The experience: Letting guests fly the Millennium Falcon
The trick: A glossier version of the mechanics of Star Tours and Soarin’
Image: DisneyThe moment that you walk into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon for the first time, you’ll feel a rush of excitement and anticipation. It’s one of the first times in the history of theme park design that something that you’ve seen in a movie is possible in the real world.
You’ll feel so distracted by the rush of emotions that you’ll buy into the illusion completely. Disney’s creating team counted on this in planning Smuggler’s Run. Since you’re focused on the levers, buttons, and imagery surrounding you, you’re likely to overlook the similarities the ride shares with ones that came before it.
From a meta perspective, this attraction combines elements from Star Tours and Soarin’. You’re looking at a giant projection screen during the entire ride. You just don’t think of it that way since it seems like a view of outer space from the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
The mimicry happens when your ride cart, which is the entire room, starts shaking. It’s no different than the way that your seat vibrates in Star Tours. Similarly, the changing backgrounds on the projection screen are the same as the gigantic IMAX display from Soarin’.
In this way, the ride premise is identical. You remain in a stationary position for the body of the attraction. Imagineers do all of the work for you by changing the display, thereby causing you to believe that you’re transported to faraway locations.
A popular statement about Avatar Flight of Passage is that it’s Soarin’ on steroids, the same ride style taken to another level of intensity. Presuming that’s true, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is Star Tours on that Bane juice that made him the monster of Gotham who broke Batman. The premise is still the same, but the presentation is vastly superior to the point that you’ll never even think about the similarities.
Comments
I think if the lines were not so long you could ride this thing a half dozen times and figure it out. From the engineers chair you get a blocked view and distracting lights. Apparently we did not do well (sorry to the other 4 strangers in board) and got teased with some alien life form and then kicked off the ship??? The land and the queue are magnificent, the 'ride' not worth the wait. Star Tours is a much more satisfying experience.