In the new episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” Imagineers discuss some of Disney’s unique ride vehicles, including those of “Star Wars” Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Ride Control Systems Executive Engineer Jeff Hames discussed the difficulty of designing a Millennium Falcon ride that recreates the authentic experience of a six-seated cockpit but also accommodates thousands of guests visiting the park every day. The attraction was accomplished thanks to four 90-foot diameter turntables.
Each turntable is made up of seven wedges. Each wedge contains a cabin within a giant projection dome. And each cabin sits on an eight actuator motion base.
The actuator system allows the cabin to jerk, bump, and move in other realistic ways. It responds to what guests are doing in the cabin, as do the projected images. Most simulator attractions would have pre-recorded animations, but Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run has real-time renderings.
The four turntables are independent, so if one goes down, the other three can continue operating. The wedges are also independent, so if one is out of commission, the other six on a turntable can continue. This means the ride is rarely out of commission and remains a reliable attraction for guests to experience all day long.
The team leverages logic controllers and other industrial equipment to keep the attraction running all day. As for the show/game side, they use existing video game engines and computer graphic cards.
Watch our ride POV of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios below.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park. Though it currently only features one mission led by Hondo Ohnaka (or Chewbacca in the secret “Chewie Mode”), a new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu will debut on May 22, 2026.
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