Considering how important Star Wars has become to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, it might be somewhat shocking to learn that a Star Wars themed attraction is on its way out at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but that's exactly what is happening. No, nothing from Galaxy's Edge is being replaced, we're decades early for that. Instead, the Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away stage show, which has been at the park since 2016, will see its final performance this weekend. While some might be sad to see the show say goodbye, it's far from surprising that the show is on its way out.
The stage for Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away was rolled out in the middle of the park in front of the Chinese Theater and consisted of a combination of live action performers dressed as characters from the original and sequel trilogies, and large screens which played out scenes from the movies. It was a fun place to see a live-action Chewbacca, Rey, Darth Vader, and more, but the show's location as well as its theme are such that the show simply isn't necessary anymore, which may be why Orlando's News 13 reports the show is on the way out..
Galaxy's Edge Is Finished
From the moment that Disney bought Lucasfilm we knew that Star Wars would become a significant part of the park, and yet projects like Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge take years to design and then years more to build. This meant that other attractions had to be created that could be done much faster. At Disney's Hollywood Studios. this meant creating the Star Wars Launch bay, where themed merchandise and photo ops could be had, as well as the stage show. However, the locations of both were far from each other, and both were also out of sight of the previously existing Star Wars attraction, Star Tours.
With the completion of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Star Wars now has a real home at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and it's not a random stage in the middle of the park. While there's no equivalent stage show in the new land, characters like Rey and Chewbacca, who were part of the show, can be found there. And ultimately, if the goal of the show is to give you a Star Wars experience, there's really no better way to do that than with Galaxy's Edge itself.
And now with Rise of the Resistance open and Galaxy's Edge finished, at least for now, it's time to start training guests to go there to get their Star Wars fix.
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway Is Almost Open
The other major reason it was time for the show to end was its location. Being located in front of the Chinese Theater hasn't been an issue for the last couple of years because The Great Movie Ride attraction has been closed, and even when it was open, it wasn't exactly considered an E-ticket (which is not to say people weren't sad to see it go). However, on March 4, its replacement, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, will be opening in the space, and a new attraction always brings the crowds. The stage show being right in front of a massive line is only going to add to congestion in that space.
At least in the short term we can expect the space in front of the Chinese Theater to be crowded with guests on its own, depending on how crowded it gets, running the show could have become difficult simply due to a lack of space.
It's honestly more than a little surprising that Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away lasted as long as it did. It always felt like something of a placeholder attraction. With it sitting right outside the Chinese Theater pedestrian traffic was always something of an issue whenever the show happened, and that's never a good thing. A free flow of guests from one point to another makes everybody happy and anybody who wasn't stopped to watch the show was likely annoyed by those who were.
What's Next For Star Wars At Disney's Hollywood Studios?
It does make one wonder what the future holds for the rest of the Star Wars attractions outside of Galaxy's Edge. Star Tours is still a popular attraction and it just saw an update alongside the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. And the attraction isn't too far off from Galaxy's Edge, unlike at Disneyland where the two locations are across the park from each other.
The popularity, and the fact that something significant would need to replace it, makes Star Tours going away anytime soon seem unlikely, still, it obviously will be going away long before anything major changes at Galaxy's Edge.
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple is another Star Wars themed attraction found in yet another spot in Disney's Hollywood Studios. The live show allows young guests to train as Jedi against the likes of Darth Vader. Hollywood Studios is generally a bit lacking in attractions that young kids can do, and that alone may mean this one will hang around for a while.
The Star Wars Launch Bay, is another big question mark. The space allows for photos with Star Wars characters, which can't be as easily obtained inside Galaxy's Edge, but it doesn't seem like that alone will be enough to keep the Launch Bay going. There are plenty of other places to get Star Wars themed merchandise. And the Launch Bay is located in a place called the Animation Courtyard, it's surrounded by attractions dedicated to The Little Mermaid and Disney Junior TV shows. It's a bit out of place there, and that space could probably be put to better use.
Whether or not the end of Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away is a signal that other Star Wars attractions are on their way out or not, it certainly feels like some changes are in order. Disney's Hollywood Studios has been a theme park in transition for a long time, and while the opening of Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway is the last major attraction addition currently announced, you can expect there will be some fine tuning of more between now and the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2021.
If you're a superfan of Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away, you have until Saturday to catch the show one last time.
