A busy week is about to get even busier at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney World is preparing for several major additions tied to the growing excitement around The Mandalorian and Grogu, and the timing could create serious crowd issues inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Disney will soon debut a brand-new mission aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run while also rolling out collectible merchandise and hosting previews for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets.
With all of those events happening almost simultaneously, Disney appears to be preparing for operational challenges before crowds fully arrive.
Smugglers Run Gets a Major Update
The centerpiece of the upcoming push is the new Mandalorian and Grogu mission joining Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
Disney has spent years building Din Djarin and Grogu into two of the franchise’s biggest modern characters, and now the company is finally integrating them more directly into one of Galaxy’s Edge’s signature attractions.
The update launches just as The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22, creating a huge crossover moment between Disney’s parks and theatrical division.
Fans are expected to flood Galaxy’s Edge to experience the updated storyline as quickly as possible.
That could become a challenge for Hollywood Studios because Smugglers Run already experiences heavy demand during peak hours. Long waits are common, especially during the morning rush and nighttime crowd surge.
Now, Disney is preparing for attendance levels that could push the attraction even further.
Multiple Events Are Happening at Once
The new Star Wars mission is arriving during an already crowded period for the park.
Annual Passholder previews for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets begin May 21 and continue through May 23 before the attraction officially reopens May 26. Many Passholders visiting for those previews will likely spend additional time elsewhere inside Hollywood Studios, including Galaxy’s Edge.
That overlap could create major congestion throughout the park.
Hollywood Studios often feels crowded during attraction debuts. Still, Galaxy’s Edge presents unique operational challenges because the land’s pathways can become difficult to navigate once crowds start backing up near the Millennium Falcon area.
Disney may need to react quickly if traffic becomes overwhelming.
Could Disney Bring Back Virtual Queues?
One possibility fans continue discussing is the return of a virtual queue for Smugglers Run.
Disney has not announced one, but the company has used virtual queues extensively in the past whenever attendance spikes became difficult to manage. Galaxy’s Edge becomes especially hard to control once standby lines extend beyond their normal boundaries.
Disney could also modify the queue layout by pushing overflow lines farther out from the attraction entrance to keep walkways moving.
Those kinds of operational changes are not unusual during major launches.
Even if Disney avoids a full virtual queue system, guests should still expect crowd-control adjustments throughout the land.
New Merchandise Adds Another Layer of Demand
Disney is also introducing several new collectibles themed to The Mandalorian and Grogu, including the BDX Droid Bucket and a new Jetpack Sipper.
Collectors are already anticipating long lines for both items.
To help reduce congestion, Disney is spreading sales across multiple food and beverage locations around Hollywood Studios, including Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, Fairfax Fare, Hollywood Hills Amphitheater Refreshments near Fantasmic!, and a cart near the park entrance.
The BDX Droid Bucket will additionally appear at select popcorn carts and locations within Galaxy’s Edge.
Disney is also limiting guests to two collectibles per person, per transaction, while supplies last.
The company is clearly trying to slow reseller activity while allowing more guests to purchase the items before they sell out.
A Very Busy Week Is Ahead
The next several days could become one of the biggest tests Hollywood Studios has faced in months.
Disney is combining attraction updates, merchandise launches, movie synergy, and Passholder previews into a single crowded stretch leading directly into Memorial Day travel season.
That means guests should prepare for longer waits, heavier crowds, and potential operational changes throughout Galaxy’s Edge and the rest of Hollywood Studios.
Disney knows demand is coming. Now the resort simply has to manage it once thousands of Star Wars fans arrive at the park.
