New Details Revealed for Star Wars Smugglers Run Update Featuring Mando and Grogu

Apr 20, 2025 in "Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run"

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Mando and Grogu Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Concept Art

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Posted: Sunday April 20, 2025 7:15am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney Imagineering has released new concept art and gameplay details for the upcoming update to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, set to launch May 22, 2026, at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The upgraded experience will introduce new locations, enhanced interactivity, and a fresh storyline featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Mando and Grogu Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Concept Art

Choose Your Own Galactic Destination

For the first time, riders aboard the Millennium Falcon will control not just the ship, but the destination itself. Guests can now set a course to one of several iconic Star Wars locations, including:

Bespin – The cloud-covered city above a gas giant
The wreckage of the second Death Star – Floating above Endor
Coruscant

These selectable destinations are a first for the attraction, giving each mission a new level of replayability and unpredictability.

Mando and Grogu Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Concept Art

New Interactions with Grogu

Another major change impacts the engineer role. Engineers will now be able to communicate with Grogu during the mission, triggering reactions and interactions as the story unfolds. This new feature brings an added layer of immersion and character connection for riders in that position.

A New Storyline Featuring Mando and Grogu

The updated storyline introduces a bounty hunt organized by Hondo Ohnaka, who’s caught wind of a shady deal on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a crew of pirates. With a reward on the line, guests join forces with Mando and Grogu to track down the culprits and navigate through various destinations in pursuit.

Disney confirms the attraction’s new plot runs separately from the events of the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu feature film, which also premieres on May 22, 2026.

Mando and Grogu Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Concept Art

Built with ILM and Unreal Engine 5

This overhaul was made possible through a collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), and Epic Games. The ride’s new visuals and gameplay system run on Unreal Engine 5, the same real-time rendering tech used to create The Mandalorian series on Disney+. This allows for cinematic-quality environments that respond dynamically to rider choices.

Concept Art Previews

Alongside the announcement, Disney shared concept renderings of the updated cockpit visuals, showing off glimpses of the new destinations that will support the interactive storytelling features.

The new experience launches simultaneously with the film The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026, at Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge.

Mando and Grogu Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Concept Art

Discuss on the Forums

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gorillaball26 days ago

Rode it for the first time today. It’s improved, that’s about as far as I can go. I will ride a couple more times to get some variably, which should add to the improvement - optionality.

Br0ckford28 days ago

Also we were at studios just a couple days ago and ride times were similar, give or take. Waited half the posted time for Smugglers and the absolutely full time for rise. So....are they trying to make mando and grogu seem like a must do? Not saying, just saying.

HauntedPirate28 days ago

You mean like what people like to do around here when they say, "See?!?! Ride X has an 80 minute wait!! The parks are busy!!!". ;) Your point is entirely valid, which is why I qualified my post with "let's see how things look this fall". It's one data point on one day, nothing can be gleaned from that.

gorillaball28 days ago

Reading a little too much into wait times.

dmc49328 days ago

bays**

HauntedPirate28 days ago

Hehehe. I said a while back - If they can do this refurb properly, SR could have longer waits than Rise. Time will tell (like, this fall, when crowds pick up closer to Halloween) if this is an anomaly or something else.

networkpro28 days ago

So Snugglers Run > Rise of the Retcon.

dmc49329 days ago

Yeah but very well could be that some of the days are down so it’s reduced capacity

HauntedPirate29 days ago

Just now, this had a longer wait than Rise, 55 vs 50 minutes.

Tom Morrow31 days ago

That might be it. Steering does seem less sensitive, there is perhaps a little bit of steering assist happening, no "traps", and possibly a wider flight "lane"? It's probably for the better to make the flights a little less chaotic. Also in general this feels a little bit less like a video game and a little more like a simulator ride you have some control over. I still think there is still a better possible version of this ride, but this is overall an improvement.

MisterPenguin31 days ago

The O.G. path had certain 'traps' that tested piloting skills. E.g., the first horizontal obstacle can only be avoided by going under, not over. Tho, most people's instinct is trying to go over... Also, it was very easy to overcompensate like you're on the Speedway. I haven't tried the new 'paths' yet. Perhaps they removed the 'traps' and made steering less over-reactive. ??

Tom Morrow31 days ago

Rode it a second time and was pilot this time. Is it just me or is it a little bit easier to pilot now?

PiebaldJun 09, 2026

I've ridden this multiple times and I like it. The original felt much more video game-esque with the setting. Having the engineer choose the location after the initial training is much better. I've gotten endor and coruscant and it's just a big improvement. I see this as a win and can't imagine anyone upset about losing the original. Plus Single Rider line is still very short and engineer is given more to do so the fact that youre getting engineer on SR line like 98% of the time isn't as bad as before

celluloidJun 08, 2026

It helps that Universal had built two critically and commercially successful lands twice before for that property that include multiple E tickets and, supporting attractions, live entertainment and environments. This was Disney's first realized land dedicated in a park that was gutted and starving for new with the biggest such property in cinematic history for it.