A Tried And True Trick To Riding Rise Of The Resistance At Disney’s Hollywood Studios

One of my biggest fears on our last visit to Walt Disney World was that we may not get to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I scoured the internet for the best advice because I could not let my biggest Star Wars fans down.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the newest Star Wars attraction at Hollywood Studios, is a difficult ride to experience. Unlike other attractions, Rise of the Resistance riders must reserve a spot hours before the park even opens. Its unique “reservation” system can be tricky to navigate and there are stories that the virtual queue can fill up in seconds.

Recently expanded, Disney now allows you to join the coveted boarding groups from the comfort of your hotel bed. The virtual queue opens at 7 am. On the dot. And you need nimble fingers in order to ensure your party gets to ride. Some make it in. Some don’t.

We visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios twice on our last trip and each time I was able to get a boarding group for this extremely popular attraction. Here is how I did it…

Before You Even Arrive at Walt Disney World

Make sure your phone is fully updated, including the My Disney Experience App. You want your phone running at optimal performance.

I also checked my phone to make sure it was running as fast as possible. For a quick explanation and a how-to-fix, click here.

Then, I made sure my phone clock was as accurate as possible. For a great article for iPhones, with links to check your device, click here. For androids, click here.

First Things First

You must have a valid park ticket and a reservation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Annual Passes are included.

The queue opens up at 7 am on the day of your park reservation. So I set my alarm for 6:45 am. Upon opening my eyes, I shut down my phone and counted to 10. Then, I turned my phone back on. As soon as it was back up and running, I disconnected from the Wi-Fi. Do not open any other apps. Do not check the weather. Do not check your email. Do not send a text to grandma.

Open Up My Disney Experience App

Then, I opened up the My Disney Experience App. If this is your first visit ever to Walt Disney World, spend time before your Hollywood Studios day to familiarize yourself with the app and what it can do for you.

• Go to the home page of My Disney Experience.
• Scroll to the section that says: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance-Request Access with Virtual Queue. Click “Join.”
• You will be directed to another page that states, “To access Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, join the virtual queue by tapping above.”
• Don’t tap yet.

Here Is Where It Gets Tricky

This is when you hear stories of people doing all of the above and STILL not getting a boarding pass. We, luckily, did not have that problem. But that’s because I was uber-prepared.

Assuming everything is synced and ready to go…

• Hover your finger over the “Join Boarding Group” button at 6:58 am.
• When your clock switches to 6:59, breathe. Count slowly.
• As you reach about 40, watch the clock intently.
• The millisecond it turns 7:00, click join.

That’s it! You are now good to go.

As long as your entire party is linked to your My Disney Experience App there is no need to individually choose each member of your party. That will already be done for you.

Yes, I’ve heard stories of people STILL not getting in the queue. But the complaint is usually followed with: my clock wasn’t synched. Or, I was using the hotel Wi-Fi. Or, I forgot to close out my email. Don’t worry. You can try all of the above again at 1 pm when Disney opens up the queue for a second time.

Try the above tips and (fingers crossed!) you’ll join the Resistance and confront Kylo Ren face-to-face.