The Rumor Queue: Full details on the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride coming to Disney parks

Some anonymous sources have given us information on the storyline of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the operations of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and the placement of key shops and restaurants in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

rise of the resistance

Disclaimer: Unless where otherwise noted, the following is rumor and speculation, and should not be regarded as fact unless confirmed by the companies mentioned.

Throughout the past couple of years, we’ve learned a great deal about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This new land, coming to Disneyland park in California this summer and Disney’s Hollywood Studios this fall, will take guests to the planet of Batuu. This planet will be the backdrop for the Black Spire Outpost, the space pirate and smuggler-filled refuge in a forgotten part of the galaxy.

While we have seen construction updates and sneak peeks, but we still don’t know a ton about this land, until possibly now.

Spoiler Warning: Even though we can’t guarantee the accuracy of the ride details below, as they haven’t been released by Disney, please don’t read on if you want to be surprised.


Star Wars: Rise of The Resistance

Blue Transport Ship

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has had fans on the (galaxy’s) edge of their seats since it was originally announced in 2015. We’ve been given very few looks inside the attraction, and even fewer details as to what will happen within.


We have seen this blue transport ship in displays and concept art for quite some time. In fact, this model is on display at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But, why? Why has this singular ship been given nearly as much detail as the Millennium Falcon?

It’s because guests will be taking this ship as a sort of pre-show in the queue for the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction. At some point in the queue, most likely right after the FastPass+ and standby merge, guests will be loaded into this rather large ship.

Guests will board the ship, and, unbeknownst to them, will be spun 180 degrees inside. This spinning will allow the room to both load and unload guests at the same. Large screens, combined with music and sound effects, will simulate that guests are taking off from Batuu into space.


First of Queue

While on their way through the galaxy, the ship will be captured by the First Order. This will force the ship to land inside of a First Order Star Destroyer hangar.

This is where the main storyline of the attraction begins. Guests will exit the pre-show ship into a hangar. This will be one of the largest rooms of the entire building, complete with animatronic stormtroopers, TIE fighters and a picturesque view of space. Guests will be told to, “move along,” as they are taken to individual load rooms, themed to First Order prison cells.


This diagram gives an approximate idea of what to expect for the four individual load rooms. Guests will be taken from the huge hangar area on the left into the hallways. Here, they will be grouped into the smaller pre-show rooms. These secondary pre-shows are expected to have a droid of some kind that will explain safety procedures and move the story along, much like how Rocket Raccoon does in Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney California Adventure.


Trackless vehicle

Guests will then be loaded into one-of-two different trackless First Order transport vehicles. These two ride vehicles will accompany each other during the entire experience. Once guests are loaded in, the vehicle is sent out of the room for processing.

Now, while there are four showrooms, equaling eight different ride vehicles, it is expected that there will never be more than two vehicles in the same room. The two vehicles that start together will never be separated for more than a few seconds.


First Room

From this point, the two buddy transports will enter the blue-colored room. Unlike the preview videos that Disney provided, cast members will not be walking around this area.

Instead, the buddy transports will enter and shortly after, a rogue droid will drive across the upper bridge. This droid will hack into the First Order mainframe, gaining control of your vehicles – which will suddenly take off, as your escape mission begins.


Stormtrooper

The two ride vehicles will exit the large first room in an extremely high-detailed area, which is meant to look like hallways inside of a First Order Star Destroyer. The real excitement begins when the vehicles turn a corner to come face-to-face with an animatronic Kylo Ren! His saber will ignite as the vehicles back up in retreat. They’ll spin around and go down the second turn, only to enter the AT-AT room.


This is where the vehicles will become separated, each going up their own elevator shaft on either side of the room.


AT-AT Underbelly

These AT-AT walkers will be massive – nearly the exact same size as they would be in the actual Star Wars universe. Each AT-AT’s head can move and fire upon the guests, only just missing them, of course.

Once guests have gone up the elevator shaft, they will be on the “second” floor of the building. In reality, guests will be more than 40 feet up – which is important later.

They will twist and turn in their own vehicle and head down a short hallway before the two buddy vehicles meet up again. Both vehicles will see each other and turn as they quietly go under an elevated area.

This elevated area will have a two animatronics, Kylo Ren and possibly General Hux. They are expected to be talking about the sudden Resistance fighters that are attacking the ship. They have come to save the guests!


Recoil

From there, guests will sneak away from the meeting and enter the gun room. Like stated before, there won’t be any actual cast members in the attraction ride space, so these stormtroopers are most likely just for the commercial. However, the massive gun above them will be there.

