Rise of the Resistance is the newest attraction in Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The dark ride takes guests to the heart of a First Order Star Destroyer (also known as “standing in line”), where they eventually have to flee with the help of Disney cast members dressed as resistance fighters. “The Break Out” invites guests to climb two seemingly identical cars to start a chase that feels like being out of the movie.
The ride is a sensory overload that needs to be experienced more than once to see all the details. But if you drive the car a second time, in another car, or at a different time of the day, drivers will actually experience two different experiences, according to the Disney Imagineers.
John Larena, Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, mentioned at a premiere in Walt Disney World that the ride has multiple aspects and that the subtle details of the experience really depend on your seat.
“Every vehicle has eight seats,” explained Larena at a media event. “There are two vehicles in there and I’m telling you, it’s important if you’re on the side, front . it’s really crucial where your head shows the tendencies to capture all those other things – totally different perspectives. “
During a critical moment, a shootout near a fleet of AT-ATs, the cars are separated and each one looks a little different from the scene, like a parallel moment in time. The front car sees Finn standing with his back against the boxes, while the rear car sees him squat. Immediately thereafter, both cars start: The front car looks directly into the AT-AT cockpit, while the rear car receives a side view.
Photo: Matt Stroshane / Disney Parks
As there is just so much going on the ride, you can pay attention to different details, even if you drive exactly in the same place a second time. Larena cites a moment when the escape vehicles race through the gun of the Star Destroyer, where huge gun props directly shoot over the heads of the guests and get involved in a space combat right outside the window.
“They could only look at the gun rifles that would grab your attention,” Larena said. “(But) if you turn your attention outside. There is a very different story going on outside (via projections) that actually makes sense in everything that happens in the physical world. “
The bulk of Rise of the Resistance takes place in these two cars, but the lead – a line camouflaged as mini-rides – also has a reusability factor. Loading into the transport vehicle of the new character Lieutenant Bek a Mon Calamari, guests start from Batu. While the front of the ship is provided with an animated Bek, the back shows a panoramic view of the planet when the ship departs. Depending on whether you are traveling in the morning or in the evening, the projection changes to reflect the time of day, a small note that adds even more reality to the fantastic Star Wars story.
“It’s a very authentic story,” said Jon Georges, executive producer of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. “Because you are authentic.”
Ride of the Resistance is now open in Orlando, FL, on the edge of Galaxy at Disney World. The Disneyland counterpart of the cruise will open on January 17. To get a closer look at the attraction, take a look at our walkthrough video at the top of the story.
