Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

The entire Galaxy's Edge project, from initial concept to final reveal, spanned over six years. Robert Iger, CEO of Disney, initially revealed the project at the D23 Expo on August 15, 2015. He announced that the company planned to construct a Star Wars-themed area in Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, as well as in Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. These areas, each covering fourteen acres, were declared to be the most expansive single-land additions in the company's history. During The Walt Disney Company's Q1 FY17 Earnings call on February 7, 2017, Iger further announced that the new lands were slated to open in 2019.

According to J. Daniel Jenkins, a former Disney Imagineer involved in Galaxy's Edge's design, an initial idea for the park involved setting it in various locations from Episodes I–VI. This concept evolved into the original planet Batuu after Iger viewed initial footage from The Force Awakens and gained confidence in the potential of the sequel trilogy. Fellow Imagineer Scott Trowbridge explained that "we know those places and we know those stories that happen there and we know that we're not in them. Black Spire Outpost is an opportunity that's designed from the very get go to be a place that invites exploration and discovery. A place that invites us to become a character in the world of Star Wars. And to the extent that we want to, to participate in the stories of Star Wars." At one point, the Imagineers also considered building two entirely different Star Wars lands instead of two of the same concept.

During the "Star Wars and Disney Parks: A Galaxy in the Making" panel at Celebration Orlando, Imagineer Asa Kalama revealed the canonical nature of the project. Promotional material for the book series Flight of the Falcon later confirmed that the setting takes place after the events of The Last Jedi. At its peak, the attraction's development involved as many as 1,100 Disney employees, which decreased to 600 by early 2019.

Leading up to the annual D23 Expo, the Disney Parks Blog presented a logo for the "Walt Disney Parks and Resorts: A Galaxy of Stories" event, scheduled for July 14–16. Attendees were offered a glimpse of the locations, starships, creatures, and droids that would populate the outpost setting for the park. A detailed model of the 14-acre theme park, set to debut in 2019, was unveiled alongside artwork and media showcasing its development. On December 16, 2017, during the parks' Galactic Nights event, Lucasfilm vice president Doug Chiang, along with Imagineers Chris Beatty, Robin Reardon, and Scott Trowbridge, shared additional details about the ride and its development. Construction photos revealed that development had recently "topped out" after the highest construction point was in place. A toy shop was also revealed, with Beatty explaining that the inspiration for its design was from marketplaces in Morocco, and that, fitting with its design inspiration, all the wares are handmade arts and crafts similar to those found in Moroccan marketplaces. In addition, the water fountains would have a unique design. (He later revealed that the overall look of the park was inspired by Petrified Forest National Park.) Much of the production work was handled by the same Pinewood Studios artists who worked on the films.

Chiang also revealed that they were building X-wing models for the theme park and differentiated them from the movie models. Some concept art also showcased the Millennium Falcon portion of the attraction, including an entirely new location composed of overgrowth in a sewer-like area. A set of trading cards were also unveiled to the public, which revealed some new details about the ride, in particular confirming that BB-8 and Kylo Ren would be present in the ride, as well as hinting at a droid character called "R3X" that was later revealed to be RX-24 from the original Star Tours ride. The same cards also had map pieces that revealed some locations on Batuu, in particular the Surabat River Valley, Docking Bay 9, Merchant Row, and Black Spire Station, would be present in the ride and gave some details about the location and a translation key for an Aurebesh poem on the borders of some cards. Some of the props designed for the land were subsequently used in other Star Wars media, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and The Mandalorian,

On January 11, 2018, the Star Wars Launch Bay attraction at Disneyland included a piece of the full model of the upcoming attraction that was unveiled at D23, marking it the second Disney theme park to include part of the scale model, the first being Disney's Hollywood Studios. A short preview video was released on May 22. On May 24, 2019 the Disneyland website and mobile app updated park maps to include, and confirm, the layout of Galaxy's Edge. The Disney Parks Blog revealed new park guide books including the new land.

For Galaxy's Edge, John Williams crafted a five-minute symphonic piece. In preparation, Williams consulted with Disney Imagineers, who presented him with artwork, models, and an animatic. They also provided descriptions of Black Spire Outpost, Smuggler's Run, and Rise of the Resistance. William Ross conducted the piece, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Ross conducted an hour of music in total, which included the full piece, a two-minute version and various bits of music inspired by the piece. The two-minute version was released online in November 2018, while the full track was released in May 2019. At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Williams received the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for the suite.

