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Credit: DisneyBright Suns, Insiders! We traveled far far away to the edge of the galaxy and landed on the planet Batuu to learn all about the brand-new experience at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Rise of the Resistance. So, follow along this intergalactic adventure as we share all we learned about the brand-new attraction, answer all your most asked questions, and show you all the details of this out-of-this-world ride!
Inside the Magic had the distinct pleasure to attend a media event at the Walt Disney World Resort to learn more about the highly anticipated new attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. A special thank you to Disney for hosting us!
We want to answer all your questions and help you prepare for an experience like you’ve never had before! But be warned… this article does contain SPOILERS! So, if you want to be surprised, skip this article for now, and jump on the other most talked about topic on the internet: Baby Yoda.
For those of you still with us, hold on tight because we’re about to jump into hyperspace! Batuu, here we come!
The Rise of the Resistance Backstory
Armed with courage and excitement, we arrived at Batuu, the once-thriving stop for traders and travelers. The infamous Black Spire Outpost is a place where smugglers and rogues peddle their goods. Burrowed among the towering remains of petrified trees, locals cook up exotic dishes and captivate us with tales of ancient settlers long forgotten. That is, until the struggle between the First Order and the Resistance made its way to this far off land. This is where you find us, joining the resistance and standing against the power of the First Order!
Our support of the Resistance leads us on a mission to a secret base manned by members of the Resistance. But on our journey, the transport ship is overtaken by the First Order requiring us to make a daring escape (since we can reveal the secret base’s location) which is at the heart of this attraction. During the escape, we encountered Stormtroopers, Kylo Ren, and General Hux to name a few. Finally boarding an escape pod we break free and make our way back home!
You are Part of the Story
You won’t experience better storytelling anywhere than at Disney! This land will immerse you in interactive storytelling as you have never experienced before. You might encounter Stormtroopers intimidating rebels, Chewbacca and Rey recruiting for the rebellion, and more. So be ready to become part of the story and maybe even try to learn some Aurebesh, the native language in Batuu, before you arrive. It might come in handy!
But for now, let’s dive into the more practical information to help you prepare for your experience on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Opening Dates for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort
The Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction is opening December 5, 2019, at the Walt Disney World Resort and January 17, 2019, in Disneyland Resort.
Virtual Queue and FastPass+
Whether you are a seasoned Disney veteran or a first-time visitor, chances are you are familiar with Disney’s FastPass+. This skip-the-line service is included with your park admission and allows you to pre-book up to three attractions per day before you arrive so you can save time and enjoy even more of the magic during your visit.
Currently, the two attractions at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge have the capability for FastPass, but the service isn’t yet being offered. Because of the loading process for FP+, it can slow down the standby queue for guests without it. So, although you might think it a negative that Disney isn’t offering FastPass+ for their two newest attractions, it actually levels the playing field for all guests visiting and helps move the standby queue quicker, so more guests can enjoy the experience.
Without FastPass+, Disney had to use some sort of crowd management tool to help with land and attraction capacity. For this reason, they are currently utilizing a virtual queue in the way of Boarding Groups. Upon arrival at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can open their My Disney Experience app and request to join a boarding group.
Once your boarding group is called, you will have two hours to return to the experience and join the standby queue. This will allows guests to explore other areas of the park and resort and not spend their entire day waiting in line for one attraction.
Early Arrival to the Park is Essential
Due to the popularity of this new attraction, guests have been reporting on social media about the cap on boarding group distribution happening early in the day. We highly recommend arriving a few hours before the park opens to ensure you can join a boarding group the day you are visiting.
As with any new experience, the excitement will die down eventually and arriving hours before park opening might not be necessary. But if Pandora’s Avatar Flight of Passage is any indication, we will be seeing high wait times for Rise of the Resistance for years to come.
Height Restrictions
There is a minimum 40-inch height requirement for the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride in both Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. Make sure you check your Padawan’s height before you go!
Safety Warnings
Right outside the entrance of the attraction, there is a health warning posted. The sign reads: “For your safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure”
Disney’s website also states:
“WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.”
If unsure if you can enjoy it safely, it’s always best to check with your healthcare provider before you choose to experience any attraction with a health and safety warning.
Accessibility and Disability Access Service (DAS)
Guests must be able to transfer onto the ride vehicle to enjoy the experience. There are several pre-show rooms before guests board the attraction vehicle. ECV’s and Wheelchairs can participate in these pre-show experiences. However, if guests cannot transfer to the trackless ride vehicle, they must take the last exit before boarding.
Guests with Disability Access Service or DAS are able to use the FastPass+ queue to enter the attraction at this time. Please review the DAS rules before you arrive so you have all the information you need to utilize this service.
Attraction Ride Vehicle Information
Each ride vehicle carries up to 8 escapees, in two rows of four, one in front of the other. Because you are surrounded by the experience, it doesn’t affect the guest POV which row they load on. However, the front row on this experience is a clear view, so if you rather not have a row of guests in front of you, do try to ride shotgun.
The ride vehicles operate on a trackless system. The ride glides smoothly across the floor and transfers riders through the different attraction rooms. You will experience front, back, side to side, rising and dropping motions.
You will also experience simulator motions twice during the attraction. Once in during the pre-show, then later while on the ride vehicle. Both moments are short, so if you’re not a fan of simulators, you should be ok as the simulator “scenes” are quick-passing.
Are the Vehicles Padawan-Pooh-sized Friendly?
The best answer to this question we can provide is the seat is similar in size to the seats on the Dinosaur attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We felt they were on the snug side. Almost like a coach seat on an airplane.
The safety restriction is a seatbelt just like on Dinosaur and similar to the Tower of Terror ride vehicle seal belts.
How long does the attraction last?
The attraction experience is approximately 15-18 minutes. This is counting the pre-show rooms. The actual ride-vehicle portion lasts about 3-4 minutes.
There are five pre-show/waiting areas before you board the ride vehicle. These pre-show areas are fun and feel very much part of the attraction. Once you have entered the first pre-show room, you will stop counting the minutes as you will be fully immersed in the story and having a galactic time!
Is the Attraction Scary?
We had many Insiders reach out to ask us if the attraction is scary for younger padawans. This will depend highly on your child’s threshold for noises, fast action, and ultimately, Star Wars battles!
The attraction is exciting and has several surprises. We would rate the thrill level for this attraction as a medium thrill. There are no spooky moments or big drops that might scare some guests. But the noise levels are fairly high and there are some moments where if guests are afraid of heights, they might be somewhat uncomfortable. There is a drop mentioned on the warning sign in the entrance. It is quick and very mild, compared to what guests experience on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™.
Ultimately, if you are still unsure and need more details, we recommend watching our Rise of the Resistance Full Ride Through so you know exactly what to expect and can make a more informed decision for your family. However, if your little padawan is a big Star Wars fan, we think they will totally enjoy it!
If you decide to bring your little padawans and they get a little stage fright while there, you will have several opportunities to exit before you enter the attraction. If this happens, be sure to speak to a cast member so they can help you set up Rider Switch so you can still enjoy the attraction if you wish to do so by taking turns with other adults in your party.
We hope this information is helpful as you plan to experience Disney’s most advanced new attraction in Disney theme park history! If you have any additional questions we failed to address, please do leave those in the comments and we will try to answer them for you.
Don’t forget, if you need any assistance planning a visit to Batuu, you can contact our friends at Academy Travel for a free, no-obligation quote on your next visit to a galaxy far, far away! May the force be with you as you plan!