Characters

Image: Disney

This is the first category where easy to find a clear winner. While the World of Pandora does include some character elements, such as occasional appearances by scientists in Pandora Utility Suits (a civilian version of the mech-suits from the film), there really isn’t anything in the way of character greets or interactions within Pandora. While we appreciate that Mickey and the gang haven’t made an appearance there, it’s surprising Disney didn’t try to do something with the Navi, perhaps utilizing a Navi ambassador character guests can meet.

On the flip side, Galaxy’s Edge stands entirely apart from the rest of Walt Disney World because the Black Spire Outpost brought back wandering characters. We’ve discussed before how a day in Galaxy’s Edge is a bit like Groundhog Day—a series of stories in a single day in the Star Wars canon plays out every day on Batuu. Wandering characters abound including Chewbacca, Rey, Stormtroopers, First Order officers, Kylo Ren, Vi Moradi (General Organa’s top spy), and even Finn. You can also meet R2-D2 in the Droid Depot if you catch a time where he isn’t recharging.

Wandering characters are so integrated into the fiber of Galaxy’s Edge that there are times you might miss them entirely. We must have seen Rey pass by four or five times on opening day before we realized she wasn’t a Disneybounder. Stormtroopers patrol and harass guests regularly in their search for the elusive Resistance, and during his appearances, Kylo Ren has no qualms about using his dark powers to read guests’ minds during his own search of the outpost. Rey and Chewie appear regularly and even are known to take some guests on secret missions for the Resistance. It’s been reported that in some rare cases, interaction with Vi Moradi can open up “quests” within Galaxy’s Edge to help you locate fellow Resistance operatives within the base. It’s also worth noting that every single cast member in Galaxy’s Edge is a “character” in their own right—every one has a backstory within the Star Wars universe.

While we wish it were a little easier to catch characters within Galaxy’s Edge (they move quickly sometimes), there’s no question that Batuu wins when it comes to opportunities to get up close to Disney characters.

Attractions

Image: Disney

Here we come to it: which is better? Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run or Avatar: Flight of Passage?

This is a challenging question because despite both being “thrill rides” per se, Flight of Passage and Smuggler’s Run are extremely different. The closest attraction to compare Flight of Passage to is Epcot’s Soarin’—only the hang glider has been replaced by a banshee and the countries of earth are replaced by the majestic vistas of Pandora. Smuggler’s Run, on the other hand, is essentially a more intimate version of Star Tours on steroids. It’s a gritty, fast-paced adventure with strong video game influences where you become the piloting crew of the Millennium Falcon thanks to some shifty hustling on the part of infamous pirate, Hondo Ohnaka (Disney’s own Most-Interesting-Man-in-The-World) and poor judgment on the part of Chewbacca. Sorry, Han.

The strongest point in favor for Smuggler’s Run is that it is seriously fun. From the minute you get into line, you’re immersed in the world of Star Wars. Ohnaka and Chewie add warmth and humor to the attraction, and piloting the Falcon is truly a blast, especially if you get the lucky role of the right hand pilot who gets to “punch it” to lightspeed. The queue for Smuggler’s Run is also substantially better-managed, both due to excellent line control, a fast-moving queue, and a fun Play Disney game where Hondo and his crew test out your skills as a potential smuggler. The attraction also holds something new each time you ride it since small variations in the journey take place depending on your performance (e.g. if you nearly destroy the ship, you end up in an asteroid field on the way back to Batuu).

Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)

The biggest downside to Smuggler’s Run is that its audience is far narrower than Flight of Passage. Star Wars fans, video gamers, teens, and Star Tours fans will likely enjoy the attraction the most. While the various crew positions all have fun elements, it’s easy to get confused, and guests who prefer a spectator experience are often overwhelmed by the requirement of interactivity for the ride. I’ve seen many adults space out completely and ignore every single flashing button, not realizing that their choices affect the outcome. For the most passive experience, I recommend Gunner on automatic mode since you have the least number of buttons to push but some prefer Engineer. The attraction will probably also need a graphics upgrade to keep up with technology over the next few years.

On the flip side, Avatar: Flight of Passage might be one of Disney’s most successful attractions to date. Many guests list it as their favorite ride in any of the parks, and it truly does provide an incomparable experience of flight unlike anything Disney has tried before. Like Soarin’, Flight of Passage provides an adventure that appeals to a majority of guests, because who hasn’t been curious what it would be like to fly? The main downsides to the attractions are that the pre-show drags on a bit long for some (it can also feel a little sterile compared to other Disney pre-shows), and some visitors remarked that visual issues with the ride’s 3D glasses mess with the immersion (we’ve also explored the idea that it can be distracting for some that the banshee’s head isn’t visible, but others prefer the ride the way it is since the view isn’t blocked). The queue for Flight of Passage is also almost always long, to the point that even during the off season you can expect long waits for this ride unless you can score a Fastpass.

Overall? While I personally prefer Smuggler’s Run, we have to give it to Flight of Passage. It’s just a grander attraction overall that fits in marvelously with the sense of wonder Disney thrives at.

An important note—at the time of this writing, we haven’t yet had the opportunity to experience Rise of the Resistance, which is looking to be Disney’s most technologically advanced attraction to date. It will include a mix of live action animatronics, virtual effects, and moving ride technology that will take guests on an extended journey culminating inside a First Order Star Destroyer. If any attraction is likely to tip the scales and knock Flight of Passage from it’s throne, it will certainly be that one.