There, crouched along one of the walls of the fictional town of Black Spire Outpost, was an actor playing the role of Rey, the hero of the most recent trilogy of \u201cStar Wars\u201d films. Behind her was a crowd of more than a dozen, many of them young children. Rey turned to tell them to be quiet. They followed her as she shuffled along the walls, decoratively designed to look decades old and scarred with blaster fire and cracks. <\/p>\n
They turned a bend and came upon two Stormtroopers, who jumped in surprise, and signaled that Rey was the person they were after. That\u2019s when Rey held out her hand, palm up, to the troopers. She instructed those with her to do the same and to repeat after her. She and the crowd, now quickly growing, were collectively using the Force. <\/p>\n
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The \u201cStar Wars\u201d character of Rey leads guests in using the Force at Disneyland in the summer of 2019.<\/p>\n
(Todd Martens \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
The Stromtroopers turned, muttered that there was nothing to see here, and walked away. Rey faced her audience and begin hugging and shaking hands with those closest to her. This is when I welled up. <\/p>\n
The promise of Galaxy\u2019s Edge was tremendous. Audiences were invited to pretend, to become a hero or perhaps a rogue in a land designed to facilitate interactivity, and most importantly play. That a crowd was able to become a little silly, be a bit vulnerable and share a collective moment with a gaggle of strangers reinforced to me the importance of theme parks as communal spaces, ones that can get us out of our head, our struggles and our stressors.<\/p>\n
As of last week, Galaxy\u2019s Edge forever changed<\/a>. I still love the land, and believe it one of the triumphs of Walt Disney Imagineering. But I mourn what it once was and never came to be. <\/p>\n A change in the Force Leia and Han are now meeting with guests at Disneyland\u2019s Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge in an effort to infuse more classic characters into the land. <\/p>\n (Christian Thompson \/ Disneyland Resort)<\/p>\n Galaxy\u2019s Edge has shifted its timeline. Out is Kylo Ren, and in is Darth Vader. Also new to Galaxy\u2019s Edge are Han and Leia. Luke is there, too, returning after a limited run last year. The arrival of the so-called \u201cclassic\u201d \u201cStar Wars\u201d characters will in fact breathe new life into Galaxy\u2019s Edge. Already, they are pleasing crowds, as the Disneyland faithful last week cheered Vader\u2019s entrance, heard now to a score of John Williams\u2019 ominous \u201cImperial March.\u201d <\/p>\n Rey still makes appearances, but when she does she is stationed near showcase attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Ahsoka Tano, as well as the Mandalorian and Grogu, are among the other characters who will meet with guests in various spots throughout the area. <\/p>\n Galaxy\u2019s Edge will now become what it was never built to be: a hodgepodge of \u201cStar Wars\u201d characters and nods to past works rather than undiscovered tales. While many saw the absence of the most recognizable \u201cStar Wars\u201d figures as a flaw, it was part of its intended design. For the land\u2019s creators, it was a tradeoff they were willing to make, a bet guests would be active archetypal \u201cStar Wars\u201d tourists rather than spectative consumers. It was a grand theme park experiment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was not an immediately intuitive decision,\u201d Scott Trowbridge, the key Imagineer behind the land\u2019s ideals, told me in 2022 when asked about the choice to set the land in the timeline of the most recent \u201cStar Wars\u201d films. <\/p>\n Said Trowbridge: \u201cLuke\u2019s story, or Leia\u2019s story, that we saw 10, 20, 40 years ago, we know those stories. We love those stories. But there\u2019s not room for us in that world. We wanted to make sure we were leaving room for you and your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n When Galaxy\u2019s Edge opened, we heard the roar of spaceships and musings of war. Traditional theme park trappings \u2014 character meet-and-greets, passive rides and musical scores \u2014 weren\u2019t found. It was instead designed as an invitation, a new, unknown location filled with lesser-known characters like rebel spy Vi Moradi, meant to serve as a living playset for guests to create their own tales. I saw this happen, too. Once, when strolling the land with my former partner, she turned to me and lightly punched me in the arm, saying, \u201cWhat\u2019s a respectable guy like you doing with a scoundrel like me?\u201d That was the moment I knew I would fall in love with her, and it was facilitated by Galaxy\u2019s Edge. <\/p>\n A failed dream The centerpiece of Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge is the Millennium Falcon.<\/p>\n (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n If I\u2019m being honest, I am aware that Galaxy\u2019s Edge seldom lived up to this promise. Imagineers teased many characters \u2014 a bounty hunter, for instance, who would hang in the cantina \u2014 who never appeared. In order to play, we need people to play with, and this playland often felt empty. Droids, for instance, would show up, but often only for a limited time. Teased features, such as Bluetooth technology that would allow the land to track a guest\u2019s reputation, courtesy of missions they completed in the Play Disney Parks mobile app, never reached their fruition. That game itself<\/a>, which is still available, thus lacks any meaningful payoff. <\/p>\n Galaxy\u2019s Edge was a theme park risk<\/a>, asking how deeply guests would want to engage in physical spaces. But it came with challenges, namely that as these lands grow, the level of activity needed to maintain the illusion increases. A promised dinner theater was never built, and a stage for a special effects-laden stunt show has largely sat barren. Disney also relied not on actors but its retail staff \u2014 cast members, in park parlance \u2014 to do the heavy lifting when it came to performing. <\/p>\n I wrote in 2019 that Galaxy\u2019s Edge may, in fact, be too ambitious for the Walt Disney Co<\/a>. I\u2019m bummed that I was right. <\/p>\n