This ride breaks all tradition of your typical theme park rides. Usually, you wait in a line, well-themed or minimal theming, and then you board the ride with the line of people you're in. Maybe you'll have a preshow, but then you're dumped out with a bunch of people. The moment you step inside of the ship, it's an experience from start to finish, even by how you board the ride vehicles. (Love the bit of the Resistance trying to break you out. Even the load and unloaders play a role). Even though I already knew some things in the ride (The transition from Battuu to the Star Destroyer, the hangar, and AT-ATs), I was in total awe of how convincing and realistic the whole experience was. I love how you exit the same way you entered on the transport ship and how you can't see the mechanism to rotate the cabins to make it ultra-convincing.
The entire ride had me and my entire group going "WTH!?" "What is this madness!?" "Holy crap!" "This is incredible!" WOW!" The entire ride had me feeling like a little kid on Christmas day. The ride took no "breathers" and was a rush from start to finish. They have absolutely used trackless technology to its fullest advantage. The vehicles were a lot "zipper" and faster than I thought they would be. The only major trackless rides I've been on were Ratatouille and Antarctica and they were not very fast. This was like Spider-man fast or even Indy fast, which was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
It's no wonder this ride took so long to open and was breaking down so much because of how advanced the AAs and practical were. Not to mention how fast the vehicles were. Just a few inches off and the ride would have to shutdown. The escape pod scene....WHOA. That "drop" was very satisfying. It was also fairly intense motion for what it was. Also the fact that it ended outside was something I thought was really neat.
If you know me, I really do NOT like the sequel trilogy, like at all. If that trilogy was the only way to make this ride happen, then I'm willing to forgive it just for this ride (Doesn't mean I want to watch it again haha). The only nit-pick I have is not even a knock on the ride itself, but just a wish. It would have been that much better if it was set in the OT. Replace Kylo and Hux with Tarkin and Vader, put Ackbar in the transport ship, and replace Finn with Han Solo (Two Harrison Ford AAs at DL). It would've been better to hear the imperial march and duel of the fates on there. Just imagine Vader's lightsaber igniting on the scene where he would approach you before the door closes, you hear him breathing, and duel of the fates plays? *Head explodes* But other than that, 15/10 for me. Holy crap.