Credit: Patrick McGarvey, FlickrThings are changing in Walt Disney World, and fans are actually quite happy about it.
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There may never be a bigger update to Walt Disney World than Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This immersive and highly detailed land opened in 2019, forever changing Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. However, there’s always been one snag that sort of threw everything off: Star Wars: Launch Bay.
Star Wars: Launch Bay opened in 2015 and lasted nearly 10 years before it closed in September 2025. The Star Wars-themed experience was always a divisive part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with many fans criticizing it for essentially being a glorified meet-and-greet hub.
In reaction to its closure this week, several fans tweeted their thoughts regarding Star Wars: Launch Bay.
Star Wars: Launch Bay and Animation Courtyard have permanently closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! pic.twitter.com/zWmRxhXuJE
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) September 25, 2025
“That area was so weird,” said one user. “Like a high school building that was being used over a weekend for one of the lowest effort Star Wars conventions ever to grace these shores.”
“About 6 years late but I am glad it came eventually,” said another. “Well that was so silent lol. Nobody cared,” joked another.
“Our long national nightmare is over,” said one user.
Launch Bay’s location was also not ideal, being found at the dead end of Animation Courtyard. This isn’t to say Star Wars: Launch Bay didn’t have some incredible experiences to offer fans of the series, but this attraction had certainly worn out its welcome.
In July 2025, Disney dropped a bombshell, announcing that Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios would be getting a massive makeover. Alongside new attractions and a new look, Animation Courtyard will receive a new name: The Walt Disney Studios.
Once all is said and done, this area of the park will resemble Disney’s real offices in Burbank, California, giving visitors a peek behind the curtain at how movies and other productions are made.
“Our story in this newly reimagined space begins as the animators have temporarily stepped away… but the building is still buzzing with activity as the characters have come to life and are ready to play,” said Disney in an official release.
Star Wars: Launch Bay is not part of these new plans.
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Change is happening in other areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well, including the park’s former Muppets Courtyard. This section of the park closed permanently in June, marking the end of an era for the park and Walt Disney World as a whole.
This development didn’t just mean the end of iconic restaurants like PizzeRizzo and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano; it also marked the closure of fan-favorite 4D theater show, Muppet*Vision 3D.
In its place comes Monstropolis, a new area inspired by Pixar’s Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully will headline this new area, which will feature several new locations to explore, including a suspended roller coaster.
Will you miss Star Wars: Launch Bay