“Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops, boy.”
The cutting edge Millennium Falcon attraction that is slated to open with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge might be experiencing a bit of hyperspace turbulence, according to Disney insider Jim Hill.
If Hill is to be believed, it sounds as if the ride could have some horrendous wait times due to low capacity. It’s believed that it would have a maximum of 840 riders per hour, which is 1/4 of Pirates of the Caribbean and 1/2 of Flight of Passage.
Ouch. Sounds like you’ll need to use some Jedi mind tricks to get a Fastpass for this thing!
On an episode of his podcast the Disney Dish, Hill says…
“There are six seats inside of the pilot compartment. In order to ensure that this thing has decent capacity, there are seven pods in operation at any one time. So that’s 42 people who are piloting the Millennium Falcon at any one time. I’m hearing a three and a half minute ride cycle. Again, you’re seated inside the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, but you’re looking out from that window array that we’ve all seen from the film. In order to pull off that effect – again, the capsule moves in conjunction with the imagery – you’re looking out, basically, into a circular space, sort of a half dome.”
But the wait might be worth it, if the experience is truly stellar.
However, Hill says that the unique ride system is not entertaining folks who’ve been invited to test the ride, but rather frustrating them.
“Initially…they wanted real interaction. They wanted, depending on which of the six seats you’re occupying inside the Millennium Falcon, your actions directly impact what happens. To the point where if you don’t do your job and the Millennium Falcon crashes, the ride is over.”
Sounds pretty cool, and is in line with our belief that the ride will be a beefed up version of Mission: SPACE. That is, it would allow people to have roles on each mission.
So, what’s the issue?
Well, apparently some test riders don’t know what to do, exactly, and it’s making the ride un-enjoyable for them. And after a 2 or 3 hour wait, it might just add to Guest aggravation.
“If you know what you’re doing, the re-rideability of the original version of the Millennium Falcon experience was insane. You could have multiple rides with infinite outcomes. But the problem is, they’ve been doing the play-testing in and around Glendale. They’ve been recruiting people to come in, and they’ve been making a point of, initially they were bringing groups of friends together, then they were bringing in individuals who don’t know one another so it’s not a question of if they could quickly build a team or assign roles or that sort of thing. What they’re finding is it’s frustrating people more than it’s entertaining people.”
Hill goes on to say that Disney is seriously stressing over this attraction, and it’s “not a happy moment.” He also talks about the technology involved being “Pentagon-level stuff.”
Should they be able to work out the kinks in time, it sounds like it’ll be a revolutionary theme park experience… well, if the Guests can figure out how to control the Falcon, that is.
Could the Falcon Ride Be Delayed?
Hill says Disney is shooting for having the Disneyland version of Galaxy’s Edge finished by the end of April so there’s time to train Cast Members. The Hollywood Studios version opens later in the year.
With all of the issues surrounding the Falcon attraction, could Galaxy’s Edge open without it? It’s very unlikely, but Disney has opened new expansions without all of the rides being completed, such as Pixar Pier. So it’s possible.
Stay tuned to The Kingdom Insider for more news and rumors about Galaxy’s Edge as we hear them.
[Hat Tip: Slash Film]
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