Mild spoilers forStar Wars: Rise of the Resistancefollow below.
Skeptics ofStar Wars: Galaxy’s Edgehave reason to shed cynicism or doubts about the massive (and massively expensive) addition to Walt Disney World and Disneyland with the arrival ofStar Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the cornerstone attraction ofGalaxy’s Edgeand one of the most immersive and satisfying ride experiences in recent memory. Rivaling Pandora’sFlight of PassageandHagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventureat Universal’s Islands of Adventure,Rise of the Resistanceuses cutting edge technology, insanely dynamic ride mechanics, and wholly immersive storytelling to put guests in the middle of a fight between the First Order and the Resistance. The result? One of the best attractions in Walt Disney World history.
There aremanythings to spoil inRise of the Resistanceso let me say up front it is not my intention to spoil the ride experience in this review. That said, I will be briefly explaining the plot and various stages of the ride, so if you want to go in completely, entirely cold, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Set between the events ofStar Wars: The Last Jediand the trilogy capperStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, this new attraction begins with guests being recruited by the Resistance during a pre-show featuring a hologram ofDaisy Ridley’s Rey, an animatronic version of BB-8, and a video ofOscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron. Guests then board a transport shuttle which is—surprise!—hijacked by the First Order. You leave through the same door you came out, except you walk into a completely different environment: a jaw-dropping First Order hanger filled with 50 stormtroopers (look closely and you’ll see some are moving). Indeed, you have been captured, and the Disney cast members playing the First Order officers have no qualms ordering you around as you’ve now become their prisoner.
From here, various events play out as the Resistance aims to break you and your fellow First Order prisoners out of this ship. The trick that makesRise of the Resistanceso revolutionary is that everything I’ve just described is part of the rideandpart of the queue at the same time. The recruitment, shuttle transport, and capture all paly out in various walkthrough areasbeforeyou actually board the eight-seated ride vehicle, which itself is completely different from what you’ve experienced and—for lack of a better phrase—totally freaking mind-blowing.
Animatronics, trackless vehicles, video screens, surprise drops, massive props (including huge AT-AT’s), and terrifically in-character cast members all coalesce into the attraction that isRise of the Resistance, which is why it’s kind of unfair to describe this as a ride per se. It’s a complete and supremely satisfying experience that wholly immerses you into a brand newStar Warsstory.
Story is king in the world of Disney Imagineering, but the story of some rides is more seamless/immersive than others. Having ridden quite a few attractions at a number of theme parks, I feel confident in sayingRise of the Resistanceis quite possibly the most immersive attraction I’ve ever been a part of (yes, even moreso thanFlight of Passage). You never quite feel like you’re on a “ride” because you’re too wrapped up in all the impressive goings-on around you. And I say this as someone who often gets distracted trying to figure out “how did they do that?” There’s not only no time to look for seams and creases and wires, you just don’t really want to. The attraction itself is too good not to just disappear into.
In concert withSmuggler’s Run—aka the “Millennium Falcon ride”—Rise of the Resistancenow completesGalaxy’s Edgeas a completely immersive go-to destination forStar Warsfans. And while the video game nature and attention to detail ofSmuggler’s Runis certainly fun,Rise of the Resistanceis far and away the better attraction. That’s not a dig onSmuggler’s Runso much as it’s a testament to how incredibleRise of the Resistanceis.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistanceopens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World on December 5th andin Disneyland on July 21, 2025.
Look for much more coverage from theRise of the Resistancemedia preview on Collider soon.
