A Reel Review: SMUGGLER'S RUN

Cinema has brought us some of the most iconic spaceships in all of our culture. Recently, this Blogger and his fiancée had the chance to pilot the famous Millennium Falcon at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge…located at Walt Disney World, Florida. 

 

As yes, the Millennium Falcon. When George Lucas introduced her to the galaxy in 1977 in STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE, she immediately stole our hearts. Outsiders called her a piece of junk, but her current and former owners rightfully bragged about her speed and endurance. Piloted by the cocky smuggler Han Solo and his loyal companion Chewbacca, it was the ship that saved Luke Skywalker’s ass before he could fire the shot that would destroy the Death Star, and by the time she made her second appearance in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), she had become a character of her own; rough around the edges but resilient and heroic as she whisked our heroes to safety…dodging asteroids, laser blasts, and the pursuit of the evil galactic Empire. Her likeness became an instant cinema icon, and she sold toys by the thousands. 

 

For this Blogger and any other STAR WARS fan that had been there from the start, it had been a lifelong dream to sit in that famed cockpit, work the controls, and fly that bucket of bolts through danger. Making dreams come true is what Disney does best, and their Galaxy’s Edge attraction is the prime example. Located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the park is a 14 acre area that presents the village of Black Spire Outpost, on the remote frontier planet of Batuu. The village truly feels like something that belongs right in a STAR WARS film. The authenticity is breathtaking. 

 

After a few turns, visitors are greeted by a life-size model of our beloved Falcon. There is very little to say other than ­oh-my-gosh-there-she-is. The recreation is overwhelming.

 

We couldn’t take enough pictures of her, and when we weren’t wiping tears from our eyes it was a marvel to stare at. But there was a mission to be done. So on it was to the Smuggler’s Run. We were escorted through a garage area (another common scene from any STAR WARS film), and eventually greeted by an animatronics model of Hondo Ohnaka, the popular space pirate who has spent time in the TV series THE CLONE WARS and REBELS. Hondo would be our “guide” on this smuggling mission. We were led through Hondo’s command center, and the doors opened to reveal a familiar setting:  

 

It was like walking into a dream. 

 

But that was nothing compared to what was next. Visitors (or smugglers, in this case), are given the option to be a pilot, gunner, or engineer. When we were asked, you can bet your bantha-balls that we were going to be pilots. The door to the cockpit opens, and lo’ and behold…

The iconic view that I had dreaming (and daydreaming) about for over 40 years. In a way, I was once again that four-year-old kid who used his grandma’s basement steps as the Falcon. But now it was there for real. Authentic to the point of being in another reality. We sat down in those seats and we were there. 

And then the smuggling mission began. Hondo guided us through the commlink, telling us which buttons and levers to push. A push of a button brought the Falcon to life, and we were off! The ride is a flight-simulator with massive HD surrounding screens in front of us…with every action we took affecting our flight. We dodged, we swerved, we ducked! G-forces could be felt as we blasted through space and the ship rocked from blaster fire and collisions. We made Han Solo proud. We pulled the lever to make the jump to light speed and YAHOOOOO!!!!

 

When the mission was over, it was hard to believe what we had just done. The exhilarating ride was an emotional flight; a flight that began for this Blogger in 1977. Disney has been making dreams come true since day one, and this was one day to be long remembered.