If you’ve been in the Disney World loop over the past year or so, you’ve probably heard about Rise of the Resistance.

This attraction is a MAJOR draw in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland and is one of the most immersive rides Disney has ever created. Still, it’s NOT easy to get on this attraction with the very high demand virtual queue, so we’re bringing you Our Guide to Disney World’s Rise of the Resistance: 2021 Edition!

What is Rise of the Resistance?

Let’s start with the basics! What is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance? Rise of the Resistance is the E-ticket attraction (fancy “Disney speak” for the best of the best attractions) in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in both Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park. Today, we’re talking about the Disney World version!

One thing that sticks out about this ride before you even get on it is that you do need to join a virtual Boarding Group as a part of the virtual queue in order to ride. Don’t worry, we’ll talk more about that in just a sec. 😉

The attraction is a 25-minute experience with multiple different ride vehicles, preshows, and events that fully immerse you into a battle with the First Order. Careful! You might end up a prisoner along the way!

Spoiler alert! Some of the scenarios you’ll experience on Rise of the Resistance include riding on a Resistance Transport, being trapped on a First Order Star Destroyer, and weaving around AT-ATs in a hangar bay. The most exciting part might be the escape on a trackless troop transport piloted by a droid!

Want to learn more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Click here!

Ride Details

Let’s talk logistics! So, at the time of writing, the Fastpass+ system is currently unavailable in Disney World. BUT, it’s important to note that even prior to the suspension of Fastpass, Rise of the Resistance did not have that offering. So, it’s possible that Rise of the Resistance will not have Fastpass if and when the offering does returns. 

It also doesn’t currently have a Single Rider line option! So, currently, the ONLY WAY to ride Rise of the Resistance is by getting a virtual Boarding Pass through the My Disney Experience app.

Take note parents and littles! You must be at least 40 inches (102 centimeters) or taller to ride. For those in wheelchairs and ECVs, you’ll be able to stay in your vehicle through the first part of the ride before fully transferring to the Prison Transport vehicles (the actual “ride” part of the ride).

To learn more about the suspension of Fastpass, click here! 

How to Get On the Ride

Alright, now for the nitty-gritty. Let’s talk about how to actually get on the ride!

What is a Boarding Group?

As we mentioned, you do need to access the virtual queue which is made up of Boarding Groups. Rather than wait in a physical line for the attraction, you’ll take a shot at snagging a spot in the virtual line.

Throughout the day, the attraction will call group numbers to return to the ride. When your group number is called, you can head to the attraction to enter the physical queue. 

Boarding Groups are distributed through the My Disney Experience and they go FAST — often within seconds of the drop time. Boarding Groups become available at 7AM and 1PM. Note! You will NOT be able to ride Rise if you park hop to Disney’s Hollywood Studios from another park. You do need a Park Pass to be able to book a spot in the Rise of the Resistance virtual queue.

So, at 7AM, you’ll be able to try for a Boarding Group from ANYWHERE (in or out of the park) as long as you have a Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park Pass reservation. At 1PM, you can also try from anywhere BUT you’ll need to have scanned into Disney’s Hollywood Studios at some point prior. Most guests will be in the park trying to secure a pass at 1. Keep in mind, if you’re trying for the 1PM slot, you will need your ENTIRE party to be scanned into the park.

Click here to learn about the Boarding Group drop times!

How To Get a Boarding Group

Alright, now let’s go through the step-by-step of getting a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group.

1. Sign in to your My Disney Experience app in advance of drop time and make sure your party is all linked with valid admission and Disney Park Passes. We recommend checking this the day before and in the morning just in case there are any issues with linking your party!
2. Exactly at the drop time, tap “Join Boarding Group” a quickly tap through the following screens. Your party will be automatically linked.
3. If you manage to get through the screens before Boarding Groups are full (remember, it happens FAST), a screen will pop up showing a droid and your Boarding Group number.
   

   Virtual Queue screenshot

4. Then, once in the park, Boarding Groups will be called periodically throughout the day. When your group is called, head to the attraction. You’ll get a notification on your phone. Cast Members will scan everyone’s ticket media and let you into the ride. You’ll have one hour to head to the attraction once your group is called.

Want to learn more about getting a Boarding Group? Click here!

Tips!

Don’t worry, we’ve got some tips to help out!

• Go for the 7AM time first! You’ll want a second chance if you don’t get it. 
• In our experience, we have not seen either time fill up more quickly or slowly than the other time. They both go very, very fast. So, do NOT assume that you’ll have an easier time getting a Boarding Group at 1PM! Consider the 1PM distribution time your Plan B in the event you don’t score at 7AM.
• Disconnect from Disney’s WiFi and refresh My Disney Experience BEFORE the hour strikes. This is the time to rely on your cell provider, not Disney. The Disney wifi is notoriously unreliable. 
• Have someone else looking at the seconds tick down on an atomic clock and tell you when to click. You seriously want to time it THAT close.
• Turn your Push Notifications on. 
• Once you have a Boarding Group, if you have a dining reservation, prioritize that THEN return to Rise of the Resistance. It will be more difficult for Cast Members to accommodate your dining reservation than it will to put you on the ride. When in doubt, talk with a Cast Member! In our experiences, if you let the Rise Cast Members know what’s up, they’re happy to help (plus, they can see in their system you have a valid boarding group).

Looking for more tips? Click here!

Fun Facts!

And real quick before we go, we wanted to give you some fun facts!

• There are two different tracks with different ride experiences. We’ve ridden both and we even have an opinion on which one is better! 
• In the queue, you’ll see flight suits, helmets, and gas masks like you’ve seen in the Star Wars films, including the Bacta Suit Finn wears in The Last Jedi.

To learn more about the two ride experiences, click here!

And there you have it! Hopefully, you don’t have ANY questions about Rise of the Resistance but if you do, we’re here for ya! As much as we know most guests want to ensure a chance to ride this ride, it still comes down to luck in many cases. May the odds be ever in your favor (sorry, wrong movie!). May the force be with you (there, that’s better!). As always, stay tuned to DFB for everything you need to plan a successful trip to Disney World.

Click here to learn more about Rise of the Resistance!

How do you feel about Rise of the Resistance? Tell us in the comments!