Disney is giving guests a closer look at how to fly Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run before the attraction’s new The Mandalorian and Grogu update launches at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland park on May 22, 2026.
The Disney Parks Blog guide, published May 20, 2026, breaks down the three cockpit roles: pilot, gunner, and engineer. The update matters because the new mission expands what crews can do during the ride, including traveling with Mando and Grogu, choosing a destination, collecting cargo, and seeing different outcomes after the flight.
What pilots do on Smugglers Run
Each flight uses two pilots. Disney says the left pilot controls the Falcon’s side-to-side movement, steering left and right while avoiding walls, towers, canyon obstacles, and other ships. The left pilot also has a boost button nearby to accelerate past danger.
The right pilot controls vertical movement. Pushing forward sends the ship down, while pulling back sends it up. The right pilot is also responsible for making the jump to hyperspace when the moment arrives.
Disney’s main advice for pilots is coordination. The two pilot seats have different jobs, but they share the same goal: keep the ship steady enough for the gunners and engineers to do their jobs.
What gunners do on Smugglers Run
Gunners defend the Falcon and help raise the crew’s score by firing on enemy ships. Disney says first-time riders may want to use automatic mode, while more experienced riders may prefer manual mode for a faster-paced challenge.
In automatic mode, targets are tracked automatically and the primary button fires the Falcon’s guns in bursts of five. In manual mode, gunners use three buttons to aim high, middle, and low while firing at incoming enemies.
Disney also says missiles become available at select times during the mission. If timed correctly, those missiles can fire five simultaneous shots that spiral toward a nearby target.
Engineers get a bigger role in the new mission
The engineer role is getting some of the most meaningful new responsibilities in the May 22 update. Disney says one randomized engineer will choose the crew’s next destination after the chase on Tatooine: Bespin, Coruscant, or the Endor debris field near Endor.
Disney’s press materials also say the updated experience was developed with Industrial Light & Magic using technology powered by Unreal Engine 5, with Walt Disney Imagineering adapting digital assets for the game engine.
The other engineer launches homing beacons toward bounty ships before the crew heads to the selected destination. Engineers can also use a tractor beam to collect cargo crates, repair the ship by hitting glowing buttons, and call Grogu in the Razor Crest using the call icon near the seat.
Disney says crews can grab up to six crates of cargo, with three maximum for the left engineer and three maximum for the right engineer. The contents of those crates can affect the final cabin score.
The three new destinations
The Bespin sequence sends crews near Cloud City while chasing an Imperial officer in a Zeta-class Shuttle. Disney says crews will dodge freighters carrying Tibanna gas cannisters, passing tug-ships, and TIE fighters.
The Coruscant sequence takes place above the Uscru Entertainment District at night. Crews chase an Imperial officer in a Sentinel Assault Shuttle while navigating civilian traffic, tunnels, TIE fighter fire, and a city skyline.
The Endor sequence sends the Falcon through the debris field near Endor. Disney says crews look for a Trandoshan pirate hiding in the debris field, avoid massive fragments, and may need to help rescue Mando and Grogu from a rogue tractor beam.
What happens after the mission
At the end of the mission, Disney says guests may see Mando and Grogu securing a bounty as carbonite gas spills from the Razor Crest. Hondo Ohnaka then tallies the crew’s performance and calls out how many crates were recovered.
Disney says the crates may contain galactic credits, Kyber Crystals, or baby Rancors. Each haul affects the overall cabin score, while each rider’s individual performance is also added up.
The new Smugglers Run update launches at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort on May 22, 2026.
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Source: Disney Parks Blog
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