Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Needs to Break the Rules
I’m a big fan of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. My review of Batuu offered effusive praise, and I think Rise of the Resistance is the #1 attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. However, I also question whether some of what I originally loved about the land is holding it back, and if better balance is needed.
One of the aspects of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that I appreciate is Imagineering’s decision to making it a distinct place. It’s not simply a catch-all intellectual property land or setting pulled from one of the movies, but rather, a novel location that fits within the existing universe and plays by its rules. From the outset, doing something different and new was a risky approach.
It would’ve been easier for Disney to simply “play the hits” and give guests what they want in terms of recognizable characters and visuals. The Star Wars brand is highly popular and recognizable, and outside of hardcore fans, the majority of casual guests likely would’ve been satisfied with a familiar but phoned-in effort that checked more boxes in terms of recreating things from the movies. Instead, Imagineering had creative freedom and swung for the fences.
Disney went to great lengths to create the planet of Batuu, a totally new environment but one that speaks the language (both literally and visually) of Star Wars. The design motifs are reminiscent of other planets from the various Star Wars films, in addition to the obvious things like the Millennium Falcon, droids, characters, and transport. Batuu is new, yet familiar.
The end result is a land that is an almost unprecedented mix of intellectual property and original design. For all hardcore theme park fans crow about “original park IP,” this is almost it. Obviously, it’s blockbuster movie IP–that’s right there in the first two words of the name, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But so much of the setting was built from scratch, following only the design language of Star Wars universe. There’s a lot that the keen eye will recognize as distinctly Star Wars, but even more than looks original.
Depending upon your perspective, this was potentially a great or terrible decision. We’ve heard from many disappointed fans of the original trilogy who clearly wanted to step into those Star Wars movies or settings. The desire to relive favorite moments, iconic scenes, places, etc. is strong and understandable.
In this regard, Galaxy’s Edge fails to deliver. It feels like a “knock-off” of Star Wars, in their words, like some bootleg Space Battle Land that another theme park would build to skirt various intellectual property laws. I suspect this group wanted something more akin to Cars Land or Hogsmeade, both of which do a superlative job of making guests feel like they’ve walked into an iconic scene from a favorite piece of pop culture.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are live action role playing enthusiasts who love Galaxy’s Edge. As the original marketing tagline suggested, it gives this group the ability to “live their own Star Wars story.” They enjoy Batuu as something of a blank slate that’s not simply a Cliff Notes version of a movie scene or setting.
For them, Galaxy’s Edge provides the rubric and parameters, but the adventure is theirs. They have the opportunity to interact with the land and its inhabitants, enjoying or imagining something original. Even though the structure is more rigid, the story is not already written in the same way it is in the now-concluded film trilogies.
I probably haven’t perfectly explained either camp’s position, which is because I don’t belong to them. To the extent that it exists, I’m team “make theme parks ambitious, standalone entertainment that isn’t totally beholden to existing movies.” I love when Imagineering is given the artistic liberty to experiment with original ideas, and some of my favorite lands and attractions don’t use IP at all, or only as a jumping off point for something fresh.
In my view, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a great example of this. The multi-billion dollar IP is present, but the core conceit is ambitious and envelope-pushing. It’s refreshingly original, unlike some other recent IP lands that recognize the drawing-power of their characters and ended up being perfunctory projects.
All of this makes what I’m about to write so difficult.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge takes things too far. In creating a place written around rigid rules, it’s almost as if Imagineering forgot this was a land that would exist in operating theme parks and be visited by millions of guests per year while on vacation.
At times, it feels like Galaxy’s Edge was meant to exist on the pages of an internal memo at the Lucasfilm Story Group, informing the writers of some yet-untitled Disney+ release planned in 2023. Like the team behind it was singularly focused on authentically crafting something unique, original, and with a coherent timeline that they forgot to ask, “what would be most fun for regular guests?”
While I love Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its ambition, there are two lesser lands that are instructive in this regard. The first is Toy Story Land. While it pretends to be set in Andy’s Backyard to a degree, it breaks its own rules for new characters (Forky). More importantly, it offers a general sense of whimsy and fun, not taking itself too seriously. Toy Story Land has tons of room for improvement, but it’s best when embracing whatever while pretending it’s all in Andy’s Backyard with the oversized stuff style.
