Smugglers run, kids as pilot

[Boopuff]

Dear Disney, please make the pilot position for older kids/adults. We got stuck with a six year old as pilot and all we did was crash. I felt like we should’ve been given a re-ride with a more capable pilot. I get that kids are there, but put them as gunners! Or any less important role. Even better, combine families with littles together in one simulator, and pair up adults. This was our only disappointment during our day at Galaxies Edge. Rant over….

 

[Smugpugmug]

You can ask to be the pilot when you get your role assignment. I have asked to be the pilot every time I have ridden Smuggler's Run and CMs are always happy to accommodate the request. No need to say why. It's similar to asking for B1 in Soarin.

 

[FCDub]

Counterpoint is there’d nothing I’d have loved more as a six-year-old than piloting the Falcon.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

Counterpoint is there’d nothing I’d have loved more as a six-year-old than piloting the Falcon.

Counterpoint to your counterpoint... my wife and I are FIFTY-six years old and there's nothing we loved more than piloting the Falcon!

I think the people behind us in the line were dreading the "old folks" being the pilots as much as if there were little kids in those roles... but I gotta say, we made a pretty good piloting team! We did still bump into some things now and then, but my wife did a lot better as the right/left pilot than even I expected! We stayed lined up with the train rather nicely.

 

[quandrea]

Dear Disney, please make the pilot position for older kids/adults. We got stuck with a six year old as pilot and all we did was crash. I felt like we should’ve been given a re-ride with a more capable pilot. I get that kids are there, but put them as gunners! Or any less important role. Even better, combine families with littles together in one simulator, and pair up adults. This was our only disappointment during our day at Galaxies Edge. Rant over….

Way more important things to get riled up over in life. Kids have paid their admission as well, they have equal rights to pilot. I for one love seeing how much fun they have.

Strong argument here for you being ageist.

 

[jo-jo]

Does the length of ride depend on the pilot? Would a real pilot make the ride last an hour?

 

[Boopuff]

Way more important things to get riled up over in life. Kids have paid their admission as well, they have equal rights to pilot. I for one love seeing how much fun they have.

Strong argument here for you being ageist.

I totally get that kids (their parents) paid their admission etc... But I don't think I'm anti-kids, I'm merely suggesting that families with kids ride with other kids. I disagree that the ride is fun crashing over and over. There are other positions for younglings to navigate.

 

[quandrea]

I totally get that kids (their parents) paid their admission etc... But I don't think I'm anti-kids, I'm merely suggesting that families with kids ride with other kids. I disagree that the ride is fun crashing over and over. There are other positions for younglings to navigate.

Disagree.

 

[SLThomas318]

Mom of a 5 and 7 year old who LOVE being the pilot and they do an awesome job. Like others have said, just request to be a pilot next time.

 

[MomOTwins]

I totally get that kids (their parents) paid their admission etc... But I don't think I'm anti-kids, I'm merely suggesting that families with kids ride with other kids. I disagree that the ride is fun crashing over and over. There are other positions for younglings to navigate.

It’s a high wait time high turnover ride, they can’t slow everything down to try to match riding groups to put two families together. And it won’t work 90% of the time because there are only six seats and many families with kids are groups of 4 or more—you’d need two families of 3 or a single parent and child with a family of 4. Unless you’re suggesting splitting up families and/or sending kids to ride on their own with strangers so that you can POSSIBLY have a less bumpy ride (we’ve had some pretty bumpy rides with adult pilots too). If so, just wow.

I agree with the pp. If you don’t want kids as pilots, be willing to ask for the pilot seats and wait longer.

 

[SkyGuy]

I’ve been on the Falcon several times in all positions. The only times I’ve got motion sickness was when a younger child was pilot. I would never say that someone shouldn’t have the opportunity to pilot the ship. If we’re in line behind a young child who ends up in the pilot position, I always ask the CM if we can be placed with another group (any position; we’ve done it enough that we don’t care anymore), and I’ve always been accommodated. (Lots of times with an “I don’t blame you.”)

 

[georgina]

Way more important things to get riled up over in life. Kids have paid their admission as well, they have equal rights to pilot. I for one love seeing how much fun they have.

Strong argument here for you being ageist.

Wanting to be able to enjoy a ride is not ageist. I think a kid can be pilot, just don't stick other non-family members in to be crashed continually! I too try not to be stuck with a very young pilot when I ride.

 

[CarolynFH]

I totally get that kids (their parents) paid their admission etc... But I don't think I'm anti-kids, I'm merely suggesting that families with kids ride with other kids. I disagree that the ride is fun crashing over and over. There are other positions for younglings to navigate.

I was excited to ride the Falcon in December 2020 because I knew that due to COVID-19, we’d have our own ship with DD and DSiL, and we’d let them be pilots. I thought we’d have a smooth ride, since they’re adults. It didn’t take long before I realized that they weren’t at all taking our mission seriously - they were intentionally crashing as much as they could.

IOW, if you want pilots who’ll fly as smoothly as possible, you need to wait to be the pilot yourself or else go with a party of six so you can ensure the pilots take this as seriously as you seem to do.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We were not allowed to have both of our kids in the back seats a few years ago. A CM made me give up my pilot spot to go back with our youngest, while the older child took the pilot spot.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

You can ask to be the pilot when you get your role assignment. I have asked to be the pilot every time I have ridden Smuggler's Run and CMs are always happy to accommodate the request. No need to say why. It's similar to asking for B1 in Soarin.

This
Just like asking for front row or back seats on coasters etc. So no one to blame other than yourself.

 

[lilmc]

When the line is too long, we frequently split up (family of 4) and Single Rider it. It is so much fun being part of and seeing all the different dynamics of other groups and families, including ages and skill level of pilots. (We started in Galaxy's Edge height of COVID restrictions, so only one group at a time, so we never experienced other groups). Let the kids have their fun, it’s their park, too, and if it affects your experience (which is important, too), then as other have mentioned, just ask to switch groups or to wait until you can pilot. (And we ask all. the. time for last car on GotG because that’s the BEST!)

 

[cgattis]

My sincerest apologies to the four people who rode with us this week, because DD21 and I got pilots and we were awful. We’d flown before and we still only earned one container of whatever it is. I was super focused on trying to do a good job too…recommend controlling your own destiny on this one if it matters to you.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I didn’t care if I was the pilot but didn’t want a 5 and 6 year olds flying our plane so we asked and they let us join the next group. I get motion sick and was hoping for a smoother ride, the CM totally understood when I said I get motion sick. What was interesting was the family didn’t ask if the could pilot the CM picked them.

 

[xipotec]

LOL….

Competitive ride gamers….

 

[Mle8308]

Trust me, you'd prefer to have a 6 year old pilot instead of me!