If you’re new to the site or even new to Walt Disney World, you’re likely aware that Disney has recently rolled out a new land called Galaxy’s Edge. The land is insanely immersive, and while I hope to write up a full review of the land itself (which is well worth spending at least a few hours in at the very least), the star of the show right now is the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction. While I personally believe the attraction will take a metaphorical “back seat” to Rise of the Resistance in the not so distant future, I always think it’s important to share my thoughts on an attraction like this because I bring a more unique perspective to it and do a review that not everyone can.
If you know me, you know I do tend to struggle with motion sickness. As a result, some attractions are just “no-go” attractions for me. I don’t have it quite as bad as some, but for reference Flight of Passage is near my limit. I don’t do Rockin’ Rollercoaster, I don’t do Expedition Everest anymore, and perhaps most important to note for this article is that I don’t ride Star Tours. I have no issues with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Thunder Mountain, but I very rarely ride Space Mountain. Hopefully that frames up the situation pretty well.
I say all of this because when I did my first “motion sickness perspective” article on Flight of Passage, I got a lot of positive feedback from people just like me. I’m not the coaster guy but I’m not a kill joy who won’t ride any attractions. Somehow, I fall somewhere in the middle and I think that the perspective I take on this is somewhat relatable for anyone clicking on this article. Apparently I’m not the only one who faces similar concerns about attractions like this one.
To better set the stage, it is worth noting that I didn’t experience Smuggler’s Run in quite the same way most guests did. I was there on opening day and in the interest of full disclosure, I did not wait in line to board the attraction. I was on VIP tour with my Travel Agency Affiliate (they were cool enough to invite me!) Destinations to Travel and did not wait in the insane queue on opening day. (For more on VIP Tours, check out Disney World VIP Tours – What It’s Like and Why It Might Be Worth It!) So bear in mind that my opinion of this attraction may be slightly “skewed.” However, and I think it goes without saying, this is a truly incredible attraction. Immersive doesn’t even begin to describe it. It is genuinely like stepping into a piece of the films, experiencing your favorite Star Wars moments, and being there in real life. No words can fully describe that feeling and nothing tops the experience of finally getting to jump to Lightspeed!
BUT, to get to the point of this entire article, what is it like for someone that deals with motion sickness? Truthfully, I had some serious anxiety about this one. I don’t do well with simulators and I really don’t do well with things where I can’t get a non-moving point of reference. That, more than anything, is the kicker on this attraction. You are essentially encapsulated in the ship with 5 other guests. You look into a “window” and the rest of the vehicle is enclosed with no “real” view out or in. If you’re someone who needs that point of reference to keep your bearings and avoid motion sickness, do not get on this attraction. However, I did not get even remotely motion sick on this attraction and would feel pretty confident telling anyone that can comfortably ride Flight of Passage that they should be perfectly fine on Smugglers Run.
Here’s what you do need to be aware of though. This is not like any other attraction so there’s no perfect comparison. Your experience is going to vary drastically depending on who your pilots are and how good they are at their role. This is going to sound a bit rude (and I don’t intend for it to), but there’s going to be a big difference in flight experience if you have two adults piloting your 6 guest ship and if you have two young kids piloting your ship. There’s not a thing wrong with either situation, but chances are one experience might be a bumpier ride than the other. The more you run into as a pilot, the bumpier your flight is going to be.
Overall though, if you take out the off chance of getting stuck with two rough pilots, the attraction is pretty smooth and not overly disorienting. My role was to act as the left pilot controlling the left and right motion of the ship. It’s a touchy job and a tough set of controls but it truly is a blast. In many ways, the ship handles about how you would expect it to. it doesn’t make darting movements but rather feels like it has a certain weight to it that is hard to explain. As you turn big corners the ship tends to “roll” and feels kind of like a large commercial aircraft cornering. It more so floats as you control it and has a very fluid motion to it most of the flight which does aid in the motion sickness equation.
If I had to give a ranking, I’d have to say that if you can do Flight of Passage, you should be able to handle this. The motion is a different feeling, but it’s a comparable level of experience in that facet. If you can get through Star Tours or Space Mountain, you shouldn’t have any issues with this. There really is no perfect comparison and as I like to say, you can always try everything once. If you think you can get through it, I would recommend at least trying it. There are only a select few things I won’t risk (Mission Space being one of them) but I’d say that the vast majority of people should be able to handle this without any serious motion sickness problems and that’s saying a lot coming from me.
Your Thoughts
As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s here and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are!
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Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin!
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