Galaxy's Edge is situated on Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, a planet located at the edge of the Outer Rim Territories, bordering Wild Space. The setting is placed between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The design aims to create a realistic environment that seamlessly integrates into the park, avoiding obvious ride markers. Visitors encounter three types of cast members: First Order, Resistance, and villagers. Guests can utilize the Star Wars: Datapad app to navigate the area, featuring functions such as "hacking" (interacting with door panels or droids), "scanning" (inspecting cargo), "translation" (decoding Aurebesh signs), "tuning" (listening to secret communications), and "Outpost Control" (a game where visitors choose First Order or Resistance).

The park includes two main attractions: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, which allows guests to pilot the Millennium Falcon, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which immerses guests in a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. The official names for the attractions were announced November 17, 2018 at the Destination D event. The Target-exclusive Blu-ray for Solo: A Star Wars Story features a segment called "The Millennium Falcon: From Page to Park," detailing the development of the Millennium Falcon ride for Galaxy's Edge.

Oga's Cantina is a small dining establishment that serves Star Wars-themed food and beverages. Coca-Cola products are available, featuring special in-universe Aurebesh designs. Various shops within Galaxy's Edge offer in-universe items. In designing these vendors, Disney Imagineers drew inspiration from visits to Istanbul and Morocco, as well as from old concept art found in the Lucasfilm Archives. Visitors have the opportunity to construct their own lightsabers at Savi's Workshop, with options for custom designs or pre-established styles.

Galaxy's Edge garnered extensive media coverage in February 2019, following tours of the Disneyland version for select journalists. During this period, the cast members' costumes were revealed. On April 13, Galaxy's Edge was featured in a panel at Celebration Chicago. Mark Hamill appeared via pre-recorded video to announce a Twitter sweepstakes offering a trip to the attraction.

The land officially opened on May 31, 2019, at Disneyland, preceded by opening ceremonies on May 29. Disney CEO Bob Iger was joined by George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Billy Dee Williams, with Ford dedicating Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run to the late Peter Mayhew. Initial attendance was lower than anticipated, which Iger attributed to increased ticket and hotel prices, concerns about overcrowding, and the fact that Rise of the Resistance was not yet open. Senior EVP and CFO Christine McCarthy also noted reduced attendance among passholders due to crowd control policies. Several Galaxy's Edge-themed panels were presented at Disney's D23 Expo on August 23. The land opened on August 29, 2019, at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, with an opening ceremony held the day before.

From September 24 to 30, a variety of Galaxy's Edge tie-ins were broadcast on Disney's TV channels, including ABC, Freeform, Disney Channel, and ESPN. This included the two-hour special Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge – Adventure Awaits on September 29. On November 28, ABC's Magical Holiday Celebration featured Portugal. The Man performing at Galaxy's Edge, marking the first musical performance at the land. The land was subsequently featured in episodes of Disney+'s The Imagineering Story and One Day At Disney.

Rise of the Resistance opened on December 5, 2019, at Walt Disney World, accompanied by another press tour. It opened on January 17, 2020, at Disneyland. A smaller version of Galaxy's Edge is also planned to open sometime after 2021 at Walt Disney Studios Park within Disneyland Paris Resort. However, as of August 2022, this is now uncertain following the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 27, 2022, it was announced that characters from various timelines, such as Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, would also appear. Characters from different stories and timelines won't intersect with other characters or stories that would not be appropriate for them in their given timeline.

On July 27, 2022, the Batuu Bounty Hunters game was launched at Walt Disney World. Using the newly introduced MagicBand+ and the Datapad app, guests take jobs locating bounties for the Bounty Hunters' Guild and Batuu's guildmaster Raga Bua.

In April 2019, Lucasfilm initiated a Galaxy's Edge publishing campaign, which included a Marvel comic series and the novels Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire, A Crash of Fate, and Myths & Fables. Galaxy's Edge has been showcased in three episodes of Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures: "Millennium Falcon - Smugglers Run," "Black Spire Outpost," "Rise of the Resistance." A Galaxy's Edge-themed content pack was released for The Sims in September 2020. The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge was released in Spring 2021. A Hasbro toy line was produced. A LEGO set of the Intersystem Transport Ship was also released; A special code will allow you to use the ship in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

Initially, specific merchandise was intended for exclusive sale within Galaxy's Edge. However, due to decreased attendance resulting from park closures and travel limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney parks began offering Galaxy's Edge merchandise outside of the land itself. A range of merchandise became available at Target stores starting on August 30, 2020. That September, merchandise also became available at Disneyland's WonderGround Gallery and at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Emporium, as well as online and internationally via shopDisney.com.