Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open at Disneyland Park and later this year in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios (August 29, 2019). Early reviews are in, but what is the story behind the new land? There are layers to the backstory: the real-life Disney and Lucasfilm partnership, the Imagineering process, and the Star Wars narrative itself.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
The Origins of Galaxy’s Edge
You can trace the roots of Galaxy’s Edge back to 2011 with the opening of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. This version replaced the original Star Tours that opened in Disneyland in 1987 and later appeared in Tokyo Disneyland, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disneyland Paris. The collaboration between George Lucas and Bob Iger set the stage for Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm on October 30, 2012.
Project Orange Harvest and Early Rumors
At the 2013 D23 Expo, fans discovered crates labeled with Star Wars references: Bantha Milk, Protocol Droids, Lightsabers, and Thermal Detonators. All were marked “Project Orange Harvest” and addressed to Walt Disney Imagineering. Meanwhile, Disney highlighted Disney Springs and the new Avatar project. Still, Star Wars fans speculated wildly. Would Star Wars Land be an entirely new park? Would it go into Hollywood Studios? Rumors flew for two years.
Project Blue Harvest – D23 Expo 2012
D23 Expo Reveals and Disney’s Big Announcements
At the 2015 D23 Expo, Bob Iger revealed concept art and confirmed that both Walt Disney World and Disneyland would receive Star Wars-themed lands. He promised a planet full of aliens, humanoids, droids, and immersive storytelling. “Nothing will be out of character or stray from the mythology,” he said. This was the birth of what we now know as Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
STAR WARS-THEMED LAND AT THE DISNEYLAND RESORT — Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has released new artwork for the Star Wars-themed land being constructed at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. The new artist rendering shows the intriguing spaceport on a never-before-seen planet in the Star Wars galaxy. The 14-acre land will be the largest-ever single-themed land expansion at the Disneyland Resort. (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm)
By March 2016, Iger announced at the annual Disney Shareholder Meeting that construction on the 14-acre land would begin in April. A year later, during a 2017 conference call, he confirmed Pandora’s opening and revealed that the new Star Wars lands would debut in 2019. At D23 Expo 2017, Bob Chapek revealed the official name—Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—and also announced the Star Wars Hotel coming to Walt Disney World.
The Role of the Lucasfilm Story Group
To understand Galaxy’s Edge, you need to know about the Lucasfilm Story Group, created in 2012 to keep the Star Wars narrative cohesive across all media. In 2014, they reset the canon, rebranding the expanded universe as “Star Wars Legends.” yle=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;”>Only the films, The Clone Wars, and the comic series, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, remained canon. Since then, the group has been weaving connective tissue across films, animation, novels, comics, and theme parks—like linking Star Tours to Star Wars Rebels or naming Black Spire Outpost in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Batuu and Black Spire Outpost
Rather than recreating Tatooine or Hoth, Disney created a brand-new setting: the planet Batuu. Located on the edge of the outer rim, Batuu became a refuge for smugglers and wanderers after hyperspace lanes bypassed it. Its landscape of petrified black spires gave Black Spire Outpost its name. The spaceport, cantina, and marketplace make it the perfect Star Wars hub.
Black Spire Novel
The planet first appeared in the 2018 novel Thrawn: Alliances, where both Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker visit Batuu in separate storylines. In 2019, Black Spire deepened the lore, tying Batuu to the Resistance’s struggle against the First Order.
Galaxy’s Edge in Star Wars Novels
In Black Spire, General Leia Organa sends spy Vi Moradi to Batuu after a devastating First Order attack. This sets up the attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, where guests join the battle between the First Order and the Resistance. Meanwhile, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run allows guests to pilot the iconic ship alongside Chewbacca. Han Solo does not appear because he isn’t part of this timeline.
Galaxy’s Edge – Crash of Fate
Another novel, A Crash of Fate, tells the story of Izzy and Jules, childhood friends on Batuu whose lives diverge before reconnecting in dramatic fashion. These stories deepen the connection between Galaxy’s Edge and the larger Star Wars universe.
Galaxy’s Edge – Comic Book #1
Immersive Attractions and Interactive Storytelling
Galaxy’s Edge is designed to feel alive. Characters like BB-8, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, First Order Stormtroopers, and Resistance fighters roam freely. The Play Disney Parks app and MagicBands at Walt Disney World enhance interactivity, allowing guests to influence parts of the land.
Oga’s Cantina, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, Ronto Roasters, Kat Saka’s Kettle, Savi’s Workshop, Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, Mubo’s Droid Depot, Bina’s Creature Stall, and Toydarian Toyshop all add to the immersive experience. The marketplace feels like it was lifted straight from the novels or concept art. This consistency shows the Story Group’s guiding hand.
A Living Star Wars Timeline
The land is set between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Future Star Wars media can easily weave in new connections. With The Mandalorian and Andor on Disney+, Batuu provides a stage where characters from across the saga can intersect. The design ensures Galaxy’s Edge remains a timeless hub of the Star Wars story.
Guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will encounter an X-wing Starfighter located at the Resistance Mobile Command Post. The X-wing is a nimble starfighter used in space combat first by the Rebel Alliance
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Guests visiting the Toydarian Toymaker stall in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Disney guests will discover exotic finds throughout Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. At Savi’s Workshop guests will have the opportunity to customize and craft their own lightsabers.
Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge is the first land within a Disney park designed to integrate with the Play Disney Parks mobile app, which debuted last year. Guests who choose to use the Play Disney Parks app in Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will be able to transform it into their very own Star Wars: Datapad. The app provides new opportunities for guests to engage with the land. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu. Guests will discover two signature attractions. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (pictured), available opening day, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening later this year. (Todd Wawrychuk/Disney Parks)
Guests visiting Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will walk the hallways and experience other memorable areas before taking control of the fastest ship in the galaxy in Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu. Guests will discover two signature attractions. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (pictured), available opening day, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening later this year. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu. Guests will discover two signature attractions. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (pictured), available opening day, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening later this year. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Inside Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, guests will take the controls in one of three unique and critical roles aboard the fastest ship in the galaxy. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
Guests visiting Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will be able to wander the lively marketplace of Black Spire Outpost and encounter a robust collection of merchant shops and stalls filled with authentic Star Wars creations. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Guests visiting Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will be able to wander the lively marketplace of Black Spire Outpost and encounter a robust collection of merchant shops and stalls filled with authentic Star Wars creations. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
The famous main hold lounge is one of several areas guests will discover inside Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run before taking the controls in one of three unique and critical roles aboard the fastest ship in the galaxy at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
The famous main hold lounge is one of several areas Disney guests will discover inside Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run before taking the controls in one of three unique and critical roles aboard the fastest ship in the galaxy at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu. Guests will discover two signature attractions. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, available opening day, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening later this year. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
The notorious Weequay pirate, Hondo Ohnaka, gives guests their mission prior to boarding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
The notorious Weequay pirate, Hondo Ohnaka, gives guests their mission prior to boarding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Exotic finds can be found throughout Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In the Droid Depot at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge, guests will be able to build their own personal droids. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
Exotic finds can be found throughout Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In the Droid Depot at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge, guests will be able to build their own personal droids. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
Guests visiting Dok-OndarÕs Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will discover rare items from across the galaxy for sale, all part of Dok-Ondar’s collection. Items represent different eras of the Star Wars saga, including holocrons, ancient Jedi and Sith artifacts, lightsabers and more. (Christian Thompson/Disney Parks)
Guests visiting Dok-OndarÕs Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will discover rare items from across the galaxy for sale, all part of Dok-Ondar’s collection. Items represent different eras of the Star Wars saga, including holocrons, ancient Jedi and Sith artifacts, lightsabers and more. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Guests visiting Dok-OndarÕs Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will discover rare items from across the galaxy for sale, all part of Dok-Ondar’s collection. Items represent different eras of the Star Wars saga, including holocrons, ancient Jedi and Sith artifacts, lightsabers and more. (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
Guests will discover innovative and creative eats from around the galaxy at Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo is a designated location for traveling food shuttles. Chef Strono ÒCookieÓ Tuggs is in much demand for his culinary skills, so he moves from site to site in a modified Sienar-Chall Utilipede-Transport that becomes a mobile kitchen and restaurant. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
At Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, guests will be able to build their own lightsaber, guided by ancient wisdom but crafted by the choices they make on their own adventure. Each build will begin with a personal connection to a kyber crystal used to ignite the custom lightsaber. (David Roark/Disney Parks)
Star Wars: GalaxyÕs Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever at 14-acres each, transporting guests to Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu. Guests will discover two signature attractions. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, available opening day, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening later this year. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
SamsDisneyDiary Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge – NOW OPEN
Project Blue Harvest – D23 Expo 2012
Project Blue Harvest – D23 Expo 2012
STAR WARS-THEMED LAND AT THE DISNEYLAND RESORT — Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has released new artwork for the Star Wars-themed land being constructed at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. The new artist rendering shows the intriguing spaceport on a never-before-seen planet in the Star Wars galaxy. The 14-acre land will be the largest-ever single-themed land expansion at the Disneyland Resort. (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm)
Galaxy’s Edge – Comic Book #1
Galaxy’s Edge – Crash of Fate
Black Spire Novel
Project Blue Harvest – D23 Expo 2012
Project Blue Harvest – D23 Expo 2012
Bob Iger and George Lucas Tour Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park Ahead of Opening
Bob Iger, Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO (left), and George Lucas, Star Wars creator, pose inside Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, May 29, 2019. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort)
Bob Iger and George Lucas Tour Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park Ahead of Opening
Bob Iger, Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO (right), and George Lucas, Star Wars creator, stand in front of the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, May 29, 2019. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Star Wars Actors Tour Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park Ahead of Opening
Actors Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill pose in front of the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, May 29, 2019. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)
Star Wars Actors Tour Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park Ahead of Opening
Actor Billy Dee Williams, Star Wars creator George Lucas, actors Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill pose in front of the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, May 29, 2019. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, lights up with galactic fanfare, May 29, 2019, as Star Wars creator George Lucas and actors Billy Dee Williams and Mark Hamill, Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger and actor Harrison Ford celebrate the opening Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. ()Matt Petit/Disneyland Resort
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, lights up with galactic fanfare, May 29, 2019, as (l-r) Star Wars creator George Lucas, actors Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger and actor Harrison Ford celebrate the opening Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)
