Warning: Spoilers for the new Rise of Resistance ride at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Kylo Ren wants your information. So the First Order captures you, a recruit for the Resistance, just off the planet of Batuu. You’re held prisoner. That’s until the Resistance breaks you out. And so begins a wild ride through an imperial star destroyer floating in space.
That’s the story for the new Rise of Resistance ride at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s immersive land that brings travelers to the planet Batuu.
The new ride opened up for media on Tuesday and Wednesday at Disney World in Orlando, just one day ahead of the grand opening to the public. This reporter had a chance to ride the ride — twice — before settling down to write a review.
The ride opens at Disneyland on Jan. 17, 2020, in Anaheim, Calif.
Takeaways: Rise of the Resistance is a fun ride for Star Wars fans.
- The wait time could be an issue when it opens to the public, as it seems like it’ll be a lengthy wait for a short adventure.
- It’s more of a traditional roller coaster ride/experience than Smuggler’s Run, which is an interactive experience that plays more like a game.
- There are still some bugs to work out with the audio and visual elements of the ride. And some guests may forget their color designations when being distributed to different parts of the ride.
- But with a twist ending and multiple moments that provide easter eggs to the “Star Wars” series, the ride will be a welcome addition to Batuu, which, until now, has only had one ride.
Here’s what to expect.
Queue: Waiting in line for the ride may seem like a daunting task. But the queue is a pathway carved in the rock walls of the Batuu environment. The queue tunnel brings you into the hold of a Resistance base, which will make any Star Wars fan think they’re inside an old-school rebel base. Yes, the star charts and radar maps from the films are aplenty in this tunnel. There’s also a brief appearance from two Star Wars heroes that’ll excite fans.
Capture: You start out on a small transport ship bringing you from Batuu to the hidden Resistance base. While ascending, a First Order star destroyer captures you by way of tractor beam. You’re taken hostage from there.
Stormtroopers: Once you arrive on the star destroyer, you exit onto a platform with a host of stormtroopers — one of the most breathtaking views of the entire ride. Space sits behind you as TIE fighters fly about the ship. There’s a blend of animatronic and real-life troopers here, which adds to the realistic feel of the ride.
Prison: You’re thrown into a prison where Kylo Ren and General Hux chat with you about keeping you prisoner. The Resistance soon comes to break you out. The storyline feature here is fun to experience.
The ride: The main thrust of the ride comes after the breakout. You’re on a small droid cart that drags you around the star destroyer. You face off with AT-AT walkers, an imperial probe droid and Kylo Ren himself. The level of detail is unlike anything at a Star Wars park before.
Twist ending: There’s a bit of a twist ending that comes while you’re on the star destroyer. Watch out for it.
Bugs: On one of my rides, we got stuck in the prisoner cell well past the intended time. The music accompanying the escape ended so we just stood around and waited for doors to open. The Resistance cast members didn’t mention the delay either, which is a hiccup in the storyline part of the ride. On another ride, one of the visual displays had a small delay.
Delay: Reporters and media were delayed for about two hours from riding the Rise of the Resistance. No explanation was given.