So here’s my in-depth review of the land from my visit on Friday, June 21st.
First off, it was a beautiful day with a high of low 70s and mostly cloudy. Almost unheard of for the official start of summer.
Before entering, we rode Star Tours so we could later compare it to Smugglers Run.
Apparently, during the reservation period, they’re only allowing access through Critter Country. Understandable as it gives everyone a fair chance to access everything, especially Oga’s Cantina, Savi’s Workshop and Droid Depot.
We got to Critter Country around 10:50 am. About 5 minutes later, they let us into the walkway, but held us until 11 am. We were standing underneath the train overpass at that time. Once let in to the land, the crowd briskly proceeded and we headed straight to Oga’s Cantina for a return time. Sadly, they gave out all return times for our reservation period about 10 people ahead of us so we didn't get to visit the Cantina. Bummer. From just outside, it does sound like a nightclub is going on inside.
The land is incredibly detailed. I love the aged/weathered look. I didn't get to see Rey or Chewie, but did see Kylo Ren and some Stormtroopers. It's great seeing how they interact with guests.
Blue and green milk were fun to try, but not something I'll order again. It's hard to enjoy with its slimy aftertaste. I kept having to chase it down with water to get rid of that icky feeling in my mouth. For a signature drink to a land, frozen Butterbeer is way better.
The only food item we tried was the Ronto Wrap, which is pretty tasty. The sausage has a nice snappy bite to it, which I assume has a natural casing. There's a slight heat to it, but not too much since my kids didn't complain about it being spicy. Just wished for the price, the sausage was thicker. There was nothing else interesting enough for us to want to try.
My 10-year old son got to build a custom droid. We all love it. It's a fun gadget to mess around with our yorkie and watch her reactions. Priceless!
Now on to Smuggler's Run. The queue is amazingly detailed. Making it so you can see the Millennium Falcon from the ground and above was a brilliant design. Hondo's AA was fluid. Haven't seen Hagrid's AA in person, but judging from videos, it looks to be on par with Hondo's.
I rode it three times from all three roles on the right side. First time was pilot. Graphics were pretty good and smooth. Pilot gives the best view of the entire screen, especially the sides. You get to start up the ship and pull the lever for lightspeed. Best seat for the best experience.
Second time was engineer. This had the worst view obviously and had the most buttons to push, not to mention they're scattered far apart. This created the worst experience as you miss much of the action on the screen if you want to interact properly.
Third time was gunner. This allows you to focus more on the screen and less on the buttons as there's only two to worry about, all while still getting a decent view of the screen. Second best position.
Given how kids are brutally honest, I asked my kids (ages 5, 7 & 10) which ride they liked better, Star Tours or Smugglers Run. All three said Smugglers Run. I asked why. They all said because of the buttons. My wife said the buttons detracted from the experience. So there you go. I know it's a small sample size, but I think kids will enjoy this no matter what, yet adults will likely have mixed opinions depending on the role they play.
If you get to pilot, you should be able to thoroughly enjoy the ride. Any other roles will get mixed reviews. Overall, I think it can be fun, but it can also be a chore. It's not a must-ride attraction for me after trying every role. I'll go on it again if time permits, but won't go out of my way to ride it like I would for Indiana Jones or all the Mountain rides.
As the land sits now, most people are in the right side of the land. Other than a few photo ops and some merch carts, there's not much to do on the left side for now. This really makes the whole land feel incomplete. I'm fine with no music playing throughout and happy with just the ambient noises. We'll see how things are once RotR opens with more shows/entertainment. Looking forward to the final product.