A row of these guns will be blasting off into space as the two buddy vehicles drive under them, looking for a way out. Guests will feel the power as these guns shoot, recoil and reload. The accompanying screens on the right will show the Resistance fleet getting blasted at on massive screens meant to portray space.


Droid gets hacked?

The two buddy vehicles will once again meet up with Kylo Ren as he swings his lightsaber towards them, causing visible burn and gash marks on the walls. Kylo will nearly grab the guests when the Star Destroyer ship will be hit by a huge blast. This blast will cause Kylo Ren to get caught between a broken piece of the ship and the guests.

The two buddy vehicles may get a call from the Resistance ships to find an escape pod. The hacked vehicles will add the coordinates and take off. They almost make it before meeting up with Kylo Ren one last time. He uses the force to hold up the room as he comes at you, but at the last second, a wall collapses which causes him to focus all his attention on not getting hit.

The buddy vehicles aggressively back up, each swerving into their own escape pod. This is where the rumors about the Tower of Terror-style drop emerge.

The escape pods are actually elevator shafts that will drop guests from the highest point of the building. This drop will be accompanied by more high-end screens and will make guests feel as though they just shot off into space. The windows of the escape pods will show guests twisting, turning and falling back to the planet of Batuu.


Unload

Guests will crash land their pod in an old warehouse. The two buddy vehicles will then roll out of the escape pods and end up here, the unload area. This area will be somewhat visible to guests not riding the attraction. This may also be an area where guests can get a photo from PhotoPass.


Rise of the Resistance
Photo by @Bioreconstruct on Twitter

This is where that unload and Photopass location will be, marked in the photo above. The vehicles will drive around in the larger area, with the smaller tarp-covered section on the right being the actual exit where guests will disembark. And that is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, as we’ve heard it.


Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

Millennium Falcon Rests

There isn’t as much to reveal about the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction, as Disney has not shared much more info about this ride, and we don’t have much new information either. But let’s go over what we do know:


Hondo Ohnaka

Guests will board the cockpit in groups of six on randomized missions to help Hondo Ohnaka complete some pirating misadventures. Guests will be given nearly full control of the Millennium Falcon, with different directives for each guest.


Turn tables
Photo by @Bioreconstruct on Twitter

Looking at old construction photos, we found out that this attraction will have four sets of turntables. Each turntable can hold seven cockpits. This will allow guests to enter and exit the Falcon in a small group, giving the perception there is only one singular cockpit.

But, with these turn tables on very specific timers, Disney also created a section for guests with disabilities. Along with the four turntables, Disney also created two stand-alone models of the cockpit that do not need to switch places. This will allow guests who may need more time the chance to comfortably get into their seat. It will also help the ride run more efficiently without the need for slowdowns or stops to get wheelchairs and ECVs into the attraction.


Black Spire Outpost

Photo by Nearmap

The Black Spire Outpost is the town where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge resides. This aerial view helps to showcase what exactly will be coming to the area.

1 – The main show building and exit for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

2 – The entrance to Star: Wars: Rise of the Resistance. There will be X-Wings and a Resistance turret in this area.

3 – The central hub of the land. This open-air section will feature a quick-service dining area as well as most of the shopping locations in the land.

4 – The entrance, exit and show building for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.

5 – Oga’s Cantina bar and restaurant. This section will feature a large bar filled with elaborate drinks. Guests will be able to go up to the bar, have a quick sit-down meal, or grab a bite from the bar and head to numerous standing tables.

6 – The official Black Spire of the land. While there are many petrified trees in the land, it is believed that this particular one will feature the iconic view. Disney Photopass will also most likely be available near this structure.

7 – A collection of other small shops, most likely featuring merchandise relating to the missions from the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction.

8 – The entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge from Toy Story Land.

9 – The entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge from Grand Avenue.


Even with all this information, there is still so much to learn about this upcoming land. We know the land will be opening at the Disneyland Resort in California this summer and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World this fall.

Bob Iger also recently mentioned June when referring to the California opening. The June date isn’t an official statement from Disney, but we assume it was an insightful slip-up.

Do you have any more insight into Galaxy’s Edge, or corrections to our information above? Leave a comment below, email [email protected] or send a direct message on Twitter.

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4 Comments

  1. Another “typical motion simulator type ride”. No thanks. I prefer to be really moving like the upcoming TRON, Marvels of the Universe or Space Mountain, Test Track etc. Soaring, Mission Mars and Avatar all get my two thumbs down

    1. You have no idea what you are talking about. This is not a motion simulator. It’s a trackless dark ride unlike anything that’s ever been built. The vehicles move a lot.

  2. 40 foot drop does not compare to TOT. mostly a simulation of a bigger drop. So if you close your eyes you should be fine like on Spiderman in Universal