The Walt Disney Company is taking a bold step toward the future of immersive entertainment with a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite. This collaboration aims to integrate digital experiences with Disney’s world-renowned theme parks, expanding the way guests interact with their favorite franchises both in-person and online. Disney expanded on its plans for theme park and Fortnite crossovers at SXSW 2025.
Disney’s Biggest Gaming Move Yet
Disney’s relationship with Epic Games has grown over the years, with themed Fortnite skins and in-game events featuring Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney characters. However, in February 2024, the entertainment giant cemented its commitment by acquiring an equity stake in Epic Games. Disney CEO Bob Iger called it the company’s “biggest foray into the game space ever.”
Over a year later, Walt Disney Imagineers teased how this investment will connect guests’ real-world experiences at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort with Fortnite’s vast digital universe. During The Future of World Building at Disney panel at SXSW 2025, Imagineer Asa Kalama hinted at new ways Disney could merge its physical and virtual storytelling.
“Imagine…what if you could go to the park and have an experience in Smuggler’s Run, go on this amazing mission but then have that affect or connect [to] your gameplay at home?” Kalama asked.
While specifics remain under wraps, the mention of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is particularly intriguing. The popular Disney Parks attraction already uses Unreal Engine, Epic Games’ proprietary development tool.
More Disney Parks Innovations Announced
Beyond the Fortnite integration, Disney made several exciting announcements at SXSW 2025, including a first look at the long-rumored Monsters, Inc. door coaster coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. The new suspended coaster will transport guests through the world of Monsters, Inc. (2001), expanding Pixar’s presence in the park.
The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau also joined the panel to reveal new Lucasfilm collaborations with Walt Disney Imagineering. Among them, BD-X droids—an advanced type of interactive audio-animatronic—will soon debut at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Additionally, Favreau shared exclusive new details about the new Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run storyline inspired by The Mandalorian series.
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