Disney is bringing some major changes to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, and they may finally fix some of the biggest issues guests have with the attraction.
In my 7+ years writing about Disney’s theme parks, I’ve seen few Disney rides elicit feelings as complex as the Galaxy’s Edge attraction does in Disney fans. Some love the attraction for its faithful recreation of Han Solo’s ship, while others loathe the ride’s video game-esque mechanics. Case in point, this opinion is from one of our readers. But we have seen it mentioned time and time again.
When we asked our readers which Walt Disney World ride was the resort’s “most overrated,” we got a litany of responses. However, one from reader Felicia caught our eye.
They wrote, “Smugglers Run – unless you’re the pilot, or with a full cockpit of family and friends, it gets old fast.”
While that comment may be from one specific reader, it lays out the issue many have with the attraction: That while “flying” the Millennium Falcon as the pilot is a fun experience, being a Gunner or Engineer is complicated and distracts from the ride experience. This potentially “ruins” the ride for both those in the positions and other riders. While that complaint has been there from the ride’s opening, Disney’s most recent announcement regarding the attraction indicates they’ve been listening.
Back at the 2024 D23 Ultimate Fan Event, Disney announced that the attraction was getting a brand new storyline featuring the mega-popular Mandalorian and Grogu.
In the spring of 2025, it was confirmed that the update is scheduled to open on May 22nd, 2026, the same day The Mandalorian and Grogu feature film — a cap to the 3 seasons of The Mandalorian — is scheduled to open in theaters.
While speaking at the 2025 SXSW conference, Disney Imagineer Asa Kalama said of the project, “Opening an attraction and such a massive movie on the same day wouldn’t be possible without the relationships we have inside Disney. Now we’ve all worked together to come up with a new mission for Smugglers Run that plays into this narrative.”
It was also confirmed that the “new mission” would also fix the “engineer/gunner” issue. According to Disney, as part of the new experience, “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.” In addition, another new gameplay addition allows the engineer positions to communicate with Grogu, making them much more “important” to the ride’s overall story and narrative.
To some fans, Smuggler’s Run has long been an “overrated ride” at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge installations. However, the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu additions may change that. Stay tuned to AllEars for more.
UNBUILT: Disney’s ORIGINAL ‘Star Wars’ Land Almost Took Over Tomorrowland 40 Years Ago!
Are you excited for these Smuggler’s Run changes? Let us know in the comments below.
The interesting thing about this is how much it might change the basis of Galaxy’s Edge. The premise is that guests visit Batuu on a specific day in the Star Wars universe, in the time of the First Order. If Smuggler’s Run is now set during the Mandalorian movie, the ride will be 20-25 years earlier than the rest of the land.