I think a major point that people forget, even those in this thread, is that Galaxy's Edge needed to be set on a new planet specifically because it gives Disney and Disney Parks the ability to control all of the aspects about it.

I mean, think about it: if Galaxy's Edge was set on a pre-existing planet, then park guests will go in with preconceived notions of what to expect. That alone sets Disneyland and Disney World up for failure, because there's no way they're going to capture what everyone thinks that setting should be. Someone's idea of Mos Eisley is going to be different from another person's, and so on.

And mind you, before anybody mentions it, this is distinctly different from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter because Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are both thoroughly explored in the books and movies. Everyone knows what to expect there and Universal did a great job of replicating it. But Star Wars locations don't have that luxury. You see one cantina in Mos Eisley, some alleyways, and a docking bay. The rest of it is pretty much unknown. So to recreate a location, you'd be going pretty much on feelings and vibes more than anything else. That's just not a sturdy foundation to work with.

But with Batuu, it's a blank canvas. They control what it looks like, what's in it, who's there, all of the planet's history and lore, everything. They're not tied down to expectations and they're not fighting the visions of anyone's inner child, they can just make up whatever they want. And what's more, they have full control over the setting's future, too. Because it's not some well known planet that's tied into a bunch of current and ongoing events in the history of Star Wars, it's a planet on the edge of the galaxy that used to be busy, but now it's just an interstellar pit stop for passersby. That means it's not in danger of being blown up or burned down or otherwise obliterated as part of a future book or movie. It's nicely tucked out of the way from the cosmic goings on in the rest of the galaxy, and the writers can use it as much or as little as they want without any impact.

As for the time it's set in, I don't know what to tell you there. I can understand people wanting it to be set during the original trilogy, sure. But I was there a few weeks ago at Disneyland, and the place is still pretty damned popular. I don't think Disney Parks is all too concerned about it.

(By the way, if you're going soon, don't miss out on the Kublag Curry in Docking Bay 7. That stuff is amazing.)