The story is actually that Disney felt it was "too dark" which is what many Star Wars fans actually want. The rumored reshoots were to make the movie more "fun", or whatever the hell that means. After movies like Batman v Superman got neutered for their theatrical release only to find an audience with the extended cuts on home video, the studio execs need to get the hell away from what they "think" people will like. They tried like crazy to make Deadpool PG-13. That movie only works as is with the R-rating.
EDIT: Speaking of marketing, Disney is doing a shit job with it. The trailers are great, but many people that aren't big geeks like me are going to think this is the next Star Wars (Episode 8) instead of a side story/prequel. I saw the first trailer in the theater and a woman in front of me asked her friend where Rey was in the trailer. I wanted to kick her in the back of the head.