Disney is going above and beyond to ensure that the upcoming theme park expansion Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge isn’t just a fun attraction in its own right but a genuine extension of the franchise mythology, with the entire region staying faithfully in-canon. So while a lot of fans would’ve been perfectly happy to try out the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride without any kind of narrative context, the new Pirate’s Price book provides an explanation for how the famous ship ended up on the planet of Batuu.
The ride is set shortly after the events of 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, by which point, the Falcon has come into the hands of one Hondo Ohnaka. As the new book from author Lou Anders explains, this bandit of The Clone Wars fame befriended the late Han Solo several years prior, so when the ship was in need of some repairs, it seems that the Falcon’s latest co-pilots Rey and Chewbacca thought it best to leave it with Hondo.
But while the character did what was asked and repaired the ship, he also used it for his own gain, hiring unexperienced crew members to make deliveries. That, right there, is where Smuggler’s Run comes in, with visitors essentially playing the roles of these crew members.
We’ve heard it said previously that the ride will be a little different every time, and that the park uses story-building technology that will allow visitors to be recognized based on the events of their Smuggler’s Run flight. Occupants at the cantina, for instance, will recognize you as a notorious smuggler if your mission goes well, though visitors are also able to opt out of the interactive feature if they’d rather not be tracked like this.
In any case, it sounds like Disney isn’t taking half-measures with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and you can decide for yourself if the attraction is a welcome addition to the franchise canon when the region opens at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in June, before coming to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in the fall.