Many on social media are musing that Disney is now fixing Galaxy\u2019s Edge. Let\u2019s be clear, Galaxy\u2019s Edge was never broken. It just needed Disney to be a better steward and to fully support the ambitions of its Imagineers. <\/p>\n Last week at Disneyland, when Darth Vader walked on a Galaxy\u2019s Edge stage through a smattering of smoke, the crowd erupted as if at a sporting event. It was fun, and clearly something some fans had been craving. <\/p>\n So bring on Darth Vader and the rousing music of Williams, I reluctantly say. Disney should do what it does well, and that is to create memorable character experiences. Operationally, the park had abandoned the initial goals of Galaxy\u2019s Edge long ago, and the presence of Han, Luke and Leia will excite guests and at last give attendees more characters to interact with. It will be a busy, bustling place, and that I do applaud. <\/p>\n The week in SoCal theme parks Changes have been reported at Roger Rabbit\u2019s Car Toon Spin.<\/p>\n (Christian Thompson \/ Disneyland Resort)<\/p>\n You can now get a \u201cStar Wars\u201d ID card in Downtown Disney. Located inside the Star Wars Trading Post shop is a plastic ID-making machine (similar to the fake driver\u2019s license one can get in the queue for Autopia) that will take your photo and allow you to pick a role in the \u201cStar Wars\u201d universe (bounty hunter, fighter pilot, etc.). It looks neat. I want one, even though I don\u2019t know what I would do with it, but so far, lines have averaged 90 minutes to two hours or more. A scallop appetizer at Carthay Circle. Go easy on me, I\u2019m not a food photographer. <\/p>\n (Todd Martens \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n No churros or treats for me this week. I hadn\u2019t had a chance yet to check out the spring menu at the lounge at Carthay Circle, Disney California Adventure\u2019s fine dining restaurant, so I made my way there Friday afternoon. Carthay Circle is always a welcome respite, a calming, relaxing environment where the theme park day tends to slow down.<\/p>\n I was after the scallops appetizer. Now, priced at $16, I knew this wouldn\u2019t be a large portion, but I was longing for something light and breezy and this plate of six small scallops in a sea shell delivered. Drizzled with macadamia nuts, the citrus-forward dish is designed to bring out contrasts in texture. Overall, it\u2019s a little zesty, a little nutty, and as a seafood person I\u2019m happy an affordable, delicate dish exists at the resort. If you\u2019re really hungry, though, you\u2019ll need a second item. <\/p>\n Ride report Space Mountain has begun its yearly, temporary overlay as Hyperspace Mountain. <\/p>\n (Todd Martens \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n It\u2019s \u201cStar Wars\u201d season at the Disneyland Resort, which means Space Mountain has been remade into Hyperspace Mountain. Now, generally speaking, this is my rule when it comes to ride overlays: The original is almost always better. That\u2019s the case for Space Mountain as well, as the 1977 classic still thrills, its near pitch-blackness keeping you guessing while its uplifting score seems to capture the exhilaration and optimism of space flight. <\/p>\n But Hyperspace Mountain has its charms. The projections of lasers and X-wings look great in the darkness, and the sudden dips and turns work well for the dogfight atmosphere. The John Williams score brings the energy, and there\u2019s the right amount of chaos and shifts in direction to make us feel as if we\u2019re in a \u201cStar Wars\u201d battle. I\u2019m just relieved, however, it doesn\u2019t stick around too long, as the original is such a magnificent coaster.<\/a> <\/p>\n Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.<\/p>\n Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com<\/a>. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter. <\/p>\n Ride on, <\/p>\n Todd Martens<\/p>\n P.S.<\/p>\n![\"Actors](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778008991_430_.jpeg\")
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Roger Rabbit\u2019s Car Toon Spin has lost its spin. Disneyland removed the ability for guests to twist and turn their cars, an operational-driven-tweak, as the ride now allows for lap seating for younger guests and will allow for more to experience the attraction<\/a>. While I can see how some may miss the spinning feature, I often tried to keep the car steady to soak up the environment, so my initial reaction leans positive, especially if it improves a family\u2019s Disneyland day.
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first \u201cHarry Potter\u201d film in an all-encompassing environment. Inglewood\u2019s Cosm isn\u2019t a theme park, but its dome-like screen offers a theme park-like experience (think the golden days of Circle-Vision). Opening Thursday <\/a>is a re-imagined \u201cHarry Potter and the Sorcerer\u2019s Stone\u201d with newly added environmental effects. The core film remains untouched, but the screen surrounding you aims to come alive with enchanting movement.
Magic Bands will soon disappear from Disneyland shelves. Disney reporter Scott Gustin, a friend of Mr. Todd\u2019s Wild Ride, recently noted that Disneyland will not be replenishing its stock <\/a>of the Magic Band+ once it sells through the remaining inventory. Those who have them (hand raised) needn\u2019t worry, according to Disneyland officials, as Magic Band+ functionality, including the game Batuu Bounty Hunters<\/a> in Galaxy\u2019s Edge, won\u2019t cease. But Magic Band+ has limited use cases at Disneyland, and never quite caught on here in the same way the wristbands have at Walt Disney World.
Happy birthday to the Great American Revolution. Magic Mountain\u2019s classic coaster turns 50 this week, having opened on May 8, 1976. As part of the anniversary festivities, the park has restored its original name of the Great American Revolution (it was recently operating as the New Revolution). The ride is known for being the first modern looping coaster<\/a> with a tubular steel track, earning it landmark status<\/a> from American Coaster Enthusiasts.The best thing I ate at the parks ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778008992_820_.jpeg\")
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