{"id":766460,"date":"2026-05-01T18:26:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/766460\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T18:26:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:26:34","slug":"heres-one-change-we-didnt-see-coming-at-star-wars-galaxy-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/766460\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s One Change We Didn\u2019t See Coming at ‘Star Wars: Galaxy Edge’"},"content":{"rendered":"

We understand the use of John Williams\u2019 music. We understand Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader<\/a>. We even understand the updated ride. But this one small change<\/a> to Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge feels somehow antithetical to all of that, and it\u2019s kind of a bummer.<\/p>\n

This week, the Star Wars-themed section of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, traveled back in time<\/a>. Originally envisioned as an in-world experience set between<\/a> The Last Jedi and Rise of the Resistance, the park shifted its timeline on one side to encompass the original trilogy. That means, instead of Kylo Ren and Vi Moradi, there\u2019s Darth Vader. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia. And music meant to make you feel like you\u2019re on the planet Batuu changed to music meant to feel like you\u2019re in Star Wars.<\/p>\n

To some, it\u2019s controversial, but you can get why Disney did it<\/a>. It\u2019s an easier-to-understand experience. Photos of the new additions have been flooding social media over the last few days, and one in particular caught our eye. The third image below, to be specific.<\/p>\n

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A look at Dok Ondar\u2019s in Galaxy\u2019s Edge West as of today. Nearly all of the sequel trilogy merchandise has been switched out, but Kylo Ren\u2019s lightsaber remains available. In a change from when the land opened, some items say \u201cStar Wars\u201d or have show titles printed on them. pic.twitter.com\/Wn7Te5xqvV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Raider Lost in the Parks (@TustinRaider) April 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In that image, you see some new water bottles, Mandalorian clothing, and then several shelves of Funko Pops.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Funko Pops have decimated<\/a> Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge.<\/p>\n

Why is this a big deal? Well, to be honest, it\u2019s not really. It\u2019s just that when Galaxy\u2019s Edge opened<\/a>, one of the coolest things about it was that none of the merchandise said \u201cStar Wars\u201d on it. You were supposed to be inside Star Wars. Why would you buy something that said \u201cStar Wars\u201d if you were inside it? Dolls of characters like Rey or Darth Vader were there because they are famous, mythical people in that world. You built a droid because we all need droids to help with our lives. It was a bold swing but incredibly immersive.<\/p>\n

Dok-Ondar\u2019s Den of Antiquities<\/a>, the store in the above images, was the apex of all of that. It was a store designed to only sell items that an in-universe character, Dok-Ondar, had collected throughout the years. This is where you could buy a lightsaber hilt inspired by your favorite heroes. A Holocron or kyber crystal to unlock the mysteries of the galaxy.<\/a> It was total Star Wars heaven.<\/p>\n

In recent years, even before this timeline shift, those guardrails had begun to come off. Star Wars toys with the words \u201cStar Wars\u201d on them had been selling in the stores of Galaxy\u2019s Edge. Heck. If we\u2019re being honest, there may have already been Funko Pops in there, too. We\u2019re not 100% sure. But seeing Funko Pops in Dok-Ondar\u2019s this week, right after the change, feels like the ultimate rejection of those original ideas.<\/p>\n

Shifting the timeline is one thing. Playing the music from the movie is another. But bringing in merchandise that has become synonymous with the uber-commercialization of pop culture is something else. It\u2019s just a huge disappointment.<\/p>\n

Will seeing Funko Pops matter to 99% of the people who enter Dok-Ondar\u2019s? Of course not. It may not matter to you either. But if you\u2019re someone, like us, who was and continues to be smitten with the fact that this bold, exciting Star Wars theme park area exists, it\u2019s just one of those unfortunate changes that makes the ongoing homogenization of the park all too clear.<\/p>\n

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Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel<\/a>, Star Wars<\/a>, and Star Trek<\/a> releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV<\/a>, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n