The other is Avenger’s Campus. This land is not good at all. It looks like someone took the contents of a RadioShack having a going out of business sale and installed all of it around a defunct Circuit City. The setting leans way too heavily on Imagineering’s “repurposed ____” trope, and is utterly uninteresting.
However, Avengers Campus is redeemed to a large extent because the land itself is primarily a canvas for the action and actual characters. And as with the movies, that’s where Avengers Campus shines–it comes alive with a range of heroes and villains from the various MCU properties, with little explanation offered as to why each is there. To whatever extent Avengers Campus works, it’s on the shoulders of the story-breaking characters.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is better than Avengers Campus by orders of magnitude, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any lessons from the latter than could be applied to improve the former. Similarly, Galaxy’s Edge could revisit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Pandora, Cars Land, and Arabian Coast to see what works about each of those.
To this day, the most glaring and easily fixable problem in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the lack of background music. The soundscape of Batuu is delightful and creates something of a lived-in atmosphere, but not including a soaring John Williams score sets it back. There’s a reason the Star Wars scores are so iconic, and the films would feel a lot flatter with those removed, and only sound effects in their place. Same goes for Galaxy’s Edge.
Not having background music in a theme park land because there wouldn’t be music at random if Batuu were an actual planet is a bridge too far. Batuu probably also wouldn’t have public restrooms, drinking fountains, outdoor vending carts selling Coca-Cola, or credit card readers. Yet all of those things are accepted as the practical realities of existing in an operational theme park.
When it comes to these intrusions, the threshold question should be whether the average guest (not the hardcore Star Wars fan in search of thematic or storytelling inconsistencies or “plot holes”) would easily notice them and if they’d ruin the illusion. Would certain additions impede the suspension of disbelief or enhance the overall experience and atmosphere?
In the case of a John Williams score, the answer is a no-brainer. It’d be an unequivocal improvement that no normal person would question. It would give the land a greater sense of energy and exhilaration, and make it feel more “Star Wars-y,” which is critical for the sake of authenticity since it’s an original planet.
When it comes to other potential changes, things aren’t so clear cut. Would adding the Mandalorian or Baby Yoda/Grogu be problematic? Taking that even further, what about characters from the original trilogy, like Darth Vader?
Canonically, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set during the Star Wars sequel trilogy between Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. That’s why any character alive at the end of the Last Jedi is fair game, but not those who died during the original trilogy, like (spoiler alert) Darth Vader. It’s also why there are no young versions of Princess Leia, Han Solo, or Luke Skywalker.
Grogu is most definitely fine as he could conceivably be alive and find his way to Batuu. The Mandalorian is also okay by me–who’s to say there’s not an elderly bounty hunter under that helmet. This alone is significant, as Disney+ is the company’s hot “thing.” A willingness to incorporate characters from the streaming service’s shows into the land would offer fresh offerings courtesy of the Disney+ marketing budget, as has been the case with Avenger’s Campus.
A bit more controversial, but I’d also be fine with Darth Vader…and literally anyone else. If a story contrivance is necessary to “explain away” why Darth Vader and his pals are on Batuu, there’s gotta be one. You can’t tell me that a franchise filled with clones, force ghosts, hyperspace, and various ways of toying with the space-time continuum can’t offer up some half-hearted (but plausible) explanation for certain characters making appearances.
The truth is, the overwhelming majority of guests will not bat an eye. They won’t ask why Darth Vader is on Batuu–they are already asking why he’s not on Batuu. In general, I’d make the argument that including more traditional elements of Star Wars, even if they aren’t canonically appropriate, strengthen the land, rather than weaken it.
Most guests are experiencing theme parks for enjoyment, and are more inclined to question an “obvious” omission rather than a slightly dubious inclusion. They notice details and environment, but often on more of a surface-level. They’re not there to critique, deconstruct, or probe for flaws. They want to have fun with their families.
