Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Was A Gift
Yesterday, I was among the chosen few that got a sneak preview of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and I got to ride on the Millennium Falcon. My parents are avid fans of the Star Wars franchise, so the honor was not lost on me.
As we wondered through the land of Batuu, we approached a life size model of The Falcon and my group may or may not have cried. At first you just stand there and bask in all of its glory and then you have to take pictures, because after all it is 100x more amazing than one could ever imagine. After we took pictures in front of it, on the side of it, posing like you are holding a light saber and using the force, ect , it was time to line up.
We showed our wristbands at the entrance and we were on our way. The line queue starts outside and wraps around the backside of the Falcon and continues up into what looks like an engine room. Once you reach the command center, Hondo Ohnaka from The Clone Wars series leased the Falcon and explains we need to get precious cargo from point A to point B. You are then split up into groups of 6 and each person is handed a color coated card and there are 3 positions, 2 people each- pilot, gunner or engineer. Obviously, the pilot drives, the gunners shoot, and the engineers fix whatever we damage on the ship in transport.
She stays ready for a photo!
The door opens and low and behold, there is the Dejarik, or "Holochess." The ship is a complete replica inside and out. Of course, photos must be taken until your groups color is called. They called our color and we lined up as told, in order: pilots in front, then gunners and engineers in the back. They asked were we clear on the mission and we all said we were ready, to which the cast member said, "I don't think you are."
The door opens and we are now in the infamous hallways of the Falcon. We screamed, we cried, we hugged, we cheered. Hondo was giving flight instructions that no one heard because we were too busy thanking Disney for yet again, making our dreams come true. As we loaded into the cockpit the seats formed some sort of V. We are told that we control the outcome of the ride so stay sharp and pay attention. Hit any light when they light up, and off we went.
The ride is a motion-controlled ride and I loved every minute of it. Flying through the skies, shooting bad guys and making sure not to crash the ship was all thrilling and a great time. We got a long with our shipmates so we all agreed to ride 2 more times as a group so we can each experience each position, and here are my thoughts on each:
Pilot: Who doesn't want to drive the Falcon?! You dream if it as a kid and the time has finally come, but with great power comes great responsibility. The screen is HUGE, and it is a lot going on which is fun, but not a great idea for those who get motion sickness easy like myself. You have to constantly look down, over and across and if you crash too many times, the ride is over and they will announce that you in fact, crashed, loudly.
Gunner: You basically push the button when it lights up which some might seem a bit boring but if you get shot then the ride is shorter. You are the first line of defense and you must protect the ship at all cost.
Engineer: This might be my favorite spot on the ride. The view of the screen is perfect, and I was able to see the button easily while still looking at the screen and being fully engaged in the task at hand. If I ever got pilot again, I would switch for an engineer for sure.
Overall, this ride is the stuff dreams are made of literally. The outer exterior is picture perfect while the inside hallways make you recite lines from the movie, and for 5 minutes you get a chance to fly the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy!