You're headed to Disney - fast passes are booked, dining reservations made - but now Disney has thrown you a curve ball...what is this you are hearing about a virtual queue?? We visited the parks last weekend to check out Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and bring you this insider's guide on how you can ride Rise of the Resistance.
I have said it before and I will say it again - Disney is one of the most amazing experiences you can have with your family, but it is not vacation. If you are staying on property, buses start running 45 minutes before Hollywood Studios opens and you need to be on that first bus. For us, that meant boarding at 6:15am (yep, you read that right) but I heard they are pushing the opening time back from 7:00 to 8:00 starting next week. If you are not staying on property, be there 30 minutes before the park opens. As long as you are through the gates and have scanned the magic band/card that is associated with your My Disney Experience app, then you are able to use the app to join the virtual boarding group. The virtual boarding group access opens at whatever time the park opens.
We talked with as many cast members as we could to get their tips before it was go time:
1. Spread out in the park - you can only get so far inside before official open, but don't stay on Hollywood Blvd with the masses (and believe me, there are masses, even at 6:45am). This is also a great way to position yourself for ride access. If you don't have a fast pass for Slinky Dog, head to the right and get as close to Toy Story Land as they allow you. If you want your kids to do Jedi Training, head to the left and look for Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream - lining up there will give you the quickest access to sign ups. Or keep going past it and wait near Star Tours - you can jump on that ride, or head into Galaxy's Edge for Smuggler's Run, to get their shortest lines of the day (after you join your group, of course).
2. Close the app until 3 minutes before park open time (it can cause lagging if you keep it open).
3. Use the first screen. Click on Find Out More a minute before the park opens, then click Join Boarding Group on this next screen and start refreshing!
All of the boarding groups were gone within 1-3 minutes the days we were there. If you get a boarding group, celebrate. Rise of the Resistance is awesome. While Avatar is still our favorite ride in all of the parks, Resistance is definitely the best experience. It's multi-level and is an actual ride, not just VR. That's all I will say about the ride itself - you'll have to ride it to find out the rest.
One last thing - they don't give you a time to return if you get a group, you just check back to see when your group is boarding. Once your group is called (you are supposed to get an alert but we didn't) you have 2 hours to enter the ride. Once you enter, you will still have to wait in line (although it's no 300 minutes like Avatar's standby was). The first 99-105 groups were guaranteed boarding on the
days we were there, but some backup groups made it as well.
Was it worth it? Yep, and we would do it again...but with a couple of days relaxing on the beach afterward.
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