Does Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance live up to the hype? Everything you need to know about Disney’s ultimate Star Wars ride.
We were in the planning stages of what would be our first trip to Disney World that involved other families. We invited two other families to join us and were in the process of putting together a plan.
All of us discussed plusses and minuses of various rides, parks, and wait times. What we would or would not do.
In general terms, we are at a point in our Disney lives where we avoid lengthy queues at almost all possible costs. If we can’t plan – or buy – our way out of a wait, then we just skip it and say we’ll get them next time.
But this was different. This was going to be in Hollywood Studios after the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and it happened to be in that short window of time between the death of FastPass and the rise of Lightning Lanes. They had not yet developed Rise’s single rider line.
Wait times for the ride were massive.
Since we were three families traveling together, staying in a condo off property was much more affordable than staying on property. In other words, we didn’t have access to early entry, and there was no point in targeting Rise of the Resistance for the secondary rope drop.
Our only option was to wait and see if we could catch the ride in a lull, or maybe right after a breakdown.
“We’re probably going to be looking at a two or three hour wait time, unless we get lucky,” I told the group with resignation.
I was later told that most of the group expected me to say that we might have to skip it. That we couldn’t afford to devote that much of our park day to a single ride.
Friends, that thought never even crossed my mind. Missing Rise of the Resistance was never a possibility. If it was the only ride that day, then that was how it was going to be.
“We’re going to have to deal with it,” I said with a grim determination.
The fateful day came and things were worse than I feared. We kept waiting for a reasonable wait time, anything under an hour and a half. It never came. Eventually, as the sun was going down and specter of the park’s closing was on the horizon, we bit the bullet.
The line for Rise wound through the lengthy queue and towards the front of the park. It went through the tunnel that marks the entrance to Galaxy’s Edge and over behind the Muppets Theater where a series of switchbacks awaited. I forget the exact wait time, but it was lengthy.
What followed is one of the worst experiences in Disney World, standing in queue. Standing at Disney is far worse than walking – at least for me – and my feet, my legs, and lower back were in serious levels of discomfort.
We made the slow march to the ride in pain, wondering how much longer it could possibly be.
Then, finally, we broke through. Into the pre-show, past the X-Wing and onto the ship that would take us into the Star Wars universe in a way that I could have never imagined possible.
We were in space battles, shootouts, and jail escapes at a scale that honestly boggles the mind.
It was amazing and worth every painful step, every prolonged moment of waiting. It met our incredibly high expectations and soared beyond them.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What is Rise of the Resistance?
It’s a massive, immersive, and truly stellar Star Wars–themed ride found at both Disneyland and Hollywood Studios. Featuring characters from the Disney-led Star Wars sequels, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, the ride last roughly 18-20 minutes. The scale is massive with life size AT-AT walkers – essentially two-story tall giant walking tanks. It features state of the art techniques combining trackless ride vehicles, stellar practical affects, multiple animatronics, and massive screens that put you right into the action.
After the pre-show, which features a practical version of the droid BB-8 and a hologram of Rey, you are identified as possible recruits for the rebellion—everything the six-year-old version of me ever wanted. You are whisked off to a waiting star ship – piloted by Lt. Bek, a Mon Calamari (squid person) – to take you to the secret location.
he First Order—the recovering remnants of the Empire—waylays you and pulls you inside a Star Destroyer with a tractor beam.When the doors open, you are in the landing bay of the Star Destroyer and facing a platoon of Storm Troopers standing at attention. At this point, you are fully immersed in the Star Wars Galaxy.
In character, Cast Members lead you to holding cells, where General Hux and the Sith Kylo Ren address you.
When they step away, members of the Resistance bust you out of your cell and load you onto waiting, droid-driven speeders. A chase ensues that leaves you dodging blaster fire from StormTroopers, and the aforementioned massive AT-AT’s, which are spectacular practical effects.
Kylo Ren joins the chase; you speed past laser cannons firing as Resistance fighters engage TIE fighters outside the ship, before being loaded into escape pods that are launched. You crash land safely back on planet and are escorted away, giving a quick wave to Bek who managed to safely escape as well. Is there a gift shop at the end? Not exactly. There are gift kiosks, however, and they do a brisk business.
Do you have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy the ride?
I’m not exactly the right person to answer that question. I was 3-years-old when the first movie came out. Once my fear of Darth Vader was overcome, I became obsessed. Of my earliest and clearest childhood memories, two involve losing some of my Star Wars action figures. Some I had set up on the bumper of my dad’s car, and the other’s were Storm Troopers that disappeared into the snow.
It was more than an attachment, though. I believed in Star Wars, and the force, and more importantly that I had it. I believed when playing board games I could control the dice with mind. When I would jump from the top of the step’s at my Nanny’s house, I believed that I could use the force to maneuver myself through the air. Not fly. Jedi’s don’t fly. But to adjust the path of my leap. And while I believed, I did cushion my landing with large pillows, so there were some limits to my faithfulness.
So, I – a Star Wars fan of nearly five decades – have a hard time putting myself in someone else’s shoes. It is nigh on a religious experience for me.
But, they do a good job of setting up the story. You will know what’s going on and what’s at stake before you take off. The exposition is good. And I can’t believe that anyone could ride Rise and not at least marvel at the technological achievement.
Several non–Star Wars fans have assured me that Rise of the Resistance is entertaining.You don’t need to know a Wookiee from an Ewok to enjoy it.
Is the ride perfect?
I can understand why – by my explanation above – that you might think I’m blind to the ride’s flaws. I’m not. It is so technologically advanced that there is almost always something that isn’t working quite right. Whether one of the Kylo Ren animatronics is down or the laser cannons aren’t working like they are supposed to, Rise is always on the edge of being – briefly – closed for repairs or updates or fixing the computer programs. It’s just how it is. The shutdowns do give you a chance to beat the rush. Especially, if you are in the area when the ride comes back on line, but that’s a gambler’s chance.
The lengthy wait times are also unfortunate. They’re better now than they were. However, I almost always try to buy the Lightning Lane or target the single rider queue. I really don’t like waiting in queue more than an hour.
Finally, the ride is a little bit caught in a conundrum that Disney has with its Star Wars properties: How much immersion do fans want? When the ride opened, the many cast members guiding guests from point A to point B fully immersed themselves in the galaxy far, far away.
It was that kind of thinking that led to the Star Wars “hotel” failure. While there are fans who enjoy full immersion and banter, others aren’t comfortable with the acting required to play along. They prefer to watch, not to participate.
Now, the cast members have backed off their cosplay quite a bit. You will still get some who have their radar up for guests who really want to play along, but it’s not like it was in the beginning.
Is Rise of the Resistance worth it?
Yes. 100% yes.
It is worth long waits, purchasing the Individual Lightning Lanes, or going through the single rider line.
It is worth whatever cost you have to pay.
The achievement is worthy of its own theme park.
If you’re ranking the top rides in Orlando, Rise has to be among them. Some will point to Rise, while others will pick Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT. There may also be arguments for Avatar Flight of Passage, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry in Epic Universe, or even Monsters Unchained.
But the fact is, if you have the pleasure of riding Rise of the Resistance. The ride provides roughly 20 minutes of entertainment, compared to four or five at most on the others. You’re experiencing one of the best theme park attractions in the region, the country, and the world.
