This Friday, Disneyland will unveil their latest crowning achievement - the long-awaited, 14 Acre, Star-Wars-themed Galaxy's Edge. For some longtime Star Wars aficionados and straight-up fiends, the new park will likely serve as pure escapism, an opportunity to voyage to the world George Lucas created all those years ago. As it happens, several publications including IGN were invited to experience the attractions and rides beforehand, providing their account of "Smugglers Run," sipping Blue Milk, and more. What's more, they were met by George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, and Mark Hammil, who rang in the opening ceremony.
For many, the allure of the Millennium Falcon will be inescapable. An exact-scale replica of the cinematic ship, the Falcon is described as awe-inspiring to behold, likely to prompt many-a-selfie. As of now, the lone ride remains the aforementioned and apostrophe lacking "Smugglers Run," which has already garnered plenty of hype. Unfortunately, the IGN review appeared slightly underwhelmed with the ride itself, though she does praise the impressive visuals and attention to detail throughout the boarding process.
In short, Smugglers Run explores the territory covered by ride simulators of the past, albeit with an additional dose of interaction; six riders will be allotted three distinct positions of pilot, gunner, or engineer, all of which provide three different experiences. As the reviewer tells it, the pilot made for the most enjoyable position by far, given that the other two must allot attention to additional, non-main screens. Despite some flaws, the ride made for a thrilling experience sure to sate die-hard Star Wars fans of all ages.
Galaxy's Edge opens to the public tomorrow at Disneyland. The Disney World variant opens on August 29th.