Disney makes surprise ‘Star Wars’ Parks change | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

These are the droids you’re looking for. With dynamic pricing already in the works, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) has big changes for Disneyland’s “Star Wars” zone coming down the pike. For my money, “Star Wars” fans will be pleased with this crowd-pleasing pivot (although one costuming choice is raising eyebrows).

Ahead of summer 2026, Disneyland’s “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” will undergo a makeover, “expanding its timeline” to include characters and locations from the iconic original trilogy, according to the official Disney Parks Blog.

Until now, the “Star Wars” zone (“Galaxy’s Edge”) had been solely set in the recently released sequel trilogy, which began with Episode VII, “The Force Awakens.” Here’s the broad strokes of what “Star Wars” heads can expect, according to Disney’s press release earlier this week.

“Beginning April 29, 2026, ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’at Disneyland park will expand its timeline to include more ‘Star Wars’eras,” Disney announced this Wednesday, Jan. 14. “Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker will arrive… [and] musical selections from John Williams’ ‘Star Wars’film scores will be played throughout the land.“

Wait a minute, this kind of sounds like — exactly what fans have been clamoring for? The details appear below, along with an explanation of why this works for a Lucasfilm in flux, following the bombshell Jan. 15 exit of the movie production company’s President Kathleen Kennedy, reported by The New York Times.

Disneyland to add “Star Wars” original trilogy to “Galaxy’s Edge” zone

Disney parks are not only iconic, but also a unique cornerstone of Disney’s overall business, sturdy enough to be leaned on in times of turmoil.

Wells Fargo (WFC) was extremely bullish on the Experiences Unit (Parks, Cruises) per its recent report, calling Experiences the top source of upside for Disney in the medium term and predicting that it will provide 55% of operating income by FY2027.

This newly announced retooling will be another iteration of this during a time of “Star Wars” upheaval. Hopefully, it will be one that actually resonates with fans, rather than thinning their wallets with dynamic pricing (read more in my full coverage for TheStreet).

As I outlined, the meat of the changes will be the arrival of the classic, more recognizable characters to “Galaxy’s Edge” (the name of the zone), as part of a new chapter in the story of Blackrock Spire on Baatu (the in-universe location of the “Galaxy’s Edge” zone).

Don’t worry, I was confused, too, but I got us.

Disneyland is adding characters to the “Galaxy’s Edge” zone, aka Baatu.

Gritchen/Orange County Register/SCNG via Getty Images

“The original Galaxy’s Edge timeline placed Batuu during the era of the Resistance and the First Order, between ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ [Ep. 8]and ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ [Ep. 9],” Star Wars/Lucasfilm’s official announcement explained.

“The new timeline will roll back several decades, expanding to span the events of ‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’ [Ep. 6]and ‘The Mandalorian.‘”

Let me translate. Essentially, they are tacking on events from before the current Galaxy’s Edge timeline so they can include the original trilogy’s classic characters, with the bonus of this time period allowing them to bring in “The Mandalorian” IP, such as the viral “baby Yoda,” aka Grogu.

Also, they’ll be weaving in John Williams’ brilliant orchestral score throughout the park — how this wasn’t there already, both The LA Times and I do not fully understand.

The addition of Williams’ score, from the infamous “Cantina Song” to the more emotionally resonant pieces, should be a game-changer for the atmosphere for fanatics and casual fans alike.

“It is so unbelievably emotional and impactful to be standing in front of the Falcon or next to Savi’s and hear ‘The Force’ theme gently playing in the background,” Asa Kalama, VP for Creative and Interactive Experiences at Disney, added. “It totally transforms your emotional response to the land.”

Only one aspect of this change of course has been (so far) hotly debated by the fandom.

Disney “Galaxy’s Edge” Leia costume controversy

After doing a little digging, I was able to determine that what seemed like it might be a major sticking point for fans is actually a non-issue, as an Inside the Magic article suggests.

Basically, the Leia character that will roam the new and improved Galaxy’s Edge won’t be wearing her trademark white robes from Ep. 4 “Star Wars: A New Hope,” instead opting for a more “battle-ready” and “practical” outfit, according to a Disney Star Wars post.

Big-freakin-whoop, I know, but irrational fans are going to irrational fan. “Your average park attendee will not know that’s Princess Leia,” said one critic on X, per Inside the Magic.

It’s a semi-fair, if disingenuous, point. While it’s true that “Star Wars” casuals might recognize her more easily in her whites, her signature braids and planned interactions with Luke will be a dead giveaway. Let’s go to the source to dismantle this non-story.

“This is Leia’s adventure look,” explained Lucasfilm Senior Creative Executive Matt Martin in the Disney Star Wars post. “It’s inspired by some comic book appearances from this era, as well as the look that she had in Star Wars Battlefront II, the video game. But this is really the first time we get to see it physically created on a person.”

First off, there’s nothing wrong with a Leia inspired by the extended universe. Second, as we previously learned, the new Galaxy’s Edge update is set around the “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” well past her white-robe days. Third, chill out.

We’re moving on.

Lucasfilm after Kathleen Kennedy

To explain why this renovation is coming, as well as why it is coming now, it’s worth unpacking the significance of Disney’s next-most-recent Parks change: dynamic pricing, which is coming to U.S. Disney parks.

We care because Josh D’Amaro, who leads Disney’s uber-successful Experiences Unit (Parks, Cruises & more), spearheaded the innovation. D’Amaro has had outsized success with Experiences, so much so that he is rumored to be the likely successor to Bob Iger as CEO.

The only interesting recent wrinkle to this almost-public-knowledge succession plan is the scuttlebutt, reported on Disney Tourist Blog, that Disney and Iger may pair D’Amaro with Co-CEO Dana Walden, a talent specialist to complement D’Amaro’s Experiences experience (that wording was purposeful).

Iger has heavily hinted that he will step down in 2026, per Giant Freakin Robot. Then The New York Times reported that Kathleen Kennedy stepped down, satisfying the long-running rumor mill.

As I predicted in my latest coverage, Dave Filoni, the “Ahsoka” and “Bad Batch” creator (and Mandalorian-verse Favreau collaborator), will step up as President of Lucasfilm, in a long-awaited move.

My conclusion, and the reason I am telling you all this: There will be more D’Amaro Parks tweaks under his forthcoming reign at Disney. D’Amaro will use these kinds of changes to bolster and secure the Mouse House during years when its film and television products are under pressure.

Case in point — 2026 has already been widely discussed as a make-or-break year for Disney in movie theaters, most prominently in Disney’s Q4 Earnings Report (full analysis on TheStreet here).

Films-in-theaters-wise, the future of Disney may rest primarily on “Spider Man: Brand New Day” and “Avengers: Doomsday” in 2026, but Lucasfilm will be in desperate need of a hit once it’s past April’s “The Mandalorian & Grogu.”

Filoni has the resume to deliver, but Parks changes (or “innovations”) may help buy him time by keeping Disney in the black. So get ready: This fandom-pleasing change to “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” as well as looming dynamic pricing, may be just the beginning.