‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ to Be Updated With Classic Characters

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Since it debuted in 2019, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World has primarily featured characters and storylines from the most recent Star Wars films – specifically The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The area isn’t just a collection of rides; it’s built to feel like a real place within the Star Wars universe – the planet of Batuu. Guests can even encounter characters like Rey and Kylo Ren as they explore.

While the detailed environment was enjoyable, it created a challenge. Fans who weren’t deeply familiar with Star Wars and were hoping to see iconic characters like Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader often left disappointed. The park adhered very closely to the established storyline, meaning characters who had died, like Darth Vader, couldn’t appear in The Force Awakens timeline. Chewbacca was the main exception – since he appeared in both the original and newer films, it made sense for him to be present and interacting around the Millennium Falcon with Rey.

Later this year, classic Star Wars characters will be appearing at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. Disney Parks Blog announced that by the end of April, guests will be able to see Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker in the land.

A major update is coming to the land: it will now include iconic Star Wars themes composed by John Williams. While Williams previously created original music for Galaxy’s Edge, that score was designed to feel subtle and atmospheric, fitting the idea that Batuu existed within the Star Wars universe. Now, guests can expect to hear more recognizable and traditional Star Wars movie music.

Disney announced the news with a video on social media…

The article states that Rey and the Resistance will continue battling the First Order in the area of Galaxy’s Edge surrounding the Rise of the Resistance attraction. Guests looking for Ahsoka and the Mandalorian will find them near the marketplace, which is located between the Resistance Camp and Black Spire Outpost – the village where the Millennium Falcon is and where classic Star Wars characters appear.

If you enjoy characters like Rey and the Mandalorian, you’ll still find them at Galaxy’s Edge. It’s unclear how these appearances will fit into the overall Star Wars story, or how characters will react to questions about past events – like Rey facing Darth Vader. My prediction is that the details of continuity won’t be a priority anymore.

Many Star Wars fans will be happy to hear this news. Some visitors to Galaxy’s Edge felt it focused too much on the newer films and didn’t include enough references to the original trilogy – they were hoping to see characters like Han Solo and hear the iconic John Williams score. I always loved how immersive Galaxy’s Edge felt, like stepping right into the Star Wars universe. I had a fantastic time there last year with my kids, who were thrilled to meet Rey and Chewbacca and still talk about it! Hopefully, future visitors will have equally great experiences, maybe even meeting Princess Leia.

On April 29th, some familiar faces will reappear in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. It’s currently unknown if these changes will also come to the Star Wars land in Florida. In addition, the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride will get a new video featuring characters from The Mandalorian – Din Djarin and Grogu – debuting around the same time as their new movie in late May.

Amazing Theme Park Rides Based on Movies That Were Never Built

Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition

Disneyland features the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, which debuted in 1995. However, Disney’s original plans for an Indiana Jones area were much grander and would have significantly changed Adventureland. They envisioned a building called The Lost Expedition, housing two rides: a roller coaster inspired by the mine-car chase in ‘Temple of Doom,’ and a Jeep-based dark ride showcasing iconic moments from the Indiana Jones films. The plan also included integrating the existing Jungle Cruise. Ultimately, the space intended for The Lost Expedition was used to build Splash Mountain instead.

Indiana Jones Ore Car Attraction

Let’s take a look at the planned “Ore Car Simulator” that was intended for the Lost Expedition area. Although the Indiana Jones-themed land never came to fruition, Disney does have one Indiana Jones ride: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at Disneyland Paris. Notably, it was the first looping roller coaster ever built at a Disney park. (I remember riding it as a teen and it actually got stuck – definitely not a fun experience!)

Indiana Jones Jungle Cruise

The “River Idol” was designed to be a key feature of a revamped Jungle Cruise ride, intended to fit within a larger area themed around Indiana Jones. It strongly resembles a prop from an Indiana Jones film.

The Hauntington Hotel

Long before Orlando’s popular interactive rides like Toy Story Midway Mania and Men in Black Alien Attack, Six Flags was developing a Ghostbusters ride called the Hauntington Hotel. Guests would have driven through a haunted hotel, shooting at targets with proton packs mounted on their vehicles. The ride was fully built and ready to be installed in Texas, according to its designer, but when Six Flags was sold, the project was canceled. The designer jokingly called this cancellation “the greatest tragedy in human history.”

Nostromo

From 1995 to 2003, Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom featured a very intense ride called ExtraTERRORestrial: Alien Encounter. Guests were securely fastened into their seats while a frightening alien creature appeared in the dark and seemed to physically interact with them. Surprisingly, the original concept for the ride was based on the terrifying xenomorph from the movie ‘Alien’ – the one designed by H.R. Giger. Disney initially thought it was okay to bring this kind of horror into a family theme park! Eventually, they realized it was too scary and changed the theme, abandoning the ‘Alien’ connection (and the ride’s original name, ‘Nostromo’) but keeping a similar idea. After nearly a decade of frightening guests – including me! – the ride closed. Today, the space is home to a much gentler attraction featuring Stitch from ‘Lilo & Stitch’.

The James Bond Live-Action Stunt Show

Early plans for Universal Studios Florida featured a spectacular stunt show concept by ‘Star Wars’ artist Ralph McQuarrie. Inspired by James Bond and designed with input from Bond production designer Ken Adam, the show would have taken place under a massive circular roof. Screens around the arena would have displayed Bond’s iconic villains as they seemingly watched his defeat and a nuclear launch. Although this ambitious project was never built, Universal Studios has since hosted successful stunt shows based on popular franchises like ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ ‘The A-Team,’ ‘Miami Vice,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ and ‘Waterworld.’

