Rise of the Resistance is now open at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — and I was able to ride it before the public could thanks to an amazing invite from Walt Disney World! Read on for my detailed Rise of the Resistance ride review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
If you want my one sentence Rise of the Resistance review it would be that it is like nothing else you have ever experienced, and you need to ride it as soon as possible — even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan. But don’t worry, I am going to get into a lot more detail than that in this article. That really is the short of it though — it is amazing. It is everything, and more. Hands down the best ride at Walt Disney World. And probably the best ride I have ever been on.
Basically Four Experiences
When I say that there are four different parts to this ride, I mean it. The queue is sure to keep you entertained, so don’t worry about being bored at all. You will be greeted by BB-8 and Rey in one area, ride a shuttle in another, be sent to an interrogation room by the First Order, and then the main ride — where the Resistance is trying to save you.
Yeah. It is awesome. And like nothing that has come before it. I really felt like I was part of the Resistance — and yes, I was terrified by the First Order. These cast members are in character. They will yell at you, they will call you Resistance scum, and they will try to get to give up others in the Resistance.

Totally Immersive
Do me a favor when you are riding it. Look up. Look around. Check everything out. There are zero hints at this ride being a ride. Everything is covered — cameras, wires — you name it, you won’t see it. The imagineers did an amazing job of hiding things so that you really feel like you are experiencing these things.
The ride story itself brings you from Batuu, on a special mission for the Resistance, and then back to Batuu. Along the way you just might get detained by the First Order, and need some familiar faces to rescue you. Other familiar faces will be trying to keep you put! Everywhere you look, it feels like you are really on a starship. From the tiniest details, to the biggest.
Just check out all these incredible Rise of the Resistance photos.
Insider Secrets
While on Batuu for the Rise of the Resistance opening, I chatted with a Disney Imagineer who worked on the ride for four years. He let me in on some pretty amazing secrets — that I am now sharing with you! The first is that the ceiling are 50 feet tall. FIFTY FEET. You look up and just look for what seems like forever. It is such an incredible experience — there is nothing like it.
I feel like a broken record saying that multiple times in this Rise of the Resistance review, but it is the truth.

Probably my favorite thing that he told me is that when you step off your transport shuttle — all those Stormtroopers standing there — they aren’t all animations. Some of them are REAL people. Oh, and they change spots from time to time. So be sure to keep an eye out and see if you can spot them next time you ride!
Jamil and I also talked about some other things — so be sure to watch our interview video above!

Too Scary For Kids?
This is a question I got from a lot of my mom friends — is Rise of the Resistance too scary for kids? Because that is surprisingly a really complicated answer, I wrote an entire article about it. The short answer though is that I recommend it for kids ages 5 and up. It might be a little scary, but totally worth it, especially if they are a Star Wars fan!
The Drop
The second most asked question I have been getting is about “the drop”, so I knew I had to include the answer in my Rise of the Resistance review. Yes, there IS a drop. But it really is nothing to be concerned about. It is small, and absolutely nothing to be nervous about. The drop perfectly fits into the story that Rise of the Resistance is telling.
It does go straight down, and would be best comparable to the Tower of Terror drop but WAY smaller. Like tiny smaller. You can see it in my ride video if you are nervous about it, but I hope you believe me when I tell you that you really don’t have anything to worry about.

Will You Get Motion Sickness?
I know a lot of people that get motion sickness on rides, so they are nervous about Rise of the Resistance. Well I am excited to tell you that I went on it (multiple times) with friends who get sick on most rides, and they didn’t on this one.
While I am lucky enough to not have to worry about it (unless we are talking about Mission Space orange version — the ride the devil himself designed), I can attest to the fact that Rise of the Resistance is extremely smooth. This might be in part because it is a trackless ride. I believe it is all run by magnets — which is super impressive.
My friends had no issues at all, which made them very happy. And me very happy because it meant I got to ride Rise of the Resistance with them multiple times. And also because that means my husband shouldn’t have any issues, so I can do the same with him. Honestly, I would be perfectly happy spending an entire day at Walt Disney World riding this over and over… and over.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5pwIY-nfVr/
Overall Thoughts
Honestly, Rise of the Resistance is worth a really long wait in line to go on. Personally, I would wait in a line for four hours — probably more — to experience it again. It is hands down the best ride I have ever been on, which is sure to be true for a long time.
For those that are not Star Wars fans, this is still a must ride because I strongly believe that everyone needs to experience Rise of the Resistance. And if you are a Star Wars fan, what are you doing reading this? Shouldn’t you be on Batuu experiencing it for yourself? But really, this is a Star Wars fan dream. Every little detail is pure perfection. Get ready to have your mind blown!
Like I said before, my short Rise of the Resistance review is GO RIDE IT NOW, because you have never experienced anything like it before.
Rise of the Resistance is open now at Walt Disney World and opens January 17th, 2020 at Disneyland!

Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
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