• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run launches a full Mandalorian and Grogu-themed overhaul at Disneyland and Disney World on May 22, 2026.
• Riders now choose from three new destinations — Coruscant, Bespin (Cloud City), or the Death Star wreckage near Endor — plus a mandatory stop on Tatooine.
• The engineer role gets a major upgrade, now controlling destination choice and a tractor beam to collect cargo.
• A secret “Grogu Mode” can be unlocked by both gunners pressing a specific button sequence during the ride.
• The attraction runs on a new version of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, delivering sharper, more cinematic visuals throughout.

The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy just got a whole lot more interesting. Starting Friday, May 22, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is getting its biggest overhaul since it opened in 2019 — a full Mandalorian and Grogu-themed mission update timed to coincide with the duo’s theatrical debut on the same date. And based on early rides at a Disneyland media preview, it’s not just a fresh coat of paint. This is a genuinely better ride.

The core setup will feel familiar: up to six guests pile into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon as two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers, each with distinct responsibilities. Hondo Ohnaka is still your shady employer. But this time, Din Djarin — the Mandalorian himself — and Grogu are along for the mission, chasing down a trio of bounties: two ex-Imperial officers and one pirate. It’s enough of a story hook to justify the action, and the tone is lighter and faster than the original ride’s glorified errand run.

Four Locations, Endless Combinations

Every ride begins with a hyperspace jump to Tatooine, where your crew intercepts a shady deal going sideways. Grogu — naturally — blows your cover, the bounties scatter, and then something genuinely new happens: one of the engineers gets five seconds to choose where you go next. Three options, three completely different adventures.

Those destinations are Coruscant, Bespin’s Cloud City, and the wreckage of the second Death Star orbiting Endor. The choice wasn’t made casually. Matt Martin, a senior creative executive at Lucasfilm, told io9 he built an elaborate spreadsheet weighing every major Star Wars location before landing on these three. “When you’re looking at something like a ride, especially when you’re in control, you need verticality and scale, and it needs to look and feel different,” Martin explained. Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau pushed hard for Coruscant, and Cloud City made the cut because, as Martin put it, “we hadn’t seen that in this sort of experience before.”

But the variability goes even deeper than just picking a planet. Within each location, pilots can choose different paths — cut left or right through a canyon on Tatooine, fly above or below Cloud City, navigate different corridors through the Death Star debris field. “I haven’t done the math on how many total combinations there are,” Imagineering creative executive Asa Kalama told io9, “but within each planetary destination, there are multiple branching paths. If you start to chain together all of those various branching paths with all of the different planetary destinations, there’s a ton of variability and re-rideability.”

Each destination also has its own emotional texture. Endor is dark, smokey, and a little ominous — the kind of spooky that makes sense when you’re picking through the wreckage of a superweapon. Coruscant is neon-lit and chaotic, a full-throttle chase through civilian traffic and illuminated tunnels that plays like the Zam Wesell speeder chase from Attack of the Clones. Bespin catches you during golden hour, with the Falcon careening around the outside of Cloud City itself — including a view from below that echoes Luke Skywalker dangling from that antenna in The Empire Strikes Back, complete with city trash raining down past you.

“The goal was not only are you going to a different location from a geographic perspective,” Kalama said, “but to feel emotionally like you’re going on a different adventure.”

The Engineers Finally Have Something to Do

One of the longest-standing complaints about the original Smugglers Run was that the engineer seats were a bit of a dead end — not much to do beyond occasionally pressing a button. That’s been completely flipped. Engineers now control the destination choice, fire tracking beacons at bounty ships, and operate a new tractor beam to snag up to six cargo crates during the mission. One reviewer who rode the updated attraction multiple times put it bluntly: everybody’s going to want to be an engineer now.

