South by Southwest (SXSW) is happening in Austin right now, and boy did the Disney Parks folks bring down the house with their news drop. From a surprise appearance by the one and only Robert Downey Jr., new rides, and updates to existing attractions, we’re excited for what’s coming to the parks.
Especially this one.
Mando and Grogu Coming to Smuggler’s Run
Not only did we get news of an update coming to the Millennium Falcon ride, but we got a surprise drop date for Jon Favreau‘s upcoming movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
“One of the cool things about Disney is how we can tell our stories in so many different formats,” Favreau told the crowd during the panel. “We’re already taking Mando and Grogu from the TV screen to the movie screen, and at the same time, Dave [Filoni] and I are working with Asa [Kalama, Imagineer] to bring this story to the Disney parks, too.”
“Opening an attraction and such a massive movie on the same day wouldn’t be possible without the relationships we have inside Disney,” Kalama said. “Jon and Dave have shared their story with us, and now we’ve all worked together to come up with a new mission for Smugglers Run that plays into this narrative.”
There were concept art images shown, teasing some iconic and familiar locations from the galaxy far, far away. Like Bespin!!
“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie – it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera from what you see in the film,” Favreau said.
Coming to the parks May 22nd, 2026.
BDX Droids are FINALLY Coming
We’ve seen the ‘duck’ droids puttering around the parks for the better part of a year now, and no one really seemed sure of how they’d eventually be deployed. They appear in the upcoming film “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” and will be making the trip to Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris (as well as being implemented more at Disneyland).
