Star Wars Comes to Life: Disney's Imagineering and Live Entertainment at Celebration

Star Wars Celebration unveiled an exciting glimpse into the future of Disney Parks experiences, with IGN having the privilege of speaking with Walt Disney Imagineering's Asa Kalama and Disney Live Entertainment's Michael Serna. They shared insights into the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu-themed update for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, the introduction of the adorable BDX droids to Disney Parks globally, and much more. Kalama and Serna also delved into the creative process behind bringing the Disney magic to life, allowing guests to immerse themselves in their favorite stories and characters, creating unforgettable moments.

The Mandalorian and Grogu-Themed Update to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Will Let Engineers Take Care of Grogu

One of the most thrilling announcements from Star Wars Celebration is the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu-themed update for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, set to launch alongside the film on May 22, 2026. This update will allow engineers to take care of Grogu while on the ride. Although the storyline will diverge from the film, each crew member will work alongside Mando and Grogu. The engineer's role promises to be particularly engaging, offering interactions with Grogu and the ability to choose destinations across the galaxy.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Mission Concept Art for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

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Kalama explained, "Throughout the mission, we're going to be giving the engineers the opportunity to actually get to communicate with Grogu. So, we think it's going to be a ton of fun. There may be times when Mando has to deboard the Razor Crest and Grogu, left to his own devices, might get a little happy on the control panel. So, we love the idea of there being these fun little vignettes and moments where you're sort of on the comm with Grogu."

The adventure will also feature a choose-your-own-adventure element, where guests must make quick decisions about which bounties to pursue. These choices will lead to different destinations like Bespin, the Death Star wreckage above Endor, and the newly-announced location of Coruscant. The narrative revolves around Hondo Ohnaka's discovery of a deal on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and pirates, setting the stage for a high-stakes chase across the galaxy. Guests will join forces with Mando and Grogu to track them down and claim a bounty in a dynamic, galaxy-spanning adventure.

The BDX Droids Will Be Traveling From Disney Parks Around the World Right Into Your Heart

The charming BDX Droids, which have captured the hearts of Star Wars fans worldwide, are set to make their way to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disney. These droids, featured in The Mandalorian & Grogu, have been in development to enhance guest experiences and immerse them deeper into beloved stories.

Kalama highlighted the goal of the BDX Droids, saying, "The goal of the BDX Droids was to look at how we bring characters to life in our parks in different ways, and this is really technology merging with this piece of entertainment and a backstory we created specifically for the parks because these kind of originate with the parks. They've appeared in games and other places, but we created an original story just for us and we've sort of evolved that as we've moved on to sites all over the world."

Serna added, "And they have a lot of fun childlike qualities and do all sorts of cute things that people would do. So, we realized we kind of needed to identify each one of them with a personality. It made it much more interesting to engage with them and allowed us a lot of flexibility and a lot of ways to continue to expand that world. So, in the same way we love R2-D2 and other droids that we become connected to, we think you'll become connected to certain colors of the BDX droids. Each color is really a unique personality."

The introduction of BDX Droids is just one way Disney is evolving park experiences. Kalama and Serna discussed how they are using technology to enhance these cherished interactions. Serna noted, "The technology behind the animatronics is influencing how we're looking at robotics and character experiences and these up close experiences that continue to inspire us. So, we see those amazing animatronics in, for example, the Frozen attraction, and we start to think how we bring those out of an attraction and onto a street. I think you're going to see a lot more of those kinds of things in our parks around the world, which means using technology in ways you're not expecting when they are so close to you."

Kalama emphasized the use of technology in creating immersive experiences, stating, "I think that idea of using technology in both unexpected ways and invisible ways is really important to sort of how we approach all of this stuff. I think we are very much in the business of creating that sense of suspension and disbelief, and oftentimes there's no other way to bring a character to life than through robotics. But one of the things that's incredibly unique to the work that we do, as compared to what you might see in an automotive factory, is we have to figure out how to bring character, emotion, and personality to life. That's an entirely different technical challenge than just getting a robot to be able to balance on its own as a for instance. How do you get it to do that in a way that makes you feel something?"

From Peter Pan and Star Tours to Creating the Future

Similar to many of us, Kalama and Serna were inspired by their childhood experiences at Disney Parks. They shared how attractions like Peter Pan and Star Tours influenced their careers, driving them to create experiences that will inspire future generations.

Serna recounted, "As a little kid, riding Peter Pan was most exciting for me. To fly in this vehicle... I think it really blew my mind. I had no idea how it worked. I just thought, 'Oh my God, we're flying!' And then, as I got a little older and became a huge Star Wars fan, Star Tours was really the ride that changed my life as far as what I thought theme parks can do. Peter Pan was an amazing story, but it was sort of something from the past. However, seeing something that I love from the Star Wars films represented that way... I mean, if you remember back then, we were in an era of no new Star Wars stuff and this was a new adventure and I couldn't believe I was now in a Star Wars story myself."

He added, "And so I think when we do our jobs well, we invite the entire family, regardless of how old you are right now, to feel truly transported and completely lost in a fantasy. I think that inspires me every day when I think about the work we do. It's not necessarily about what I want to do, but it's mostly what 10-year-old Michael really wanted to do. That's what I want to put out there for our guests. I feel like if 10-year-old Michael will love it, you're probably going to love it too, whatever age you are."

Kalama shared his own experience, saying, "I only had the opportunity to visit the park one time before I became a cast member, and I was probably eight years old and I was so obsessed with all things science fiction. I literally refused to leave Tomorrowland. So, the first time I ever encountered any of the other lands was as an adult. But again, for me, as Michael said, I have one vivid memory and it was Star Tours. That was the attraction for me. I mean, the suspension of disbelief was through the roof and I fully believed that I was on a star speeder and that I had traveled through the galaxy. I think that sense of magic of disassociation with reality and entering into this complete fantasy world is powerful, not only for kids, but I think it's just as important for adults. And so I think when we do our jobs well, we invite the entire family, regardless of how old you are right now, to feel truly transported and completely lost in a fantasy."

Now, Kalama and Serna are shaping the future of Disney Parks experiences. Serna highlighted his work on Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga at Disneyland, a projection show at Galaxy's Edge that enhances the nightly fireworks with a Star Wars narrative, even on nights without fireworks.

Serna explained, "That was actually about a two year process of looking at something that was happening in the parks daily, which was fireworks. People would sit in Batuu and watch the fireworks, but there was no music or anything. You were just sitting there in silence watching fireworks. So, we sort of looked at that as an opportunity to say, well, maybe we need to create something here and create it in the world of Star Wars. So, we worked really closely with Lucasfilm to sort of look at what would a fireworks type show be in Galaxy's Edge. We created a character that was our storyteller. We created a droid that was part of the experience. We created a whole sort of performative piece around it and that actually led us to our next stage. There are some nights when there aren't fireworks. What are you going to do those nights now? So, Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga is really looking at using the spires as a projection space and creating something immersive that we've never done in a theme park before. This is the idea of a storyteller who has traveled around the galaxy, who has heard the story of Anakin Skywalker, and has now created an experience for us to sort of learn that tale in a new way."

Kalama emphasized the meticulous attention to detail that goes into their work, stating, "I think something that I hope is invisible to our fans, but something that they appreciate, is that there is just an obsessive level of attention to detail that we put into everything. The number of very serious conversations we've had around the type of screw head that we should put on a panel wall, because... well... Phillips doesn't exist in the Star Wars timeline or the receipt paper that comes out of the printer when you make a purchase. We really go above and beyond to think about what are all of the small infinitesimal details that might not seem all that important on their own, but when they add up together they make the space feel truly authentic and immersive."