Mel Brooks’ Hollywood Horror Hotel

The Tower of Terror ride originally wasn’t connected to ‘The Twilight Zone.’ Disney first planned it as a joint project with Mel Brooks, envisioning a combination hotel and attraction called ‘Hotel Mel.’ The idea involved a murder mystery for guests to solve using clues hidden throughout the property. However, Brooks left the project to film ‘Life Stinks’ around the time Disney designers came up with the concept of haunted, free-falling elevators. While the Tower of Terror is a beloved ride, it’s funny to think we almost got a whole hotel themed around Mel Brooks instead!

Batman Island

I was reading about the original plans for Islands of Adventure at Comics101.com, and it’s fascinating! Apparently, before Marvel got its own area, the park was going to be heavily themed around Batman. They were planning a whole section with a Batmobile ride, a Bat-jet attraction, and even a live stunt show with Batman, Robin, and Superman! It’s amazing how things change, though – eventually, Marvel characters like Spider-Man and Hulk took over that space instead.

Batwing: Batman vs the Penguin

Batman Island, a planned area for Islands of Adventure, was originally envisioned to feature a unique roller coaster. Guests would have been able to choose between two different tracks – one themed to Batman and the other to the Penguin – each offering a completely distinct ride experience with special effects and pyrotechnics. A sign for ‘Shreck’s Department Store’ was included in the plans, a nod to Christopher Walken’s character in ‘Batman Returns.’ While this particular ride wasn’t built, the idea of two competing roller coasters was later realized with the Dueling Dragons ride (now Dragon Challenge) in the park’s Harry Potter area.

Dick Tracy’s Crime-Stoppers

Before the 1990 release of Warren Beatty’s ‘Dick Tracy,’ it was predicted to be a blockbuster, and Disney planned a theme park ride where guests would help the detective chase criminals through Chicago in a dark ride setting. Riders would have used tommy guns to shoot at targets during the experience. Though ‘Dick Tracy’ didn’t become a major franchise and the ride was canceled, the vehicle design influenced the Indiana Jones Adventure, and the concept of shooting at targets is still used in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Ride

A ride based on Tim Burton’s 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas was planned where guests would ride in coffin-shaped vehicles, similar to Peter Pan’s Flight, but with a darker, creepier feel. While Disney was interested in the idea, Tim Burton, who had creative control over the characters, didn’t approve and cancelled the project. Instead, each year Disney reimagines the Haunted Mansion attraction as “Haunted Mansion Holiday,” incorporating characters and themes from the film.

Godzilla Bullet Train

As early as the 1970s, Disney considered adding a bullet train ride to the Japan Pavilion at Epcot. The original idea involved guests viewing simulated scenery of the Japanese countryside through windows while riding. A more exciting version even included Godzilla – he would have emerged from the ocean to attack the train as it passed through Tokyo Bay! However, the project never progressed past initial discussions with Toho, the company that owns Godzilla, as Disney ultimately felt a giant monster didn’t fit the calm and natural environment of Epcot.

The Great Muppet Movie Ride

As a lifelong Disney and Muppet fan, I always loved MuppetVision 3D at Hollywood Studios. But did you know it was almost so much more? For years, Disney and Jim Henson were actually planning a full-blown Muppet ride – a hilarious parody of the Great Movie Ride! Imagine the Muppets acting out scenes from classic films – it would have been incredible. Sadly, Jim Henson passed away in 1990, and the deal between Disney and his company fell apart, meaning the ride never happened. Of course, Disney did eventually acquire the Muppets in 2004, so a truly epic Muppet attraction still feels possible someday. I’m still hoping!

Jurassic Park Jeep Safari

Universal’s Islands of Adventure features a Jurassic Park River Adventure ride with animatronic dinosaurs, but it doesn’t closely follow the movie’s plot. Originally, the park planned a more immersive Jeep Safari ride, directly based on the film, where guests would have been taken on a remote-controlled tour through the park, encountering dinosaurs like brontosauruses, the T-Rex, and raptors. However, according to DisneyAndMore.Blogspot.com, park officials decided this concept was too similar to the existing River Adventure ride and cancelled it.

Jurassic Park Jeep Safari

This is a close-up look at one of the Jeeps used on the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride. It has a similar feel to the old 8-person DeLoreans from the ‘Back to the Future’ ride.

Baby Herman’s Runaway Buggy Ride

While Disney created one ride based on ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ – Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – they originally envisioned many more. One planned ride, ‘Baby Herman’s Runaway Buggy Ride,’ would have put guests in the role of Baby Herman’s stunt double, experiencing a dangerous scene in baby carriage-shaped vehicles. To enhance the experience (and sell cute photos!), riders would have even worn baby bonnets. Unfortunately, disagreements between Disney and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment about who controlled the ‘Roger Rabbit’ franchise ultimately stopped this ride – and others – from being built.

Toontown Trolley

Similar to how disagreements over the Baby Herman ride derailed plans, conflicts surrounding the Roger Rabbit character also canceled a planned simulator ride. This ride would have taken guests on a tour of Toontown, the cartoon world from ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’ Originally, all these attractions were intended for a new section of Disneyland called Hollywoodland, but the area was later redesigned and became Mickey’s Toontown. Unfortunately, that meant the Roger Rabbit ride didn’t happen.

Toontown Trolley

This is another concept sketch from the Roger Rabbit trolley ride. It has a really psychedelic look! Kids would have especially enjoyed it, particularly if they were full of energy from sweets.

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2026-01-14 20:59