Our Story: Hollywood Studios Rise of the Resistance

We are a Disney Family through-and-through. It’s great to live so close to so much magic and tough to not ride the new rides when Fast Passes and Extra Magic Hours favor vacationers. When they announced the procedure to get a place in line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we were so excited that we stood a chance to get on board.

Below is a recap of our day from what I documented. I’m including pictures of the new ride at the very end, so for those who want to avoid a spoiler, don’t scroll to the bottom.

December is a month of early wake ups. Our sons are extra excited to be the first to find Tony (their elf) in the morning, and that includes Saturdays and Sundays. So, with us living so close to Disney, my husband suggested we take advantage of the extra hours and try to get a spot on Rise of the Resistance.

Advertised park open time was 7am, but they allowed people to scan their tickets around 6:20. As soon as your entire party enters the park, you can open the Walt Disney World app and request a group assignment.

We arrived at 6:30am with a lightning storm overhead and received group 78 with an ‘afternoon’ return time for the new ride. Sure, we could have went back home to return when our number was close, but we decided to make a day of it and do some of the things we don’t usually do. The boys’ first choice for rides was to head to the Alien Saucers for a spin at dawn (where we would be covered from the heavier rain shower).

Some of you might be wondering if my camera is always out at the parks with my family….it isn’t. At least, not always, but mostly. I decided to put my camera away until the rain stopped, so I don’t have pictures of our fun time on my favorite ride, Toy Story Mania or the nauseating flight where our boys piloted the Millennium Falcon. Instead, I enjoyed those moments being completely in the moment with my family.

Finally, the sun started to come out and Slinky Dog was open to ride with a “50 min” wait. We decided to go for it and give the new games in the Play app a try. They were such a hit with the boys and the wait turned out to be under 30 minutes (which is always a pleasant surprise)!

My oldest son is a solid “first born” personality (probably because both of his parents are first borns too), and he is our more cautious of our two boys. Our youngest, fears nothing. I think these pictures capture that perfectly.

Out of Toy Story Land and onto the shows. The weather was finally looking clear for the day, so we signed the boys up for Jedi Training (a first for them!) and then went to go get a little Frozen at their holiday special show before their callback time.

If your kiddos would love to sign-up for Jedi Training, you can find the kiosk between the Indiana Jones Show entrance and the 50’s Prime Time Cafe. As with most experiences, the early bird gets the spot on stage. They take about 25 kids per show, and you have to be back at the kiosk area 30 minutes before your assigned show is set to begin.

I love that both our boys are still innocent enough to believe that they learned how to use the force to take down Kylo Ren and Darth Vader. Some funny moments I was happy I captured from our youngest included mistaking his shirt for his hood and ending up looking like Bevis until his Jedi Master helped him out and then at the very end when he put his light saber between his legs for the final posed moment. (Yup, that’s my husband’s child).

Ok, here’s the warning, don’t continue if you don’t want to see and read about Rise of the Resistance.

This is your last warning….

Seriously, last time….

ok…

At 3:15pm we received a notification in the app that we could head into the ride anytime before 5:15pm. We were pumped and ran right over…well, walked very fast and made a bathroom break, but then we were there! It took about 20 minutes for us to make it through the themed queue. We were just about to enter the first of a few holding areas on the way to the ride when it experienced technical difficulties. An announcement came over the PA system and within minutes we were offered snacks and water. Additionally, Chewbacca and another character (I’m embarrassed I don’t know who) came through for pictures and to help pass the time.

Now, from a technical standpoint I won’t speak too much about who said what and where we went along the ride, but I will share a bit about it in general. As you can expect, the theming throughout was amazing! You go from inside to outside and back again. The ride has a bit of everything to make you feel fully immersed and it is trackless (at least as much as you can tell looking around). Last comment I’ll make, and this is from the perspective of someone who has come to Disney since the 1980’s, the animatronics are simply outstanding and so incredibly life-like with fluid movements.

Ok, that’s it! Enjoy my pictures!

I would love to capture a day of park memories for your family. If you’re interested in inviting me along for an upcoming trip you have planned, please fill out the contact form by clicking the button below.