Our entire day was planned around obtaining a boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland. The ride opened with much anticipation 1 month ago, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The ride is so popular, at present, you can only experience Rise of the Resistance by obtaining a boarding pass. With the resort now bustling ahead of the warmer weather and upcoming Spring Break, expect to get an early start to your day if you plan to join the resistance. As Disney’s most immersive and technologically-advanced ride to date, here are 5 things you need to know about Rise of the Resistance.
Rise of the Resistance
Whether you are a staunch Star Wars fan, or simply have an interest in the global franchise, Rise of the Resistance will take you on an epic adventure to a galaxy far, far away. Even if you have seen all nine films, it is helpful to understand the premise behind Rise of the Resistance:
It is a dark time for the RESISTANCE. Following the devastating Battle of Crait, the freedom fighters have fled with General Leia Organa to an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, hunted by the FIRST ORDER and Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, a band of Resistance supporters has established a temporary outpost on the remote planet of Batuu, thanks to scouting by Resistance spy Vi Moradi. Here on the Outer Rim, the Resistance is rebuilding and searching for recruits to join the cause and help save the galaxy from tyranny …
Now open at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance invites guests to join a climactic battle between the Resistance and the First Order.
Join the Resistance
Guests exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge find the Resistance’s temporary encampment in the forested area along the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu.
The gateway to the encampment is marked by a large turret. From there, a pathway leads deeper into the forest toward towering cliffs and the crumbling remains of an ancient civilization. Guests weave through low stone walls, timeworn pillars and tight corridors as they progress farther into the base, hearing military communications chatter along the way.
In a makeshift briefing room, Rey – a hero of the cause – appears via holo-transmission alongside dutiful droid BB-8 to welcome the new Resistance recruits. She shares a plan to reunite with General Leia Organa at an off-planet location that must be kept secret from the First Order.
Guests then board a nearby Intersystem Transport Ship (I-TS) and have to make their rendezvous quickly to avoid a First Order Star Destroyer on its way to Batuu. They should have a bad feeling about this …
An All-Encompassing Attraction Experience
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance throws out the rulebook for traditional attraction design, eschewing and/or blending industry notions such as “queue,” “preshow” and “ride” to create a seamless, holistic experience full of rich details and breathtaking excitement on a cinematic scale.
When guests board the I-TS, they’ll feel as if they’re lifting off the surface of Batuu and blasting into space alongside Poe Dameron in his signature black-painted X-wing starfighter, Black One.
Before the I-TS can make the jump to lightspeed, it’s caught in the tractor beam of a Star Destroyer and pulled into a massive hangar bay.
Guests make their escape from the Star Destroyer aboard eight-passenger First Order Fleet Transports piloted by reprogrammed R5-series astromech droids.
The attraction features grand set pieces – including the hangar bay that is filled with 50 menacing stormtroopers and a docked TIE fighter. At various points, guests dodge blaster bolts from stormtroopers and AT-AT walkers, scurry past huge turbolaser cannons, and stumble into the Star Destroyer’s bridge.
Throughout their journey, guests are hunted by Kylo Ren, who uses the Force in an attempt to pry from their minds the location of General Organa’s secret base. Guests feel Ren’s tremendous malevolent power as they narrowly avoid his attacks.
Authentically Star Wars
Actors from the current Star Wars film trilogy reprise their roles for new scenes and dialogue in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, including Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux). Many scenes were filmed at the same time “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” were in production.
Poe Dameron’s X-wing is one of several vehicles from the Star Wars galaxy appearing in the attraction.
Disney cast members adopt personalities of First Order and Resistance troops throughout the attraction to further deepen the immersive experience for guests.
Walt Disney Imagineering worked hand in hand with Lucasfilm in writing the attraction’s script, ensuring characters and storylines were properly integrated into the broader Star Wars
The attraction introduces a new featured character: Lieutenant Bek is a Mon Calamari Resistance officer who helps guide the Resistance recruits through their harrowing journey.
Cutting-Edge Technology Powers Immersive Storytelling
Walt Disney Imagineering combined multiple ride systems to tell the story of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. In one sequence, a new simulator experience gives the sensation of falling from space to crash land on Batuu.
The trackless ride vehicles in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance are some of the most advanced ever used in a Disney attraction, with a sleek, low profile and the ability to move in all directions.
Disney A-1000 Audio-Animatronics figures appearing in the attraction provide a deep level of immersive storytelling through their lifelike and dynamic movements.
To fully realize this Star Wars story, Imagineers created thousands of special effects, from slashing lightsabers and whizzing blaster bolts to exploding walls and massive star fields – just to name a few.
“Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is epic, immersive storytelling on a massive scale—and our Imagineers have created an attraction that sets a new bar for theme park experiences,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance puts guests at the heart of their very own Star Wars adventure, and is the most advanced, action-packed attraction Disney has ever created.”
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance brings guests into the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance, including a faceoff with Kylo Ren. The journey takes guests aboard a full-size transport shuttle and then into a nearby Star Destroyer on a thrilling adventure that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. One of the most immersive, ambitious and technologically advanced experiences in Disney history, the attraction uses multiple ride systems working together to create a seamless story on a cinematic scale.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance sets a new standard for what a Disney theme park experience can be, as guests become heroes of the Resistance in a climactic battle with the First Order. In one of the most immersive, ambitious and technologically advanced attractions ever created for a Disney park, guests launch into space aboard a transport shuttle, only to be captured by a Star Destroyer and pursued by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren as they frantically search for a way to escape the clutches of the First Order.
This new attraction inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge draws guests into a sprawling Star Wars narrative that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, as jaw-dropping sights brimming with vivid detail create surprises around every turn. In one of the longest Disney attraction experiences ever, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance delivers thrilling action driven by cutting-edge technology and innovative design that gives guests the feeling of stepping inside a Star Wars film.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the most ambitious, advanced and immersive experiences ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering. The innovative attraction takes guests aboard a full-size transport shuttle before they are captured by a Star Destroyer and find themselves in the middle of a climactic battle between the dark side of the First Order and the light side of the Resistance, including BB-8 and Rey. The harrowing adventure blurs the lines between fantasy and reality on a scale never seen before in a Disney attraction.
Guests will join the Resistance and depart from Batuu in a transport ship to meet General Leia Organa at a secret rendezvous point. However, on their way to the hidden base, guests are intercepted and detained by the First Order when their ship is drawn into the hangar bay of a Star Destroyer. The action then ramps up as guests seek to escape the clutches of the dark side with Kylo Ren and the First Order.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance brings guests face to face with some fan favorite Star Warscharacters, including Resistance heroes Rey, BB-8, Poe and Finn, as well as Kylo Ren and General Hux of the First Order.
5 Things You Need to Know Before you Ride Rise of the Resistance
The ride has a virtual queue and families can only obtain a boarding group once inside the park.
- Download the Disneyland app before your visit. Be sure to create an account and log in prior to your arrival.
- Link all of the tickets in your group to your account. If you purchase your tickets ahead of time, you can do this prior to entering the park, however, you will still have to wait until you are inside to obtain a boarding group.
- Arrive before park opening. You must be inside Disneyland Park to obtain a boarding group, and spots are filled within minutes of park opening.
- Once your boarding group is assigned, you simply wait until it is called via the app. During this time, you can secure additional FASTPASS tickets since the virtual queue uses a different system.
- Once you are notified via the app that it is time to board, you will have 2 hours to get in line for Rise of the Resistance. The wait time from here can vary up to 1 hour.
For more information visit Disneyland.com.
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