Use Multi Pass on Smugglers Run Only If This Is True

Published September 30, 2026

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is not the Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Multi Pass hill to die on. It can save you time, especially if your group wants to stay together in Galaxy’s Edge, but it has one huge thing many other popular rides do not: a Single Rider line.

That changes the whole value math.

The smart play is usually this: use your strongest Multi Pass selection on Slinky Dog Dash first, then treat Smugglers Run as a flexible second-tier target. Book it if the return time fits your route. Skip it if standby is reasonable, Single Rider works for your group, or you would be giving up a harder-to-get Lightning Lane.

The Real Call: Smugglers Run Is Useful, Not Precious

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which means it is included with Multi Pass rather than sold separately as a Single Pass ride. That sounds like an automatic win, but Hollywood Studios is a park where your Lightning Lane choices matter a lot.

Slinky Dog Dash is usually the first Multi Pass selection to protect. It has no Single Rider line, appeals to a broad family audience, and tends to push into less convenient return times if you hesitate. Smugglers Run is popular, but it has more workarounds.

That does not mean Smugglers Run is a bad Multi Pass choice. It means you should use it when it solves a real problem: keeping your Star Wars group together, avoiding a long posted wait, or filling a return window that keeps you near Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, Star Tours, or a meal break.

The mistake is treating it like the top prize in the park. It usually is not.

Single Rider Is the Detail That Changes Everything

Smugglers Run has a Single Rider line, and that one detail can make a Lightning Lane less valuable for older kids, teens, adults, and groups willing to split up.

Single Rider is not the same experience as riding together. Your party may be separated, you may not get the cockpit role you want, and you lose the shared “we’re flying the Falcon together” moment. For some groups, that matters a lot. For others, it is a perfectly fine trade if the goal is simply to ride with less waiting.

Here is the practical split:

Use Single Rider if your group is flexible, has already experienced the ride together, or includes older guests who mainly want the attraction without burning a premium Lightning Lane.

Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass if you have kids who want to sit with parents, a Star Wars fan who cares about the full group moment, or a party that does not want to split up and regroup.

That is why Smugglers Run is not the same kind of Lightning Lane decision as Slinky Dog Dash. Slinky gives you fewer free shortcuts. Smugglers Run gives you an escape hatch.

What To Book Before Smugglers Run

If you are planning Hollywood Studios with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Slinky Dog Dash is usually the first move. It is one of the strongest Multi Pass picks in all of Walt Disney World because demand is high, return times can move quickly, and there is no Single Rider line to bail you out.

After that, Smugglers Run becomes more interesting.

A strong Hollywood Studios Multi Pass order often looks like this: grab Slinky Dog Dash first if it matters to your group, then look at Toy Story Mania!, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror, or Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run depending on return times, location, and your group’s priorities.

Star Tours is usually not where you want to spend your best Lightning Lane energy unless the timing is unusually perfect. It often has manageable standby stretches, and it is close enough to Galaxy’s Edge that you can fit it in naturally when the wait cooperates.

Alien Swirling Saucers is also a lower-priority pick unless you have younger kids who are truly focused on Toy Story Land and the return time lines up cleanly. Do not cross the park just to save a modest wait on a short ride.

When Smugglers Run Is Worth a Multi Pass Slot

Smugglers Run becomes a good Multi Pass choice when the wait is genuinely in your way and the return time helps your route.

Book it when you are already building a Galaxy’s Edge block around Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, food, photos, shopping, or Star Tours nearby. It is also useful if your group wants to ride together and Single Rider would cause drama, confusion, or disappointment.

It can also be a smart refill later in the day. Once you redeem a Multi Pass selection or its window passes, you can add another selection one at a time through the day in My Disney Experience. If Smugglers Run pops up with a useful time while you are already on that side of the park, that is exactly the kind of practical refill that can make Multi Pass feel worthwhile.

The key word is useful. A Lightning Lane that sends you from Sunset Boulevard to Galaxy’s Edge and then back again may save queue time while wasting walking time. Hollywood Studios is smaller than EPCOT, but bad crisscrossing still wears families down fast.

When You Should Skip It

Skip using Multi Pass on Smugglers Run if the standby wait is already manageable. Always check the live standby before spending a Lightning Lane, because the best Lightning Lane is the one that saves meaningful time.

