Josh D’Amaro Admits Guests Don’t “Love” Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run Ahead of Mandalorian Rebrand

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Josh D’Amaro, who will soon be the CEO of Disney Experiences, has admitted that the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride isn’t resonating deeply with enough guests. Although the ride is popular and generally well-received, some visitors don’t feel a strong emotional connection to it. D’Amaro shared this observation during a design review, telling the team that guests ‘like’ the ride, but don’t ‘love’ it, according to a contributor from Harvard Business Review.

D’Amaro announced that a new update for the ride will arrive on May 22nd, coinciding with the release of the movie The Mandalorian and Grogu.

D’Amaro on the Ride

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a simulator ride found in the Galaxy’s Edge areas of both Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. It opened in 2019 and continues to be a popular attraction. During the ride, six guests take on different roles aboard the Millennium Falcon – two as pilots, two as gunners, and two as engineers – working together to complete a smuggling run.

According to Disney’s leadership, simply measuring things like wait times and how many people ride isn’t enough to show if guests are truly enjoying the experience. While the ride is still popular and runs efficiently, they believe creating a stronger emotional connection with guests is key to building lasting loyalty.

During the planning stages, Disney Imagineers and D’Amaro talked about how different roles impact guests’ enjoyment. Pilots directly control the spacecraft and significantly influence what happens on the mission. Gunners and engineers provide support, but have less impact on the story. D’Amaro pointed out that this imbalance could prevent some guests from fully connecting with the experience. Even though there may be long lines, guests only have about a one-in-three chance of getting the important job of piloting the spacecraft.

Disney’s leaders are now focusing on the difference between guests simply enjoying an attraction and truly loving it. Marcus Buckingham, writing in the Harvard Business Review, calls their method “experience intelligence”—understanding and influencing emotions to create more than just basic satisfaction.

Mandalorian and Grogu Update

Disney is updating the Smugglers Run attraction at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a new adventure based on The Mandalorian and Grogu. The update will launch on May 22, 2026, at the same time the new The Mandalorian and Grogu movie – directed by Jon Favreau – comes out in theaters.

This update will give every rider more to do and a stronger sense of control. The ride’s tasks and how riders interact with them have been improved, making each role clearer and providing better feedback to everyone involved, thanks to upgraded technology.

Disney is completely updating the ride’s technology. The 2026 changes will move from pre-recorded videos to real-time rendering, making the ride’s environment more interactive and connected to a new story. This shows Disney’s commitment to using technology to create more engaging and immersive experiences.

Although leaders and creators are optimistic that the updated experience will improve how guests interact with it, Smugglers Run remains a popular ride in Galaxy’s Edge.

D’Amaro pointed out that the ride needs improvement, and an upcoming update might make it more popular with guests.

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2026-02-17 22:56