If you’re popping over from my Morning Schedule Post, or even the Boarding Group Post you’re in the right place. Here is where I’ll pick up at 11:00am with a ride tour of Rise of the Resistance and my blog for Disneyland 2020. We walked to Galaxy’s Edge and crossed under the archway at 10:53AM. After being called at 10:19AM we finished lunch and swung by to eat some Grey Stuff. Within 40 minutes of being notified we entered the ride line. From here the adventure begins and I’m going to walk you through it.
Your Boarding Group is Called
Backing up a bit to when you are notified your Boarding Group has been called, you have nearly 2 hours to arrive at the entrance. We made it in 40 minutes and were let in. Therefore, we were likely riding with people who could have been in groups 11 through 23. You are not stuck with all the Group 24 people if that makes sense. But, all of the 10’s have either been on the ride by now or missed their boarding window. When I check the app on weekends, I catch them boarding much larger quantities of groups at a time, like 30-63, 33 groups per hour, not ten! It’s all one big tricky algorithm like everything else is these days.
Scanning your Boarding Pass
When you arrive at the ride entrance in Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll notice it is heavily guarded by Disneyland Cast Members. We saw ten or so standing guard in a perimeter around the line sanctions. When we strolled up flashing my phone screen, they kindly kept pointing us in the direction of the next Cast Member. He let us pass to officially get in line. Walking through a few line sanctions we arrived at another Cast Member who then scanned our passes on my phone screen. From there we began our wait… at exactly 11:00am
Waiting in Line | 11:00AM
I know what you’re thinking… You just waited all morning to get your Boarding Group called, and now you ARE standing in line… Yes, remember there are at least 10 groups being called at a time and about 100 people per group. That means at any given time there are HUNDREDS of people waiting to get on the ride still. That is exactly why they do the Boarding Groups, otherwise, you would be standing in this line for 9 hours instead of enjoying the park. Billy also turned a lot of heads for his new T-Shirt, Most Expensive Day Ever.
Fortunately, they build this ride with a lot of that in mind. Inside the ride line, there are tons upon tons of benches. The entire line that cuts into a rocky cavern is a long wall bench. It is also air-conditioned. Ideally, you’re not waiting in this line very long, but if the ride breaks down… Wait, what? Yes… this is what happened to us.
If the ride breaks down
We get about 15 minutes into our line wait and a loudspeaker comes on. They announce the ride is temporarily closed due to technical difficulties. Everyone lets out a huge groan of annoyance. Do we leave or do we stay? If this takes more than 2 hours will we ever get back on? No, our Boarding Group will have passed. {This is exactly why they only guarantee groups through 81 will ride in one day} We opted to stay in line, in the cave of benches while masses of people walked by us on their way out of the ride.
Having gone through all the trouble of getting the Boarding Pass in the morning I can only assume that these people leaving had either already done the ride once before or had to use the bathroom. I do not know if people who left the line were allowed back in after the fact.
Line Waiting | Tips & Tricks
We entered our line at 11:00am and didn’t step foot onto the actual ride until 12:21pm. An HOUR and twenty-one minutes we waited. But it wasn’t all bad. The pace we crept through the rocky caverns into the rebel base was slow enough that the boys could eat and nap. There are also OUTLETS in the walls of the line and if you’re waiting there long enough you can plug your phone into a wall charger if you have it. As you progress deeper into the caves you pass by Rebel equipment, crates of mission supplies, and a few museum-like displays to keep you occupied.
Snacks
Once upon a time, long before we left for this trip, I did an Instagram story of me in a Wal-Mart aisle surrounded by Valentine’s Day inventory. I shared just how many things I found that were Disney themed including some Star Wars Ring Pops. Well, I bought that box and shipped it to the hotel. {More on that in another post} I packed a few in my Mom Essentials Backpack every day and Ta-Da! Now was their time to shine. The boys had no idea I bought them at home and shipped them. They thought I bought them this super special, themed treat here at Disneyland. #MomWinning
They were very happy to have a whole ring pop while waiting in line. I wish I had brought more! There was this whole family of super sweet kids, older than mine, but still young. Four kids were all curled up on their mom as she sat on the cave bench in a family nap huddle. After an hour of snacks, ring pops and nearly napping cuddles, our line started moving again.
What is the Ride?
The Rise of the Resistance is a 15-18 minute live-action experience or even interactive performance that you are a part of. There are 5 *scenes* you experience throughout the adventure.
