Disney just turned Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run into a Fortnite crossover

Disney revealed the new physical-to-digital experience Saturday, Aug. 15, during D23. It launches Sunday, Aug. 16, at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, alongside a new Star Wars Fortnite island called “Smuggler’s Gambit.”

Guests who link their Disney and Epic Games accounts will be able to unlock a special bonus mode aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Disney said the experience includes a special mission briefing from Hondo Ohnaka, additional secrets inside the Falcon’s cockpit and crates that crews can collect during their mission.

Loot collected aboard Smugglers Run can unlock rewards in Fortnite, including a new Forsworn Trooper outfit and credits that can be used to purchase and upgrade gear. Disney also said progression within the game can help players’ scores when they return to the physical attraction.

The connection accompanies Smuggler’s Gambit, a new Star Wars Creative island in Fortnite developed by Disney’s internal games team in collaboration with Lucasfilm. The experience introduces a new planet in the Star Wars galaxy and allows players to take on quests, participate in cooperative missions and battle pirates, Imperial remnants and dangerous wildlife.

Disney described the project as an early example of something considerably larger: connecting experiences guests have inside its theme parks with the virtual experiences they continue at home.

How to activate the Fortnite mission on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

1. Open the Disney parks app and accept the mission. Use the My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World or the Disneyland app in California. Each guest who wants to earn their own Fortnite rewards should accept the mission.
2. Link your MyDisney and Epic Games accounts. This allows eligible rewards earned through the attraction to carry into Fortnite.
3. Make sure Disney can detect you aboard the ride. Guests who accept the mission can be detected through a MagicBand, MagicBand+ or eligible mobile device. Mobile users should be logged into the app, enable Bluetooth permissions on iOS or location permissions on Android, and turn off Low Power Mode or Power Saver Mode.
4. Ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Once Disney detects a participating guest, that guest and everyone riding with them will receive the Fortnite version of the experience. Other members of the crew only need to accept the mission themselves if they want to earn their own Fortnite rewards.
5. Collect as many crates as possible. Disney says more crates mean more rewards, including eligible Fortnite items and credits.
6. Watch for a notification after the ride. Disney will send participating guests information about accessing the integrated Fortnite experience and claiming applicable rewards.

What the Fortnite mission is like on Smugglers Run

The Fortnite mission adds personalized elements to the existing Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run experience. According to an Attractions Magazine team member who experienced it, Hondo Ohnaka delivers additional dialogue at the beginning of the mission, telling participating guests to watch for a special crate.

The crate, marked with a mission logo, then appears on screen during the ride. Engineers are responsible for grabbing the crates, so how many are collected depends in part on the crew in those positions.

At the end of the mission, Hondo acknowledges whether the special crate was found, and Cast Members may congratulate the crew on completing the Fortnite mission as they exit. Participating guests then receive a notification in the Disney app directing them to claim their Fortnite rewards.

Galaxy’s Edge continues to evolve

That idea reaches back to the development of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge itself. Imagineers said during the D23 presentation that the team has wanted to connect stories experienced inside the parks with adventures at home since the land was being developed around 2014.

Galaxy’s Edge has steadily changed since opening in 2019. Its original interactive elements included the Star Wars: Datapad within the Play Disney Parks app, which allows guests to interact with elements throughout Batuu. Disney is retiring the Play Disney Parks app — and the Star Wars: Datapad with it — on Sept. 16, 2026.

In May 2026, the attraction debuted its new “The Mandalorian and Grogu” adventure, adding multiple destinations, greater control over where crews travel and new gameplay for individual positions aboard the Falcon.

The Fortnite connection takes that interactivity outside the boundaries of Galaxy’s Edge, allowing progress and rewards to carry between a physical Disney attraction and an at-home Star Wars experience.

Disney called it a “full circle physical-to-digital connection” and teased that it represents an early look at bigger plans for the future.

Fortnite is also headed to Universal

Disney is not the only major theme park operator bringing Fortnite into a physical park experience.

This fall, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood will debut Fortnitemares at Halloween Horror Nights. The scare zone brings Fortnite’s Halloween event into the real world with Freaky Fields, the Battle Bus, familiar characters and creations developed specifically for Halloween Horror Nights.

The approaches are notably different. Universal is translating Fortnite into a physical environment guests can walk through, while Disney is using Fortnite to create a two-way connection between a video game and an existing theme park attraction.

Seven years after guests first stepped onto Batuu, Disney is beginning to connect what happens aboard the Millennium Falcon with a Star Wars adventure that can continue after they leave the park.