The Force is strong with this one
Hey guys, it finally happened! We got something fun and amazing based on Star Wars before the turn of the next century!
I’m just joking, relax. We got Andor already, which is an awesome series on Disney+, and Rogue One was also pretty slick. The sequel trilogy of movies, though? Let’s just say that they are pretty divisive. How divisive, you may ask? Well, my favorite of the bunch is actually The Last Jedi, which might be enough to make someone out there lose their mind.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is also based on the sequels, and actually features several of the actors that starred in the movies, from Daisy Ridley as Rey to Adam Driver as Kylo Ren and Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron. I could just say that Rise of the Resistance is an awesome dark ride which puts you face to face against AT-ATs, Kylo Ren and hundreds of Stormtroopers. I could also say that this is the attraction that won the title of the best dark ride worldwide in recent years.
In fact, Rise of the Resistance is much more than that.
This is a big blockbuster ride that has its own storyline, starting at the moment you enter the queue. There are two pre shows that could be considered part of the attraction itself. Disney even counts them as such, contributing to its impressive runtime of 18 minutes.
Let me tell you that the queue and pre-shows are really, really impressive. In fact, it’s pretty much certain that Rise of the Resistance has the best queue and pre-shows in Disney World. I won’t spoil much, but get ready to see a few characters from the sequel trilogy, embark on a dangerous mission inside a transport ship and also see THE most amazing queue transition in history. Seriously, make sure you have your cellphone in hand, this looks really cool and makes people go completely crazy when they see it for the first time.
What about the main part of the ride? Well, you board a vehicle for eight guests and, from that moment onwards, your mission is to escape from the evil claws of the First Order. Think of it as a traditional ride similar to Transformers 3D from Universal Studios and The Amazing Spider Man from Islands of Adventure, but you won’t be needing 3D glasses. Actually, take those rides and supersize them. Multiply them by x3 or x4. Yes.
The setting in Rise of the Resistance is way bigger than any other dark ride I’ve experienced, giving it an amazing sense of scale and making each set piece look epic. Can you imagine a dark ride with life-size AT-ATs hunting you down? Yep, that happens here. The set pieces are all very fun, and the trackless ride system makes it all better. There are visual tricks as well, using screens and projectors which show Stormtroopers hunting you down and firing at your vehicle. Of course they miss. They are Stormtroopers, after all.
You also come face to face with Kylo Ren and even get to see him using his lightsaber. I won’t spoil what happens, of course. There is even a section where your vehicle plunges down an elevator shaft. It's not as intense as Tower of Terror, but it's a great twist nonetheless.
So, there you have it. Don’t like Star Wars: Go to Rise of the Resistance. Love Star Wars? Go to Rise of the Resistance? You don’t even know what Star Wars is? Go to Rise of the Resistance. Everything here is visually impressive and huge.
The only downside? Queues are pretty long, sure, but the worst thing is how often this ride breaks down. It’s certainly a good idea to come here early, since you never know when this attraction will close temporarily. Given the complexity of the experience and the multitude of moving parts, it's not surprising that if one element malfunctions, the whole ride can just shut down.
Will Kids enjoy it?
Kids will love this ride, even more so if they like Star Wars, X-Wings and the new characters like Kylo Ren, BB-8 and Finn. If your kids love rides like Islands of Adventure’s Spider Man and Universal Studios’ Transformers 3D, they will surely enjoy this one. Everything here is huge in scale, giving it a really epic feel.
There are also no sudden movements that will make you bounce around. You do come across Stormtroopers firing at you and Kylo Ren with his lightsaber, which might scare some guests. There is also a very short drop near the end of the ride. While it's nowhere near as intense as Tower of Terror, it could catch your kid off guard if they're not expecting it.
Other than that, get ready to wait in line for a good while. Alongside Slinky Dog Dash, this is the most popular ride in Hollywood Studios, and it’s common to wait 100-120 minutes in line. Make sure to eat something and take your kids to the restroom before visiting a galaxy far, far away.
