When my friend and I booked our Disney vacation early this year, the thought was that it would be our last pre-Star Wars trip. At the time, Galaxy’s Edge was listed as a “late 2019” opening, and we believed that September wasn’t quite late enough.

We were wrong in the best possible way, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened up about two weeks before our planned arrival. As a massive Star Wars fan, it ended up being the highlight of my trip for so many reasons. The entire land is incredible, immersive, and bound to appeal to even the most casual of fans.

After getting up at the crack of time in order to take advantage of the 6 AM opening time for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we headed straight into the park and made a beeline for Galaxy’s Edge. The transition from the rest of the theme park into the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu really does feel otherworldly – the tunnel leading from the Grand Avenue area into Galaxy’s Edge creates a definitive end of one area and beginning of another. The staff on Batuu greets you with the local saying of “Bright Suns” – their term for “good morning” – and welcomes you into the area. It immediately sets the tone for the entire experience and thanks to brilliant landscaping that prevents you from seeing any of the other areas of the park, it genuinely feels like Black Spire Outpost is its own entirely separate space.

The story of the land is that it takes place during the sequel era, on the planet of Batuu and specifically in an area known as Black Spire Outpost. It’s a zone where both the First Order and the Resistance are vying for power, with First Order Troopers patrolling and looking out for Rey (who you might be able to run into in the more forested area).

On one side of the Outpost is the First Order’s base of operations, with a TIE Echelon acting as a visible reminder of their presence. On the other is the Resistance’s setup, though you’ll have to look through the trees to find Rey or Chewbacca. The spy Vi Moradi can also be found wandering the land, hoping to find more recruits for the Resistance while being sure to duck out of sight of any First Order Troopers.

Of the two rides planned for Galaxy’s Edge, only one is currently open, which is Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Honestly, it’s a thrill just to stand in the shadow of the Falcon itself – it’s really there, it’s life-size, and sometimes you might even catch Chewbacca working on the ship throughout the day. Turning the corner in Galaxy’s Edge to see the iconic ship genuinely took my breath away. But boarding the ship and getting the chance to pilot it is really something special. We had the chance to ride Smuggler’s Run twice. The ride puts you in the position of doing some work for Hondo Ohnaka, the Weequay pirate who happens to run Ohnaka Transport Solutions out of Batuu. He’s made a deal with Chewie in order to make some money for himself while still helping out the Resistance; it’s up to you to help pilot the Falcon in order to steal some coaxium from the First Order so that the Resistance can use it (and so Hondo can pocket some cash in the process).

You’re sorted into groups of six, with two people acting as pilots, two as gunners, and two as engineers. And if you end up with crummy pilots, good luck making any money! This isn’t just a simulator ride like Star Tours, you actually have to push some buttons and pull some levers in order to get through the experience and hopefully come out on the other side okay. So the pilots have to actually steer the ship, the gunners have to actually shoot down some TIE Fighters, and the engineers need to make sure to line up the tow cable shot to steal that coaxium (and probably repair the ship along the way if the pilots aren’t competent). Our first go-round on the Falcon was as engineers, and we made it out with two containers of coaxium – though we felt that we probably could’ve done better if not for the fact that our gunners weren’t paying attention. And though we only got one container on our turn as pilots, I really have to say that as a lifelong Star Wars fan there might not be any greater rush than being able to literally pull the lever that throws the ship into hyperspace. Smuggler’s Run is an incredible immersive experience that can vary a lot depending on the competence of the crew onboard, so if you have the chance to ride multiple times, definitely go for it.

The other experience that I was fortunate enough to do and would recommend any fan take part of (if they can afford it) is the lightsaber building experience at Savi’s Workshop. It’s a cool $200 (so, my whole souvenir budget) but in my opinion it was worth every penny. I don’t want to get too much into the nitty gritty details for the sake of not spoiling it, but you meet a group known as the Gatherers, who have brought together various saber parts for you to choose from. They also have a selection of kyber crystals to choose from in order to power the blade (and affect the color of the blade). It’s an intimate little experience with just 14 people building, at most, at any given time, and it takes about 15-20 minutes from start to finish. Being able to customize your own saber hilt and then light up the blade for the first time is such a thrill, and obviously a lightsaber is the go-to accessory for any Star Wars fan.

We didn’t partake in it this time, but there’s also a custom droid building experience at the Droid Depot, where you can piece together an R-series or BB-series unit from a bunch of different options that come streaming down a conveyor belt. The finished droids come to life right before your eyes and will respond with different beeps and boops, conversing with other droids in the land and perhaps expressing some distress if you happen to stray too far into First Order territory. Even just seeing some of the younger kids play with their finished creations was a lot of fun, and I look forward to making a droid on my next trip, whenever that may be.

The other must-do for anyone at Galaxy’s Edge is to head into Oga’s Cantina. It’s not Mos Eisley, of course – but it’s got just enough of that scoundrel flair about it to feel along the same lines. The drink menu is impressive and inventive. I’ll go ahead and recommend the Fuzzy Tauntaun, which features a foam on top that numbs your lips a bit, just enough to give a tingling sensation that’s certainly otherworldly. Other interesting concoctions we tried were the Bespin Fizz, which constantly bubbles and froths, and the Rodian Ration, a gelatin snack made with boba balls and vodka to give a little kick. After being fired from Star Tours, RX-24 was rescued from the scrap heap by Oga and turned into the cantina’s DJ, where he now spins the tunes (yes, including that song from the Mos Eisley cantina) as DJ Rex. The whole atmosphere inside the cantina is electric, and thanks to good drinks and affable bartenders, it’s just a ton of fun.

There’s plenty to spend your hard-earned credits on beyond lightsabers and drinks, of course. Black Spire Outpost boasts a full marketplace, where you can find all sorts of otherworldly creatures to take home with you (I’m particularly fond of the lothcat, myself), Batuuan clothing, and much more. And for those with the most discerning of tastes, there’s Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, where you can come face to face with the Ithorian collector himself. Dok-Ondar can be found inside his shop, which offers various rarities such as kyber crystals, holocrons, and even pre-built lightsabers. He’s behind the counter taking stock of his wares, and it’s an honestly impressive animatronic.

Even if you’re not waiting in line for the ride or shopping, there’s a ton to do at Galaxy’s Edge. Thanks to the Play Disney Parks phone app, you can load up the Datapad and participate in taking on jobs for various characters around Batuu, install surveillance for the First Order, hack droids and ships, scan cargo for valuable goods, and plenty more. I spent a lot of my time just fooling around with the datapad app and I thought the whole thing was remarkably well done (though I did encounter some small bugs/glitches with the app on occasion). You could probably spend your whole day just playing around with the app and never make it to another land in Hollywood Studios.

So as far as Disney’s take on Star Wars is concerned with Galaxy’s Edge, my verdict: it’s incredible. I’m blown away by the amount of detail put into every inch of the space, by the immersive nature of the entire area, by the quality of the entire experience. Even the soundscape makes you feel like you’re part of the action - just hearing a TIE Fighter whiz by overhead got my blood pumping.

The second ride, Rise of the Resistance, opens up in December. While I don’t exactly have enough galactic credits to turn right around and go back, I can’t say I’m not tempted to do so. Batuu feels like something right out of the Star Wars universe and I can’t recommend it enough – if you get the chance, definitely go for it.

-Carrie Wood