The Falcon Gets a New Copilot and a New Brain

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Evolves With a Mandalorian Mission and Next-Gen Tech

For the first time in the attraction's history, guests stepping into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge can choose which mission they fly. That alone would be news. But the way Walt Disney Imagineering got there, and the technology powering it, makes this the most significant update to a marquee attraction in years.

As detailed by Disney Experiences, the new Mandalorian and Grogu mission launched day-and-date with the film's theatrical debut, marking the first time Disney has simultaneously released a movie and a corresponding attraction experience. Asa Kalama, Executive of Creative and Interactive Experiences at Walt Disney Imagineering, described the process as deeply collaborative, with Imagineers sitting down early with director Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm's Dave Filoni to map out how the attraction's story would extend the film rather than simply retell it. "We spent a lot of time just talking through story," Kalama said, noting that the team worked to make the in-park adventure feel like something happening "just off camera from the film."

The technical leap is substantial. According to Disney Experiences, Imagineering upgraded the attraction's core engine from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, paired with new Nvidia compute hardware and graphics cards. That upgrade allowed the team to push visual fidelity well beyond what the original attraction could render and, more importantly, to rethink the structure of the experience itself. The original Smugglers Run followed a largely linear path. The new version introduces branching choices, giving flight crews agency over their adventure in a way the attraction has never offered.

WDW News Today also reports a "secret Grogu mode" now available on the attraction, adding another layer for guests who want to dig deeper into what the updated cockpit can do. The update is live at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, making it one of the rare attraction overhauls that rolls out simultaneously on both coasts.

What makes this worth watching beyond the obvious cool factor is the precedent it sets. If Imagineering can swap in new story modules powered by real-time game engines, Smugglers Run becomes less of a static attraction and more of a living platform. Kalama's language about "extending" stories rather than repeating them suggests this is a template rather than a one-off stunt. The Falcon may never fly the same mission twice.

The Parks

The Avengers Campus expansion at Disney California Adventure continues to take shape, and WDW News Today reports that recent construction progress has revealed some telling details. The white steel canopy frame remains largely unchanged, but fewer boom lifts are visible underneath it, suggesting that phase of work is winding down. The biggest visual shift involves the bathroom structures, where scaffolding has been reduced and scrim removed from the tops of the pillars, exposing the square facade shape for the first time. The expansion will include two new attractions: Avengers Infinity Defense, a multiverse battle against King Thanos, and Stark Flight Lab, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

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Over at Walt Disney World, BlogMickey reports that Imagineering has filed a third extension of the permit tied to the Encanto attraction under construction at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The amended Notice of Commencement, recorded just days ago, pushes the permit expiration to May 2027. The address, 610 DinoLand Drive, falls within the footprint of the former Dino-Rama section, now well into its transformation into the Tropical Americas land. Whiting-Turner remains the general contractor. BlogMickey notes that the final steel beam for the ride building was signed by the Imagineering team back in February 2026, and crews have since begun work on the queue building and interior scenes. The Encanto attraction will be the first ride-through experience themed to the Academy Award-winning film.

Soarin' Across America is now open to all EPCOT guests, according to WDW News Today, with a new marquee revealed at the park. Custom Test Track driver's licenses have also debuted at EPCOT, giving guests a personalized keepsake from the attraction. Meanwhile, damaged palm trees at EPCOT's entrance have been removed.

At Disneyland, a new Pixar Short Film Spotlight has opened, and BDX droids are meeting guests at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. WDW News Today also reports that a kids-only pin trading station has launched at Disneyland, and the Edelweiss Lodge seating structure is now open in Fantasyland. Disneyland Resort restaurants are honoring Memorial Day with "Fallen Hero" tables, a quiet and meaningful tradition. And in a detail that speaks to the creativity of Cast Members everywhere, Disney Skyliner teams at select Walt Disney World locations have mounted fake dragonflies on their control panels to deter real yellow flies. Sometimes Imagineering happens at ground level.

According to reports from The DisInsider, Disneyland has revealed "Ultimate Summer" plans for 2026, including discounted tickets, hotel deals, late-night entertainment, and character experiences. The resort is positioning this as one of its most stacked summer lineups in recent memory.

Disney Food Blog, meanwhile, offers a passionate case for Nomad Lounge at Disney's Animal Kingdom as the single best restaurant in all of Walt Disney World. The lounge serves small plates from the Tiffins kitchen alongside handcrafted cocktails, including The Pachyderm and The Pollinator, a gin cocktail inspired by The Elephants and Bees Project, a real conservation effort that uses beehive fences to keep elephants from raiding crops. At $6.59, the Lychee Ginger Lemonade is the kind of small discovery that makes a park day feel special.

