Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – The Complete Backstory from Concept to Canon

The Story Behind Galaxy’s Edge

The wait is finally over. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open at Disneyland Park and set to debut at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios on August 29, 2019. Early reviews are in, but what’s the story behind the land? Not just the in-universe Star Wars story—but the Imagineering journey, creative process, and lore that built the galaxy we now walk through.

From Star Tours to Orange Harvest

You can trace the real-world origin of Galaxy’s Edge back to the opening of Star Tours: The Adventure Continues in 2011, which replaced the original Star Tours (1987). That original version opened first at Disneyland, then later in Tokyo, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disneyland Paris.

Then came the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012. Less than a year later, “Project Orange Harvest” popped up at the 2013 D23 Expo—teasing blueprints, crates labeled with lightsabers, Bantha milk, and thermal detonators. All addressed to Walt Disney Imagineering.

While most fans were distracted by updates about Disney Springs and a secret Avatar project, speculation exploded. Would there be an entire Star Wars park? Would it replace Echo Lake? Was Muppet*Vision 3D on the chopping block? Rumors swirled… but Disney kept the secrets tightly guarded for two years.

D23 Expo 2015: Star Wars Land Revealed

At D23 Expo 2015, Bob Iger unveiled concept art and the official announcement: Star Wars Lands would be built at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The land would introduce us to a planet we’d never seen before, but one filled with familiar characters, droids, and creatures.

Everything in the land would remain “in universe.” Nothing would break immersion. The 14-acre expansion would be the largest single-themed land in Disney history.

The Timeline: Outer Rim, Canon, and the Story Group

Galaxy’s Edge isn’t just impressive because of scale—it’s immersive because of story. Following Disney’s acquisition, the Lucasfilm Story Group was formed to maintain canon across all Star Wars media. In April 2014, the “Expanded Universe” was rebranded Legends. From then on, only selected material—including the original films, The Clone Wars, and Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir—remained official canon.

That’s when Batuu was born.

Rather than recreating Tatooine or Hoth, Disney and Lucasfilm built something entirely new: Batuu, an outer rim world on the edge of Wild Space. Its capital, Black Spire Outpost, became a crossroads for smugglers, traders, and those wishing to avoid the First Order.  Batuu’s first official appearance came in the 2018 novel Thrawn: Alliances. Then came Black Spire (2019) by Delilah S. Dawson, which established Vi Moradi’s mission on Batuu as part of Leia Organa’s Resistance efforts between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

An In-Story Experience

Galaxy’s Edge is set in real Star Wars time. That’s why you won’t see Darth Vader walking around—it’s not his era. Instead, you’ll encounter Kylo Ren, Resistance fighters, and characters like Vi Moradi. Even the rides tie into this canon:

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – You’re helping Hondo Ohnaka retrieve coaxium for the Resistance.
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – You’re pulled into a battle between the Resistance and First Order.

All of it fits between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Storytelling in Every Corner

It doesn’t stop with rides. The shops and food locations all play a role in the narrative:

• Oga’s Cantina – the local watering hole
• Docking Bay 7 – a galactic food and cargo stop
• Ronto Roasters, Kat Saka’s Kettle, and Savi’s Workshop – all tied into Batuu’s economy
• Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities – run by a collector referenced in Solo
• Mubo’s Droid Depot, Bina’s Creature Stall, and Toydarian Toyshop – lore-filled locations for every fan

Plus, the land is interactive via the Disney Play App, which turns your phone into a datapad. You can hack panels, translate signs, and even align with the Resistance or First Order.

More Details: Connecting the Canon: From Books to Batuu

The storytelling at Galaxy’s Edge isn’t limited to the parks. In true Star Wars fashion, it’s part of a larger narrative that stretches across novels, comics, animation, and now live-action streaming. Thanks to the Lucasfilm Story Group, every element introduced in Galaxy’s Edge ties directly into Star Wars canon.

We first heard about Batuu, the outpost planet Galaxy’s Edge is based on, in the 2018 novel Thrawn: Alliances. That book, split between two timelines, features Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala visiting Batuu in the Clone Wars era, and Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader returning during the Empire’s reign to investigate a disturbance in the Force. That’s the first breadcrumb.

The real narrative weight comes from Black Spire (2019) by Delilah S. Dawson. This novel takes place just before the events of Galaxy’s Edge and vividly brings the land to life. Resistance spy Vi Moradi receives a mission from General Leia Organa to locate allies, gather resources, and establish a new Resistance base after the events of The Last Jedi. Vi travels to Batuu and begins laying the groundwork for the Resistance presence guests experience in the park today. The book details everything from Oga’s Cantina to the marketplace layout with such precision, it’s hard to tell whether the author shaped the land—or Imagineers built the land from her words.

A Crash of Fate

Then there’s A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Córdova, another tie-in novel set on Batuu. It tells the story of Izzy and Jules, two childhood friends reunited after years apart. Izzy returns to Batuu on a mysterious delivery job and runs into Jules, who never left the outpost. Their reconnection sparks a personal story of trust, love, and survival that plays out within the very environment you walk through at Galaxy’s Edge. From climbing the spires to hiding in market stalls, the story deepens the emotional connection to the setting.

These books—along with supporting material from comics, games, and references in shows like The Mandalorian—help reinforce Black Spire Outpost as more than just a backdrop. It’s a fully-integrated world within the Star Wars galaxy. The Story Group made sure that what you read, watch, and now walk through is part of one cohesive timeline, making Galaxy’s Edge a rare example of immersive, multi-platform canon in action.

Galaxy’s Edge: Past, Present, Future

With The Rise of Skywalker completing the sequel trilogy later in 2019, Galaxy’s Edge stands ready to evolve. With shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, we may yet see Black Spire appear in more media. The land is a living part of Star Wars storytelling—forever connected through the vision of the Lucasfilm Story Group.

MORE Details

For more from Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge be sure to check out the Story Behind the Story. Opening Day interviews. an interview with Doug Chiang. a special D23 Expo look at creating the Music of Galaxy’s Edge. DJ Rex in action at Oga’s Cantina. An Overview of Batuu. a look at creating galaxy’s edge with an Imagineer. merchandise. Star Wars Comic Books. Star Wars Myths & Fables. Galaxy’s Edge Cookbook. a look behind the Galactic Starcruiser. Galaxy Far Far Away stage show. and Star Wars Galactic Fireworks from Hollywood Studios.