Disneyland’s latest attraction, “Rise of the Resistance,” is set to open in “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” this Friday.
And if the demand for the ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida is any indication, thrillseekers should anticipate heading to the Anaheim theme park early to have a chance to experience it.
The immersive attraction pits the heroic Resistance against the villainous First Order — and is “unlike anything” else at Disneyland, according to the resort’s website.
An identical version of the ride opened last month to rave reviews, becoming one of the park’s highest-rated attractions, the Orange County Register reported.
The 15-minute-long experience has proven to be so popular that people have even been lining up before dawn just to get a chance to ride it, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Those who have strolled into the park after opening, hoping to simply hop in line, were instead greeted with signs saying that all boarding groups — the virtual queue system used to guarantee a spot on “Rise” — had already been distributed for the day.
According to WDW News Today, a news site for all things related to Disney parks, boarding groups have been filling up quickly — even in as little as 23 minutes.
A similar system will be in place as needed when the ride debuts to the general public, according to Disneyland.
While it’s too soon yet to know if visitors will show up before sunrise to ensure they land a coveted spot in a boarding group, it probably won’t hurt to show up early.
One thing guests are urged to do before they even arrive is to download the Disneyland app, which is needed to access the virtual queue.
Here’s how it work:
- From the app’s main page, go to “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Access by Boarding Group”
- Then, after entering Disneyland, request to join a boarding group.
- Keep an eye on the app. A push notification will be sent to notify users when they can return
Disneyland is cautioning, however, that getting on the ride is subject to capacity, which means being assigned to a group doesn’t guarantee entrance.
Visitors who don’t have the app will not be able to access the queue system, but they’ll still be able to join a boarding group from select locations inside the park.
Another important note: there will be no single rider line to start at “Rise,” unlike “Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run,” which was already in place during the reservation-only period for “Galaxy’s Edge” last spring.
When it comes to its newest ride, Disney recommends that visitors “plan around your attraction experience.”