Fly with Mando & Grogu! Smugglers Run Gets Massive Upgrade, Starts May 22, 2026, Powered by Unreal Engine 5. Big news for Star Wars fans! A huge, technical update is coming to the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride at Disney World and Disneyland, timed with the new The Mandalorian & Grogu movie in May 2026. Walt Disney Imagineering has just shared a NEW LOOK into the changes, focusing on how the technology ensures the ride feels more authentic than ever.
This is an Update on 11/24/2025! New information was released today by Walt Disney Imagineering on the newest episode of “We Call it Imagineering,” now showing on YouTube!
What’s New on the Millennium Falcon? Starting May 22, 2026, the ride gets a major refresh that makes every trip unique:
- You Choose Where to Go! For the first time ever, your crew will get to choose where the Millennium Falcon jumps to next.
- New Co-Pilot Team: You’ll fly alongside the legendary bounty hunter Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) and the adorable Grogu.
- New Planets Added: After the first mission, you can choose to travel to iconic planets like Tatooine, Bespin, Endor, and the city-planet Coruscant.
- Grogu’s Job: The Engineer role is more important than ever—not only do you pick the next jump, but you also get to care for and interact with Grogu during the mission!
The Authenticity Guarantee: Real-Time Rendering – Imagineering revealed that this update is a major technical step forward, designed to make the experience feel “100% authentic to the film.” This technical partnership (with Epic Games, NVIDIA, and others) is helping Imagineering push the limits of what a theme park character can be, promising more expressive and lifelike experiences for all guests.
- Powered by Epic Games: The new mission uses Unreal Engine 5, the same advanced, real-time rendering platform used to create stunning visuals in The Mandalorian TV show.
- Shared Assets: Disney and Lucasfilm are sharing the actual digital assets (ship models, planet surfaces, etc.) used in the production of the film.
- The Result: Because of the real-time rendering and shared assets, the views from the cockpit will look exactly like what you see in the TV show and movie, creating an unmatched sense of immersion and authenticity.
Get Ready to Punch It! – Get ready to jump into hyperspace! With Mando and Grogu by your side, new destinations to explore, and a story built with film-grade graphics, Smugglers Run is about to become an experience you’ll want to ride again and again.
Im other Star Wars News:
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past series has already been released on Disney+ (as of September 19, 2025), and the Star Wars: Starfighter movie starring Ryan Gosling is now set for May 28, 2027.
