Disney has announced the debut date of the new mission featuring Mandalorian and Baby Yoda for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This post shares dates & details, and everything we know about the change–plus our tried and true commentary about Star Wars changes.
This news was announced during Disney’s feature presentation, “The Future of World-Building at Disney,” during South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman took the stage, along with some special guests, to share insights about the future of storytelling at Disney Parks and beyond, focusing on the intersection of imagination and innovation. Mostly a lot of fluff, but it’s fun.
Among those on stage were Jon Favreau, director and producer of the upcoming Star Wars film, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” who was joined onstage by Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama to talk about what’s coming soon to Batuu. One of the projects they provided an update on was the new mission featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as a synergistic tie-in to the upcoming film.
“One of the cool things about Disney is how we can tell our stories in so many different formats,” Favreau told the crowd. “We’re already taking Mando and Grogu from the TV screen to the movie screen, and at the same time, [The Mandalorian executive producer] Dave [Filoni] and I are working with Asa to bring this story to the Disney parks, too.”
It’s something that can only be done at Disney, bringing avid Star Wars fans closer to the stories they know and love via the innovative magic at Disney Parks. This update is only a parsec or two away! This new mission in Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will debut on May 22, 2026–the same date “The Mandalorian and Grogu” arrives in theaters!
“Opening an attraction and such a massive movie on the same day wouldn’t be possible without the relationships we have inside Disney,” Kalama added. “Jon and Dave have shared their story with us, and now we’ve all worked together to come up with a new mission for Smugglers Run that plays into this narrative.”
Here’s a look at some of the new Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run scenes in Cloud City, Endor and Tatooine:
Working alongside The Mandalorian team, the Imagineers captured scenes for the attraction on the movie set, and you might see some familiar (and beloved) Star Wars locations aboard the Millennium Falcon. Care for a trip to Cloud City, anyone?
“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie – it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera from what you see in the film,” Favreau explained.
Here’s everything else we know about the new Smugglers Run story based on what’s been previously shared, followed by our commentary…
This was first announced during last year’s D23 Expo, when Star Wars creative executive Dave Filoni joined Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and folks from Epic Games onstage to discuss the upcoming addition to the attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.
As Dave explained, the Lucasfilm team uses Epic’s Unreal Engine to create some of the virtual sets for “The Mandalorian.” Now, with the expanded partnership between Disney and Epic Games, Unreal Engine will help bring to life the latest adventure in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
“The intersection of storytelling and innovation has always been central to Lucasfilm and we’re excited to see where this collaboration will take us next,” Dave told the crowd back at D23 Expo. “Just imagine it: you’ll be able to fly alongside Mando and Grogu on thrilling, and dangerous, missions.”
Turning to commentary, I’m really excited about Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run being updated. I’m also surprised it’s happening so soon. The attraction is only ~5 years old (time flies), which is still pretty new in the grand scheme of things.
It’s also much earlier than Imagineering would normally start working on a refresh. The older Avatar Flight of Passage wasn’t updated for the first the sequel to that film, despite it being (another) James Cameron box office darling. And there’s no sign of an update before the third film.
The obvious difference is popularity. Avatar Flight of Passage is a guest favorite, routinely having one of the longest lines and highest wait times in all of Walt Disney World. It scores incredibly well on guest satisfaction surveys, and still frequently elicits a round of applause at the end. This isn’t to say guests dislike Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (they don’t!), but it’s no Flight of Passage.
In our view, Smugglers Run is a story of squandered potential.
It’s arguably the third-best Star Wars ride. Or, stated differently, the worst. Rise of the Resistance is the clear #1. And every time I do Star Tours, I’m reminded of how good it is. I’ve really enjoyed all of the additions over the years, which keep it relevant and fresh.
I love Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and think it’s a better overall experience from start to finish, but the ride portion of Star Tours blows it away. Imagine how great Smugglers Run could be if it combined the settings of Star Tours with the interactivity and complete package of the Millennium Falcon?!
Instead, Smugglers Run is the Star Wars equivalent of working for UPS. (For those who enjoy deliveryman simulators, might I suggest Death Stranding?) Heck, the asteroid field delay scene is better than the actual core gameplay of Smugglers Run!
Point being, Smugglers Run has so much unrealized potential. The complete package of the attraction around the gameplay is fantastic and there’s a lot to be said for the wish fulfillment of stepping inside the Millennium Falcon cockpit, pulling the lever to jump to lightspeed, etc. But then there’s the mission itself, which falls flat.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run could be a 10/10 attraction–one of the best on both coasts–and a more compelling mission would get it there. Suffice to say, the addition of Mandalorian and Grogu could be a complete game changer, elevating Galaxy’s Edge as a whole along with the new mission.
