SXSW's The Future of World-building at Disney Panel was stuffed with thrilling particulars and teases of the longer term of Disney Parks, together with how The Mandalorian and Grogu will likely be becoming a member of a new mission aboard Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, that Imagineers will need to create a new kind of experience car with emotion for Magic Kingdom's Cars experience, and a tease of what the load space and elevate off will appear to be for the brand new Monsters, Inc. attraction.
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman led the festivities and mentioned what their groups are engaged on and how useful it’s once they collaborate for thrilling new experiences at Disney Parks.
There was a ton mentioned, and we've gathered all the largest bulletins and divulges under!
The Mandalorian and Grogu Will Join Smuggler's Run in a New Mission at the Launch of The Mandalorian & Grogu Film
While we knew The Mandalorian and Grogu would be part of a new story on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Disney confirmed the new experience would debut alongside The Mandalorian & Grogu movie on May 22, 2026.
The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau and Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama shared a bit more in regards to the upcoming new story and revealed some idea artwork of areas that ought to excite followers of that galaxy far, distant. The photographs, which you’ll see under, embrace a Jawa's Sandcrawler on Tatooine, the Millennium Falcon and Mando's Razor Crest flying towards Cloud City on Bespin, and even a tease of go to to the wreckage of the second Death Star above Endor.
“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie – it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera from what you see in the film,” Favreau defined.
Imagineers captured scenes for this new story from the set of The Mandalorian & Grogu, that means it ought to really feel very genuine when it goes stay.
In addition, it was additionally revealed that the fantastic BDX droids which were seen at Disneyland will quickly be making their solution to Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. There will even be a new variant as an Anzellan (like Babu Frik!) named Otto will generally seem on a BDX that wants a little tune up.
Oh, and if that wasn't enough BDX goodness for you, the crew shared these droids will likely be making an look in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Here's a Sneak Peak at the Load Area and Lift Off of the New Monsters, Inc. Attraction at Disney World
Monsters, Inc. Land is coming soon to Disney World's Hollywood Studios and it’ll embrace an thrilling new themed curler coaster that will likely be Disney Park's first-ever suspended coaster and its first with a vertical lift.
This new attraction goals to offer company the dream-come-true second of hovering by Monsters, Inc.'s door vault and Disney shared a first look at the load space and how it ought to set the tone very effectively of what's to return.
We nonetheless have a lot to study this new attraction and the land it’ll stay in, however that is an thrilling tease nonetheless.
Pixar and Imagineering Reveal a New Type of Ride Vehicle Had to Be Made for Magic Kingdom's Upcoming Cars Attraction
Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen shared new details about the upcoming Cars attraction that will likely be half of the new Cars-themed land that’s at the moment in growth at Magic Kingdom.
“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen stated. “For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”
The crew needed some real-world information to help of their analysis in order that they went to the Arizona desert to experience in an off-road car and take off over rocky terrain. This new experience doesn't happen in Radiator Springs, however as a substitute it will likely be a thrilling rally race by the mountains, so they need it to really feel good.
From there, they labored with a motocross firm to build a grime monitor of their own to race round and used that to develop what’s going to ultimately be the experience car.
"We’re utilizing a custom-made manufacturing car,” Hundgen continued. “It has sensors all over it, and we’re taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering."
These vehicles will also get some Disney and Pixar magic thrown in as each car will have its own personality, name, and number.
Robert Downey Jr. Stops by Disney's SXSW Panel to Help Share More About the New Avengers Campus Attractions
Disneyland's Avengers Campus is getting two new attractions, including one called Avengers Infinity Defense where guests will team up with members of the Avengers to take on King Thanos across multiple worlds. However, the second one was the star of Disney's SXSW panel as Robert Downey Jr. himself stopped by to share new details about it.
It's been previously revealed that Downey Jr. would be returning as Tony Stark for Avengers Campus' Stark Flight Lab, an attraction that will take guests into Tony's workshop and allow them to experience some of the new tech he's been working on.
Downey Jr. said these new experiences are "the living embodiment of the Stark Enterprises mission statement."
“The curiosity, the passion, the inventiveness, the occasional flair for the dramatic, most of all a drive to put something good out into the world to make life better, at the minimum more fun by a mile, ” Downey continued. “It’s the privilege of a lifetime to be invited to participate.”
As for the experience itself, company will sit in "gyro-kinetic pods" and can ultimately be grabbed by a big robot arm who will help them make "several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers."
"Transferring from a monitor to a robot arm after which back again – nothing like this has ever been executed earlier than in a theme park, and we’re so enthusiastic about it,” Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Imagineering Bruce Vaughn defined. “Usually, we hide all the tech behind the scenes so you can focus on the story. Here, the tech IS the story, so we’re putting it front and center.”
One of they methods Imagineering is making the tech the star of this attraction is the give attention to that robotic arm, which really takes heavy inspiration from Tony Stark's little robotic buddy, DUM-E. The crew enlisted the help of dancers and movement seize to help make these robots really feel as actual as potential.
For more from the world of Disney, try our 75th Anniversary Retrospective for Cinderella, how Disneyland will be celebrating its 70th anniversary, and everything else announced at D23's big Disney Experiences Showcase.
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Adam Bankhurst is a author for IGN. You can comply with him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.