The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy is getting a major narrative upgrade. According to the official Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction page on the Walt Disney World website, a brand-new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu will debut on May 22, 2026. This addition marks the first significant storyline change for the ride since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019. The update is scheduled to launch at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland on the same day the new The Mandalorian & Grogu film hits theaters.
Hunting Imperial Remnants Across the Galaxy
The story for this new mission shifts the focus from smuggling cargo to high-stakes bounty hunting. The official site confirms guests will join Din Djarin to track down elusive ex-Imperial officers throughout the galaxy. The mission begins on the desert sands of Tatooine before jumping into hyperspace. This new structure allows for more intense combat and dogfighting than the original plot. Because the mission launches alongside the movie, the ride’s visuals and dialogue will perfectly sync with the current Star Wars cinematic era.
Choose Your Own Galactic Destination
The most significant change to the ride is the introduction of player choice. The crew will now be in control of their own destination for the first time in the ride’s history. This adds a “branching” element to the flight that was previously missing. After the initial mission on Tatooine, crews can choose to travel to three iconic Star Wars locations:
- Bespin: Navigate through the clouds of the famous Cloud City.
- Endor: Fly through the massive, twisted wreckage of the second Death Star.
- Coruscant: Maneuver through the dense, multi-leveled traffic of the city-planet.
The “Grogu Button” Upgrade for Engineers
The update also breathes new life into the Engineer position. In the current version of the ride, Engineers often feel like they have the quietest job in the cockpit. Starting May 22, a new gameplay feature will allow Engineers to communicate directly with Grogu throughout the flight. This addition turns a technical role into a character-driven experience. Grogu will react dynamically to the crew’s performance and the choices they make during the mission.
Movie-Quality Visuals in Real-Time
This update is not just a story change; it is a major technical leap. Disney is upgrading the ride’s hardware to Unreal Engine 5. This allows the attraction to use the actual digital assets created for the new film. Every cockpit is being fitted with the latest generation of processors to handle these movie-quality visuals in real-time. This ensures that the ships and planets you see in the ride look identical to those on the big screen.
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