Before we get carried away hyped up what Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run could be with this new mission, we should point out that Imagineering hasn’t shared full details.
The above operates under the implicit assumption that this will be all-new gameplay, a mission built from the ground up. It’s entirely possible that will not be the case, but rather, that the new story featuring Mandalorian and Grogu will recycle assets from the current mission. Or that there will be programming or tech limitations that prevent a major overhaul.
It’s possible this will be a Star Tours-style change, with a new segment with Mandalorian and Baby Yoda spliced into the current story. It’s also possible that an all-new mission will be developed, but it’ll somehow be worse. After all, this is a interactive attraction that guests of all ages and backgrounds need to be able to pick up quickly and play without a lengthy tutorial or learning curve.
Nevertheless, I remain optimistic. As noted above, the current asteroid field delay scene is the best gameplay loop in Smugglers Run–and that’s not even part of the main mission. This could be simpler and better, just offering the satisfaction of seeing cool settings and familiar characters, blowing stuff up, and beating the bad guys. I don’t think it needs to be more complex or challenging to be good. It can be simpler and more satisfying. They’re not mutually exclusive.
Now that we know when the new mission will debut in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, the big unanswered question is what else will change with the attraction?
Let’s start with what we do not expect to change: Hondo Ohnaka or Ohnaka Transport Solutions, his smuggling operation that ‘borrows’ the Millennium Falcon. Hondo has a wry sense of humor, is a lovable scoundrel, and the Audio Animatronics of Hondo in the pre-show is truly impressive.
None of that needs to change, even if no one knows who Hondo is (no offense Clone Wars fans). Realistically, it also won’t change because it would be way too expensive, ballooning the budget and timeline. I guess they could throw a helmet on Hondo and give him new threads, but I highly doubt that. More likely, any new story is going to fit the framework of the attraction and not require physical changes to anything.
Beyond that, it’s unclear whether the new Mandalorian mission will necessitate a closure or be done overnight like the added scenes in Star Tours. As a more elaborate attraction, my hope is that Smugglers Run will go down for at least a few weeks for minor changes to make the queue and pre-show mesh with the mission.
My guess is that this will not be the case. That instead, the new mission will be framed in such a way that no pre-show dialogue needs to change, let alone any physical features of the ship. I could see a few easter eggs being added to the queue pulled from the Disney+ series or the movie just to give fans something to look for and talk about, but I wouldn’t count on that.
Again, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is still new (by Disney standards) and the attraction has ‘good bones.’ So as much as I might like to see a comprehensive reimagining, there’s also a sense of “don’t fix what isn’t broken.” In this case, the only thing here that needs changing is the gameplay/mission, and that element can probably be swapped out overnight.
When it comes to a closure, there’s also the question of timing for the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version. As discussed in When Will Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Close?, there’s the consideration of not having multiple headliners down at the same time. With RnRC now looking like it might be reimagined sooner rather than later, this probably isn’t a major concern at this point. (It’s a total non-factor at Disneyland due to a significantly larger ride roster.)
Ultimately, I’m really pleased by all of this Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge news. Between this mission and the BDX Duckling Droids, it finally feels like Imagineering is being fair to Florida. Next up, getting Luke Skywalker and all of the other characters already appearing in Batuu West to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. My hope is that and more comes in 2026, alongside this new mission for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
I love that Imagineering had the opportunity to take a big swing with Galaxy’s Edge, but over 5 years later, it still hasn’t quite lived up to its promise. It feels like that’s starting to change, first with the introduction of the walk-around Mandalorian and Baby Yoda characters, and now all this. Given their ongoing popularity, I can only imagine what this Mando mission is going to do for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run wait times!
I’m not going to rehash my points about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge needing to break the rules…but it does. Imagineering getting the change to reimagine Batuu into a vibrant canvas for adventures that comport more closely with guest expectations would be a huge win. The land could feel alive and exciting, even if it becomes less coherent from a storytelling perspective. Even if big changes don’t happen in 2026, and Disney continues with the incremental approach, it will happen eventually. Each move Imagineering has made that has “bent” the storytelling and timeline rules has been greeted with a favorable response by guests.
It’s only a matter of time. Casual visitors hear “Star Wars land” and expect to be able to see Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, C-3PO, and other characters they actually know and care about. The land has so much unrealized potential, and a soft reboot of Galaxy’s Edge could be exactly the shot in the arm that’s needed. It could also be the marketable addition that’s needed on both coasts in 2026, with no new rides on tap.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited to see the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run starting on May 22, 2026? Do you hope the new mission is actually exciting? Do you think Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge should break its own rules or stick to the fixed timeline and story? What about Darth Vader and other original trilogy characters? Think Galaxy’s Edge should focus on fun, canon, or a mix of both? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!