Millennial Falcon
Fall 2019 | By Nicole Dudenhoefer 麻豆精品 S�17
What seemed to be a distant fantasy聽for Star Wars fans is now an exciting聽possibility in a not-so-faraway galaxy: flying the Millennium Falcon.
Within the past year, the 14-acre 厂迟补谤听奥补谤蝉: Galaxy 麻豆精品 S檚 Edge has been added聽to both Walt Disney World Resort聽near Orlando and Disneyland Resort聽in Anaheim, California. Among the聽attraction 麻豆精品 S檚 immersive experiences is聽Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run,聽a simulation ride that allows up to聽six people working together as pilots,聽gunners and engineers to complete a聽mission in real time.
One of the leaders on the Walt聽Disney Imagineering team behind聽the ride is civil engineering grad聽Jacqueline (Cade) King 麻豆精品 S�12. While聽a senior at UCF, she was connected to聽an internship opportunity with Disney聽through the American Society of Civil聽Engineers student organization. Once聽she graduated, King 麻豆精品 S檚 role at Disney聽evolved before she landed the gig as an聽attraction producer for Smugglers Run.
麻豆精品 S淚 went to school to build bridges, and聽I ended up building spaceships, 麻豆精品 S� says聽King, who grew up watching Star Wars聽films with her family. 麻豆精品 S淲orking with聽Imagineering is one of the best jobs you聽could ask for. No day is the same. 麻豆精品 S�
King 麻豆精品 S檚 job is to ensure the creative聽vision of the project is delivered on聽time and on budget. Acting as a liaison聽between Imagineering and other teams,聽she oversaw aspects on the project聽from major conceptual developments聽to the smallest painted elements.
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e all had that dream of flying聽the Millennium Falcon, and meeting聽those expectations was one of the most聽exciting and challenging parts of the聽project, 麻豆精品 S� King says.
King on the new themed experience and ride:
The Force Is Strong in her Family
While creating Smugglers Run, King 麻豆精品 S檚 team became tightknit. Her husband, mechanical engineering grad Gabriel King 麻豆精品 S�15, also worked on Galaxy 麻豆精品 S檚 Edge. Ultimately, King says for her, Star Wars is all about bonding. 麻豆精品 S淲atching all of those characters come together, they truly become more than friends, they become a family. The Millennium Falcon becomes the home base everyone unites in. 麻豆精品 S�
Traveling Through Hyperspace
Seeing Galaxy 麻豆精品 S檚 Edge finally come together was a surreal experience for King, and she says your journey through the land will be too. 麻豆精品 S淭he amount of detail the entire team put into making you feel like you 麻豆精品 S檝e truly entered a different world is astounding. Our partners worked really hard to take you out of the theme park and into Batuu. 麻豆精品 S�
Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy
For four years, King worked with Disney and the Lucasfilm teams to get every detail of the ride right. From studying the films to poring over 20-foot drawings of the Falcon, her team was able to create the nearly 110-foot-long spacecraft to scale. 麻豆精品 S淭his is the first time anybody has seen the Millennium Falcon as expected from the films. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to pretend you 麻豆精品 S檙e anywhere because you 麻豆精品 S檙e truly there. 麻豆精品 S�
More than a Bucket of Bolts
Developing the technology behind the ride to deliver real-time feedback was a huge undertaking, King says. Disney worked with Epic Games to make it happen. 麻豆精品 S淲e had to make sure the game engine could process all of the visuals at the quality we wanted, as well as have six guests control the vehicle and make sure they 麻豆精品 S檙e working toward the same goal. 麻豆精品 S�
Let the Wookiee Win
While waiting to board the spacecraft, riders pass the iconic location where Chewbacca and R2-D2 played a holographic chess game. 麻豆精品 S淥n the ride you can also unlock another Easter egg we call 麻豆精品 S榃ookiee Mode. 麻豆精品 S� It actually allows Chewie to communicate with you throughout the entire mission.
Stay on Target
With about 200 controls in the Millennium Falcon, some riders may feel overwhelmed. King says it 麻豆精品 S檚 important to keep in mind the sense of realism behind the ride. 麻豆精品 S淧ilots should make sure they are not hitting objects, gunners should focus on shooting everything coming at you, and engineers should keep reeling in the cargo. 麻豆精品 S