AllEars has been fielding questions about Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Walt Disney World, addressing what fans most want to know about the attraction's Muppet-themed transformation. WDW News Today also captured a video interview with the Muppets themselves, because of course they did.

Mickey and Minnie have debuted new patriotic costumes at Walt Disney World in celebration of America's 250th anniversary, per WDW News Today. And Orlando International Airport estimates nearly one million travelers for the Memorial Day 2026 holiday weekend, which means the parks are about to feel it.

The Screen

Disney's "Blockbuster Summer" campaign is now in full swing, and D23 has published a detailed look at the merchandise and collectibles arriving alongside The Mandalorian and Grogu's theatrical debut. The lineup includes LEGO sets inspired by scenes from the film, including an AT-RT Attack set and a new Ultimate Collector Series N-1 Starfighter. Hasbro's Ultimate Grogu animatronic, with over 250 lifelike animations including toddling steps and environmental response technology, is available for preorder. Funko has released a cinematic assortment featuring Din Djarin, Grogu, Zeb Orrelios, and an Imperial Remnant Trooper. The merchandise wave is calibrated to a specific moment: families who see the film and want to bring a piece of it home the same day. Combined with the Smugglers Run update, Disney is running a coordinated cross-platform launch that ties theaters, parks, and retail into a single experience.

On the streaming side, MickeyBlog reports that Disney+ and Hulu are bringing back the Throwbacks campaign for summer 2026, expanding last year's event to include classic movies, curated collections, and a pop-up experience. Premium subscribers can tune into the returning Throwbacks Stream starting May 22, featuring a marathon of the top 50 Disney Channel Original Movies. New content arriving on the platform includes The Brave Little Toaster and Seasons 1 and 2 of The Weekenders on May 25. MickeyBlog also notes that Camp Rock 3 is coming in August and a new season of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place arrives later this summer. A Throwbacks Mini Mall pop-up will take over Westfield Century City in Los Angeles on June 6 and 7, featuring interactive stations including a Glee Photo Op, a Princess Diaries Slide, and a Mystery Pin Machine.

Disney Consumer Products, meanwhile, used Licensing Expo in Las Vegas to lay out its franchise roadmap through holiday 2027 and beyond. The Walt Disney Company published details of the "Icons Unleashed" showcase, which framed Disney's portfolio as living cultural forces meant to be reinterpreted across fashion, wellness, streetwear, and gaming. The event brought together senior leaders including Kevin Feige, Dave Filoni, and Lisa Baldzicki, alongside talent from Camp Rock 3 and Disney's Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical. Paul Gitter, EVP of Global Brand Commercialization, described licensing as "a central way Disney storytelling shows up in consumers' everyday lives."

The Vault

Disney Experiences earned 10 awards at this year's Telly Awards and two honors at the Shorty Awards, as detailed by Disney Parks Blog. The standout winner was Disneyland Handcrafted, the documentary exploring the frantic construction of Disneyland before its 1955 opening day. It took home three Telly Awards, including two golds for Best Sound and Sound Design and Best Use of Archival Footage, plus a silver for Best Documentary, Long Form. Disney Parks Blog also highlighted recognition for collaborations with Kylie Kelce and Dude Perfect, as well as the We Call It Imagineering series. In total, the projects reflect how Disney Experiences has built a serious content operation across social media, YouTube, and Disney+.

Nostalgia for Disney retail is having a moment as well. Attractions Magazine published a look inside the new "Disney Store Limited Time" concept in Pittsburgh, a physical pop-up that represents Disney's latest attempt to maintain a brick-and-mortar retail presence after years of store closures. The magazine notes that for longtime fans, the concept may not fully recapture the magic of the original Disney Store experience. Disney Tourist Blog published a separate essay making the case for bringing back the Disney Store in earnest, anchored in the kind of childhood mall memories that resonate with a generation that grew up treating those stores as pilgrimages. Whether the Pittsburgh concept is a stepping stone toward something bigger or simply a licensing play, the hunger for a real Disney Store is clearly still there.

And one small detail from the merchandise side that connects past and present: WDW News Today spotted a new hat at Disney California Adventure featuring the park's original logo, complete with the original name, Disney's California Adventure, and the Grizzly Peak design. It is priced at $32.99. For a park that has spent two decades evolving away from its rocky debut, selling that original logo as a nostalgia item is a quiet acknowledgment of how far the park has come.

Sources

Disney Experiences · WDW News Today · BlogMickey · Disney Food Blog · D23 · MickeyBlog · Disney Parks Blog · Attractions Magazine · Disney Tourist Blog · AllEars · The Walt Disney Company · The DisInsider