And It’s the Best Upgrade Galaxy’s Edge Has Gotten Since It Opened
If it’s been a while since you’ve flown the Falcon, it’s time to go back. On May 22, 2026 — the same day The Mandalorian and Grogu hit theaters — Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disneyland got its biggest overhaul since the attraction opened in 2019, and it’s now officially called Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – A New Mission.
We covered the basics of Smugglers Run in our full Galaxy’s Edge guide, but this update is significant enough to deserve its own spotlight — and honestly, if your only experience with this ride is the original version, you’re in for a genuinely different attraction.
A Quick Reminder of Why the Original Was Already Great
Smugglers Run has always stood apart from most Disney attractions because of how interactive it is — it plays more like a video game than a ride film. Six guests take on three roles: two Pilots controlling the ship’s movement, two Gunners defending against incoming fire, and two Engineers keeping systems running. The Standby queue itself is packed with easter eggs worth slowing down for — a chess board in the lounge, floor and button details throughout the ship — that build the sense that you’re really walking through a lived-in smuggling vessel rather than a queue. Crucially, your crew’s choices actually affect how the mission plays out, which is part of why the original held up so well for so long: no two rides ever felt quite identical.
What’s New in “A New Mission”
The old storyline — a fuel heist working with Hondo Ohnaka — has been replaced with a mission built around Din Djarin (the Mandalorian) and Grogu. Hondo has picked up word of a deal going down on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a band of pirates, and your crew borrows the Falcon to help track down the bounties and recover cargo along the way. Disney has been clear that this storyline runs parallel to the movie rather than retelling it — you’re not watching scenes from the film, you’re living in the same world at the same time, with Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni directly involved in shaping the story.
The gameplay changes are even bigger than the story changes:
- For the first time ever, the crew chooses the destination. After the opening chase sequence on Tatooine, one of your two Engineers picks where the mission goes next: Bespin (Cloud City), the wreckage above Endor’s second Death Star, or the city-planet of Coruscant. You’ll only visit one of the three per ride, which means the attraction plays differently almost every time you board.
- Engineers got a serious power upgrade. Where Engineers used to mostly handle repairs, they now pick the destination, launch homing beacons at fleeing ships, and use the tractor beam to haul in cargo for Hondo. If you used to fight over who got to be Pilot, expect that fight to shift to Engineer — it’s genuinely become the most active role on the ship.
- You can talk to Grogu. Engineers can hit a call button connected to the Razor Crest to check in on what Grogu’s up to mid-mission — a small touch, but a fun one for anyone riding with young Star Wars fans.
- The pre-show changed too. Hondo’s setup dialogue has been reworked, and references to the First Order and Resistance were removed to keep the timeline consistent with the new story.
- Each of the three new destinations has its own personality. Coruscant sends you weaving through an illuminated nighttime skyline chasing an Imperial officer through dense civilian traffic. Bespin puts you in a high-speed pursuit through the skies of Cloud City. The Endor location has you navigating the shattered wreckage of the second Death Star, dodging fragments of a fallen Star Destroyer in what amounts to your own miniature trench run.
A Few Tips Before You Fly
- Fight for the Engineer seats. With destination choice and cargo collection now in their hands, Engineers have gone from the least exciting job on the ship to arguably the most fun.
- Ride it more than once if your day allows. Since you only see one of the three new destinations per ride, it genuinely takes multiple rides to see everything the update has to offer.
- There’s a hidden “Grogu Mode.” Longtime fans will remember “Wookiee Mode” from the original ride, unlocked with a specific button sequence from a full six-person crew. There’s a new secret mode tied to this update too — we won’t spoil how to find it, but it’s out there for crews who want to hunt for it.
- Standby and Lightning Lane demand are both up since the update debuted, especially with the movie release driving extra interest. If it’s high on your list, treat it like a rope-drop priority for the next several weeks.
Don’t Forget the Play Disney Parks App While You Wait
If you haven’t downloaded the Play Disney Parks app before your next Galaxy’s Edge visit, this is your reminder. Alongside the Disneyland app you use for wait times and mobile order, Play Disney Parks turns your standby wait at Black Spire Outpost into part of the experience instead of dead time.
Full Details: The Full Guide to the Play Disney Parks App
Inside Galaxy’s Edge specifically, the app becomes your Star Wars: Datapad — a full toolkit with four functions: Hack (interact with droids, control panels, and other devices scattered through the land), Scan (find hidden crates and containers for virtual credits), Translate (decode Aurebesh signage as you walk past it), and Tune (intercept in-world communications). You can also pick up “jobs” from Batuu residents through the app for extra credits, and there are dedicated missions built directly into the Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon queues that let you play as a Resistance scout, a First Order spy, or an independent scoundrel — each with a different perspective on the same storyline. If you’re lucky enough to have a MagicBand+, you can also join the Batuu Bounty Hunters, where vibrations and lights on the band guide you to a hidden target using the app’s augmented-reality thermal viewer.
It genuinely changes how a queue feels. Instead of standing around waiting, you’re translating a sign on the wall, hacking a droid’s memory banks, or hunting down a target with your whole crew — and it works whether you’re solo or with a full family group split across the line.
Whatever else is on your Galaxy’s Edge list, the Falcon deserves to be back near the top of it, even if you’ve ridden the original version dozens of times. Bring the whole crew, download the Play app before you get in line, and don’t be surprised if you end up doing a second and third lap just to see where else the mission takes you.
For the rest of our Galaxy’s Edge tips — including our full breakdown of Rise of the Resistance, dining on Batuu, and the land’s full interactive feature list — check out our Galaxy’s Edge guide.
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