My Star Wars fandom has waned a bit over the years, but on occasion my memories of watching A New Hope over, and over come rushing back. For example, I cried (sobbed really) during The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. My eyes stayed dry during The Rise of Skywalker though. Draw your own conclusions there.

Over the holiday break I found myself in Walt Disney World for a last chance at a trip that was twice rescheduled due to Covid. The crowds were insane, which was extremely concerning due to the explosion in cases from the Omicron variant. One of the few moments where I was able to be completely transported away from this Covid hellscape was the time I spent in Galaxy’s Edge.

All of it was amazing, but the somewhat surprising highlight for me was Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. I had heard disappointing things about the ride, but it really hit me hard in the nostalgia zone. I was selected to be one of the pilots, so it was like Star Tours except I was in control. And look how faithful the interior of the ride is.

The hand sanitizer dispenser kind of gives it away though. Thanks Covid.

Rise of The Resistance was amazing as well, but still had nothing on piloting the Millennium Falcon. Even my Star Tours trip was great this time around (no prequel trilogy nonsense.) Speaking of Star Tours, I was even able to catch up with an old friend at the Cantina. I sure wish he was willing to wear a mask though.