Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — Attraction in Bay Lake

SPOILER FREE SPOILER FREE SPOILER FREE SPOILER FREE Also a total experience review beyond the attraction itself. This ride was the best experience in a theme park I have ever had . Background. I am a huge Star Wars fan and have been since I was a child and saw the original movie in 1977. While not a huge fan of the sequels I do enjoy the video game content of this era of Star Wars in the form of Battle Front 2 so this was very immersive for me . Star Wars Rise of the Resistance is more than a ride it is an experience. You are part of the story and it has 4 chapters . Part ride , part walk and again you are in the story not simply observing .If you have never role played before that will change as it is a part of this experience and it is a blast . The scale of the ride is stunning to the point where you are questioning how it is done. Real scale. As you move through the experience you enter some huge spaces and at one point you are looking up at the actual sky . We experienced this after sunset but I am sure it is just as impressive in daylight .This particular location is so large it feels natural but it is designed in such a way that you are fully immersed. Any more about this attraction would lead to spoilers. And if you have not already please do not watch any videos of the experience . Instead go in as I was lucky to and be blown away and surprised at every corner I turned. The Queue .If you are familiar with the Genie Plus service then skip this section. If not read on. Unless you want to stand online for at least and hour and a half I highly suggest the purchasing the Genie Plus service during your visit to any of the parks. This app allows you to make appointments for an attraction and makes your day more enjoyable. Disney gives you a one hour window to check in and enjoy a much shorter wait. This is a Select Attraction however and is only available as an additional purchase. The app is easy to use however my daughter was very familiar with it and I really didn't need to come up to speed as she was crushing it . This app is the only way to enjoy these places in an organized fashion IMHO. Bookings begin at 7 am. I was in very quick and the earliest slot was 6:35 pm. I am not sure how they block the time or how many reservations are allowed but they do go quickly.Again Ride of the Resistance is an additional purchase. With all that said this was the highlight of the day and I did not know it until I experienced it. .Even a mild or non Star Wars fan would love this I am sure. In fact this is the crown Jewel of the entire Star Wars Galaxy's Edge experience at Hollywood Studios . My daughter and I spent most of the day there and had an absolute blast. Any manner you choose to get yourself into this story it is worth the wait .The Breakdowns. Rise of the Resistance is unlike anything I have ever seen. A giant attraction with many moving parts and a host of other things going on. Multiple Systems doing many things at once as many attractions do but not at this scale . Mechanical, lighting ,video, audio, atmosphere and many other bits of wizardry including classic Disney animatronics .So much so that if any one were to fail it would dramatically impact the experience. Unlike other Disney rides where not everything is always working 100 percent yet the ride is still enjoyable , Haunted Mansion comes to mind , I would think this ride can not operate in that manner. This ride is so complicated that you should not be surprised if it does not suffer a shutdown on the day of your visit. It did break down for quite some time while we were there but luckily the backlog of Lightning Lane folks cleared out once it reopened. Once our appointed time arrived the standby lane was around 1 hour 30 minutes . The Lightning Lane was very short I do not think we waited more than 30 minutes and if we did it did not seem that long at all . Top shelf entertainment and one of the few Disney era Star Wars creations that is truly magical. No matter the option you choose to experience this attraction the wait will...

Although not a Star Wars fan (insert clever nickname here), my wife and I enjoyed this particular exhibit. That may have had a lot to do with the fact that the fates smiled upon us this day and granted us access via the virtual queue. This alone is a cause worth celebrating.

If you're not familiar with it, once you have your tickets to Disney's Hollywood Studios purchased AND have reserved your day in the park, you must be alive and moving at 7:00 AM ET and logged into your Disney Experience app on the phone. At EXACTLY 7, you should be signing up for the virtual queue because it will have all slots up to 2PM filled within 1 minute. As it was, I pushed the button directly at 7 and ended up in boarding group 61 within 30 seconds. That means 60 other groups had gotten in before me. Within 30 seconds. See the demand?

If you've missed it, at 2PM, assuming you're in the park, you will have another shot at it. This seems to fill much slower and they do a good job of announcing it to the parkgoers. Listening to the timing, it was full within about 4 minutes, so a bit more of a cushion.

The virtual queue is annoying, no doubt, but apparently a necessary evil since we are socially distanced now. Without it, the demand would not lessen, but the capacity would be greater. Just be prepared to make these sacrifices if you intend to be a part of it.

On to the ride. This is actually a pretty in-depth event. It consists of climbing aboard a transport, which is a ride unto itself. Prior to arriving at your destination, your ship is seized by the First Order and boarded. You are, at this point, to disembark and face search and seizure by the First Order. You are taken through different corridors, facing the enemy until ultimately locked up. After a brief discussion with Kylo Ren, the Rebel Scum break you out and help you to escape via a robot driven cart, all the while facing gunfire and death from the Order.

The multiple levels of the attraction make it far more interactive and interesting. In fact, if you've been looking for an opportunity to have a Disney employee yell at you, this may well be it. Cast members in First Order garb will bark orders at you, glare or just generally act like the lordly characters that they are. This combined with the appearance of many characters from the recent movies capture your attention. If none of that appeals to you, there's always the threat of death at the hands of Kylo Ren.

The Rise of the Resistance didn't make me reconsider my feelings about the Star Wars franchise, but I will say that if the movies were anywhere near as good as this ride, I would...

7/23/21 Virtual Queue - Disney App Pro-tip- 1: If your party is greater than 1 joining the queue is a 2 step process in that after you click on join it asks you to confirm your party. The group is pre-checked, so if you already know you are all going immediately proceed joining at the bottom. Any delay here will cost you your admission to the queue. Pro-tip-2: If you tried and missed it at 7am and want another chance you will get one at 1pm, but ONLY if you tried and got rejected at 7am! First of all you must be in the park and have opened your Disney app so it knows you’re there. Make sure your location is set to ON. If you are an AT&T mobile user you can use your cellular network, they have the best connectivity in the region. If you are on a different service like T-mobile you will want to turn off cellular data and log in to Disney’s free WiFi instead. Pro-tip-3: By 12:50pm make your way over to the fountain in front of the Muppet Theater. Position yourself at the “gromspot” #GROMSPOT between the fountain and the pizzeria. The signal tower for the queue is located near here. Mill about to find the strongest signal then stand still. Just before 1pm you will get the notification to join the queue. Have your app open and ready, then join immediately at 1pm following the tips above as needed. It’s your best chance. Good luck! Cheer aloud the word gromspot with others if you get in! Very important…take a screenshot showing your group number just in case the ride breaks down or if the line slows down, because at some point the app will give you a message that your time has passed leaving you ineligible. Screenshot shot will be your proof.

Now, as for the ride itself: It’s multi-platform and very immersive. You feel like you’re really participating in the action because, well, you are! You will be spoken to, directed, challenged and more. Pro-tip-4: Do not forget your color assignment! People will hate you for delaying the experience while that gets sorted out! Pro-tip-5: Even though they tell you not to take pictures some people will do so anyway. Regular photos/video are okay, but Don’t let any one in your group use flash photography/video, turn it off while on the line! Pro-tip-6: Check your app for your appointment time, it’s done by group numbers, sure you could panic and go running, but really it’s not necessary, the line will likely still be about an hour long when you get there. Safety first. If its hot and sunny, or pouring rain, stage in the tunnel on the left hand side.

So walk, sit, run, ride and enjoy this fantastic experience!...