When it comes to suspension of disbelief, Imagineering needs to have more faith in both itself and guests. Disney does a tremendous job at designing immersive environments. Guests crave escapism, and are downright eager to suspend disbelief when stepping into those lands. That’s how you can have a Swiss mountain next to a German castle next to the mid-century/steampunk “future” next to turn of the century small town America and have it all work just fine.
This isn’t an excuse to turn Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge into a free-for-all IP land. A lot of its success is a direct result of Lucasfilm and Imagineering’s high standards and commitment to its structure. There’s a happy medium in between the two extremes of “anything goes” and “strict timeline.” Balance is what we think Galaxy’s Edge should strive for, loosening its rules but not abandoning them entirely.
The loudest fans might take issue with Disney “expanding” the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge story or timeline, but the company shouldn’t confuse that type of volume for the overall volume of guests. (Plus, that vocal minority is going to take issue with everything Disney does with Star Wars.) This isn’t just true of Star Wars fans–we diehard Disney fans often engage in the same pattern of overanalysis. I know I’m guilty of that–but not when I’m actually in the park, enjoying myself.
Good faith guests aren’t actively looking for faults, they’re filling them in. This is something that seems to get lost in present-day Imagineering from time to time. They concoct unnecessarily elaborate backstories so everything makes perfect sense. It doesn’t need to, and if it does, that probably reflects fundamental flaws that won’t be remedied by pages and pages of story fluff (except among superfans, who eat it up because it gives them “insider knowledge”).
Ultimately, I’m not suggesting that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge throw the baby out with the bath water and start fresh. To the contrary, I hope it’s very clear from all of the foregoing that I love this largely-successful land. What I think is needed is better balance, and a willingness to break the rules if it produces something that’s more fun and better meets guest expectations. (Plus a water feature or two and a whole lot more shade/rain cover, but that’s another issue entirely!)
It’s great that Disney gave Imagineering creative freedom with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and that’s borne out in the end product. However, some of their worst impulses and fixations also are apparent in the result–something so steadfastly stuck on storytelling isn’t ideal. There’s nothing wrong with just “playing the hits” from time to time, and it’s reasonable to do so with Star Wars, in particular. There are undoubtedly ruses Disney can use when rewriting the Galaxy’s Edge backstory to satisfy the fans looking for a coherent timeline, too. Imagineering has used superfluous story to dupe dozens of diehard Dino-Rama fans into thinking that dumpster fire is actually good, so I’m convinced they can do the same with a land that actually is good.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you think Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge should break its own rules or stick to the fixed timeline and story? Would you like to see the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda in the land? What about Darth Vader and other original trilogy characters? Think Galaxy’s Edge should focus on fun, canon, or a mix of both? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
As a fan of the original trilogy and even some of the ideas in the prequels, I was disappointed in the modern trilogy but not disappointed in Galaxy’s edge. It felt timeless to me, like a place that definitely existed in the universe that any of my favorite characters could have stopped at on their journeys. After visiting it a few times though, I have gotten more and more frustrated by its rigid timeline. I’ve also had a lot of trouble getting my friends excited to visit, because they don’t care about any of the new people.
It seems to me like they ought to be able to switch it up from time to time without a significant infrastructure change, though. For instance…say that in 2022, Batuu and the Starcruiser are in Kylo times. Then in 2023, they switch to Vader times, and you just redress the Kylo figure in Rise and change some of Hondo’s lines. In 2024, go back to the Clone Wars. Then in 2025, its Kylo again. That would keep consistency with itself, and drive repeat visits…and there is no reason it couldn’t all be taking place on Batuu! It would just be Batuu as seen in different eras.
Wow! That is Brilliant!!!
Yes! They NEED TO DO THIS!!1
I have to disagree about the need for background music. I LOVED Harry Potter land at Universal except the constant blaring of the same repeated score all day long nearly drove my family and I around the bend. We really enjoyed the more organic sounds of Batuu. Agreed that more character interactions and stretching the rules a bit would improve the Galaxy’s Edge experience.
I agree. I like that Batuu showcases the diegetic sounds instead of the usual music loop, it really adds to the otherworldly feel of the land.
