Without a doubt the most complex multi-stage theme park ride in existence right now, Rise of the Resistance is a sprawling tour de force of attraction technology. This isn't about daredevil thrills or cheap stunts—it's a multi-stage adventure (part walk, part ride in a cart, part motion simulator capsule) as it might unfold across 10 minutes of a movie. It's a feast of amusement: Trackless vehicles, motion simulator pods, elevators, holograms, 65 animatronic figures, and appearances by the major actors of the recent Star Wars films. The plot's a classic chase: As you depart a Rebel base, you're intercepted by the First Order, which transports you to one of its ships and holds you for interrogation by Kylo Ren. You must escape from his clutches, scooting through the corridors and dodging laser fire, to find your escape pod. The first 10 minutes have you standing, and that chapter brings you into a huge loading bay swarming with Stormtroopers, where you of course will take out your camera and shoot as much as you can before being processed by the First Order. At every step, from the gobsmacking hangar-like sets to the gently sneering role-playing of the "First Order" operators, the details of your surroundings are designed to feel like you're inside a movie, and because you're usually isolated in a small group, the illusion is effective.

The second half of the attraction is a ride, but not a physically strenuous one aside from being whisked from room to room. Trackless carts hold two rows of four passengers (no seat is bad but front row is best), and unlike Smugglers Run, you don't have to do anything except enjoy the spectacle unfold around you. There are plenty of impressive technical details, from laser fire to smoldering impact zones to light sabers sawing through metal to a fantastic collapse of a wall. Although there is one very quick drop, motions are not intense—the only restraint is a simple seat belt, and the minimum height requirement (40 inches) is the same as Soarin', which should tell you that this is something the whole family can enjoy.


Not including wait periods, you'll be inside the attraction for 15 to 20 minutes, so make sure you've hit the "refreshers" (bathrooms) and have the time.

This ride regularly has one of the longest lines at Disney World, but if there's a ride worth waiting for, this is one, and you'll be in good company. You can jump the line with a paid Lightning Lane reservation (which are snapped up very quickly in the morning—often while sales are still restricted to guests at Disney-run hotels). 

The line is most crowded when the park first open, and it tends to get shorter as the day progresses. But putting it off also comes with risk, because this complicated stunner has a high breakdown rate. You may find it wise to make sure you ride it while you know it's working.


Tip: Front row assignments are blue or white; back rows are red or yellow. This attraction has no single rider queue.