Complete Guide: How to Get on Rise of the Resistance in 2023

One of the most popular and operationally unpredictable attractions in all of Walt Disney World is in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a technological marvel with a trackless ride mechanism, larger-than-life props, and interactions with the real heroes of the galaxy, so it’s a must-do for Star Wars fans and thrill fans alike!

Rise of the Resistance is an experience like you’ve never seen before! You have been recruited by the Resistance with a special mission — but things go awry when the First Order gets involved. It is a unique, multifaceted experience that includes multiple attraction types, popular characters, both good and evil, and intense storytelling.

Because of its popularity, there are a few ways to secure your opportunity to experience this attraction, and we’re going to take you through those.

There are three ways to ride Rise of the Resistance:

Standby Queue

The Standby Queue is the traditional line for Disney attractions. Luckily, in Disney World, those queues are usually immersive and extremely well themed. The queues are an extension of the attraction and often start the storytelling of the experience you’re about to embark on.

But it is still waiting in line, even when it is a very pretty, very detailed, very immersive line.

Disney Individual Lightning Lane

Lightning Lane is a term Disney uses for a faster, priority queue available at select attractions. (For those familiar with the past, think of Lightning Lane as a new name for the “FASTPASS” or “FastPass+” queue.) It is an alternative to the “standby queue,” which is what people enter when they simply walk up to the attraction, get in line, and wait for their turn to ride.

To get access to the Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, you will have to buy it through the My Disney Experience App.

The Lightning Lane for this attraction is only available through the Individual Lightning Lane options in My Disney Experience. This means that you do not have to purchase Disney Genie+ for the day — and if you do, Rise of the Resistance won’t be included. You can only purchase this attraction’s Lightning Lane a la carte. And you can only purchase one ride on this attraction per day. We have more details about all of the nuances of Lightning Lanes HERE.

Virtual Queue Boarding Pass (retired)

This option has been retired from accessing Rise of the Resistance, but you never know when or if it might be revived, so we’re dropping some info for you, because we want you to be prepared!

What is a Virtual Queue? Think of it like calling ahead to a restaurant to put your name on the waitlist. But instead of a restaurant, it’s a Disney attraction. Instead of calling,  you’re logging into your My Disney Experience App. And instead of the dining waitlist, it’s access to join the queue at a specific time. Simple right?

We’ve compiled all of our best Virtual Queue tips for HERE. You’re welcome! Now that we know all of the ways to get aboard this must-do attraction, let’s look at the FASTEST options!

Fastest Way to Ride

Rope Drop

If you don’t want to give Disney any more of your hard-earned money for a chance to ride an attraction in a theme park you already have purchased a park ticket for, then you’re heading to the Standby Queue.

To minimize your wait in this line, you’ll want to be one of the first people to get there — and to do that, you’ve gotta participate in the Disney ritual tradition of “rope dropping”.

Rope dropping is getting to a Disney park early so you can be inside right when it opens (when the “rope drops”!). It usually involves arriving a little before opening so you can be as close to the front of the line as possible. People will queue up at the entrance pretty early! Once rope-droppers are in the park, they’ll typically head to the most popular attractions.

Once you get through the tap stations at the park entrance, go left once from Hollywood Boulevard and walk towards the Muppets section of Hollywood Studios. Here guests can enter the quickest Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge entrance.

Individual Lightning Lane

If you’re ok spending a little moolah for some convenience and the chance to select when you might want to experience the attraction, you’ll have to be an early riser.  If you’re staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane as early as 7AM. This little perk means you’ll get first pick of the time to ride Rise.

If you’re staying off-property, you can purchase at park open — usually around 9AM. The Lightning Lanes don’t typically sell out, but you might find some of the return times filled.

Individual Lightning Lanes can cost anywhere from $15-$25 per person, and tend to be more expensive the busier the season. This cost can really stack up with a large group, so make sure you’re planning ahead and budgeting accordingly.

Right Before Park Closing

This is another strategy for using the Standby Queue, but minimizing your wait.  If you want one more ride on Rise of the Resistance, or maybe you’re saving the best for last, wait to get in the queue until right before the park closes.

At the end of the day, many guests may have already left the park, and others might have prioritized watching the Fantasmic! fireworks spectacular. With so many people otherwise occupied, the wait time for many attractions goes down drastically.

Cast Members allow guests to enter the queue right up until the park closes. So if the park closes at 10PM, you can still get in line at 9:55PM, or even 9:59PM! But be careful, if your watch is slow, you might miss your shot!

If you’re planning to ride Rise of the Resistance, we hope these tips will help minimize the time you spend waiting in lines!

The Strange Rise of the Resistance Trend in Disney World

What’s your favorite way to ride Rise of the Resistance? Let us know what works for you in the comments below!

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