Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will bring Star Wars to life in a way we have never seen before. Guests will be able to see the sights, sounds and smells of the Star Wars universe for the first time once the lands open this summer. With that comes the opportunity to pilot one of the most iconic ships in the galaxy – the Millennium Falcon.
We already know that the cockpit will offer an interactive experience with guests taking on the roles of the pilot, gunner and engineer.
How will Disney make it feel like you’re flying the actual Millennium Falcon while still maintaining a high capacity and turnover for the attraction?
Nothing would feel less magical and ruin the illusion than seeing multiple Millennium Falcon cockpits while you’re waiting to ride. To combat that issue, Disney created a rather brilliant, though simple solution.
Guests will walk through a queue that will take them around and behind the legendary ship. At the end of the queue, and after a fun interaction with animatronic character Hondo Ohnaka, is the chess room. This well-recognized location will serve as a miniature holding area before guests travel down one of two corridors that are connected to the chess room.
Both hallways lead to a cockpit for the Millenium Falcon, but guests won’t be able to see any cockpit other than the one they’re entering.
Below is a rough interpretation of what the experience looks like, courtesy of @MisterPenguin. Note that this is based on the information that has been released and may not be a completely accurate interpretation.
Starting at the arrow, guests travel to one of the two identical chess rooms. Beyond that, they’ll venture down one of two corridors and find an empty cockpit waiting for them. This cockpit is mounted on a turntable that holds seven identical cockpits. The turntable slowly rotates during the experience, a movement that should be imperceptible to guests, which allows for an empty cockpit to be rotated into place for the next round of guests. Guests would theoretically enter at the #1 position on the diagram and exit at the #7 position on the diagram.
Accessible cockpits for guests with disabilities will also be offered.
The ride’s exit will reportedly maintain the illusion that you were truly flying the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. The exit will apparently make guests feel like they are leaving the same way they entered, as you would on the actual Millennium Falcon.
