While Toy Story Land continues to delight guests and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge remains a centerpiece, the park is also preparing for additions such as the Monsters of Monstropolis area and The Magic of Disney Animation experience.Credit: Lee (myfrozenlife), FlickrMillennium Falcon: Smugglers Run places guests directly inside the Star Wars universe. After entering Galaxy’s Edge and stepping into Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, riders encounter a full-size Millennium Falcon and receive a briefing from Hondo Ohnaka, a lifelike animatronic.Once inside the cockpit, guests are assigned roles as pilots, gunners, or engineers. Together, they attempt to smuggle cargo, avoid enemies, and return the ship intact. The adventure plays out differently depending on the performance of each crew, making every flight unique.Smugglers Run offers multiple queue options, including standby, Lightning Lane, and a single-rider line. Many guests consider the freedom to explore the Falcon’s interior before boarding and the ride’s responsive controls among its most engaging features.Credit: Inside the MagicMalfunction Strikes the Galaxy Far, Far AwayGuests stepping into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios expect an adventure that sends them soaring across the galaxy. But for one group, their high-stakes mission took an unusual detour. According to eyewitness accounts via Kenny the Pirate, the flight started normally, with pilots guiding the ship and gunners fending off enemy fire. Then, without warning, the experience stalled about three-quarters of the way through.The screen in front of the crew went black, cabin lights flickered on, and the ship suddenly felt less like a galactic smuggler’s vessel and more like a parked simulator. To fill the silence, the animatronic Hondo Ohnaka—usually present only during pre-show sequences—appeared on the display, delivering lines that seemed to loop. At the same time, cast members scrambled behind the scenes. Guests were left strapped in with their seatbelts still locked, waiting inside the starship with no clear indication of what would happen next.Credit: DisneyFor nearly 20 minutes, riders sat in the Falcon’s cockpit watching Hondo cycle through dialogue while cast members coordinated a fix. Finally, a crew member opened the cockpit doors and manually released the belts, allowing the group to disembark. For many, the abrupt ending created a surreal shift from immersive storytelling to an unplanned backstage moment.Once the guests were escorted from the cockpit, cast members immediately apologized for the disruption. Several visitors later recalled that the team on duty seemed just as surprised as the riders themselves. One guest described the reaction as a mix of confusion and quick problem-solving, with cast members communicating over headsets to report the issue as soon as the failure became clear.To ensure the experience wasn’t a complete loss, Disney provided every affected guest with a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, allowing them to access another attraction of their choice without the typical wait. While some riders admitted they were disappointed not to finish their mission aboard the Falcon, others considered the rare breakdown a unique story to tell—especially with Hondo Ohnaka unexpectedly stepping in as their only source of entertainment during the downtime.Credit: DisneyThis hasn’t been the only time the Falcon has malfunctioned this summer season.Guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios recently encountered a rare sight aboard the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, after the ride experienced a glitch that brought an unexpected finale.Reddit user CaptainGibb shared the moment, whose post has received over 1,600 upvotes and hundreds of comments in less than a day. “Smuggler’s Run malfunctioned, and we ended up landing in an empty field,” the post read.The image captured inside the cockpit shows a view of the mysterious “field” through the ship’s windows—a rare screen usually hidden from guests. “It was at the very end, so it didn’t matter too much, but they never got their scores, and the cast member looked very confused and immediately called someone on the phone,” the original poster added.Credit: Inside the MagicResponses from the community offered insight into the malfunction. One commenter, who explained they had worked in human subjects simulator research for more than 20 years, noted: “It’s very common for simulator software to have a background environment like this that underlays everything. You see it most often at boot up. Chances are it crashed and restarted, but it can happen other ways too.”Another fan compared it to the rare experience of seeing the lights come on inside Space Mountain.Credit: DisneyWhat’s Next for the Millennium FalconAlthough the malfunctions were unexpected, fans won’t have to wait long for an all-new journey aboard the Falcon. Beginning May 22, 2026, the attraction will debut a storyline inspired by The Mandalorian and Grogu, timed to coincide with the release of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) film.Disney Parks Blog previewed the adventure, sharing: “In this new thrilling storyline, Hondo Ohnaka has gotten wind of a deal going down on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a band of pirates. There’s a generous bounty for their capture, so you’ll borrow the iconic ship and team up with Mando and Grogu to track them down and explore the galaxy.”The updated mission will take guests to destinations such as Coruscant and Endor, ensuring that even returning travelers will discover new experiences.Tell us about your malfunction experiences on board the Millennium Falcon or any other attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!The post Guests Stranded on Disney World Attraction After Malfunction Strikes appeared first on Inside the Magic.