The key word for Walt Disney World’s theme parks this summer is “update.” Some attractions have undergone major changes that drastically rewrite the storyline, while others fall into the category of needing enhancements.
A few mantras may have guided your creative side here. The term “re-rideability” and the user-friendly concept of listening to visitor feedback came up multiple times at recent Disney media events. They look like solid pillars.
A new world for Falcon fans
There’s plenty more to do and see at Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, a simulator ride located in the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Three new on-screen scenarios related to the movie Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which was released last week, have been added.
Up until the pre-show/briefing area, just before entering the six-seater cockpit, the animatronics, cue props and other attractions are the same as when they opened in 2019. Enter The Mandalorian and Grogu (sometimes referred to as the Child and once commonly referred to as Baby Yoda).
All three missions begin on Tatooine and return to Batuu, home of Galaxy’s Edge, while showcasing locations and challenges related to Cloud City, the city-planet of Coruscant, the remains of the Death Star, and more.
Update #1: 1 out of 6 passengers can now choose their destination. One of two assigned engineers, he sits in the back row of the Falcon’s cockpit. For years, the engineering slot has been derided as a boring job by theme park enthusiasts, and was even quietly mocked at the recent Orlando Fringe Festival stage show.
Walt Disney Imagineering Executive Producer Todd Richins said last week that “the backseat actually plays a useful role in the mission, whereas in previous missions it had a more observational role.” Observational sounds much better than boring.
The goal of the mission is to collect a crate for Hondo, a galactic pirate who can be seen in the procession in animatronic form.
First ride: Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster meets Muppets.
“We’ve made enhancements to all three positions: pilot, gunner, and engineer. All three have new abilities and new things to explore here at the attraction,” said Morgan McDowell, Senior Software Project Manager at WDI.
“Pilots have the ability to fly through iconic Star Wars landscapes, and they also have the ability to fly left, right, up, down, etc. in these spaces,” she said. “Our gunners can choose between manual and automatic, and our assets have been updated to give them more variety in what they can shoot and destroy depending on which planet they’re flying over.”
But wait, engineers. That’s not all. In addition to choosing a destination, the engineer also has the ability to “check in with Grogu, which I think is my personal favorite. You can call Grogu and see what he’s doing at any time during the mission,” McDowell said. (Look for the icon to find the screen.)
Sure enough, the character appears on a small screen in the cockpit, and eventually a larger version appears in the windshield area.
“Grogu, don’t touch that button,” the Mandalorian scolds. This temptation is also real for visitors, especially non-gamers in the room.
“Almost every button does something,” McDowell said. “At least there’s sound, so it’s all interactive and it’s all fun.”
The popular hyperspace lever remains the same. It is still the responsibility of the pilot to tow it.
“Attractions like the Millennium Falcon are designed to be updated and introduce additional features,” Richins said. “So after listening to the feedback, we knew we could improve this and add more…That was really our intention.”
Triple the number of missions and your Smugglers Run re-ride level will automatically increase. Options are now a recurring theme at WDW, where those riding the reimagined rock ‘n’ roller coaster starring the Muppets at Hollywood Studios can hear a variety of music and spot multiple celebrity cameos. Replayability was also a selling point for the enhanced Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, which reopened at Magic Kingdom in April.
animated action
Construction underway at Hollywood Studios is the renovated Walt Disney Studios Courtyard, formerly known as the Animation Courtyard. There are two striking changes in appearance. The large block archway has been removed, and some might argue that it is more welcoming. Then another large wizard’s hat (shining blue) disappears from view above the entrance to the Magic of Disney Animation attraction, scheduled to open later this summer.
The plaza now has a seating area and a veritable park-like triangular “lawn” spot decorated with figurines of various animals from Disney’s animated films.
“This summer, the characters will be in the area to play with people,” Richins said. “It’s a really exciting change and transformation for that space and ties all of those buildings together.”
This includes a new version of the “Disney Junior – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live” show. This production has previously been seen at Disneyland in California.
In this show, human walkaround characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Sam search on stage for other characters who have arrived late. Each segment has a song and includes Goofy cleaning, Daisy going dark during a power outage, and Pluto snowing.
This, too, is aimed at the smallest walk-around visitors and usually involves dancing or other energy-consuming exercise in an air-conditioned environment, with a call to action.
The Magic of Disney Animation attraction, currently under construction in the former Star Wars: Launch Bay building, will feature multiple meet-and-greets, an indoor play area, a character sketching experience, and a screening of a previously released short film titled “Once Upon a Studio.”
Soar and reboot
At Epcot, the Soarin’ destination has changed and is now called Soarin’ Across America.
The flying theater attraction has previously glided virtually to various locations around the world, but now it will make multiple visual stops across the United States as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The new film features vivid footage that begins with a rocket launch and ends with fireworks over Epcot. We had a sense of smell and an audible gasp as we climbed a hill overlooking Los Angeles at night. (Also fun is the Hawaiian version of “Soarin'” music and Patrick Warburton’s present and past appearances during videotaped loading instructions.)
Bouncing Bluey
Bluey and Bingo, characters from the popular Australian animated series, have arrived in the Conservation Station section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The area can be reached in 7 minutes on the Wildlife Express Train.
Currently, Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station requires you to take a spot in the virtual queue, which can be accessed through the My Disney Experience app. There are two chances to join the crowd each day, at 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., but visitors must be physically present at Animal Kingdom to take advantage of the latter.
There’s also a jumping junction featuring kangaroos and wallabies.
“This is the first time we’ve had guests in an enclosure with kangaroos and wallabies in an accessible environment,” Mr Richins said.
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