The cargo system feeds into the scoring. Depending on how many crates you collect and what’s inside — galactic credits, Kyber Crystals, or even a baby Rancor — your crew earns different point totals and rankings. Think Privateer, Pirate, Smuggler, all the way up to the elusive Employee of the Month for the highest scorers. “There’s a lot of variation to the point system,” Martin said. “There’s definitely more crates that you can get, and at the end, when it brings the crates out, you will see how many you’ve got.”

The pilots and gunners aren’t left out either. Pilots will notice the flight controls have been tuned — still responsive, but with an invisible guided hand that keeps even inexperienced riders feeling like they’re pulling off something cinematic. “We’ve tuned it in such a special way that no matter how skilled or unskilled you might be, you’re always guaranteed to have a flight that feels really cinematic,” Kalama said. The original ride’s tendency to have Hondo berate bad fliers for the entire five minutes has also been dialed way back. Gunners, meanwhile, now choose between automatic and manual targeting modes and have more targets and environments to interact with, especially on Coruscant, where an ion cannon replaces the standard weapon — and yes, you can shoot the advertising signs.

The Tech Upgrade Makes a Real Difference

Under the hood, the ride has been rebuilt on the latest version of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. The visual jump is noticeable — backgrounds are sharper and more detailed, and the environments feel closer to film-quality than theme park game. One caveat: some of the enemy TIE fighters and starfighters in the dogfight sequences reportedly look slightly less polished than the stunning background scenery, a small inconsistency in an otherwise significant visual upgrade.

The software improvements also make the controls more responsive across all positions, which feeds directly into that more cinematic feel Kalama describes. The ride is the same length — around five minutes — but it moves faster and with more intention.

Easter Eggs, Grogu Mode, and Hidden Surprises

Veteran riders will remember the old “Wookiee Mode” that turned all cockpit communications into Chewbacca speak. That’s been replaced with a “Grogu Mode” — unlock it by having both gunners press a specific button sequence, and Grogu sounds and extra Grogu appearances will pop up throughout the mission. Fans have already cracked it.

The Easter eggs go much further than that. Martin teased several: a downed pod racer visible on Tatooine if you look carefully, a sign in Coruscant referencing the Halcyon (the Star Wars hotel that was part of Galaxy’s Edge), and — if you hit a certain score or take a specific path at the end — the chance to hear Han Solo yelling at Hondo. “That is so satisfying when you get it,” Martin said. Kalama added one more: fans who’ve noticed that the Millennium Falcon outside the attraction already sports the Force Awakens-era circular satellite dish will find an in-ride explanation for why.

There’s also a baby Rancor hiding in one of the cargo crates, though you’ll need to collect enough of them to find it.

The new Mandalorian and Grogu mission is a legitimate upgrade — more replayable, more visually impressive, and more fun for every seat in the cockpit. Whether you’re fighting over the engineer chairs or letting someone else navigate while you shoot ion cannons at neon signs over Coruscant, the ride finally feels like the centerpiece Galaxy’s Edge always needed it to be. The full mission details are available on the Disney Experiences site, and Disney Parks has a breakdown of tips for every role if you want to go in prepared.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run opens with the new mission on May 22 at both Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters the same day.

The post Everything to Know About the New Millennium Falcon Ride appeared first on Cream.

• Woody, Buzz, and Jessie are now wearing Toy Story 5-themed accessories at Disney Parks worldwide ahead of the June 19 release.
• Three new character posters pit the beloved toys against Lilypad, a frog-inspired smart tablet voiced by Greta Lee.
• The film is directed by Andrew Stanton and features a star-studded cast including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, and Keanu Reeves.
• Funko has unveiled an official Toy Story 5 Pop collection, including a blind box Mystery Mini series with 12 characters to collect.
• The movie’s central conflict pits classic toys against modern technology as Lilypad competes for Bonnie’s attention.

The Toy Story 5 takeover has officially begun. With just weeks to go before the film hits theaters on June 19, Disney Parks are already deep in it — and if you’ve been to Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World or Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure lately, you’ve probably already noticed something different about your favorite cowboy and space ranger.

Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie are now sporting fresh new accessories at their meet-and-greet locations in honor of the upcoming Pixar sequel. Jessie is wearing her sheriff badge, Woody is rocking a bandana poncho, and Buzz has a shiny star sticker to show off. It’s a small touch, but for fans who’ve been counting down to this one, it hits different in person.

Meet Lilypad — Woody’s Toughest Opponent Yet

Disney and Pixar also just dropped three new character posters, and they do a lot of work setting up the film’s central tension. Each one pairs one of the classic trio with Lilypad — a bright green, frog-inspired tablet device with oversized animated eyes and small webbed feet at the corners of the screen. Think iPad, but make it Pixar.

In the first poster, Jessie looks genuinely caught off guard as Lilypad watches her from across the frame. Woody is shown cautiously reaching toward the device in his, while Lilypad gives him a slightly smug look back. And then there’s Buzz — facing Lilypad in full confrontation mode, jaw set, while the tablet stares back with narrowed eyes. Same layout, three very different emotional registers, and all of them tell you exactly where each character stands.

The posters had actually already appeared in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios before the official social media rollout — a nice little Easter egg for park guests who spotted them early.

The official synopsis leans into the tech-versus-toys premise head-on: “The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, and this time it’s Toy meets Tech. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad, a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?”

Greta Lee voices Lilypad. Scarlett Spears takes over as the voice of Bonnie. And the rest of the ensemble is stacked — Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack are all back as Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, joined by Tony Hale, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, Kristen Schaal, Krys Marshall, and Keanu Reeves.

The film is directed by Andrew Stanton — who has been a writer on the Toy Story franchise since the very beginning and directed both Finding Nemo and WALL-E — from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kenna Harris, who also co-directs. Lindsey Collins produces. It took nearly seven years to bring this one together, and Stanton has already hinted there’s more story where this came from.

The Merch Is Already Here

If you can’t make it to a park, the Toy Story 5 rollout is coming to your doorstep anyway. Funko has unveiled its official collection of Toy Story 5 Pop figures, featuring updated looks for Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, plus Lilypad herself. Each vinyl figure stands about 3.75 inches tall and comes in a numbered window-pane box — the kind that’s made for display as much as it is for play. They’re available to order on Amazon now ahead of a June 10 release date, getting them into fans’ hands a full nine days before the movie opens.

Bullseye also gets his own Pop, measuring roughly 3.75 inches tall and five inches wide — a nice nod to Jessie’s loyal horse, who’s confirmed to be back with the squad.

The more exciting pull for collectors, though, might be the Funko Mystery Mini blind boxes, which lean into the same surprise-unboxing energy that made Labubus such a phenomenon last year. Each pack contains one random figure from a pool of 12 characters. Among the rarer pulls: Sticky Hand and the pet pig belonging to Blaze, a new character described as a friend of Jessie’s. And for the truly lucky, there’s a super rare chase pull featuring Forky and Karen Beverly — a.k.a. Knifey — which is going to make a lot of Toy Story 4 fans very happy.

Tim Allen, for his part, has already hinted that this new chapter puts Jessie front and center in a bigger way than before — which, given Joan Cusack’s three-decade run with the character, feels very earned.

Toy Story 5 opens in theaters June 19.

The post Toy Story 5 Is Taking Over Disney Parks and Stores appeared first on Cream.

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 26, 2026
• The ride vehicles have been reimagined as L.I.M.O.s — Lengthy Immediate Motion Objects — powered by Muppet Labs
• A first-ever Audio-Animatronic of Scooter, built using motion-capture technology, anchors the new pre-show
• Guests will rock out to one of five possible tracks featuring Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Def Leppard, and more
• A full merch line including a Loungefly guitar bag and six themed tees is hitting the parks this summer

The Muppets are officially taking over Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and they’re bringing a whole lot of chaos, color, and celebrity cameos with them. With Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opening on May 26, Disney has pulled back the curtain on nearly every corner of the reimagined attraction — and it is every bit as gloriously unhinged as you’d hope.