- The Line through the Resistance Bunker & Mission Meeting with Rey
- The Shuttle Transport ride with Lieutenant Bek and Po
- Kidnapped by the First Order and taken prisoner
- Interrogations from General Hux & Kylo Ren
- Escaping the Star Destroyer with Finn
All these events in sequence add up to The Rise of the Resistance with the final scene being the most ride. In 2 and 5, you ride, in 1, 3, 4 you stand and watch. I’m going to go through our experience and give a mini Ride Tour. I highly recommend you read this post from Ziggy knows Disney on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Ride Details. Here you find an incredibly thorough description of the ride and experience with a TON of pictures. All much better than mine.
Scene 1 | Mission Briefing with Rey
Finally, you enter the armory where you pass by a litany of Resistance weaponry. At the end of this line, through all the caves and mechanical bunker, a medium-sized group of people {45-55} are herded into a War Room. Through giant metal doors, you are walked into a meeting chamber for mission briefing. A holographic Rey and BB-8, asking you to join the mission. Also, in this room, you get a mission briefing from Lieutenant Bek and Nien Nunb. They will be piloting the shuttle.
Scene 2 | Boarding a Transport Shuttle
Poe Dameron comes on the screen and tells you he will be personally escorting you on your mission. The doors open into a courtyard where your Intersystem Transport Ship or I-TS transport shuttle is waiting with open doors to take you to your mission. The shuttle is standing room only, as a public transportation bus and simulates space travel making you feel as if you’re traveling through space. Ascending into outer space is officially how the ride begins.
Scene 3 | Kidnapped by the First Order
Upon take-off and are quickly abducted by The First Order. General Hux even hacks into your shuttle’s screens and tells you to “Prepare to be Boarded,” rebel scum… You are caught in a tracker beam and now captives of the First Order. They take you onto their Star Destroyer Base. This part is the most breath-taking moment of the whole ride. When the shuttle doors open, you’re in the Star Destroyer loading bay. An ENORMOUS view of outer space is the first thing you see. An army of Storm Troopers is present to make you feel intimidated. And it works.
Disneyland Actors are dressed up as First Order Troops and really in character. This part of the experience was a bit intimidating for Wyatt. If they held auditions for all the best grumpy faces, these people were the clear winners. They talk down to you a bit, as an arrogant First Order member would and make sure you’re always in a single file line.
Scene 4 | Interrogations
These First Order actors keep you lined up in single file lines down the corridors of the ship. You’re waiting to be interrogated by Kylo Ren. You are escorted in a group of 16 people into an interrogation cell where General Hux and Kylo Ren come in. This is done using a screen and very realistic projections/video. Kylo Ren informs you you’ll be there, as prisoners until you reveal the location of the Rebel Base. He then storms off.
Scene 5 | Escape
As soon as General Hux leaves you with one incompetent Stormtrooper, Finn blows out a wall in the cell helping you escape. So, in that tiny triangular interrogation cell, don’t lean on the walls. When the wall opens, you hurry into escape “droid bot” vehicles and begin your elaborate escape.
This is the main ride. Your droid driven vehicle scurries through two floors of the Star Destroyer spaceship trying to follow Finn and get to the launch bay where you can drop back to the planet’s surface. As you escape, Storm Troopers are shooting at you. You go through MASSIVE First Order weapons as well as huge windows. After all, you’re in outer space. The screens and special effects are truly what make this ride amazing. You really feel like you’ve traveled off the planet.
Eventually, you evade Kylo Ren. At one point he stabs his lightsaber through the floor of a level he is on, barely missing your head as it goes through the ceiling of the room you’re hiding in below. Your vehicle goes into the launch bay and drops back to the planet’s surface. Yes, there is a drop at the end of the ride. It is minimal compared to most in the park.
The Ending
After you’ve dropped, you’re back on the planet of Batuu and the Resistance has blown up the Star Destroyer. You are now a hero. Congratulations! The vehicles unload you at the Rebel Base to be let out. You’re now safe and sound able to fight another day.
We were lucky enough to get on the ride TWICE in one trip. We rode once Wednesday and again on Friday. On Friday our Boarding Group was 94, not 24 so it was a bit later in the day. Both boys, knowing this line drill opted to take a nap… “Wake me up to see Rey!” The ride never broke down on Friday and while we walked through the line we never had time to sit down.
I’m done Adulting… Let’s go to Disneyland!
-All Moms Everywhere
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