April 19, 2025, 11:00 PM ·
Disney is trying to fix a problem on one of its most iconic rides.When Disney opened its Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios, its full-sized Millennium Falcon became the place for photos by Star Wars fans. But the Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run attraction did not enjoy the same widespread appeal.For the two people assigned as a “pilot” in the six-person Falcon cockpit ride vehicle, Smugglers Run is a fan’s dream come true – the chance to fly the Millennium Falcon. For two other passengers, the “gunner” assignment provided the consolation prize of being allowed to shoot lasers at will in a Star Wars dogfight. But for the last two? The dreaded “engineer” assignment – one given to pretty much all single riders on the attraction. Sitting in the back of the Falcon cockpit, the engineers have had little to do but press buttons to repair the damage done by less-than-stellar pilots. But starting next year, the engineers on Disney’s Millennium Falcon will get new responsibilities.Such as… taking care of a very important new crew member.At the Star Wars Celebration event in Japan today, Disney Experiences announced additional changes to its Millennium Falcon ride. At the SXSW event in Texas last month, Disney announced that a new mission for Smugglers Run that would debut on the same day as the upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” movie – May 22, 2026.At the time, Disney announced new ride destinations including Tatooine, Bespin, and Endor. Today, at Star Wars Celebration, Disney added Coruscant to that list.
Coruscant concept images courtesy Disney Experiences“In this new story arc, Hondo Ohnaka catches wind of a deal on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and pirates, setting the stage for a high-stakes chase across the galaxy,” Disney said in its press release. “Guests will team up with Mando and Grogu to track them down and claim a bounty in a dynamic, galaxy-spanning adventure.”The Falcon’s engineers will get to be the ones to interact with and care for Grogu during the ride. In addition, they will lead the decision where to continue the mission after its first stop on Tatooine.It’s not the same as flying the Falcon, but the new responsibilities should provide an upgrade from the current experience for many Millennium Falcon ride guests. Again, the new missions on Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run begin May 22, 2026 at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.Keep in touch and support the siteFor assistance in planning a Disney vacation, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.To keep up to date with more travel and theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
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