Rise of the Resistance, the newest attraction opened at Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, is the country’s piece of Resistance. Ambitious enough that it was not even finished when Disney Galaxy’s Edge opened in Disneyland or Disney World. The “no-trace” ride causes guests to escape a first-order ship during a failed mission.
Now that we want to open its doors to the public on December 5th, we know why construction took so long: it’s so fast-paced and exciting, it’s so busy As the drivers zoom in on a Star Destroyer caught in the heat of battle, even the strongest pairs of eyes would need to be traversed multiple times to capture every dizzying detail. Although the success of Wizarding World, Harry Potter, and The Forbidden Journey is clearly expanded, the expected sequel to the saga is like no Disney ride before it.
Ride of the Resistance takes about 10 minutes, but like all attractions, riders spend a good part of their time in the queue. Disney is very aware of this and goes so far as to incorporate long waits into the attractions themselves. And even with the interactive rates of The Haunted Mansion and the meticulous production design of the waiting areas of Smuggler’s Run, the Rise of the Resistance line is the wisest of Disney yet. The drivers first enter a room to be informed by BB-8 and Rey about the upcoming mission. The queue leads to a ship, and as with Smugglers Run or Star Tours, the boat clatters while whiskers from outpost planet Batu are displayed on the screen toward space.
An encounter with animatronic Kylo Ren and General Hux during the rise of ResistanceSteven Diaz / Disney Parks
The mission hits a hook when a First Order Star Destroyer catches the ship with a tractor beam. After that there is even a wait, but the Imagineers still have it. The drivers enter a dock of stormtroopers that feels like the movie and feels more empathetic than the laidback smuggler run in which cast member commands in their character. The highlight is two First-Order officials interrogating those who are patiently waiting to be admitted to the cells. The actor feels at home with Galaxy’s Edge’s enhanced RPG experience.
In the cell, projected versions of General Hux and Kylo Ren threaten the drivers before they set off. This is still only the line for the ride. After leaving, the line lingers in the cell a little before one of the walls begins to glow and two resistance fighters call for the group to flee. Passengers load in two eight-headed cars to spout through the star destroyer.
Finally the journey begins.
Rise of the Resistance has so many moving parts that it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything in just one run. In the first few seconds my car drives in an escape vehicle over the deck of a first-order ship. The wireless car drives like a particularly fast Zamboni gliding over ice. The movement of the vehicle alone is funny and rapid, while laser beams, voices crackling over communication networks – which also shout at the drivers themselves – and the animatronics that play out vignettes, enhance the amusement.
Kent Phillips / Disney Parks
Matt Stroshane / Disney Parks
Matt Stroshane / Disney Parks
Steven Diaz / Disney Parks
Matt Stroshane / Disney Parks
At one point, the first car leading the pack of two is warned of a probe drone trying to inspect it. From the back car I’m in, I do not see the droid up close, but it towers over the other car. The missed opportunity makes me bend my neck every time we make a turn and wonder if the other car sees something I do not understand. In some places the cars separate on either side of the hangar bay or the AT-AT dock. We’re back together right after the end of the scene, but I wonder what I did not see this time around.
While the car drives over the ship, there are encounters with stormtroopers, huge AT-ATs and, oh, Finn is here? But then he is not? But here are Kylo and Hux and now we are backwards and oh my god, laser! Huge gun props swing over the carts and seem to be shooting an epic space battle brought to life by high-resolution projections. The ride that flits left and right and even in the air never fails, and in contrast to the leisurely Pirates of the Caribbean, Figments journey through the imagination or other dark Disney rides, it is also damn fast.
Just as Galaxy’s Edge challenged Universal’s wizarding world to create a fictional world, Rise of the Resistance builds on the excitement of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, combining it with the use of unmarked cars and increased experience on dark rides. It’s a take off for Disney, something for older kids and adults who are aging out of the Disney experience, but also what the park is about, tailored to Star Wars: there’s still something going on after movies, TV shows, and video games New experience in this franchise.
