Since 1977, Star Wars fans have dreamed of taking over the controls of the Millennium Falcon. Sitting in the pilot’s seat of “the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” seemed out of reach. In 2019, those dreams finally became a reality with Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The cockpit was expanded so that more people could be involved. The ride has never been perfect, but it is a thrill to make that jump into hyperspace!
For the past couple of years, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run has been busy during the day, but the Wait Times would go down at night. Lately, that hasn’t been the case. When I was recently at Disney’s Hollywood Studios an hour before closing, Smugglers Run had a much longer wait than Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance! From what I’ve seen, the longer waits have been fairly consistent. Many people wonder what is going on.
There are two reasons that I can think of for the longer Wait Times. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is getting a new mission on May 22. It will feature The Mandalorian and Grogu. Fans of the ride want to hunt for coaxium a little while longer.
The second reason why the waits for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run are longer is conjecture on my part. I do not have any verified proof of this, but it’s a theory that makes sense. There are four turntables that make up the ride. The theory is that one or more of the turntables is currently not transporting guests. Instead, they are being updated for the new mission. There’s been no talk of a short refurbishment ahead of May 22, so it makes sense that the transformation has already started.
The Walt Disney World website and My Disney Experience App briefly changed the name of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, but only when using the search feature. When searching, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – A New Mission would be the top result. I saw that on February 24. It looks like someone jumped the gun, so to speak, because the result is now once again Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
I, for one, am looking forward to the new mission. Maybe one day there will be multiple missions on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, kind of like there are different scenarios on Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. That would make my Star Wars loving heart very happy!