The first thing you’ll notice before you even get in line: the iconic 40-foot Stratocaster guitar outside the ride has a full new personality. The ruby-red Aerosmith look is gone. In its place is a psychedelic, colorful Muppet-y makeover, with “G-Force Records Presents Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets” stretched across the lower body in lettering that pops against the attraction’s new sleek, dark gray color scheme. The guitar sits on a base of giant piano keys — and one of them is golden, a direct nod to Dr. Teeth’s signature gold tooth. A new attraction poster has also been unveiled, showing Kermit, Miss Piggy, and The Electric Mayhem riding in their decked-out ride vehicle.

Speaking of which: those ride vehicles? Completely transformed. The limousine trains are now officially L.I.M.O.s — Lengthy Immediate Motion Objects — super-powered by Muppet Labs and painted up with music notes and stars. The upside-down car outside the entrance got the same groovy treatment. It’s the kind of detail that’s going to make Muppet fans stop and just… appreciate it for a second.

Inside G-Force Records: Scooter Gets His Moment

The pre-show is where things get genuinely exciting for Disney Parks fans. Your VIP tour of the newly reimagined G-Force Records — secured for The Muppets by none other than J.P. Grosse, real estate tycoon, owner of the Muppet Theatre, and Scooter’s uncle — drops you right into the middle of a rehearsal. The Electric Mayhem are deep into “Can You Picture That?” and absolutely not interested in stopping.

Enter Scooter. Disney has built the first-ever Audio-Animatronic figure of the beloved Muppet, and the way they did it is pretty remarkable — Walt Disney Imagineering used motion-capture technology on the actual Scooter Muppet, recording and tracking his performance so the figure looks, moves, and emotes exactly the way Scooter should, right down to the small details. He’s joined by a crew of audio engineer penguins (naturally), and together they’re desperately trying to hustle the band across town to their increasingly restless fans.

Will they make it in time? That’s the question driving the whole experience — and then you’re boarding a L.I.M.O. and finding out for yourself.

Five Tracks, Some Very Famous Friends

Once you hit zero to sixty, the show begins — and depending on which ride you get, it could be a very different show. Guests will rock out to one of five possible tracks, all performed by The Electric Mayhem:

• Song 2
• Born To Be Wild (featuring Camilla the Chicken)
• Love Rollercoaster (featuring Jennifer Hudson & Questlove)
• Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) (featuring Def Leppard)
• Walking on Sunshine (featuring Kelly Clarkson)

Kelly Clarkson. Jennifer Hudson. Questlove. Def Leppard. And Camilla the Chicken, who is frankly an equal billing as far as we’re concerned. The randomized track system means repeat riders are going to have a real reason to go again — and again.

On-ride photos will come in three different concert-inspired frames featuring Muppet characters, so at least your face of pure terror will have a fun backdrop.

The Merch Is Already a Lot

Disney also gave a first look at the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets merchandise lineup, and there is something for every level of Muppet devotion. Six themed tees are available at opening, each with its own personality — including a Miss Piggy diva tee, an Animal drumming youth shirt, and an RSVLTS collab that’s already looking like a must-have. A Muppets baseball hat, gradient water bottle, license plate magnet, postcard, and drumsticks round out the opening-day offerings.

Coming later this summer: a Loungefly guitar bag shaped like — yes — a guitar, with iconic Muppets along the straps. A sticker set featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Statler and Waldorf, and Animal is also on the way.

Cast Member previews kick off May 16, Annual Passholder previews begin May 21, and Disney Vacation Club Members get priority access on May 24 — before the ride officially opens to all guests on May 26. The snack kiosk near the entrance, KRNR The Snack Station, is also set to become FØØD by Swedish Chef, which really does complete the picture.

Scooter’s already on the job. The only question is whether The Electric Mayhem will actually make it to the stage on time.

The post Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: First Look appeared first on Cream.