Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Overview

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is an interactive flight-simulator ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where your six-person crew climbs aboard a full-size Millennium Falcon cockpit and flies a mission together. Everyone gets assigned one of three jobs — Pilot, Gunner, or Engineer — and how well (or badly) you fly actually changes the ride, dings and all. It’s a moderate, screen-based motion simulator that runs about 5 minutes.

Is it worth it?

Worth it, and it’s one of the more accessible headliners — a 3-out-of-5 thrill that most of the family can do together, and the standout is that it’s genuinely interactive: you’re not a passenger, you’re crewing the ship. The catch is the job you’re assigned. Pilots get the real experience (you actually steer, left and right seat), while Gunners and especially Engineers have less to do and spend more time watching. So the honest read: if being a pilot matters to your group, it’s worth angling for (more on that below). Skip-or-lower-priority if your party gets motion sick easily — it’s screen-based with jerky, reactive movement — or if you’re chasing the biggest thrills, in which case Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror hit harder. It’s a great first Galaxy’s Edge ride and a solid warm-up before the more intense Rise of the Resistance.

Insider tips

• The role is the whole game — aim to be a Pilot. Of the three jobs (Pilot, Gunner, Engineer), pilots have by far the most to do and the best view: you’re up front actually flying the ship. The two pilot seats sit side by side at the controls — the left pilot handles left/up-down, the right handles right. Engineers, tucked in the back, mostly react to damage and see the least action. Assignments are handed out at boarding, so if your crew has a preference, politely ask the Cast Member at the assignment point — they can’t always honor it, but it’s worth a friendly request.
• Fly well and the ride pays you back. This ride reacts to your crew’s performance — clean flying vs. crashing into everything changes the dings, alarms, and how banged-up the cockpit gets. Coordinate with your crew (pilots call it out) instead of everyone mashing buttons solo.
• It’s a screen-based simulator, so sit-still tips apply. The cockpit rocks and jerks in response to the action; if someone’s motion-sensitive, remind them to look at the fixed cockpit frame between big moves rather than locking onto the screen.
• Best time to ride: it’s one of the attractions open during Early Theme Park Entry, so rope-drop it or grab it in that first 30 minutes when the whole land is quietest. Waits also tend to soften late in the evening.
• Lightning Lane: it’s a Multi Pass attraction (not Single Pass), so you can add it to your advance Multi Pass selections — a smart mid-tier pick to pair with a Slinky Dog Dash priority.
• Single rider is available and moves fast here — great if you don’t mind being split up and just want the ride. Heads up: single riders get whatever role is open, so you’re less likely to land a pilot seat.
• Rider Switch is available, so an adult can wait with a child too short (or too nervous) to ride while the rest of the group goes, then swap without re-queuing.

Who can ride

Height requirement: 97 cm (about 38 inches). Thrill level is a moderate 3 out of 5 — this is a bouncy, screen-based flight simulator with sudden jolts and quick turns, not a big-drop coaster. Most school-age kids who clear the height handle it well. Motion-sickness note: because the movement is tied to a big screen, guests prone to simulator or 3D-screen queasiness (the kind who struggle with Star Tours) may feel it here too — sitting still and focusing on the cockpit frame helps. It’s dark inside the cockpit with loud sound effects and alarms, which can startle sensitive little ones, but there’s nothing scary or story-frightening about it. Rider Switch is available so a parent can ride while another waits with a too-short or hesitant child, then swap.