As a big SW and Disney parks fan I agree with everything you said. My first visit to GE I was in awe but subsequent visits it would be nice to see some new characters. If there’s some conflict with The Starcruiser Hotel then I’m sure they could time when the non-cannon characters roam around. I like the “Soundtrack” giving the land a real loved in feeling but mixing it with John Williams score seems like an easy win that would add a ton of emotion and feeling.
At Hollywood Studios. this won’t be as much of an issue when Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple reopens and meet and greets return. No one will complain about missing Darth Vader in Galaxy Edge if they can see him at or near Trials of the Temple, Star Tours, Tatooine Traders or even Star Wars Launch Bay. I’m not sure how far it really is from Galaxy Edge to Star Tours in Disneyland, but it doesn’t feel far in Florida.
What we really need is some Imagineering to develop a good name for “the Star Wars corner of Echo Lake,” or let me buy a Coke Zero, or play appropriate music that sounds like a musician around the corner. (Pirates of the Caribbean has soured me on blasting the same score over and over again, no matter how much I enjoyed it.) There’s a LOT of that kind of music in the original trilogy alone.
My three grown sons who all got their love of Star Wars from me find the new land “interesting” but not amazing. We all love “Smugglers Run” but find “Rise” sorta meh after a few viewings. I would have liked to see more of the original trilogy myself but that was my generation. Not enough Jedi stuff either.
“Not enough Jedi stuff either.”
Definitely agree with this. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like there’s a bit too much focus on the bad guys. (Honestly, I think First Order Cargo is a little “odd” to put it mildly.)
The Star Tours “Behind the Attraction” episode on Disney+ is very informative about why Galaxy’s Edge was designed and functions the way it is/does. But the rationale provided hasn’t aged well. According to the story told in the show, the land was originally going to be designed around Tatooine, and the Imagineers were excited to show the initial concept art to Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger. But Kathleen was adamant that the new land should focus on new stories, not old ones. The Imagineering team members paraphrase her feedback as follows: “…do we want to build a Tatooine and build what all of the fifty-somethings remember Star Wars as, or do we want to build something else which is going to appeal to all the upcoming generations who are going to know the new stories?”
I’m not sure I fully agree with that logic, but I understood it…until almost every single new Star Wars story being told on Disney+ began focusing heavily on Tatooine. There’s The Mandalorian…Book of Boba Fett….and surely major elements of the new Obi-Wan series. I’d also be shocked if Cassian Andor doesn’t make a stop on Tatooine at some point in his storyline, as well. So basically, Iger/Kennedy/Lucasfilm totally switched gears and realized that Tatooine stories ARE for everyone, not just fifty-somethings. And they sell! But it’s (probably?) too late to re-theme Batuu to Tatooine….
One easy way to solve this problem would be to create new Star Wars stories that are SET IN BATUU! Heck, they could even FILM scenes at Galaxy’s Edge overnight or in the pre-opening hours during summer (just need a little CGI to cover up the Lightning Lane entrances…). Why they haven’t done this is beyond me — especially because it totally fits with the synergistic “reverse IP” strategy they employed with movies based on Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Tomorrowland, and many other past and in-development projects. Make some new movies set on Batuu during the prequel/OT/sequel trilogy time frames, and/or future unexplored time frames, and BANG — people get to step into those stories. It’s not that complicated?
Development on SWGE would’ve started alongside the beginning of the sequel trilogy, and Kennedy and Iger probably assumed it was going to be more of a success than it was. Switching gears to the ‘tried and true’ Tatooine is an easy course correction for the Disney+ material, but not so much for a theme park land that was already under construction at that point.
Strongly agree with you about setting Disney+ content on Batuu. (On the plus side, there is that “Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge” Oculus VR game that’s supposed to be fantastic, but that’s not as mainstream yet as a Disney+ series.)
Thanks, Tom! Always love your insightful commentary (which was insanely helpful as I just visited GE for the first time a couple weeks ago in Florida!). In terms of development, everything I’ve seen indicates Imagineering was working on Galaxy’s Edge (or whatever the working title was at the time) for as long as a couple of YEARS before development on the new sequel trilogy kicked into gear.
This article provides more quotes from Dan Cockerell, which align with the same narrative I noted above from the “Behind the Attraction” episode. https://www.piratesandprincesses.net/former-disney-world-vp-kathleen-kennedy-pushed-for-star-wars-galaxys-edge-to-be-based-on-sequel-trilogy/
Give it a read if you haven’t — just fascinating stuff.
I feel the same way…I would love to see Batuu in the new shows so I could get all excited about having *been there.* I also feel like they should have taken advantage of the ‘sets’ on the Starcruiser before it opens to film something, as seeing that on Disney+ could easily drive up sales.
Nearly 100% of all Disney+ Star Wars series are Original Trilogy focused. And that is what generations of Star Wars fans want. There is a reason why Kennedy’s “The High Republic” is an absolute failure along with the woke Star Wars “The Acolyte” will likely never make into production. It should be noted that Kennedy was removed as the head of Creativity at Lucasfilm and replaced by Dave Filoni.
Let them leave GE as is, and beef up area around Star Tours for more SW movie-related fare. There’s gotta be some old Hollywood themed real estate they haven’t bulldozed over yet
Whatever “fixes” are coming (and I’m reasonably confident some are on the way…at some point) will occur within SWGE, as they need to be able to be applied to both Disneyland and DHS.
Otherwise, I agree that beefing up the Star Tours area at DHS would be a superior alternative.
The Sequel Trilogy is just lame and many Star Wars fans do not consider it canon. Disney has a huge fail on its hands as far as Galaxy’s Edge time frame goes. And we can thank Bob Iger for that.
I have to speak as someone that has yet to see GE, but I am with the majority of commenters here. I am all for adding background music, but as for characters outside of the timeline I am not a fan of the idea. I think what it needs are the performers and interactive elements that were promised initially and that seem to now be confined only to the Galactic Starcruiser guests.
That said, I’m more “hardcore Star Wars fan” than the average guest. I also don’t hate the sequel movies and Disney SW in general. (Blasphemy, I know) I probably view things differently than most other guests on both sides due to that.
Here’s hoping that as COVID cases settle down Disney and Equity can get together on a deal to make GE everything we dreamed of.
I think Galaxy’s Edge has suffered from the pandemic more than a lot of people realize. My pre-pandemic visit was absolutely magical *because* of the characters running around and the story you could choose to follow if you wanted or just enjoy in a “Look, there’s Kylo Ren” sort of way. Without the free roaming characters acting out a story (as opposed to just posing for meet and greets) the land does feel a lot more static and less interesting. I think that element was so central to the entire way Imagineering designed the place that even casual guests can kind of intuit something is off right now, even if they don’t know what.
I personally like that they went so hard on a specific timeline but I probably wouldn’t bat an eye if Darth Vader or Mando and Grogu were wandering around. But the land does need more characters, I would say more than any of the other park lands (where they were often hidden behind doors and meet and greet queues anyway).
You’re absolutely correct about the pandemic really hurting SWGE–it definitely felt more alive pre-closure.
With that said, even then, two of the most common questions revolved around where to find Darth Vader and Baby Yoda. I haven’t heard anything about that since, but I can’t imagine that’s changed.
I was at GE in Disneyland on opening day 2019, and there were a bunch of roaming characters. Even before the pandemic hit, that seemed to disappear relatively quickly. Hopefully this isn’t a permanent cutback that will remain once pandemic restraints go away.
This post was originally inspired by one of my tweets, and @benglesmith had the perfect compromise in response:
“Easy solution for SWGE is to “discover” an ancient Jedi Temple in which guests can enter the World Between Worlds and meet a constantly rotating list of SW characters.
Gives guests the characters they want, constantly updatable, doesn’t mess with Batuu’s timeline.”
For those unfamiliar with the World Between Worlds (I was!): https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/World_Between_Worlds
I would wait in a long line for a photo op with the entire Skywalker family – from Shmi to Kylo Ben, no timeline justification required, because it’s a theme park.
