Smugglers run, how are the seat assignments given out?

[jo-jo]

When the ride first open, I've heard of some grumbles because person A and B got all the fun and the others just sit there. We have only gone on once with our family and took all the seats and half the kids had gone before. When we go in two weeks, it will be just the two of us. I don't care where we sit.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

First come, first served. You can make a request to be the pilot, but it's not guaranteed and they might make you wait one extra cycle.

I never thought any of the positions were especially worse than the others until COVID. I think the plexiglass is extremely disorienting. Not sure if it's still up.

 

[legler2250]

In my experience it has been completely random. After being the pilot a couple of times it was actually kind of enjoyable to sit in the back and enjoy the ride more while pretending to push some buttons to keep the shields engaged =) As a life long star wars fan I enjoyed the line, atmosphere, and having the ability to sit at the chess board in the Falcon more than the ride.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

In my experience, it's the "not it" pilot game. Oh no, we're going to crash, please don't make me the pilot again.

 

[jo-jo]

In my experience, it's the "not it" pilot game. Oh no, we're going to crash, please don't make me the pilot again.

My DGS was flying, my DGD was yelling instructions and we were just holding on. If DH or I were pilot, we wouldn't get out of the gate.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

We had a very small child as a pilot and it was.....rough. I like kids. I have 5 of them. But I would recommend requesting (quietly) another theater if small children are piloting.

 

[HydroGuy]

I never thought any of the positions were especially worse than the others until COVID. I think the plexiglass is extremely disorienting. Not sure if it's still up.

First I have heard of that! I am curious if they got rid of that too.

 

[tseitel]

First I have heard of that! I am curious if they got rid of that too.

we rode it in October. The plastic dividers were gone

 

[piccolopat]

Like others, we're not really interested in being the pilot. I think Disney missed an opportunity here to greatly increase ride capacity. For example, have one line for the 6 active positions and a separate line for "passengers" who are just along for the ride. Each Falcon could have held 12 people instead of just 6. We're hoping to ride on our next trip and will gladly give up the pilot seat if we're assigned to it.

 

[Westerner]

Pilots have the most to do, and right hand pilot gets to pull the hyperspace lever. Yelling out "Punch it Chewie" is recommended
Gunners have a fair amount to do shooting stuff.
Engineers is a chill role, just pushing buttons here and there.

We were originally grouped with another party and were assigned Engineers, which I had last time, so I requested pilot and our party of 3 was reassigned to go alone.

No plexiglass over the holidays and in general all social distancing type stuff was gone in all parks.

 

[CynBeth]

When we were there in November my DH and I were pilots the first time we went on. The next time later in the week were given pilot and we asked the couple behind us that we had been talking to if they wanted to switch and they did so we were gunners.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I visited with my family, a perfect party of 6, so we filled our own Falcon, and got to choose who did what. We rode three times, allowing everyone to try each position once. Pilot is way overrated: lots of responsibility, needing concentration, but the view from up front is *fun*. I liked gunner best, and was better at it than piloting, that's for sure. The more important position is to you, the more you should plan to try to ride SR more than once. Maybe a RD try, then a park-close try, or two days at DHS.

 

[Erzengel]

The first time we did it, I was able to get the pilot. The second time I wanted to be the gunner and that seemed extremely easy to get.

 

[jo-jo]

To be clear, I don't think I want pilot.

 

[CarolynFH]

To be clear, I don't think I want pilot.

If the CM hands you the Pilot card, just turn to the other 5 people in your pod and ask if anyone wants to trade. I'll be quite surprised if no one says Yes!

 

[pens4821]

We rode it for the first time the other day. I wouldn’t want to be the pilot either. There was a father and son to the side that they out in our line when we got there. They must’ve asked to be pilots. It seemed like too much work for a ride. We were gunners. I just held the button in and it continually fired.

Like someone else said. They should have just spectators. Not everyone wants to go on a ride and do work.

And as an aside I didn’t like the ride, because the father and son were way to into it. They were yelling and screaming directions the whole time. I know it’s supposed to be fun and I don’t mind yelling on rides, but barking out instructions to everyone really turned me off. They really ruined the whole thing (although I do admit they did a great job of steering it).

 

[zillayen]

We had a very small child as a pilot and it was.....rough. I like kids. I have 5 of them. But I would recommend requesting (quietly) another theater if small children are piloting.

This happened to me yesterday. It was very bouncy. I was single rider though so I didn’t have much of a choice

 

[Revan46]

I was a single rider but was able to get pilot twice (pretty much by saying I had done all the roles before except pilot). Now it was just by luck that each time I was able to get the left seat and then the right. But yeah not saying that's how you can get pilot cause often single riders always end up engineers, but just saying how it worked for me (not sure it will for everyone and you may end up waiting longer before they'll give you that chance but hey who knows.) Funny enough I did better as left pilot cause we got super far into the journey whereas I noticed the score and the journey seemed to not last as long when I was in the right pilot seat. Whether that was cause of me as pilot or cause of my left pilot or gunners, not sure. But I definitely had a slightly different journey each time.

 

[Jangles]

My heart sinks when small children are given the pilot cards, particularly if they are too young to follow the basic instructions. The ride is quite different if the pilots are good.

 

[Westerner]

My heart sinks when small children are given the pilot cards, particularly if they are too young to follow the basic instructions. The ride is quite different if the pilots are good.

Now I know what Han Solo meant in A New Hope when he said ”Who’s gonna fly it kid? You?”