Imagineering Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Millennium Falcon Smuggler's Run

Imagination Skyway

Matthew Krul

History, Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Kids & Family

4.9 • 846 Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2026

⏱️ 75 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets and Millennium Falcon Smuggler's Run (featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu) opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World on May 26, 2026. These new experiences include a heightened degree of Imagineering details, especially Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, which now combines the legacy Disney attraction with Muppet Vision 3D and Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. In this episode, we discuss how Disney updated these attractions in a quick period of time and the easter eggs you won't want to miss from either attraction. Plus, I interview four Walt Disney Imagineers who worked on these experiences, including Bette Lombardi (Producer), Vanessa Huber (Project Manager), Justin DeTolla (Creative Director), and Morgan McDowell (Senior Software Project Manager). Special thanks to James from Guide2WDW for joining me on this episode. Get ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, in-depth news analysis, and premium content at patreon.com/imaginationskyway. To plan a trip, be sure to work with KMV Travel. Read Matt's Imagineering column in WDW Magazine. Imagination Skyway is a Disney Parks and Imagineering podcast. Episodes explore attraction design, recap Disney news, and dive into the stories behind the magic, including interviews with Disney Imagineers, Disney Legends, and other Disney creators. Not affiliated with or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company. Disney is a trademark of The Walt Disney Company. Tag me and join the conversation below. Instagram: www.instagram.com/imaginationskyway Facebook: www.facebook.com/imaginationskyway YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginationskyway Email: matthew.krul@imaginationskyway.com How to Support the Show Share the podcast with your friends Rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Join our Patreon Group - https://www.patreon.com/imaginationskyway Enjoy the show!

Transcript

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0:00.0	What Imagineering secrets can be found at Rock and Rollo Coaster starring the Muppets and the updated Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run attractions?
0:07.0	Stay tuned for some fun details about these new experiences.
0:14.0	Welcome aboard Imagination Skyway, your guided tour through the worlds of Disney and Imagineering.
0:20.0	I'm your host, Matthew
0:21.7	Kroll, and it's my job to explore the stories and places we love and the people who bring them to
0:26.7	life. In today's episode, we discussed two major attraction refurbishments that opened this month
0:31.7	at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, Rock and Roller Coaster starring The Muppets,
0:36.7	and Millennium Falcon smugglers
0:38.4	run featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu. While each attraction opened on May 26th,
0:43.5	2026th, my special guest and I both had the chance to preview these attractions ahead of their
0:48.5	opening day and to speak with the Imagineers who developed these updates thanks to an invitation
0:53.7	from Disney
0:54.4	Parks.
0:55.4	In this episode, we'll discuss everything we learned from Walt Disney Imagineering and from
0:59.3	our own observations about these new experiences, including some imaginering details you
1:04.2	will not want to miss.
1:05.9	After our conversation, make sure to keep the podcast rolling because I am including my
1:09.5	interviews with not one,
1:11.3	not two, but four Walt Disney Imagineers who worked on these attraction updates.
1:16.3	As you fasten your seatbelt, I encourage you to take out your mobile devices and search
1:19.7	for Imagination Skyway on your favorite social media app.
1:22.6	And if you're looking for ad-free episodes and bonus content, which I have a lot right now,
	...

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