Skip it if your group is comfortable with Single Rider. That is the clearest free workaround, and it can preserve your Multi Pass choices for rides without the same backup plan.

Skip it if using the slot would cost you Slinky Dog Dash. That is the big one. If the choice is “secure Slinky” or “secure Smugglers Run,” Slinky is usually the better first grab for most families.

Skip it if you are only booking it because it is famous. The Millennium Falcon name carries weight, but your day is not graded on brand recognition. It is graded on whether your group gets the rides they care about without wasting half the afternoon in lines.

How Rise of the Resistance Affects the Decision

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is not included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. It is a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction at Hollywood Studios, purchased separately in My Disney Experience.

That matters because some guests assume a “Star Wars Lightning Lane plan” covers both major Galaxy’s Edge rides. It does not. Multi Pass can help with Smugglers Run, but Rise is a separate decision.

If Rise is your must-do and you buy Single Pass for it, do not duplicate all your best early energy in Galaxy’s Edge unless the rest of your plan supports it. Use that protected Rise window to make smarter nearby moves: Smugglers Run, Star Tours, food in Galaxy’s Edge, or a route back toward Toy Story Land.

If Rise goes down or the posted wait gets ugly, do not hover in place refreshing and hoping. Keep moving. Smugglers Run, Star Tours, Toy Story Mania!, or Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway can keep your day productive while you watch for a better opening.

The Best Strategy for Families

For families, the Smugglers Run decision is less about pure wait time and more about whether riding together matters.

If you have a child who is excited to pilot the Falcon with the family, Single Rider is probably the wrong move for that first ride. Use standby during a softer window or book Lightning Lane Multi Pass if the return time works.

If your group has already done it once together, Single Rider becomes much easier to justify for a repeat ride. That is the veteran move: protect the shared first experience, then use the cheaper workaround later.

Also be honest about cockpit roles. Not everyone gets the fantasy version of the ride. Some guests care deeply about piloting; others are perfectly happy pressing buttons and laughing through the chaos. If role expectations are high, build in patience. If the group just wants to ride, prioritize efficiency.

What I’d Actually Do

If you are buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Hollywood Studios, book Slinky Dog Dash first if it matters to your group. Then use your next decisions on return time, location, and live waits, not on a fixed ranking you made months ago.

For Smugglers Run, here is the clean rule:

If you need to ride together, a good Multi Pass return time is worth taking. If you are willing to split up, try Single Rider and spend the Lightning Lane somewhere with fewer shortcuts.

SupaPark helps with this exact kind of call by showing live waits, forecasted shorter windows, and what is worth chasing next. The point is not to use Lightning Lane on everything. The point is to stop spending your best planning power on rides that timing can solve for free.

The One Thing To Remember

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run can be worth a Lightning Lane Multi Pass slot, but it is rarely the first slot to protect. Prioritize Slinky Dog Dash, use Single Rider when your group can handle splitting up, and only book Smugglers Run when it saves real time without dragging you off your route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

Yes. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, not a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass ride.

Should I book Smugglers Run before Slinky Dog Dash?

Usually, no. Slinky Dog Dash is typically the stronger first Multi Pass pick because it has high demand and no Single Rider line, while Smugglers Run has more flexible ways to ride.

Does Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run have Single Rider?

Yes. Smugglers Run has a Single Rider line, which can be a good option for older kids, teens, adults, or groups willing to split up to save time.

Is Smugglers Run worth using Lightning Lane for if my family wants to ride together?

It can be. If riding together matters, Single Rider is not a good substitute, so a convenient Lightning Lane Multi Pass return time can be worth it.

Is Rise of the Resistance included with the same Multi Pass as Smugglers Run?

No. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction at Hollywood Studios, so it is purchased separately from Lightning Lane Multi Pass in My Disney Experience.

Keep planning: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run · live wait times · is Lightning Lane worth it · Will Your Kid Hate Soarin’? How to Decide (And Where to Sit)

Go deeper — the full guides: Walt Disney World Hidden Gems Most Guests Walk Right Past – The Ultimate Insider Guide · Animal Kingdom Full-Day Touring Plan: Beat the Heat and Maximize Magic

SupaPark tracks live wait times and crowd forecasts, and pings you the second a hard-to-get reservation opens or a ride goes walk-on — free to start at supapark.com.