I Piloted the Millennium Falcon COMPLETELY ALONE in Disney World - and You Can Too!

Magical moments in Disney World are few and far between, and that’s what makes them so special!

I’ve been fortunate to have a few magical moments throughout my recent Disney World trips, and every time, they surprise me! A Cast Member gifted me with a free Mickey Premium Bar at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party just because she liked my costume, a Joffrey’s Cast Member gave me my drink for free just out of the kindness of her heart, and on one of my most recent trips, I got to ride one of my favorite attractions TOTALLY alone! However, there’s a way you could get this magical moment yourself as well on your next trip WITHOUT asking for it.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is one of the most popular attractions in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for many reasons, but one of the biggest ones is that what you do on the ride, no matter what seat you’re in, actually affects the outcome!

Of course, most people want one of the two pilot seats. One pilot moves the ship left and right, while the other moves up and down. However, you can also be one of the two gunners, or one of the two engineers. While these roles are also fun, they’re better for people who want to (figuratively and literally) take more of a backseat during the experience. If you use the (wonderful) Millennium Falcon single rider line, you’ll more than likely be put as an engineer, since they’re the final two chairs in the ride vehicle.

It’s been quite a while since I got to pilot the Millennium Falcon, and when I was in Hollywood Studios one evening and the park was getting ready to close in around 10 minutes, I decided to hop in line since it was essentially a walk on. While you can’t really ask to be a specific seat on Millennium Falcon, your chances of getting pilot are significantly higher when going through the regular queue, whereas you won’t be able to request any sort of change going through single rider.

I was the last person in our small group (although I was a solo traveler), and when we were all being separated, the group in front of me had 5 people. I was a little bummed, knowing I’d be put as an engineer in their car, but figured I could try to jump back in line a second time if the park hadn’t officially closed yet when I got off. To my surprise however, the Cast Member turned to me, saw there was literally no one behind me, and asked if I wanted to wait to be a pilot!

Of course, I enthusiastically said yes, but I was figuring she would just hold me there to wait for more people to come up behind me, and put me as a pilot in their group. NOPE. She led me forward saying “Alright, Han Solo, you’re on your own!” Yes — I got to pilot the Millennium Falcon COMPLETELY ALONE!

May I say though, piloting this puppy alone is harder than it looks! All the other positions are automated, meaning I was still able to get two containers of coaxium thanks to my amazing invisible gunners, and I was only in charge of piloting up and down — left to right was taken care of — but it still wasn’t easy! Please enjoy this compilation of me struggling to paint the picture better.

So how can you make this magical moment happen for yourself? Well, there are a few key details here — you’ll want to go to Millennium Falcon at the VERY end of the night, particularly on a day that hasn’t been very busy in the parks. This happened on Halloween, so everyone was in Magic Kingdom partying it up — the rest of the parks were much less crowded. Additionally, if you notice the park isn’t busy and there aren’t people around you in line, you can ask the Cast Member if it’s something they could accommodate. However, if you see there are loads of people around you, be ready for them to politely say no, or realize that it may not be the best time to ask.

No matter if you’re flying alone, with family and friends, or with strangers, I hope your next flight on the Millennium Falcon brings you unbridled joy! Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney World news, tips, and tricks!