The Fall of Disney’s Beloved Five-Year-Old ‘Star Wars’ Ride

Disney Park guests say that Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run has fallen from glory just five years after it opened at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Weeks ago, Inside the Magic reported on repeated maintenance issues and breakdowns on the other ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Despite its troubles, the technologically advanced ride still boasts wait times of over an hour most days. Unfortunately, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run isn’t as lucky.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run invites guests to fly the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” on a mission from Hondo Ohnaka. Disney cast members assign guests roles of pilot, engineer, or gunner, and their actions determine how much “coaxium” they successfully deliver. But new space crews, beware, some trouble might lurk in the stars!

Guests can experience the attraction using a standby queue, Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Lightning Lane Premier Pass, or single rider line.

At D23 Expo 2024, Walt Disney Imagineering announced plans to update Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run with a storyline involving The Mandalorian and Grogu. The new version of the Star Wars ride is expected to premiere at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2026.

Despite the incoming new version of the ride, some Disney Parks and Lucasfilm fans say the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction has already failed.

Trouble at Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort fans recently discussed ever-decreasing wait times for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Even amid high holiday crowd levels at Disneyland Park, the ride rarely went over a 10-minute wait last weekend.

“Are people over smugglers run?” Redditor u/jayvancealot asked. “Been here 3 days and never saw it go over 10 minutes. Went on literally by myself yesterday at about 4 PM.”

Are people over smugglers run? Been here 3 days and never saw it go over 10 minutes. Went on literally by myself yesterday at about 4 PM
by indisneyparks

Hundreds of Disney Parks fans upvoted the post and commented their experiences with the ride. Many said they lost interest in the ride after repeatedly getting assigned positions other than pilot.

“I don’t wanna wait 35+ minutes just to get engineer again and have too look at a wall the entire time while two young kids break my spine,” said u/such_competition1503.

“This is pretty much it (though I ask to be pilot- I’m not waiting in line to look at the wall of buttons),” u/robbycough agreed. “I don’t know how Disney could fix it.”

Others argued that the single storyline means the Star Wars ride isn’t interesting enough to repeat.

“One and done,” u/djyosco88 wrote. “Cool looking ride but very Meh. We didn’t even bother riding it this time even though the wait was nothing.”

“It’s like a more interactive Star Tours and depending on your seat, you’ve got a worse view,” u/timeforchorin replied. “It was novel but it doesn’t have much return value.”

Still, some Disneyland Resort fans said Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run simply pales in comparison to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

“I thought it was lame, especially after the awesomeness of Rise,” u/steplgu argued.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Walt Disney World Resort

While Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a lower average wait time than Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, recent complaints center more around the upkeep of the attraction. u/weekly_ad8333 shared this photo of a large weed growing out of one of the ride’s outdoor set pieces:

This plant growing out of hte Millennium Falcon seen from the Smuggler’s Run queue lol 

This plant growing out of the Millennium Falcon seen from the Smuggler’s Run queue lol
byu/Weekly_Ad8333 inWaltDisneyWorld

Other Walt Disney World Resort guests reported that the plant has been there since at least June 2023. “Yuppers, saw it in June ’23. My how it has grown,” u/shazam_billybaston wrote.

The weed growing on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is just one amid an onslaught of reports about ride maintenance at Walt Disney World Resort. Mold infestations, chipped paint, broken animatronics, and other issues have been reported on attractions throughout Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Are Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort neglecting Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run? Share your opinion with us in the comments.