For years, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been one of Disneyland’s most detailed and immersive lands. It has also been one of its most restricted.
From the moment the land opened, Batuu was locked into a very specific point in the Star Wars saga. That choice created immersion in a very specific timeframe, which came with a cost. Huge portions of Star Wars storytelling were left outside the timeline.
It led to one question being asked more than any other inside Galaxy’s Edge. Where is Darth Vader?
Beginning April 29, 2026, Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge will finally be ready to answer that question.
Batuu Is No Longer Frozen in Time
Starting next spring, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland park will expand beyond a single era. Batuu will now represent multiple points in its long and complicated history.
Instead of one locked storyline, guests will be able to encounter stories from the Galactic Civil War and New Republic, alongside the Age of the Resistance and the First Order. This change allows the land to breathe and evolve without abandoning its original design philosophy.
Black Spire Outpost becomes a place shaped by time. Details, characters, and even music will shift to reflect different eras, all while maintaining the same level of care that defined the land on opening day.
The Characters Fans Have Been Waiting For
This expanded timeline brings long‑requested Star Wars icons to Batuu for the first time.
Darth Vader will arrive at Black Spire Outpost with Imperial Stormtroopers, hunting for signs of Luke Skywalker. His presence firmly plants Galaxy’s Edge in the era of the Galactic Civil War.
Luke Skywalker will explore the outpost in search of knowledge tied to the Force, kyber crystals, and lightsabers. Leia Organa may be found near the Millennium Falcon, quietly recruiting help to keep Luke out of Imperial hands.
Han Solo and Chewbacca return to familiar territory around the Falcon, with Han keeping a careful watch over his ship and an even closer watch on Oga’s Cantina.
They will join characters already established in the land, including Rey in the Resistance camp, Ahsoka Tano, The Mandalorian and Grogu, and R2‑D2 navigating the crowded walkways of Batuu.
Galaxy’s Edge Finally Sounds Like Star Wars
One of the most noticeable changes will not be visual. It will be heard.
Music from John Williams’ Star Wars film scores will now play throughout Galaxy’s Edge. Themes drawn from the first six films will underscore different areas of the land, helping define each era emotionally.
As guests pass through the tunnels into Batuu, the Main Title and Force Theme will set the tone. Deeper in the land, familiar motifs such as Han Solo and the Princess, The Emperor, and The Desert and the Robot Auction will emerge. Inside Oga’s Cantina, the Cantina Band remains exactly where it belongs.
Shops Reflect a Broader Galaxy
As Batuu’s history expands, several locations actively change to reflect the stories unfolding across the land.
First Order Cargo will transition into Black Spire Surplus, a military salvage shop offering artifacts pulled from multiple eras, including Imperial and Rebel items from the Galactic Civil War.
Dok‑Ondar’s Den of Antiquities will rotate its displays, allowing different relics to surface as time shifts. Droid Depot will reflect an earlier chapter in its history, featuring prototype BB‑style droids while still allowing guests to build their own companions.
Savi’s Workshop continues its role in lightsaber building. Luke Skywalker’s search for knowledge of the Force naturally draws his interest toward Savi and the Gatherers.
What Is Not Changing
While the timeline expands, the core experiences of Galaxy’s Edge remain intact.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run stays at the heart of the land. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance continues to represent the Age of the Resistance in the forested outskirts of Black Spire Outpost.
Food and drink favorites, including blue milk and ronto wraps, remain part of everyday life on Batuu, no matter which era you find yourself visiting.
Why This Update Matters
Galaxy’s Edge was always designed as a living place with a long history. Until now, guests could only see a single chapter of that story.
By unlocking the timeline, Disneyland restores the storytelling flexibility Star Wars has always thrived on. Batuu can finally reflect the full saga, rather than a single moment within it.
Guests will begin seeing some of these updates roll out over the coming months, ahead of the official debut on April 29, 2026. Guests must hold a valid park reservation and ticket for entry. Disneyland may change offerings at any time.
For Star Wars fans, this shift does more than add characters. It allows Galaxy’s Edge to feel like a true crossroads of the galaxy, shaped by past, present, and future.
