their fans in Paris regarding the progress of the park, there was no mention of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during the Ouest-France interview.

She said, “We are working on the second phase, developing the Frozen Kingdom. [… ] We are obviously going to create a major attraction that will take the public on an adventure with Anna and Elsa, the heroines. We are also currently building a three-hectare lake with pretty banks for walking, a restaurant with a panoramic view of the kingdom. In the evening, the lake will be able to host shows. To join the existing park, we will create a promenade with gardens, including one dedicated to Toy Story and a Rapunzel attraction for little children. [… ]”.

Hong King Disneyland just opened their World of Frozen section, and soon, Tokyo Disney Resort will open theirs.

As we noted, there was no mention of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in this new update by Natasha, which is concerning as the project was expected to be complete by latest, next year. It seems likely that these plans were shelved due to cost concerns that would have arose after the pandemic, as we shaw with other attractions and lands in Walt Disney World Resort, like the Cherry Tree Lane expansion in the U.K. pavilion in EPCOT, as well as the updates on Spaceship Earth.

In the past, we have shared rumors circulated that the land expansion was being canceled, but Disney has not confirmed this.

For now, it seems that without any updates on the project, Disney is likely not invested in bringing Star Wars to life in their Paris theme parks just yet, as we typically hear of upcoming projects, as we are currently learning of Kingdom of Arendelle. No opening date for that land has yet to be provided.

Fans of Disneyland Paris recently shared that they were upset with the lack of communication coming from the theme park in terms of updates and future plans, so this news from Natasha did come at the right time, in terms of at least giving a little more information on what is going on in the parks. She also mentioned the work currently starting after Studio 1, without further information: “We will also be changing the sequence of entry into the park in the coming weeks.” This is news we already knew, as Studio 1 will be shutting down for a full year as of April.

What do you think of Disneyland Paris likely getting rid of their  Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge plans?