On May 31, 2019, Star Wars stopped being something fans only watched, read, played, or argued about online. It became a place you could physically walk into. That was the day Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland Resort in California, inviting visitors to step onto Batuu, a new planet built specifically for the theme park experience. StarWars.com confirmed the May 31 opening date, with the Walt Disney World version following later that same year. Seven years later, Galaxy’s Edge still feels like one of the boldest Star Wars experiments ever made. Not quite a movie. Not quite a game. Not quite a museum. More like a playable piece of the galaxy. Batuu Was a Smart Choice The clever thing about Galaxy’s Edge was that it did not simply rebuild Tatooine, Hoth, or Coruscant. Disney and Lucasfilm created Batuu instead, a new frontier world that felt familiar without being trapped…
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
Disney Just Turned Smugglers Run Into a Mando and Grogu Ride
The Millennium Falcon just got a new job, and naturally, Grogu is involved. A new Mandalorian and Grogu mission has officially arrived for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, launching at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort alongside The Mandalorian and Grogu hitting theaters. That timing is not exactly subtle. But honestly, neither is putting Din Djarin, Grogu, Hondo Ohnaka, multiple planets, branching destinations, and the Millennium Falcon into the same attraction update. This is Star Wars synergy with the hyperdrive fully repaired. The Falcon Has a New Mission The updated Smugglers Run mission sends crews after ex-Imperial officers, with Hondo Ohnaka once again turning your vacation into unpaid space labor. The adventure begins on Tatooine, because apparently every Star Wars mission is legally required to touch sand at some point. From there, the ride can branch toward several major locations, including Bespin, Coruscant, and…
Disney Is Turning Galaxy’s Edge Comics Into Limited-Edition Collectibles
Disney is giving Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge one of the most dangerous things in collecting: a limited-edition comic set with figures, coins, and a very obvious “this will probably sell out” energy. As part of its Star Wars Day merchandise push, Disney is releasing five all-new limited-edition Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge comic sets through Disney Store and the Disney Parks. Each set includes a full-size comic book, a sculpted collectible coin, and a Star Wars action figure, with an edition size of 5,500 each. The sets launch May 4, 2026, at 8 a.m. PT on DisneyStore.com and will also be available at Disney Parks. Batuu Gets the Collector Treatment The sets are built around characters tied to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including names like Chewbacca, DJ R-3X, Dok-Ondar, and more. Disney’s official merchandise preview frames the release as part of the wider May the 4th wave, which means these are…
Josh D’Amaro Named New CEO of Disney — What His Star Wars History Tells Us
Disney leadership just shifted in a major way. Josh D’Amaro has officially been named the new CEO of The Walt Disney Company, with his tenure set to begin on March 18. While this is corporate news on the surface, D’Amaro’s background makes this especially interesting for Star Wars fans — because his fingerprints are already all over some of the franchise’s most ambitious real-world experiences. From Parks Chief to Disney CEO Before stepping into the top role, D’Amaro served as Chairman of Disney Experiences, overseeing parks, resorts, cruise lines, and consumer products. Under his leadership, Disney leaned heavily into immersive, tech-forward environments rather than just traditional attractions. That approach had a direct impact on how Star Wars moved from screen to physical space. His Biggest Star Wars Contributions Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World D’Amaro helped lead development on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the massive Star Wars lands…
How Unreal Engine Is Changing Star Wars, Theme Parks, and the Future of Movies
Lightsabers? Old news. Space battles? Expected. What’s truly transforming the Star Wars galaxy today isn’t some Force power—it’s Unreal Engine. Yep, the same tech that powers Fortnite, Jedi Survivor, and a thousand modded saber duels is now the backbone of Disney’s real-world Star Wars experiences—and it’s quietly rewriting the rules of filmmaking and theme park design while it’s at it. Forget green screens and foam backdrops. We’re entering a new era where real-time rendering, interactive environments, and video game engines are powering the galaxy far, far away—in ways that’ll blow the thermal exhaust port off your expectations. The Rise of Virtual Production: From Game Engine to Movie Magic Unreal Engine, developed by Epic Games, isn’t just for gamers anymore. In recent years, it’s become the Hollywood go-to for virtual production, most famously through ILM’s StageCraft system—aka “The Volume.” If that rings a bell, it’s because that’s what brought the environments…