Rise of the Resistance is easily Disney’s most popular attraction right now. Many have experienced this attraction and rave about the immersion that is experienced. The best way to describe Rise of the Resistance is like being in a Star Wars movie. The action happens all around you during this experience. We were worried like a lot of you that Rise would be heavily affected by COVID-19 precautions. We had the chance to experience this attraction and it’s revised post-COVID-19 form. Here are the changes to Rise of the Resistance that you can expect.

Virtual Queue

The virtual queue system Disney set up worked great for us. We have heard there are issues with it but we didn’t experience any. We arrived at the park at rope-drop. The park opened at 9:15 instead of 10:00 due to crowds. We headed straight for Batuu and by 10:00am, which is the first window of the day to join the virtual queue we had our spot in boarding group 6.

People waiting in the Rise of the Resistance queue

We heard that the virtual queue fills up fast, like within minutes so make sure when you go to Galaxy’s Edge that you have a fully charged battery on your phone, have installed the My Disney Experience app, are logged into the app, and not on the WiFi. Just one of these things going wrong could prevent you from getting a boarding group.

Boarding groups are available at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm. You must be in the park for the app to allow you to join the queue. There is no need to arrive early to the park because boarding groups don’t go live early just because the park might open early.

One thing we learned is that the My Disney Experience app can be tricky. The person using the app to sign up the group may not be added to the group. If you notice this ahead of time head to guest relations so they can fix it for you. This happened to us but a manager that was nearby fixed it right away.

The Queue

The queue is nearly the same as it was prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. Social distancing markers have been added to the ground to make sure guests stay 6 feet away. On occasion, you may see plexiglass dividers but they were able to keep the theming pretty spot on. In the areas where guests are separated by a metal cage with items inside the cage has plexiglass on the sides.

Briefing Area

In the area where BB-8 and Rey’s hologram are there are round circle containing numbers. Parties are separated and spread out to stand on those numbers. Only a 10 parties are allowed in the area at one time. This could be different if your group is larger.

Resistance Transport

We were convinced that this part of the attraction would be eliminated due to COVID-19 social distancing precautions but Disney found a way to keep it in. There are numbered spots on the floor of the transport where parties are divided up. You keep the same number you had in the briefing room. We were number one in the briefing room and number one on the transport.

Star Destroyer Hangar

In the star destroyer hangar, there are a few notable changes. Instead of a cluster of people roaming around and standing around the queue extends into this area with social distancing markers. The queue is shaped like a U with distance markers 6 feet apart.

Resistance transport

The First Order officers in the room that used to keep the crowd moving now call parties one at a time to proceed to the next area. In this part of the queue, there are plexiglass dividers separating the two rows of guests.

First Order Interrogation Rooms

This was another part of the attraction that we thought would be walkthrough. The interrogation room in small. Cast Members only put two groups in the room. One in the back and the other in the front. Groups are social distanced and still get to experience this part of the attraction.

The First Order officers don’t get to interact with the guests as much as they did before the COVID-19 shutdown. I was able to engage in the staring contest with one of them which added some humor to the situation.

The First Order officer who put us in the interrogation room asked us to use hand sanitizer before we entered the room. Once inside the interrogation room we were greeted by the usual stormtrooper, General Hux, and Kylo Ren. There were only two parties in the room for a total of four people. We were positioned toward the front and the other two people were in the back of the room.

Stormtrooper in interrogation room

When the Resistance broke us out of the room we headed toward the ride vehicles. The ride vehicles usually hold 8 people but with social distancing Cast Members are only placing 1 party per vehicle. The two of us had the entire ride vehicle to ourselves.

The Ride

The actually ride experience was the same. R-5 navigates your group through the star destroyer in order to make your escape back to Batuu. We have always said this ride is more than a ride it’s an experience. Rise of the Resistance is unlike any other attraction at Disney World. We recorded a full video of our ride experience. If you have not been on this attraction and don’t want spoilers skip this video.

Overall Changes to Rise of the Resistance

Most of the changes to Rise of the Resistance are in the queue and are part of the pre-show. Disney has done a great job of keeping the theming and the immersion while keeping everyone safe.

There are social distancing markers, signs, plexiglass dividers, and hand sanitizer stations through the attraction. The biggest changes to Rise of the Resistance are the social markers inside the briefing room, star destroyer hangar, the Resistance transport, and the interrogation room. The ride itself is the same and still as worth it in every way.

Face coverings are required at all Disney Parks and must be worn during the entire process. Cast Members in the area are also wearing masks and or face shields. Hand sanitizer is also available throughout the attraction so you can sanitize before and after the experience.

Full Experience Video

For a full ride experience from queue to attraction, check out our video on YouTube.