Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been hyped as the premier attraction of the 14-acre Galaxy’s Edge and one of the most advanced rides ever developed by Walt Disney Imagineering.

If reporters, bloggers and influencers are to be believed, it more than lives up to expectations.

Members of the media got to experience the full attraction Wednesday and came out raving about the experience. Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider said Rise of the Resistance “tops all theme park rides.” Peter Sciretta of SlashFilm.com (and on YouTube as Ordinary Adventures) called it a “masterwork of Imagineering, employing state of the art technology and mind-blowing illusions to create the most immersive storytelling ride experience ever created.”

Laura Prudom of IGN compared it favorably to Universal Orlando’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but with the added element of extending the narrative into the queue space without making it feel like a typical pre-show.

“With its combination of cutting-edge technology, focused storytelling, and sheer scale, Rise represents an ambitious step forward for Disney, although its emphasis on creating an immersive narrative over roller coaster-style thrills may not completely satisfy the adrenaline junkies in your group,” Prudom wrote in her review.

Here’s how some other theme park media members reacted on social media:

The ride did have at least one malfunction during the media preview, according to Richard Bilbao of the Orlando Business Journal:

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will officially open on Dec. 5 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. FastPass+ ride reservations will not be available and the attraction will not be open during Extra Magic Hours at the park.

An identical version will debut at Disneyland Park in Anaheim on Jan. 17, 2020.

RELATED STORIES:
Disney World’s Star Wars hotel will open in 2021
Disney gets a pass when companies cut ties with SeaWorld over animal welfare
#FindBuzzy: Disney waited a week to report Epcot animatronic theft to police