How to get a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars . . . it's so in right now! And Rise of the Resistance, Disney's latest ride in Galaxy's Edge, is definitely king. This ride is way more than a ride! It's a whole experience where you are immersed into the world of the Resistance and First Order. It's a visually stunning ride with a dramatic storyline only made better by excellent cast members and larger than life sets. There's a lot of hype around this ride and for good reason. But with hype comes a high demand to ride it. Disney has answered this by doing a unique virtual queue via their My Disney Experience App and Disneyland app. I put together some strategies that will help you get an elusive boarding group on this must-do attraction.
Familiarize yourself with the app
Download either the My Disney Experience App (for Walt Disney World) or the Disneyland App. Make sure you have created a profile and that your tickets are connected to profile. This is especially important for those going to Disneyland because you don't necessarily create a profile ahead of time like you do for Disney World. Familiarize yourself with how to login and where you will go to get the boarding group.
HOW DO YOU GET A BOARDING GROUP?
Boarding Groups are released at 7:00 am and 1:00 pm everyday. You can access the virtual queue in the morning from anywhere as long as you have a park reservation at Disney's Hollywood Studios that day. If you are going for the 1 pm drop, you need to be at Hollywood Studios to ensure you have a chance. Only one member from your group needs to try for a boarding group. But it never hurts to have more people trying at the same time. You will only get one boarding group per group so it doesn't hurt to try.
The night before, make sure your app is up to date. A few minutes before 7:00 am, login to the your Disney's My Experience App. Click on the three bars in the corner and then select Virtual Queues. The next page will be a screen with one blue button that says "Join Virtual Queue". There are a few theories at this step but I have had great luck with this strategy initially introduced to me via Brooke Mcdonald. You can read her article here. You need to have another clock that counts down the seconds. I use my apple watch. At 7:00:01, click the blue "Join Virtual Queue" button. From here you will select to join the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance. Then move to the next screen where you select the people in your group. It should auto-select anyone in your group that has a park ticket and reservation for that day. Follow all the prompts as quickly as you can. Don't worry too much about small details. Just move through the screens. If someone gets left out of your party or if there is another issue of some kind, it will be a lot easier for Guest Relations to help you if you got a boarding group.
The second theory is to select "Join Virtual Queue" and then starting at 6:59, pull down continuously to refresh the page. I have heard good success here as well but I feel like there is more margin for human error or technology lagging in this instance.
The App will notify you when your boarding group has been called. There are also screens located around the park to tell you which boarding groups are currently being accepted. You will be given a two hour window to go to Galaxy's Edge and ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance! May the Force be with you.
More information about Rise of the Resistance
How tall do you need to be on the ride? You must be 40 inches to ride.
Is rider swap available? Yes. Visit a Cast Member at the front of the attraction and they will set it up for you.
Is the ride scary? The ride is not particularly scary but there are load noises and dramatic scenes that might be scary to more sensitive children. I know of several 4 & 5 year olds who have gone on the ride and loved it!
Are there any drops? There is one small drop. It is a vertical drop but not for long. It is slightly more intense than the one on Pirates of the Caribbean but in a similar style to Tower of Terror.
Will it give me motion sickness? Though there are simulators the ride is very smooth. It is also broken up so you aren't in a simulator for very long. I get motion sickness on Star Tours but I didn't even feel nauseous on this ride. The ride vehicles are trackless and very smooth with no intense spinning.
Can I get a FastPass+ or wait in a Stand-by queue? There is currently no FastPass+ or Stand-by option for Rise of the Resistance. The only way to ride is to get a boarding group via the virtual queue.
Is Rise of the Resistance open during Extra Magic Hours? The ride does not operate during Extra Magic Hours whether they are in the morning or at night. At night, they use the Extra Magic Hours to close out all the open boarding groups. If you don't have a boarding group, you will not be admitted. If you are in the park during Extra Magic Hours in the morning before park opening, make sure to set an alarm so that you get on the app and get a boarding group when the park officially opens. You will not need to exit the park and re-enter.
Can I ride this multiple times? No. You are only allowed one boarding group per day. The only way that you may be able to ride it multiple times is by using rider swap.
Does a VIP Tour get me on the ride? No. VIP Tours can not give you priority access to Rise of the Resistance. You would need to use the Virtual Queue to get a boarding group.
You can find out more information about the ride via the Disney World and Disneyland websites.
Have additional questions? Feel free to write a comment on this post or visit my instagram page and send me a DM!