How your plan of attack to ride ‘Rise of the Resistance’ may have to change
The game plan to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios since its opening has been simple: get the park at the crack of dawn, get in the park as early as it opens, immediately open the My Disney Experience app and join a boarding group.
This has been something that thousands have done, including me, since the attraction was opened. With no FastPass+ available or special access through VIP tours, all have had to practice the early bird gets the worm philosophy.
Wednesday morning that changed. While Disney World opened the theme park early, around 6:30 a.m., and allowed all in through the touchpoints. Guests were not able to join a boarding group until the park officially opened at 7 a.m. In addition, everyone who entered were behind held between the Chinese Theater and the entrance.
This new approach is now how the virtual queue will work, according to Disney.
This means that instead of getting on a boarding group as you pass the touchpoint, everyone who was in the park is able to apply to get on a boarding group at the same time when the park opens.
According to the Disney Parks Blog:
- The virtual queue will be available at the published park opening time. Guests will be welcomed onto Hollywood Boulevard prior to opening the rest of the park, and limited nearby locations will be open for your convenience. This includes Trolley Car Café and Keystone Clothiers.will be
- At the park’s published opening time, the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens along with offerings throughout the rest of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests must be in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to access virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app.
- Backup boarding groups will be distributed after the initial planned groups have been filled. Backup boarding groups will only be called if all of the initial planned boarding groups have been called back and there is capacity for more riders that evening. If we are able to accommodate boarding groups that evening, guests will be notified through the My Disney Experience app by a push notification.
The park will continue to officially open at 7 a.m. now through Dec. 25. From Dec. 26 through Dec. 31, the park will open at 6 a.m.
The park will again go to a 7 a.m. opening from Jan. 1 – 4, 2020. Starting Jan. 5, 2020, it will then go to an 8 a.m. opening.
