We finally got to ride the newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Here’s a ride description and what we thought.

(If you want to know our opinions scroll to the bottom of the article.)

Before we can talk about the attraction we need to talk about how you can even get to ride the attraction.

Currently, you can only ride the attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World by getting in a Boarding Group.  How that works is you must be scanned into the park by the posted opening time. Then, you can use the My Disney Experience App to try and get a boarding group number before they are all gone.

Hopefully Disney will put this attraction on some kind of FastPass and Stand-by line soon. What happens is everyone is pouring into the park to try and get a boarding group number. If you don’t get one you have to get up early and try again. A lot of people don’t even know you need this pass and come in later to find out that they are all gone.

We saw several people upset about this. Even though Disney and many of the blogs have covered it extensively, it doesn’t mean that people actually read those blogs.

Back to the ride.

We got to the park at around 5:50. They opened up and let us in at around 6:20 and everyone could go in and most people either headed to the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening or to Toy Story Land.

Now, the entrance to Galaxy’s Edge is NOT open in the morning. You can not get to Batuu that way.

Then at 7 AM the park opened and we got boarding group 31.

When our turn was called we finally got to ride. It had a delay earlier in the day when it was down again, but it was a short one.

Ride Synopsis (this is long and filled with spoilers)

The Cast Members told us that “the ride” was 18 minutes long. Now, the actual riding part is not 18 minutes long. The queue is divided into a few different areas an the attraction is 18 minutes long, but not the actual riding part.

You get through the base and then the attraction starts with a segment featuring BB-8, a Rey hologram, Nien Nunb, Lieutenant Bek and Poe Dameron.

Basically Rey tells you that they need your help and not to give them the location of the secret base.

You then move to a door that opens up and you enter a transport ship. This is the second part of the attraction. On the ship there are animatronics of Nien Nunb and Lieutenant Bek (a Mon Calamari they are using since they killed Admiral Ackbar.) During this sequence there is a battle and you are captured.

Which then a First Order Officer leads you into the third area, the well photographed First Order trooper scene.

There you are led into yet another part of the attraction where you are moved forward about three times and assigned “interrogation colors” by Cast Member actors.

Then you are funneled into an area where you are addressed by First Order Troopers and Kylo Ren.

When they leave there are more Cast Member actors, this time being the Resistance, that cut through the wall and load you into ride transport vehicles to get you out.

Finally you are on the ride part of Rise of the Resistance.

From there you go into a large area with a couple of other empty ride vehicles that are supposed to be First Order vehicles and from there they realize you are escaping so you back out and encounter a probe droid and then First Order Troopers.

Then you get to go into the area with the AT-AT walkers.

You rise up and then back into an area where Hux and Kylo Ren and talking.

R-5 takes your vehicle away and a screen of Kylo Ren appears. The doors shut and his lightsaber comes down like it’s cutting into the ceiling.

Then you zip out past some guns with a space battle visible out the windows.

You get through that and come face to face with the second Kylo Ren animatronic. But a blast opens the doors behind him so you can escape.

You zip into an escape pod and there is a small drop as you are “released” from the Star Destroyer.

Then you crash back on Batuu and see Lieutenant Beck again. That’s the end.

What we thought?

The ride is very neat and very involved.

We enjoyed that Cast Member actors and all the various interactions as you progressed through the “attraction parts” of the ride. They did a great job.

The downside is that after you do this once it probably isn’t going to be as exciting because the only changes you might get are different versions of the Cast Member actors or if you are in the other car you can get a bit of a different view throughout the attraction.

The effects were good, but in the area with the other transports and droids, it seems very empty. I’m not sure if it was intended to have more in it, but it feels like it wasn’t all there.

The shuttle with Lieutenant Beck was very cool. The transition is really well done.

When you exit into the room full of First Order Troopers it is impressive, but it was a bit chaotic with everyone trying to get off the ship and get pictures until the next Cast Member takes you to the hallway before the “interrogation lines.”

Again, the Cast Members make this attraction. From the First Order actors to the surprise door opening in the jail cell and the instruction for your mission. It’s very cool, but it’s only going to be really wowing the first time.

The AT-ATs were my favorite part. They are amazing. I wish we could have spent more time in that area. My only complaint there was that the “blaster” hits were projected and kind of looked flat.

The animatronics were well done and they were working for us so that was a win. Not everyone has been as lucky to get a full ride with them working.

The gun area with the space battle was very cool and looked incredible. I think it was my second favorite part of the ride sequence.

Overall it was a good experience. We did enjoy it.

Is it the best ride in all of Disney?

We say no, but that’s a personal preference. I still think Flight of Passage is more impressive. The Haunted Mansion is still my favorite overall.

I think the hype leads to inevitable let down. Because it’s basically stuff Disney already had. They put some things together into this attraction. It was basically 15 minutes of queue and 5 minutes of ride time. This does not mean it’s bad, not at all, it’s good. But I don’t know if it’s the most innovative attraction ever.

Is it worth getting up really early to ride? I say “yes”, my husband says “no.”  Right now you have no choice, but if you wait a bit I’m sure it will open up to FastPass+ and stand-by lines.

As far as ratings we would give it an 8/10.

What do you think? Comment and let us know.