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Credit: DisneyDisneyland Resort’s newest themed land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s opened at Disneyland in May 2019 to large crowds and huge wait times for the attraction, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. However, that was not the only attraction that Guests would have to ride. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened in December 2019 and operated on a virtual queue system in order to control the crowds and demand for the ride.
Unfortunately, just a few months later, Disneyland Resort was forced to shut its gates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Disneyland Park remained closed for a record 412 days. However, it is now back, better than ever, and ready to welcome Guests once more!
The Disneyland website describes Rise of the Resistance:
The Resistance needs your help! Hidden in the forest outside Black Spire Outpost, the Resistance is gathering recruits for a secret mission.
With the First Order desperate to extinguish the spark of the Resistance, the mission is bound to have unexpected twists and turns. When your transport is captured by an imposing First Order Star Destroyer filled with legions of stormtroopers—and even Kylo Ren!—you’re going to need all the help you can get. Fortunately, a covert team of Resistance fighters—including Rey and BB-8—is at the ready to give you a fighting chance to escape… and a chance for the Resistance to rise.
Prepare for a thrilling, first-of-its-kind adventure!
Ken Potrock became President of the Disneyland Resort, moving over from President of Consumer Products, in May 2020. Unfortunately, because the theme parks were closed, he did not get to experience the magic of Disneyland as its new President. This also means that Potrock never got to ride the immensely popular Rise of the Resistance.
Potrock recently stopped by the D23 podcast, Inside Disney, and was asked what attraction he most enjoyed riding now that the theme park is back up and running. He was quick to answer with Disneyland’s newest ride.
The one that was sort of most impactful for me, because up until a couple days ago I had never ridden it, which was Rise of the Resistance…Since I’ve been here, it hadn’t been open. So, it took us to begin operationalizing it and getting it ready for Guests for me to finally get on the attraction and I would tell you, for a Star Wars geek, the ability for me to jump on that attraction and to just get blown away by the experience that it offered, and I guess, more importantly, the fact that I felt like a kid in the middle of, you know, a battle with the First Order. I mean, it was just so cool.
The Disneyland President is not the only one who considers Rise of the Resistance one of Disney’s best. The Rise of the Resistance virtual queue would fill up in minutes and Guests would arrive at the theme park hours early in an attempt to get their boarding group pass.
When Disneyland reopens on April 30, Rise of the Resistance will continue to operate on a solely virtual queue system. However, due to current theme park capacity restrictions, there will be two chances to enter the virtual queue instead of just one. The first boarding group opportunity will begin at 7 a.m. and the second opportunity will be at 12 p.m. You can read more about the boarding system for Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland here.
Will you be trying to ride Rise of the Resistance when Disneyland reopens? Let us know in the comments!
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