We understand the use of John Williams’ music. We understand Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. We even understand the updated ride. But this one small change to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge feels somehow antithetical to all of that, and it’s kind of a bummer.
This week, the Star Wars-themed section of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, traveled back in time. Originally envisioned as an in-world experience set between The Last Jedi and Rise of the Resistance, the park shifted its timeline on one side to encompass the original trilogy. That means, instead of Kylo Ren and Vi Moradi, there’s Darth Vader. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia. And music meant to make you feel like you’re on the planet Batuu changed to music meant to feel like you’re in Star Wars.
To some, it’s controversial, but you can get why Disney did it. It’s an easier-to-understand experience. Photos of the new additions have been flooding social media over the last few days, and one in particular caught our eye. The third image below, to be specific.
A look at Dok Ondar’s in Galaxy’s Edge West as of today. Nearly all of the sequel trilogy merchandise has been switched out, but Kylo Ren’s lightsaber remains available. In a change from when the land opened, some items say “Star Wars” or have show titles printed on them. pic.twitter.com/Wn7Te5xqvV
— Raider Lost in the Parks (@TustinRaider) April 30, 2026
In that image, you see some new water bottles, Mandalorian clothing, and then several shelves of Funko Pops.
Yes, the Funko Pops have decimated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Why is this a big deal? Well, to be honest, it’s not really. It’s just that when Galaxy’s Edge opened, one of the coolest things about it was that none of the merchandise said “Star Wars” on it. You were supposed to be inside Star Wars. Why would you buy something that said “Star Wars” if you were inside it? Dolls of characters like Rey or Darth Vader were there because they are famous, mythical people in that world. You built a droid because we all need droids to help with our lives. It was a bold swing but incredibly immersive.
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, the store in the above images, was the apex of all of that. It was a store designed to only sell items that an in-universe character, Dok-Ondar, had collected throughout the years. This is where you could buy a lightsaber hilt inspired by your favorite heroes. A Holocron or kyber crystal to unlock the mysteries of the galaxy. It was total Star Wars heaven.
In recent years, even before this timeline shift, those guardrails had begun to come off. Star Wars toys with the words “Star Wars” on them had been selling in the stores of Galaxy’s Edge. Heck. If we’re being honest, there may have already been Funko Pops in there, too. We’re not 100% sure. But seeing Funko Pops in Dok-Ondar’s this week, right after the change, feels like the ultimate rejection of those original ideas.
Shifting the timeline is one thing. Playing the music from the movie is another. But bringing in merchandise that has become synonymous with the uber-commercialization of pop culture is something else. It’s just a huge disappointment.
Will seeing Funko Pops matter to 99% of the people who enter Dok-Ondar’s? Of course not. It may not matter to you either. But if you’re someone, like us, who was and continues to be smitten with the fact that this bold, exciting Star Wars theme park area exists, it’s just one of those unfortunate changes that makes the ongoing homogenization of the park all too clear.
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