Millennium Falcon Experience

We rarely get any of the cool official exhibits to come to Utah. So when it was announced that the Millenium Falcon Experience was coming to Salt Lake City, I had to read the web page a number of times before I was actually able to grasp that we were one of the few cities that it was coming to.

The event came to the Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah May 18, 19th, and 20th. Since the event was free and knowing us Utahns LOVE free events, I knew that we would need to be at ticket distribution early. Lucasfilm was in charge of the distribution so all we really knew was the time they would start. At first, it was going to be 9:30 on Saturday (the day we were able to go as a family), but they changed it last minute to 8 am. 

Saturday rolls around and we get up earlier than we would like to. My daughter Marvel was already up since she’d went to bed a lot earlier than normal, so it was nice that we didn’t have to get her up and ready. We got on the road and drove the 30 or so minutes to the theater it was being hosted at. 

We arrived about an hour and a half before ticket distribution time, and there was already a line, but nothing that scared us about getting tickets. We killed the time by playing with the iPad, reading books, or watching YouTube. Marvel got a bit hungry so she ate some Star Wars themed snacks that I had in my bag. 

Ticket distribution started promptly at 8 am and went pretty smoothly. We were given 5 wristbands (we only ended up using 3 of them), and a card with a return time of 10:30 am. Since we had some time to kill we went to get breakfast and then went to the store. 

We came back at our designated time. I liked that they had return times at intervals so that the area wasn’t overcrowded and the line to get in the Falcon wasn’t crazy long either.

The Millennium Falcon Experience was supposed to be housed in 3 shipping containers, one with the cockpit, one with Lando’s bar, and one with the Holochess set. Unfortunately, two of the containers were damaged in Atlanta, so the only one we received was the cockpit. I was a bit disappointed at first but the cockpit was the part I was most excited about anyways and really the most iconic! 

It’s also important to note that the Falcon was recreated to look like it appears in the upcoming film SOLO: A Star Wars Story, so it’s a lot cleaner looking than the ship we are used to seeing in the other Star Wars films. 

After waiting in line in the (thankfully) shaded queue, it was our families turn. The employees took a picture of our family at the entrance and then we got to step into the cockpit. 

I took the pilot’s seat and Marvel took the co-pilot seat. My husband Sean was nice enough to take some video and pictures of us while we were sitting in there. I would be lying if I said I didn’t end up with tears in my eyes because it was so surreal! They were playing Rey’s theme too which was perfect since my daughter was dressed in one of her Rey costumes. Not all of the buttons worked but it was fun flipping switches and pretending we were going to go into Hyperspace.

I could have sat there all day but sadly, we had to land the ship and leave. I determined that someday I’ll make my own replica so I can sit all day in there and recreate my favorite scenes. 

After saying goodbye to the ship, we walked around the different booths that the Jordan Commons theater had set up. I was again thankful for the different return times because it meant it wasn’t too crowded. They had members of the 501st there to take pictures with. Marvel loved having the Stormtroopers hug her Porg she brought along. 

There was also a bouncy house for the kids, some treats from a local radio station, themed chalk art, and a custom motorcycle. 

 

 

The weather was just perfect and it was a great activity for our whole family to enjoy! 

I believe there’s only one more city left on the stop for this experience, so if you get the chance, GO! Just make sure you remember to go early for tickets and know that you’re not going to get the time you want to play pilot. Regardless, it’s well worth it for any Star Wars fan!