Walt Disney Imagineering is giving fans a look behind the controls of one of the most significant attraction updates in recent memory. The latest episode of Disney Unscripted, the Disney Parks YouTube series that pulls back the curtain on some of the bigger projects happening across the resort, focuses on the new Mandalorian and Grogu mission now running at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
The video shares a behind the scenes look at Imagineers working on the experience inside the cockpit itself, covering everything from cabin motion programming to audio and music details, all before passing it off to the operational team for guest enjoyment.
The Imagineers specifically tested the ride with team members who are prone to motion sickness to make sure the updated experience worked for everyone. Mike Arevalo, Principal Ride Timing & Motion Animator for Walt Disney Imagineering, actually travels between Walt Disney World and Disneyland to program the new mission.
The video also includes the team showing Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni the new mission.
The mission itself puts Din Djarin and Grogu at the center of the action. Hondo Ohnaka sends your crew after two Imperial officers and a pirate moving cargo on Tatooine, with Mando briefing the team from the Razor Crest before you take the Falcon. From there, crews choose their destination (via the left-side Engineer role): Bespin, the Death Star wreckage above Endor, or Coruscant; meaning no two runs are exactly the same.
Engineers can interact directly with Grogu mid-mission, while pilots and gunners will notice improved controls and responsiveness throughout.
On the technical side, Imagineering rebuilt the entire visual system in collaboration with Industrial Light and Magic and Epic Games. The attraction now runs on Unreal Engine 5 with real-time rendering across all five cockpit projection surfaces, using the same 3D assets from Lucasfilm’s production library that were used to produce The Mandalorian on Disney+.
You can watch the full Disney Unscripted episode here:
