How to Ride RISE OF THE RESISTANCE at Disneyland

If Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was the most anticipated Disneyland addition of 2019, Rise of the Resistance is certainly the most anticipated attraction of 2020! And as of January 17, it’s finally open!

Due to the popularity of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disneyland offers an Individual Lightning Lane for this attraction. Guests have their choice of either waiting in the stand-by line, or purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane pass. The cost will range from $7 to $25 depending on the day.

I’ll also share some of my thoughts on the attraction and spoilers below (if you’re into that sort of thing!).

Note – This article was originally published in January 2020 and was updated with new information in October 2022.

How to Ride RISE OF THE RESISTANCE at Disneyland

Table of Contents

Stand-by versus Individual Lightning Lane

When Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance first opened, Disneyland used a virtual queue to manage the crowds. At certain times, Guests could request a spot in the virtual queue. If successful, Guests would be given a return time window.

Now that the hype has calmed down a bit, Guests don’t need to worry about the virtual queue.

Instead, you have two options for riding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Stand-by

The stand-by queue is the regular line Guests can wait in to access the attraction. Generally for Rise the wait time ranges from 60 minutes to 2 hours.

Individual Lightning Lane

New in 2022, Guests have the option of purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane pass, which greatly reduces your wait time. The cost of the pass is between $7 and $25 per Guest (so on peak days, a family of 4 would pay a total of $100 for their passes). This pass gives you a reduced wait time for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ONLY. You can purchase one pass per day.

To purchase an Individual Lightning Lane pass for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, once inside the park open the Disneyland app and tap on the Map icon on the bottom (the second icon).

The map will open to the Attractions page. Scroll to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance on the map or tap “show list” and find it on the list. Tap on the Wait Time bubble to access the ride page. Tap on the “LL – Lightning Lane” icon. The next page will show if the Individual Lightning Lane is available to purchase, the cost, and when your return window will be. Tap on that to purchase.

If the page says “Not currently offered,” it means the passes sold out for the day, or the attraction is down. You can check the app again later on to see if they are being offered again.

Pre-Arrival Checklist

If you want to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane pass and you aren’t already using the Disneyland app, follow the below instructions BEFORE you arrive at Disneyland Park to save time:

1. Download the Disneyland app to your mobile device. Make sure you have the most updated version of the app.
2. Link everyone in your group (via ticket or pass number) AND/OR unlink anyone who will not be riding with you.
3. Turn on push notifications for the app, if you haven’t already.
4. Make sure your mobile device is fully charged before you get to Disneyland.

If you do not have a mobile device or access to the app, please see Guest Services when you arrive in the park.

When Should You Buy the Individual Lightning Lane Pass?

I recommend looking into purchasing your Lightning Lane pass first thing in the morning, or as soon as you arrive and scan into the park. On busy days (like weekends and holidays), expect the passes to sell out quickly.

How to Ride RISE OF THE RESISTANCE at Disneyland

(Photo credit: Disneyland Daily, who also has a great article about getting on Rise of the Resistance.)

Frequently Asked Questions about Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

How does Disability Access Service pass work with this attraction?

DAS works as usual with Rise of the Resistance.

Is rider swap available?

Yes.

Is there a single rider line?

Not at this time.

Can I go on this attraction if I’m pregnant?

I would advise against it since I know nothing about being pregnant. But the choice is ultimately up to you.

What is the ride like? Do I need to worry about motion sickness? I heard there is a drop – how intense is it?

I had all these questions before I rode because I do not like roller coasters or fast rides or drops or anything fun! Motion simulator attractions (like Star Tours) make me queasy and I have to close my eyes. I even have trouble on Smuggler’s Run. I hate drops like Tower of Terror and I won’t even go on Guardians of the Galaxy.

(Very minor spoilers ahead.)

All that being said, I had zero motion sickness issues with Rise of the Resistance. The vehicle section of the ride is trackless and smooth. There are times when you are spun around or you go backwards suddenly, but it’s not jerky or intense. It’s similar to being whipped around on Toy Story Mania.

The drop – Yes there is a short drop that’s over before you even know it. It’s a straight down drop that lasts about a second. I had no issues with it. If you can handle the drops on Pirates or Indiana Jones, you can handle this.

The drop leads into a 30 second motion simulator sequence. Any longer and I probably would have had to start closing my eyes. It’s quick and very smooth.

SPOILER ZONE!

The rest of the article contains spoilers for Rise of the Resistance. Please close this window or tab if you do not want to read about the attraction. If you have any questions that have not been covered yet, please reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram – @fairytalemindy

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SPOILERS ARE COMING UP!
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Okay, I feel like that’s a good enough warning.

Rise of the Resistance is truly an immersive attraction unlike anything I’ve experienced anywhere else. It combines many elements of so many other attractions and it all works together.

The plot of Rise of the Resistance finds guests being recruited to assist Rey and the Resistance with battling the First Order. The attraction begins in a room where BB-8 is buzzing about, doing droid things. Soon a hologram of Rey appears, thanking us for our loyalty to the Resistance and explaining that our transport off Batuu is waiting.

From this room, we are led to an outside area where we board a ship – the transport off Batuu, with Poe and BB-8 following behind us on their X-Wing.

The transport is piloted by Lieutenant Bek, perhaps a Mon Calamari relative of the late Admiral Ackbar. While he is leading the way, the transport becomes under attack by the First Order. Guests are standing inside the transport and there is very mild movement, similar to riding on a subway or bus. Handrails are available to hold onto, but not really needed. There is a lot of look at on this transport.

Once the First Order attacks, they use a tracking beam to pull our transport into their Star Destroyer. Suddenly the transport door opens and the First Order boards. They tell us we will be led to the interrogation room.

Leaving the transport, you are now in the “Stormtrooper” room you have probably already seen. The First Order encourages guests down the hall but feel free to take a quick photo here. This room is truly, mind-blowingly ENORMOUS.

From here guests are led down a hallway and eventually split up into small groups for “interrogation.” Guests are told to stand on a certain color floor, and then small groups of 16 are led into the holding area, where a Stormtrooper is keeping watch.

Suddenly, General Hux appears followed by Kylo Ren. Kylo knows we have seen the location of the Resistance base on Batuu and he tries to read our minds using the Force. They walk away and then suddenly, a loud noise comes from the other side of the wall. The wall splits and a member of the Resistance appears, saying we are being rescued. Groups of 8 are led to transports (ride vehicles) operated by a droid R-5. Cast members (Resistance fighters) assist guests with getting into the transport and safety procedures.

The rest of the attraction takes place in these escape transports, which are trackless ride vehicles. It goes by fast and there’s a lot to look at! The transport zooms around, goes backward, and has sharp turns as we try to avoid capture by the First Order. There is a slight drop, about a second, and the attraction ends with a quick simulation experience similar to Star Tours that lasts about 30 seconds.