Our First Impression Of The New ‘Rise Of The Resistance’ Ride At Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Alana is the staff writer on AWOL who thinks the…

Since opening in May 2019, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has already given super-fans the ultimate experience of a galaxy far, far away. But the epic new Disney park will give itself a major glow-up tomorrow when it opens a brand-new ride — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

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Rise of the Resistance has been teased since before Galaxy’s Edge even opened, and the scarce details we received were enough to send us into overload. Disney was promising the most immersive and advanced attraction in any of their theme parks, a massive ride that put guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.

And tomorrow, Rise of the Resistance will finally open to the public and Disney will deliver on its promise.

Thanks to Disney, who sent AWOL to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida this week for the ride’s official opening, we were some of the first people in the world to experience Rise of the Resistance. I spent the day riding the brand-new attraction over and over (and, I cannot stress this enough, over and over) and can now say, with the confidence of a Jedi Master, that the experience is truly the next step in theme park attractions.

Poe Dameron’s X-wing starfighter, Black One, appears in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Poe escorts guests off Batuu as they attempt to rendezvous with General Leia Organa. Image: Kent Phillips / Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Guests come face to face with First Order Supreme Leader Kylo Ren as they stumble into the bridge of a Star Destroyer in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Image: Steven Diaz / Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

BB-8 greets guests inside the makeshift briefing room as part of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Image: Matt Stroshane / Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Fifty menacing First Order Stormtroopers await guests as they arrive in the hangar bay of a Star Destroyer as part of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Image: Matt Stroshane / Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

The ride blurs the lines between fantasy and reality and plunges you into a tense mission alongside Rey, BB-8 and Kylo Ren.

It’s more of an adventure story than a simple ride, with a whole narrative, live actors, costumes, thrilling chases and awe-inspiring set pieces that are unlike anything that’s been done at a Disney theme park before.

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Without giving too much away, you and your squad are captured while on a crucial mission and taken aboard a First Order Star Destroyer. With the help of some heroes of the Resistance, you’ll have to protect the secret base, escape the ship and survive an intense encounter with Kylo Ren.

Rise of the Resistance opens tomorrow in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and is now under construction at Disneyland Resort in California (and set to open there on January 17, 2020).

We’ll have more about Disney World, Galaxy’s Edge and Rise of the Resistance coming soon. In the meantime, you can start planning your holiday to a galaxy far, far away with our guide to finding The Mandalorian easter eggs and everything we know so far about the upcoming Star Wars hotel.

May the Force be with you, travellers.

(Lead image: Lieutenant Bek, a Mon Calamari Resistance officer, in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Kent Phillips / Walt Disney World)