Disney Unveils World-Building Future at SXSW

Disney's SXSW "Future of World-Building" panel unveiled exciting updates for Disney Parks. Josh D'Amaro and Alan Bergman highlighted inter-team collaboration driving these innovations. Here are the key announcements:

The Mandalorian and Grogu Join Smuggler's Run

A new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu will launch on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run on May 22, 2026, coinciding with the release of The Mandalorian & Grogu film. Jon Favreau, alongside Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama, showcased concept art depicting locations like Tatooine's Jawa Sandcrawler, the Millennium Falcon and Razor Crest near Bespin's Cloud City, and even the wreckage of the second Death Star above Endor. Favreau emphasized this new story unfolds parallel to, not within, the film's narrative. Scenes were captured directly on the film set for an authentic feel. Additionally, the popular BDX droids from Disneyland will expand to Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris, with a new Anzellan droid, Otto, joining the lineup. These droids will also appear in The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Monsters, Inc. Attraction: Load Area and Lift-Off Sneak Peek

Disney World's Hollywood Studios' upcoming Monsters, Inc. Land will feature a suspended coaster—a first for Disney Parks—with a vertical lift. A first look at the load area, designed to build anticipation, was shared.

Magic Kingdom's Cars Attraction: A New Kind of Ride Vehicle

Pixar's Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen detailed the new Cars attraction at Magic Kingdom's upcoming Cars Land. They emphasized creating an emotional experience, necessitating the design of a completely new ride vehicle. Research included off-road vehicle testing in the Arizona desert and building a dirt track to test prototypes. The ride, a mountain rally race, will feature uniquely personalized vehicles with names and numbers.

Avengers Campus: Robert Downey Jr. and Stark Flight Lab

Robert Downey Jr. joined the panel to discuss Avengers Campus' Stark Flight Lab. He described the attraction as embodying the Stark Enterprises mission statement, focusing on innovation and fun. Guests will ride in gyro-kinetic pods, manipulated by a giant robotic arm inspired by DUM-E, for high-speed maneuvers. The technology itself is a central part of the story.