Rise of the Resistance just opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and we’re already talking about what’s next for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Disney is reportedly planning to monitor the reaction to both the Rise of the Resistance attraction and the film The Rise of Skywalker before making any expansion decisions for the land.
While this report seems a bit obvious (why wouldn’t Disney evaluate their offerings before investing into something new?), it shows a more conservative approach by Disney for what should be their marquee land. The idea of expansion used to seem like a guarantee, but it became less certain after Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened to mixed reviews and The Last Jedi divided fans.
What kind of expansion plans could be approved should Rise of the Resistance and The Rise of Skywalker score big?
We’ve previously talked about the rumored table-service restaurant that was removed from the original plans for the land. This seems like the clear favorite for a next phase of expansion as the space is already available for a new building and it’d be the project with the fewest overall hurdles. It also has a very tangible return on investment.
There were also original plans for a third attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a ride that was reportedly a take on the PeopleMover involving giant Bantha animatronic vehicles, but that was cut fairly early in the development process.
So far, Rise of the Resistance is a hit despite the unavoidable growing pains that come when a new attraction opens. Guests are already calling it one of the best attractions Disney has ever created and one of the best in the entire theme park industry. Meanwhile, The Rise of Skywalker is a larger question mark that will be answered in the coming weeks.
We believe some form of expansion will inevitably come to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The table-service restaurant looks like more of a “when” rather than an “if” when talking about future plans. A third attraction is the much larger proposal that could hinge on upcoming successes in the Star Wars universe.
