In this post we give an overview of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a dark thrill ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience before closing with an FAQ. Read on to learn more!
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This post is a quick guide to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in deep. The Hollywood Studios Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Hollywood Studios.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Basics
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a thrill ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. The ride
offers rider switch
has a Lightning Lane that is for individual sale
does not have a single rider line
is about 5 minutes long
Disney warns that persons not in good health and expectant mothers should not ride.
Where is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance located?
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is located in the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land in the back of the park.
Entering the park you can head straight to the hub, turning left and walking down Commissary Lane from the hub. When you get to the area around Star Tours, turn right. Passing Grand Avenue and the Muppets theater on your left, you’ll enter the tunnel into Galaxy’s Edge and find Rise of the Resistance immediately to your left.
If you’re riding it first at rope drop, you’ll typically be held near the entrance of the land. Importantly, while you can get to Galaxy’s Edge through Toy Story Land, you cannot go that way to rope drop Rise, rope drop crowds are held outside the other entrance to Galaxy’s Edge.
How to Ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has an individual Lightning Lane available for purchase. Guests of Disney resorts can purchase it at 7AM, while other guests have to wait until the park opens, subject to availability. This is the easiest way to get on the ride, but it comes at a price of about $15 to $25 per person.
If you opt not to pay for the individual Lightning Lane, your best option is to ride it during Early Entry if you have access to that perk. While I’ve had plenty of success doing this (arrive at the park an hour before Early Entry starts and you’ll be among the first on), I’ve also been stymied more than once by delayed openings.
In any case, if you ride Rise of the Resistance during Early Entry, it’s likely the only ride you’ll do during that time because the pre-ride experience takes a lot of time.
Finally, while Rise of the Resistance often commands the highest waits in the park, that doesn’t always mean you won’t find a reasonable wait. Honestly, 90 minutes waiting for Rise in the middle of the day isn’t always a bad use of time, just make sure it fits into your overall strategy.
If you’re visiting Hollywood Studios with small children, mind Rise’s 40 inch height requirement. Nearby Muppet Vision 3D has no height requirement, or you might make the longer trip to Toy Story Land, where you’ll find Alien Swirling Saucers (32 inches) and Toy Story Mania (no height requirement).
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Ride Experience
Note: Spoilers in this section!
The queue of Rise of the Resistance takes you through the resistance base on Batuu. You’ll pass by various weapons and supplies in the queue. At the end of the queue you’ll be briefed by Rey and BB-8 about your mission.
From there, you’ll board a transport ship. Here’s a small tip—be the last on the transport ship, and stay near the doors you enter. You’ll actually exit through those doors (the ship rotates). You want to be first out of the door because you’ll have the best chance at getting a photo of the famous hangar bay you land in:
At this point you’re on the First Order ship. Keep in mind that you’re a “prisoner” on this ship, so you won’t be treated politely by the first order. Just follow instructions and you’ll be fine.
After some more queuing, you’ll eventually start the actual ride portion of the experience. The dark ride takes you on an escape from the First Order ship, using a mix of practical and special effects.
It’s a thrilling adventure, and includes both a trip up an elevator and a drop near the end.
You can view a video of it here:
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance FAQ
Is Rise of the Resistance scary?
The ride isn’t too scary, but the premise is that you’re attempting to escape a first order ship, so it has some intensity to it.
How much did Rise of the Resistance cost to build?
Disney has never publicly given a number. We know Galaxy’s Edge as a whole cost around $1 billion, and E-ticket attractions can easily cost more than $200 million. Something in the range of $300 million is probably a reasonable guess (guess).
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