Not sure if I agree with this take. Honestly, we’re talking about 4 characters from the OT here; Vader, Luke Leia and Han. I think they need to fill the world in a little bit with some more “random” aliens and characters (just off the top of my head; Lando, R2D2 and Threepio from the OT and anyone from THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, THE MANDOLORIAN and REBELS would be fair game), but is putting a young Luke on Batuu going to satiate people? I don’t really think so. If I were to critique Disney for Galaxy’s Edge….I would say that maybe they should have had two distinct worlds; one for Land and one for World. The rides could have been the same (or themed differently if they wanted to use the same ride systems)…..but two unique worlds would have been cool for those of us who like to go to both Parks, and it would prohably would have inspired people who usually only go to one to try the other one out.
One word…Clone! Darth Vader Lives!!!
I remember I wasn’t disappointed in the bar just that they had a dj instead of a band. Still a pretty cool place
Great article Tom. Thank you.
Oh boy Tom you are going to unleash me with a article like this LOL…. First off I am a huge Star Wars fan love everything about the franchise. When it comes to SWGE I have a bunch of mixed feelings.
Let’s start with just Batuu. Batuu the planet absolutely belongs in the Star Wars universe. It looks like something you would see in a movie/tv show/comic book or even read about in a novel. All of the buildings and stores hit it out of the park for the feel and look of Star Wars. Like you I believe it would be acceptable to have background music though to help facilitate the feeling of Star Wars. The stores/restaurants/village are all awesome looking.
Next the attractions first up is Millenium Falcon Smugglers run: To me this attraction is a huge fail. First off Chewie should be in the attraction and have a translator for the things he says (3PO anyone?). I love Hondo a lot as a character in the Clone Wars but as a leading character on this attraction I hate it. The attraction itself is for me a bit boring. If you aren’t the pilot or co pilot it is really bad. The next attraction Rise of the resistance is flawless though. This shows off Imagineering’s ability to tell a story and take us to a place outside of this world. Even if it is with characters that aren’t the most popular. I rank this as a top 5 attraction in the world and I am not even a fan of the Star Wars sequels.
The role playing aspect. I have a problem here and it starts with Disney. If they want this place to be a role playing space they need to hire more actors. We need more characters walking around with stories to share to help play up the role playing aspect. When you are in stores or restaurants there should be characters walking through them and interacting with people. These characters should be able to give role players stories that fit into story arcs in the land. They should also be able to take pictures with non role playing guests. Adding more characters old and new would be a huge breath of fresh air to this area.
And now finally the inclusion of dead characters. They can solve this easily by using the launch bay model. Create a space in the land that is like an archive. In that archive you have the dead characters who are actually there but as an archival piece for the people of Batuu to learn about some historical beings in the universe. You go into the Sith area and there you could meet Darth Maul or Vader etc.
Kevin W, you nailed it! I’m not a die hard Star Wars geek, per se, but my little brother was one in the 1980’s. I have a deep love for the original films and have enjoyed the heck out of some of the animated series, the Mandalorian, and Rogue One. I’m all for some background music in Batuu, but what I have wanted more of since day one is more Star Wars looking creatures! A roving droid walking along with a Rodian bounty hunter? A live performance by a Bith band? YES PLEASE!!! It really doesn’t have to be Darth Vader to make this feel more “real.” We just need more interspecies diversity to make it really feel like a Star Wars planet. To this end, I will note that I was in Disneyland during the week of their SWGE opening and there was constant character presence out amongst the crowd – Chewie walked through regularly, Kylo Ren and Storm Troopers harassed guests, and the “Rebel Spy” was running through the land and hiding behind trash cans, asking guests to cover for her. I’m not sure whether this fell victim to Covid, budget cuts or just never got off the ground in Florida, but my April 2021 and January 2022 visits were devoid of any similar sightings. It definitely made a difference to the feel of the land. PS – Tom, I haven’t watched today’s episode of The Book of Boba Fett, but I’m pretty sure last week’s gave a major and tragic hint as to why Grogu wasn’t a character in the later stories…
I couldn’t disagree more. I really wish you wouldn’t encourage this kind of thinking, since Disney already does it too much. I don’t want Disney catering to the lowest common denominator in search of the greatest possible profits, especially when they’re already pinching every penny. I think it’s a miracle Galaxy’s Edge was made the way it was, and I’m so happy that happened. It’s one of the best things they’ve ever done.
