The Secret to Riding Rise of the Resistance

Obtaining a boarding group for Disney’s new Rise of the Resistance attraction takes some work but it is worth it. Prior to our trip early this month, I did lots of Internet research to develop our game plan.

We opted to stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, during our trip. This moderate level resort allowed us easy access to Hollywood Studios. Staying at Hollywood Studios shortened our commute to Galaxy’s Edge. We also elected to visit Hollywood Studios on a day the park would be open from 7 AM – 11 PM, ensuring we’d have the maximum amount of time in the park.

Set the Alarm

We were fortunate, Disney changed the process for obtaining a boarding group the week prior to our arrival. Boarding groups were only to be distributed to individuals who are physically in the park after 7 AM. This meant we needed to arrive at the park no later than 6:30 AM.

We woke up a little after 5 AM, quickly got dressed and headed out to our resort’s bus station. The Skyliners for the resort would not start running until 7 AM, and we were concerned our arrival would be too late to obtain a boarding group.

Once we arrived at the park, we walked as close to the border of Galaxy’s Edge as the theme park employees would allow. There was an overwhelming crowd of Star Wars enthusiasts that morning.

Disney Experience App

The only way to obtain a boarding group is to enter the virtual queue in the Disney Experience App, so make sure you have it installed on your phone and ready to go. Once we arrived in the park, we waited patiently for the clock to strike 7 AM. I began refreshing the Disney Experience App at 6:55 AM, to make sure I didn’t miss an update.

At 7:01 AM, we were assigned to Group 96! Our best estimate was that we’d board the attraction in the afternoon. That day, boarding groups ran out in minutes! The bonus of the virtual queue is that Disney will alert you two hours before your boarding time.

Breakfast at Olga’s Cantina

Earlier in our trip, we’d visited Galaxy’s Edge and taken part in most of the attractions the land has to offer. So, we weren’t in a rush to get in line for the Millineum Falcon experience or to build a lightsaber. Instead, we walked straight to Olga’s Cantina for breakfast.

As the majority of the crowd was headed to other attractions, we were able to walk straight into Olga’s Cantina without a reservation. However, by the time we walked out(around 8am), there was a line around the building so unless it’s your first stop, I’d advise you to make reservations! We ordered blue milk and a breakfast pastry. The blue milk was, interesting to say the least. I’ve heard that the frozen blue milk from the milk stands in the park is much better!

Star Wars Launch Bay

Once we ate, we headed over to Star Wars Launch Bay. Launch Bay is a small attraction where guests may meet characters(Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and BB8 were available when we were there.) and watch a short film on the making of the Star Wars films, video games, and shows. Costumes that were used in the movies were on display as well as replica pieces. There are also a few really neat Star Wars merchandise stores on this side of the park.

After walking the park, visiting Launch Bay, and grabbing breakfast we opted to head back to our resort to rest. We returned to the park around 1 PM and waited for our boarding group.

Rise of the Resistance

We received a notification to board Rise of the Resistance at 4 PM, headed to the loading area and headed out for the adventure.

The ride was simply incredible and was a complete emergence into the Star Wars story. The actors, sets, and ride were thrilling and unexpected. The entire Rise of the Resistance experience is about twenty minutes.

The ride is really worth all the hype, I now fully understand why folks were so excited to take part in the experience. Have you ridden Rise of the Resistance?