Rise of the Resistance is the single greatest ride I have ever ridden at any theme park… I don’t want anyone that wants to ride it to miss out! For now, Disney has setup a system of “Boarding Groups” to get on the ride. This will not last forever as the front of the ride does have the standard setup of “Standby” and “Fastpass+” entrances. If you haven’t been to Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge yet, go as soon as possible! It is an amazing experience for both people that love Star Wars and have no interest in it. It is an immersive experience that will have you thinking you are really on Batuu.
What is a boarding group?
A boarding group is Disney’s way of limiting riders to a set amount, and causing mass chaos and anxiety the morning you arrive to the park. Err, not really, but sorta. The boarding group is similar to a Fastpass+ but its set the morning of your ride. In the MyDisney Experience app you select everyone in your group that wants to ride it and try to get into a time slot. The difference is, its not a specific time slot. You keep checking throughout the day to see if your group has been called to ride, and when it has, you can return to the ride to get on!
Jump to:
- How do I join?
- What is the process for joining?
- Can I leave once I join a boarding group?
- What happens when I’m called?
- How long does the line take?
- How long is Rise of the Resistance?
Wait, how do I join?
To join, everyone in your group that wants to ride must have scanned their ticket or Magic Band at the front of the park. There is no way around this! You also can’t just send one person with all the tickets as your ticket is matched to your fingerprint. Yes, Disney World is more secure than your local high school or airport.
Once everyone is in the park, you can then walk around and shop or hop in line for the rope drop to get to one of the big rides. I recommend Smugglers Run or Tower of Terror, or whatever ride you have to ride that day that you don’t have a Fastpass+ for.
After everyone has entered, instruct everyone to get off the in-park WiFi for the time being. This is to ensure that the network isn’t slow when it is time to get in your boarding group. Everyone that wants to ride should have access to the MyDisney Experience app for everyone that is riding. If you haven’t already, give everyone access. IMPORTANT: Close the app until 8:00 A.M.
8:00 A.M.: D-Day
What is the process for joining?
Right at 8:00 A.M. the boarding groups open for you to join. Open the app very slightly before at 7:59 and start the boarding process. The “Join Boarding Group” button will turn red, signaling that it is time to join. You will then add all of your members that are in the park, and hit submit. If all goes well, it will soon pop up what group you are in.
Again, everyone in your group should do this to increase your chances to get into one. When Megan and I went, we did this and got Group 60. We were originally disappointed as we were not guaranteed a spot on the ride. That quickly turned to excitement as they were on Group 55 by 12:30.
Can I leave the park once I’m in a group?
Absolutely! You can even schedule Fastpass+ in a different park, and then come back when your boarding group is called. We’ve heard of people with Parkhopper passes coming to Hollywood to get a boarding group, and then heading to Epcot for the day. Or, you can head back to the room to sleep, go get breakfast at a dining reservation, whatever you want to do!
Time to Ride
What happens when I’m called?
When your boarding group is called, you will get notified by your MyDisney app. At this point you have 2 hours to get to the ride to guarantee your spot in line.
How long does the line take once I’m there?
Typically it takes about 30-45 minutes to get on the actual ride. Honestly it did not feel like that long because of the line experience. Without spoiling anything, it is one of the best line queues I’ve ever experienced.
How long is Rise of the Resistance?
The actual ride experience is 18 minutes long. You have 3 different “acts” to go through in your entire experience.
Thoughts
This is the best ride experience I have ever had. Megan agrees and we will definitely be going again. Should you wait until your next trip to the park to do it? I say no, just because it really is an easy process to do it this time and you’re not out any time just by showing up 30 minutes before park open.
If you have experienced it before, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear your thoughts! If you haven’t experienced it and have more questions, also comment! I’m sure someone else has the same question as you.
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