My biggest criticism of Galaxy’s Edge is the opposite: that they’ve watered down the roleplaying elements and made it less immersive. Especially in terms of things like cast member interaction, and their claims about how your reputation would follow you or whatever — the tech is more than capable of achieving that. If they’re going to compromise on giving casual guests whatever they want in terms of IP, go all-in and make it fully immersive. For any guest you lose, another will have an experience they’ll talk about for the rest of their lives. Brand loyalty matters in the long term, even if it doesn’t maximize profits in the short term. The halfway house is the real problem that exists, and I think what you suggest would make that issue even worse.
Now don’t get me wrong: I’m okay with a little mixing of periods, if it’s done carefully with good transitions. You could add a section to the land that’s themed around a different period, or have it be a hidden space inside a building on the periphery or whatever. There are ways to do it more seamlessly I’d have no issue with — but I don’t want to see them water down one of the most impressive things they’ve done.
I definitely do not want Darth Vader in the land at all, but I’m a hardcore Star Wars fan who loves the franchise BECAUSE of its cohesive continuity. That’s the main reason I become immersed in the universe. That’s what makes it feel real to me. I also write articles on the lore of Galaxy’s Edge for Wookieepedia, so breaking canon would make that task nearly impossible. The only way to have these characters come into the land and not break canon would be by using the “world between worlds,” which was a very controversial move by the creators of Star Wars Rebels that many saw as a cop-out.
That being said, there are plenty of major characters that could appear and not break canon. Leia, C-3PO, Lando, Din Djarin (the Mandalorian), etc. Also, Star Wars is about worldbuilding, and one of the franchise’s main aspects of that is alien species. There is no reason to not have Twi’leks, Trandoshans, Rodians, Duros, and other aliens walking around. Seeing those aliens would make fans feel like they’re actually in Star Wars if the scenery isn’t enough for them.
Basically, if you know enough about Star Wars continuity, you can easily find ways to bring legacy characters and other entertainment elements in to really make the land feel more like Star Wars without breaking existing canon. I think the main issue is that Lucasfilm doesn’t want these things included because it ties their hands from a future storytelling perspective. If Djarin appears on Batuu, they can’t kill him in the show, and it also spoils the ending because then fans will KNOW he can’t die in the show. So I say add characters we already know are alive and more aliens and then add other major characters once their current stories are finished.
Also add the stunt show and utilize the sky bridges between the buildings for goodness’ sake.
My guess is that they’re shorting the GE experience in favor of a more immersive Starcruiser. Were GE perfect, why pay thousands of dollars for more of the same?
Unfortunately I had no chance to visit the land (living in Spain) but I thought many times in this direction. Why do you decide to do something “like Mos Esley cantine” and not the cantine itself? Why choose the time line in the last 3 films and not in the loved original trilogy? Is like when rumours point towards Fanatasitc Beasts theming at Universal, it will never work as well as the original films do…
I felt similarly when I had the opportunity to visit the land a few times, prior to Rise opening; a land in stasis, trapped by plot lines and fanboys. I, too, loved it, but questioned its unnecessarily narrow entry into the timeline. It reminded me of the time when the “new” Star Tours debuted and fans were complaining that they couldn’t possibly participate in a pod race then suddenly zip to the battle of Hoth. Same constriction, much like the McDonalds “McDLT” from the 80s, which kept the hot side hot and the cold side cold.
When Rise opened, I felt a better narrative cohesion, and kind of understood what they had constructed. It made sense I’d run into Kylo Ren and stormtroopers on the east side while seeing mostly Resistance characters like Rey and R2 on the west.
This post made me rethink things a little, brought me back to my original feelings, and I thank you for that, Tom. I was able to attend an early AP preview of Galaxy’s Edge. We were all packed in, coronavirus in the not so distant future, just past the railroad trestle that served as demarcation between Critter Country and the cinematic world of our childhoods, and right before it was our time to enter, out came Chewbacca, crossbow held up high, roaring. I know he’s still around in the designated timeline for GE, but he was a spectre of the past as well. It was Chewie, man! In the flesh (fur)! He was greeted as any incongruously appearing Star Wars trilogy character would be greeted now, I feel. He roared at us, and how we roared with him!