4. Aliens!

This is one of the bigger oversights that still hasn’t been addressed with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Where are all the aliens?

Dok Ondar and Hondo Ohnaka give us two pretty cool animatronics to ogle, but it seems a little silly that Chewbacca appears to be the only humanoid alien anywhere to be found in the Black Spire Outpost. It just doesn’t match the crazy diversity fans have come to expect in Star Wars. Once again, Disney did take this into account for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, where Halcyon guests interact with an impressive variety of aliens from the Star Wars universe like Twi’leks, Togruta, and Rodians.

Once again, there remains a distinct feeling that Disney continues to keep their best ideas hidden behind a paywall. Inserting a few more aliens into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as either wandering characters or new animatronics is a no-brainer to enrich guest experience and give the land more texture.

5. Factions (that actually affect your visit)

This ties closely to the “quest” idea we mentioned—whatever happened to the factions system Disney pitched for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?

As mentioned, one of the original concepts for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was that your actions within the land could affect your visit. Trashing the Millennium Falcon on your smuggling run could earn you a bounty on your head that might be mentioned by cast members in places like Oga’s Cantina. Doing too many missions for the Resistance in Star Wars Datapad could result in humorously tense interactions with First Order loyalists.

Disney is starting to lean into this idea again, but once more, it’s been tucked behind a paywall—mostly as an exclusive experience for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser guests. Another version of this might appear as part of the bounty hunting missions for MagicBand+ users, but again, a paywall is involved

In truth, the possibility of ongoing experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge affecting your visit and interactions with cast members was one of the coolest ideas for the land. We really want to see Disney continue to develop this in a manner that can create fresh, exciting “pixie dust” encounters for guests, adding great value to repeat visits to the land.

6. Vibrant original stories

This is a theme that continues to echo across Disney parks—vibrant storytelling is essential to the magic, and Disney needs to return to prioritizing it in a way that remains accessible to all guests.

One of the best things about Disney’s original concept for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was a strong focus on telling new stories within the context of a specific day in the Star Wars universe. The goal was that through interacting with attractions, characters, and cast members, guests could have a different experience every visit purely because new layers are always being added to the story.

Many guests (particularly among our readers) have expressed frustration that it feels like accountants are making all the major creative decisions for Disney parks right now. The previous emphasis on pushing established intellectual properties that can be easily marketed has increased in intensity, and it seems like the vast majority of fresh innovations for the parks are either being watered down or tucked behind paywalls and upcharges.

With Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Disney has taken immersive storytelling to new heights. One of the top things guests have raved about is the depth of story, particularly in interactions with individual cast members. The more layers you peel back, the more you are drawn in as you learn about each character’s motivations, intrigues, and how you can become a part of their tale. This is Disney at their best.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has proven it can be done, but the same rich storytelling needs to be carried over into the parks. Without it, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge only has so much repeat visitation value, and the vibrant tapestry that Imagineers originally designed frays to a thin façade. I understand budgets play a role in running theme parks, but Disney needs a return to bolstering the value and magic for general admission guests--not just those who have the means to pay for luxury experiences and upcharges. Let Imagineers and cast members have the freedom to tell great stories again and enrich the in-park experience by encouraging these sorts of magical interactions between cast members and guests

Oh, and on a final side note, if Disney wants to bring characters in from other eras in Star Wars history (we’re looking at you, Boba and Fennec Shand), there is totally a way to make that happen using innovative storytelling. Keep reading to check out our deep dive into how one of the strangest twists in the Star Wars Saga could be utilized to solve this problem in an unusual way…

What other concepts from Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser do you want to see carried over into the parks? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook! Thanks for reading!