Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is unlike anything we've seen at Disneyland or Walt Disney World before. That much is clear even before most of us have a chance to see any of it. However, a lot of new information about the in-development land has recently dropped and now we have a bit clearer picture of just what this theme park revolution is going to look like. While the most exciting thing for many is probably the attraction that will let you pilot the Millennium Falcon, there's a lot of new detail about the other major E-ticket attraction, Rise of the Resistance, which just dropped and it makes it seem like that might be the real marquee attraction.
While nobody has actually had a chance to go on the actual ride yet, some of it has been seen and what's being relayed is pretty damn amazing. It really looks like this is the major attraction that will be part of Galaxy's Edge, as it will be bigger, in every conceivable way, than Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. Here's all the new details we have about the Rise of the Resistance.
It's the Longest Ride In Disney History
One of the most frustrating parts of any theme park experience is waiting in a line for some ridiculous amount of time, only to finally experience the attraction, and have it be over in only a couple of minutes. Theme parks rarely disappoint, but wouldn't it be nice if Space Mountain was longer? That apparently won't be as much of an issue for Rise of the Resistance, as THR reports that the attraction is the longest one ever seen in a Disney park.
No official ride time was revealed, but rumors have previously hinted the experience could be as much as 28 minutes long. That seems like an insane length for a theme park attraction, if only because it means lines would potentially move slowly, as people won't be moving in and out quickly, but whatever the length, Rise of the Resistance is set to give guests an extensive Star Wars experience. If the lines are a bit slower, that may be an acceptable price to pay.
The Cast Of The New Trilogy Will Be Part Of The Ride
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is designed to be a living and breathing part of the Star Wars universe. One way that the land will do that is by incorporating the parts of the galaxy, far, far, away that we know, like the characters from the existing films. Rise of the Resistance will include appearances from several of the actors of the current Star Wars trilogy, including Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and John Boyega. It will also include fan favorite character Nien Nunb.
One thing that had been stated about the world of Galaxy's Edge is that it would be set in a world prior to the current Star Wars trilogy, but that doesn't appear to be the case as Rey is apparently an active part of the Resistance here, meaning that this part of Batuu is set some time after Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Either way, just like seeing the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy as part of Mission: Breakout, bringing in the actual actors to reprise their roles will only make you feel more like you're part of the Resistance. It will make the films and the theme park really feel like they inhabit the same space, which is the point.
The Story Sounds Amazing
Part of the attraction's long experience time may be because there's a lot that happens before you actually get to the "ride" portion of Rise of the Resistance. This part constitutes a spoiler if you want to try to make it to the attraction without knowing much about the story of the ride itself. All we knew previously was that Rise of the Resistance would put guests in the middle of a battle between the resistance and First Order, but now we know more about what that means.
According to io9, first, you meet Rey, who asks you to go on a secret mission on behalf of the Resistance. You move across a flight deck to a transport, which then takes you up into space, with Poe Dameron offering you escort. The transport is attacked by the First Order and you're brought aboard a Star Destroyer. You're then taken by the First Order to be put in cells, where each group is visited by Kylo Ren. From there the details aren't being revealed, but all of this happens before you actually get to the ride vehicle, so one assumes you get to that point shortly after being captured, and the rest of the attraction is a race to escape the Star Destroyer.
The Attraction Is Simply Massive
The biggest thing to know about Rise of the Resistance is that it's, well, big. The inside of the ride, features a full Resistance flight deck including Poe Dameron's full-size X-wing. The trackless ride vehicle, will move past full size AT-ATs. Disney does a great job at making areas feel huge when they're really not very big at all, but in this case, it's clear that Rise of the Resistance simply takes up a large amount of physical real estate.
The majority of the actual "ride" part of the attraction takes place inside a First Order Star Destroyer and from all accounts it sounds like it will truly feel like the ship is full size. Rather than create everything using 3D glasses and screens, like so many, Disney included, have been focusing on in recent years, everything here is quite real. It's stuff you could physically touch, though I'm guessing you won't be allowed to actually touch it.
The ability to pilot the Millennium Falcon is cool and all. But Rise of the Resistance seems like the attraction you'll want to check out first if you want to really feel like you're inside the Star Wars universe. If only we knew when the rest of us will be able to experience this. Galaxy's Edge will open at Disneyland sometime this summer and at Walt Disney World sometime this fall.
