NEWS: The Mandalorian, Grogu, and New Crew Controls Coming to Smugglers Run

Last August, at the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney announced that Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will receive new adventures with Mano and Grogu. During the Star Wars Celebration Japan, more details were announced about the upcoming changes. Learn more below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Asa Kalama:

Bright Suns from Star Wars Celebration Japan! We just wrapped our Walt Disney Imagineering panel where I was joined by Imagineers Anisha Deshmane and Michael Serna as well as Matt Martin from Lucasfilm to talk about the creative development behind current and future Star Wars projects at Disney parks and resorts around the world.

In the panel, we shared some exciting news that expands on some of the updates discussed at SXSW, and I can’t wait to share what we talked about!

Take Control with New Powers for the Crew 

Starting May 22, 2026 at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will allow guests to control the iconic ship like never before. For the first time ever, the crew will be in control of their own destination, leading to potential adventures on Bespin, the wreckage of the second Death Star around Endor, or the just-announced bustling city-planet, Coruscant. Another new gameplay addition allows the engineer positions to communicate with Grogu during the mission.

Mando and Grogu Join the Adventure 

We’re so excited that these updates debut on the same day as Lucasfilm’s upcoming title, The Mandalorian and Grogu, however, the attraction’s storyline will follow a different path.

In this new thrilling storyline, Hondo Ohnaka has gotten wind of a deal going down on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a band of pirates. There’s a generous bounty for their capture, so you’ll borrow the iconic ship and team up with Mando and Grogu to track them down and explore the galaxy.

None of this would be possible without our partnership with Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). With their help, you are in control of your own destiny on the attraction. This technology is all built on Unreal Engine 5 by Epic Games which are the same tools ILM uses on the Disney+ show, The Mandalorian.

To finish off our panel, the ever-popular BDX Droids made a pit stop! They’re now at Tokyo Disney Resort but will also make appearances at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Paris for a limited time very soon.

RELATED ARTICLE: NEWS: New Details for Mando and Grogu’s Millennium Falcon Mission Revealed

Last August, at the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney announced that Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will receive new adventures with Mano and Grogu. During The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, Disney announced the opening date of the new adventures and shared more details about what guests can expect. Learn more below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Rachel Paige:

A new adventure is coming your way, so prepare to jump to lightspeed. First announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, a new adventure featuring Din Djarin, the titular Mandalorian from The Mandalorian, is coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. And yes, Grogu’s coming along for the ride, too.

During The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, The Mandalorian creator and Disney Legend Jon Favreau was joined onstage by Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama to talk about what’s coming soon to Batuu.

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 — both the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie and this update to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will debut on May 22, 2026.

“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.”

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.

But, that’s not the only thing making the jump from the parks to the movies, and vice versa. You might have seen the playful BDX droids puttering around Disneyland before, and soon they’ll make a trip around the world to visit Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. And that’s in addition to the little droids appearing in The Mandalorian and Grogu film, too.

Going from Imagineering to the parks, to their feature film debut, is a lot for the droids. With all this work, they’re sure to need a tune-up eventually and don’t worry, Imagineering already has the right creature for the job.

As previously seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the latest season of The Mandalorian, say hello to an Anzellan named Otto, who specializes in tuning up droids. Just maybe don’t make him too cranky.

May the Force be with you. See you onboard the Falcon, on May 22, 2026.