Beginning May 22, 2026, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will welcome The Mandalorian and Grogu into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. First announced at D23 2024 with details revealed at SXSW, then expanded at Star Wars Celebration Japan, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is getting its most ambitious update ever, featuring an all-new storyline, expanded gameplay, multiple destinations, and our favorite Force-sensitive foundling.
And this isn’t just a refresh. This is a fundamental shift in the Galaxy’s Edge experience—one that changes the timeline, the roles, and the way we play.
New Destinations, Bigger Choices
In the new mission, guests will launch from Batuu and head to Tatooine, where the story kicks off. From there, the Falcons crew gets to choose their next destination—a first for the attraction. It’s also been confirmed that the BDX Box droids will make an appearance in the updated attraction, adding an element of Galaxy’s Edge into Star Wars on-screen canon.
Confirmed options include:
- Bespin – The legendary Cloud City
- Endor – Orbiting the wreckage of the second Death Star
- Coruscant – Newly revealed at Celebration Japan, this is the bustling capital city-planet
Smugglers Run has always been visually stunning, but it lacked replayability. Now, with mission variations and meaningful roles for every position, the attraction evolves from a one-time thrill into a ride guests will line up for again and again.
Engineers Step Into the Spotlight
Let’s be honest. Before this update, everyone wanted to be the pilot. One person had to pull the lever and send the Falcon into hyperspace, while the engineers were usually the last to be picked, stuck in the back row, fixing systems.
That changes in 2026.
Now, the engineer position is critical. Not only do engineers decide the crew’s destination, but they also interact directly with Grogu, caring for him and receiving live responses during the mission.
It’s a brilliant move by Imagineering, using Grogu to make the ride more personal, and making the back row arguably the most coveted seat in the cockpit.
The Story: A Mandalorian Mission (But Not the Movie)
While the update launches the same day as the theatrical release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the story is entirely original. It unfolds alongside the film’s events but doesn’t retell them.
The setup? Hondo Ohnaka gets wind of a sketchy deal happening on Tatooine between ex-Imperials and pirates. There’s a bounty up for grabs, and Hondo’s not one to miss out on a payday—so he lets you “borrow” the Falcon to team up with Mando and Grogu on a chase across the galaxy.
From the Set to the Parks: Unreal Engine Power
The new Smugglers Run experience is powered by Unreal Engine 5, the same platform used by ILM for The Mandalorian. Footage was even captured on the actual film set of The Mandalorian and Grogu, ensuring cinematic quality on every screen.
As Jon Favreau explained at SXSW:
“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie—it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera.”
Is the Timeline Changing?
Here’s the big question—and one that Star Wars fans have been asking since Grogu first walked through Batuu:
Is the original Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge timeline still canon? Or is it being rewritten?
When Galaxy’s Edge opened, it was tied tightly to a specific point in the saga, between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. That made for detailed storytelling, but also serious limitations. No, Darth Vader. No Clone Wars. No Luke Skywalker.
The new Smugglers Run update changes that.
We’re now in a post-Return of the Jedi era. The First Order doesn’t exist yet, and remnants of the Empire still haunt the galaxy. This is the world of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett—an interconnected Disney+ universe that’s been slowly building toward the 2026 cinematic event.
Galaxy’s Edge is finally acknowledging that shift.
As a Lifelong Star Wars Fan… THANK YOU!
This feels like a turning point for Star Wars in the parks.
I’ve followed every twist of the expanded universe, like how the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser storyline fits neatly between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. I noted how Rise of Resistance fits into Hux’s fall and Pryde’s rise. But I’ve also missed the freedom to celebrate all eras of Star Wars.
This update changes the dynamic.
It gives the fans what they’ve wanted: a galaxy that celebrates everything Star Wars—from Clone Wars to The Mandalorian, from Vader to Rey, The Prequels and Sequels, and the upcoming movies. No more locked timelines. Just immersive, exciting Star Wars storytelling. That’s what we always wanted! Star Wars is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Star Wars is a multi-generational experience that every fan experiences in a unique way. With the diversity of the property, forcing a theme park into a single storyline just never made sense.
Final Thoughts from SamsDisneyDiary
I loved Star Wars Weekends. I love Seasons of the Force. And I’ve always believed Disney Parks should not be tied to a specific timeline within the canon—the parks should be Star Wars celebrations. The original storyline of Galaxy’s Edge lost its appeal to the passive fan; it appealed only to a minority of die-hard fans. Disney understands that it needs to appeal to a much broader audience, while still catering to Star Wars Fans.
With this update, the Falcon finally flies beyond its rails. The roles are more balanced. The storylines are deeper. The land itself is also starting to evolve.
So let’s stop pretending the Launch Bay is the only place Vader can live. Let’s mix timelines. Let’s bring in Maul, Padmé, Ahsoka, and Grogu—all in the same land.
Because Star Wars belongs to everyone.
And if we’re lucky, this moment—May 22, 2026—might be the day we look back and say:
“That’s when it all changed.”
