Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will expand the Star Wars universe through immersive theming, brand new attractions and unique food and merchandise. The story will also be told and carried throughout the land by Disney’s cast members while they perform their actual responsibilities.
New information from Disney has revealed that each cast member will be encouraged to take on a unique identity and story, reacting to what’s happening in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That’s in addition to their ability to mix-and-match their costumes to create a unique identity.
“Each park worker, or “cast member” in Disney parlance, will also be playing a character as they go about their jobs. They may be serving up sandwiches at the Ronto Roaster, guiding you onto rides, or cleaning up the grounds, but they’re also being trained in improvisation and role-play.”
Entertainment Weekly
Disney has stated that each cast member will be expected to know about their “daily lives” inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. They’ll be expected to know who they are working for, what they’re doing and what they’re selling in the context of the land.
Cast members will also be asked to react to what’s taking place in the land in terms of the narrative, such as the arrival of the First Order.
Margaret Kerrison, managing story editor with Walt Disney Imagineering, spoke about how cast members might react.
“There’s a lot of gossiping, there’s a lot of whispers and rumors about what’s going on. There might be cast members who are Resistance sympathizers helping them out. There might be some cast members who are First Order loyalists who are like, ‘Finally! Order! My gosh, someone’s going to do something about this place, right?’”
Margaret Kerrison via Entertainment Weekly
At the same time, Disney also realizes that some its cast members might carry the “superfan” label and will need to follow guidelines about what they can and can not say. You can’t have cast members saying they’re directly related to Rey or Kylo Ren.
Disney cast members are often the unsung heroes of vacations to Walt Disney World. They are a big part of what makes trips so memorable and magical. Here, it sounds like they’ll be allowed to play a large role in the story of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which should be a lot of fun.
