PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS
A Disney Star Wars Ride Gets A Fortnite Integration
Smuggler’s Gambit // Courtesy of Epic Games
Disney and Epic Games announced a new experience that will connect one of the Mouse House’s flagship rides to an adventure inside Fortnite.
The Big Picture: Disney has had some grand plans for its massive $1.5 billion Epic Games investment since it was announced back in February 2024. By introducing an experience that connects the physical and digital worlds, Disney is one step closer to realizing its dream of turning Disney+ into the entertainment hub of its entire flywheel.
Behind The Experience: The new ride/gaming integration, titled Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite, was announced at Disney’s annual fan event, D23.
The experience starts when people are lining up to ride Smugglers Run at Disneyland in either Orlando or Anaheim. Fortnite players can “accept a special mission while in the queue for the ride.”
If they succeed in unlocking the mission, they’ll “get a unique Forsworn Trooper Outfit” in a newly created Fortnite adventure called Smugglers Gambit, set in that same universe.
Fun fact: the cockpit screens in Smugglers Run were created using Epic’s Unreal Engine, per THR, so it made sense that this would be the first ride/game collaboration.
Last Turn: Sean Shoptaw, EVP of Disney Games and Digital Entertainment, noted that this is the first time Disney has made an attraction that starts in the physical world and moves into a connected game. It’s a key test for new CEO Josh D’Amaro’s strategy to gamify Disney+ — he spearheaded the Epic investment.
While select Disney IP has appeared in Fortnite over the past couple of years, the company is working with Epic on an entirely new world populated by its characters. It’s a big bet on getting a new generation hooked on the franchise machine.
Next Ride: If the integration takes off, expect the wait lines at Smuggler’s Run to approach opening-week levels. Plan your trip accordingly.
Together with 1440 Media
All Of Your News, None Of The Bias
Every day, the 1440 team of editors hand-selects and summarizes the most important stories from over 100 trusted sources.
The result? A 5-minute newsletter that’s fast, factual, and refreshingly human.
No bots. No bias. Just clear, comprehensive news on politics, business, and culture — trusted by over 4 million readers and always free.
Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.