It’s been a little over a month since the newest attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. But with many new attractions at theme parks across the world, this one was met with some Guest frustrations, mainly when it came to the attraction’s virtual queue filling up for the day all too quickly, only to have the attraction break down mid-ride.
In the past month, Guests have taken to social media to share their experiences with Rising of the Resistance since the attraction opened. Many have said that they love this attraction — and we at Inside the Magic agree that it’s truly an experience like no other.
RISE OF THE RESISTANCE IS THE BEST RIDE EVER
— alexis (@crssyourmnd) January 7, 2020
Just went on Star Wars Rise of the resistance ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios OMG 10/10! #StarWars
— Twitch Zdawg (@ZdawgYT) January 7, 2020
So rise of the resistance totally meets its hype. What a unique attraction.
— Bridget Schultz (@bridgetmschultz) January 7, 2020
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But that doesn’t mean the ride hasn’t had its fair share of hiccups. And when you’re visiting Walt Disney World once this year (or this decade), you probably take your attraction experiences very seriously. The ride experienced some breakdowns on opening day and the days following, and it has continued to endure malfunctions since then. Recently, Guests visiting Hollywood Studios took to Twitter after having less than stellar experiences with Rise of the Resistance.
Rise of the Resistance Issues
Many have shared their thoughts on the Boarding Groups that Disney has implemented, a system in which Guests join a virtual queue using the My Disney Experience app and are notified of when they can return to the attraction once it is their time to board. Lately, boarding groups have been getting filled up just 10 minutes after the Theme Park opens for the day. This makes it pretty much required for Guests to arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios well before Park opens to almost guarantee they will have the opportunity to join a boarding group once the app allows them to do so when the Park is open for the day.
Hooray! The Force was with you this morning! Congrats on being able to join a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance — even though it required arriving long before the two suns of Tatooine had risen for the day.
— Daniel K. Lew (@DanielKLew) January 7, 2020
Woke up at 5:00am to get to Hollywood Studios – worth it to get boarding group 13 for Rise of the Resistance #FamilyTravel pic.twitter.com/rswIZP6pjw
— Dave Parfitt (@AdventuresByDad) January 7, 2020
I’m honestly super close to just not even trying to get a Rise of the Resistance boarding pass next weekend because the process to do so seems way to stressful for a relaxing weekend vacation.
— lilrunner (@lilrunner) January 7, 2020
Why tf is it so stressful and confusing to get onto rise of the resistance ride like u have to have the disney app and get a boarding pass but they disappear immediately bc of demand like….. will I even be able to get on it in june
— holly? (@losverclub) January 6, 2020
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Other Guests have expressed their frustrations with the ride breaking down, animatronics being out of order, and — as of this week, as you can see in the Tweets below — not being able to experience the attractions pre-show.
Had the same problem. Was it just broken?
— Tyler McGarr (@mcgarr53) January 6, 2020
Plus, some of the ride fx with the AT-ATs weren't working. No effort was made to distribute return FPs. When this thing is firing on all cylinders, it's one of the greatest rides on the planet. If one part goes down, it becomes, in their words, "Small World with Star Wars."
— Dimas Chicken Wraps presents: ImagineEars Podcast (@Imagine_Ears) January 7, 2020
@WDWToday running Rise of the Resistance without the hologram or shuttle operational is absolutely unacceptable. Talk about bad show. Yikes.
— Chris Banaszek (@aboybano) January 6, 2020
How is Disney responding?
Disney continues implementing the Boarding Group system to experience the Rise of the Resistance. While it’s easy to get frustrated with the system — especially since there is no actual guarantee that you will be able to join a Boarding Group, even if you arrive at the Park at the opening — it is, admittedly, good to be able to join a virtual queue instead of having to wait in line for hours. We at Inside the Magic put together a helpful video to help you navigate joining a Boarding Group, which you can watch below.
As Guests take to social media to express their frustration with Rise of the Resistance, Disney continues to respond via the Walt Disney World Guest Services official Twitter account. Whenever a Disney World Guest shares something with Walt Disney World Guest Services on Twitter — whether it is a Cast Compliment directed to recognize a Cast Member on their excellent work or concern or comment about anything having to do with Disney World — Disney’s Guest Services Cast Members will respond, even if it means apologizing for the breakdowns, lack of preshow, or difficulty to join the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance.
But when it comes to a long-term response, we’re not so sure what Disney has planned. Will the ride need to undergo more maintenance than expected, more frequently than anticipated? Or will the ride continue to operate as expected, even if that includes an occasional omission of the pre-show? It’s unclear right now.
What about at Disneyland?
As the attraction continues to be met with occasional breakdowns (and reportedly the lack of a pre-show experience when some Guests rode it), many are left wondering if similar issues will occur on the west coast when Disneyland’s identical version of Rise of the Resistance opens. The attraction opened at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland on January 17. While rumor spread that the ride opening was delayed due to issues during construction, the word is that those issues have since been resolved.
At this time, we know that there will be Boarding Groups implemented when Rise of the Resistance opens at Disneyland, though it’s unclear if they will be as challenging to get as they are at Disney World. We’ll keep you posted once the ride is officially open to the public. But for now, we and other avid Disney Parks visitors and Galaxy’s Edge enthusiasts will continue to stay informed on what’s going on with Rise of the Resistance in Orlando — both the good and the not-so-good.