Welcome!
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - the major headliner attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - opened to guests on December 5th, 2019.
Since the opening, Disney has utilized a "Virtual Queue or Boarding Group" system that must be utilized in order to experience the attraction - THERE IS NO STANDBY LINE OR FASTPASS OPTION AT THIS TIME
For newcomers: there is no need to read the entire thread, posts 1 & 2 contain important information that answer many common questions and maybe reading the most recent handful of pages will help get a sense of current topics being discussed.
No Spoilers
This is a NO SPOILER thread - any post containing anything hinting at an attraction spoiler may be removed or edited at the discretion of Theme Parks Attractions & Strategies Board Moderators.
Even simple descriptions of locations and processes are considered spoilers - spoiler threads such as
this one are available for discussing the ride if so inclined.
Basic Acronym List
- RotR - Rise of the Resistance
- BG - Boarding Group
- VQ - Virtual Queue
- SWGE - Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
- MFSR - Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Disney Parks Blog Announcement of Boarding Group Process
Basic Process Description
Every guest wishing to experience Rise of the Resistance must have entered Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS) that morning by scanning park admission at the tapstlyes.
To date, Disney has been allowing guests inside DHS anywhere from approx. 30 to 60 minutes prior to the published park opening time.
Once inside, guests are held at various internal locations until the published park opening -
rides do not start operating until the publish park opening time.
Exact timing of opening the tapstyles and locations where guests are held inside the park can vary based on conditions that day.
Joining the Virtual Queue (aka, joining a Boarding Group) is done via the
Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app on your mobile device. Make sure yo have this app downloaded beforehand. Everyone in your party can have the app.
The Virtual Queue "opens" at the published park opening time. Generally speaking they have been making a park-wide announcement at this time, but it is best to pay attention to your personal clock/watch and not wait for this announcement.
When the Virtual Queue is live, the "
Join Boarding Group" button in the app will be
red and from there the process of selecting your party and joining a BG is similar to selecting FastPasses in the app.
UPON SUCCESSFULLY JOINING A BOARDING GROUP: you will be given a Boarding Group number which will be "called" at a later point that day. Boarding Groups are "called" via push notifications from the app (if enabled on your device) and you can also track your status easily in the app.
There are numerous Disney blog sites with pictures and videos of this process available for further research. In addition, anyone can "practice" this process each morning at the published park opening time while at home
(the app will let you click through various menus but will stop you at the final step since you have not entered the park).
Here's a helpful step-by-step detail post from @jbish here - https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...ad-post-1-2-no-spoilers.3782822/post-61562007
Regular Boarding Group and Backup Boarding Group Explanation
Disney releases two types of Boarding Groups:
Regular Boarding Groups
Backup Boarding Groups.
**Disney does not use the word "Regular" but we will here for convenience.
**
In Disney's words:
Due to the incredible popularity of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we will continue to distribute backup boarding groups after the initial planned groups have been filled. Backup boarding groups will only be called if all of the initial planned boarding groups have been called back and there is capacity for more riders that evening.
The only material difference between a Regular Boarding Group and Backup Boarding Group is guest recovery - Disney will generally offer guest recovery (often in the form of a FP for RotR the next day) for a guest in a Regular Boarding Group if they are unable to be accommodated that day but they will
NOT for a guest in a Backup Boarding Group.
The number of Regular Boarding Groups available to join does vary day-to-day for reasons that are unknown.
Regular Boarding Group distribution is generally a
VERY quick process once the Virtual Queue is open. The latest trend is that Regular Boarding Groups have been filling in approx. 60 seconds each day.
Backup Boarding Group distribution generally lasts quite a bit longer past the published park opening time (exact timing varies day to day).
On MOST days, the attraction accommodates all Regular Boarding Groups and a substantial number of Backup Boarding Groups.
However, RotR is prone to operational delays nearly every day, creating variability in the number of Boarding Groups accommodated each day.
Exact regular boarding group and backup boarding group performance is a heavily discussed topic on this thread and tracked in explicit detail in
The Chart -
SEE POST #2.
Many posters are using this information in order to try to set reasonable expectations for what one may experience on any given day when attempting to ride RotR.
The general advice is to
be there before the published park opening, join a Boarding Group,
and you have a reasonable chance of riding sometime that day.
You
WILL NOT be able to control when you'll ride and you
WILL NOT be able to control operational issues and when they occur.
There are inevitably parts of this process that are beyond your control and may create ripple effects in your schedule - but being in the park prior to opening, joining a Boarding Group the second it goes live, and having a degree of flexibility in your plans that day puts you in the best position for success.
What if I have app or connection problems?
The app can and will be glitchy at times and data or WiFi service can sometimes be taxed with so many people in the park. Disney has Guest Experience Teams (GET) (blue umbrellas and shirts) set up at various points inside the park that can assist guests. If you run into app or connection issues,
take screen shots as able and visit a GET station to discuss.
While many guests won't have any problems and will successfully join a Boarding Group with no issue, sometimes things will happen.
Some in my party didn't show up on my Friends/Family List when trying to join a Boarding Group?
This is an issue that is reported with relative frequency.
If someone in your party there with you that morning does not show up in the app when attempting to join a Boarding Group -
immediately join yourself and whoever else you can (if applicable), then head to a Guest Experience Team station for assistance. Do not wait or try to restart the app for your missing party member to show up.
Remember, everyone in your party must have entered the park (GET team members have this information and will not add someone who had not tapped in to the park that morning).
Why don't they start with Boarding Group #1?
They do not start with BG #1 for reasons unknown. Each day the starting boarding group number varies.
Can someone at home or not in DHS help me join a Boarding Group?
Yes, you can have somebody at home or not in the park help you in joining a BG if they are connected to your MDE or by letting them log into their app using your login information. They can only obtain BGs for people who scanned into the park that morning though.
Can multiple people in a party try to join a Boarding Group?
Yes, the more people in your party attempting to join generally helps your chances of quickly joining a Boarding Group and provides backups in case of poor connection speeds, app issues, etc.
What do I Do When I Get a Boarding Group?
Once you have obtained a Boarding Group you can leave the park if you wish and go about your day. When your Boarding is called
you have 1 to 2 hours to return to the ride entrance. It's pretty easy to see when your Boarding Group will be called as you can monitor it throughout the day via the MDE app or at various screens throughout the park.
Once I get a Boarding Group, can I try to get a lower Boarding Group?
Once you're in a Boarding Group there is no strategy to get into a lower Boarding Group.
Removing yourself and trying again will only place you in a higher Boarding Group.
Should I use WiFi or Data?
Disney WiFi is available in most parts of the park, but is probably the more risky option given past performance and reliability. Most guests generally report reasonable success rates using data vs WiFi.
Which phone model or carrier is best?
Reports are highly variable and do not seem to indicate any material advantage with any phone, device, or carrier combination.
Can I practice joining a Boarding Group at home?
You can "practice" joining a Boarding Group at home at the published park opening time that day. If you are not in the park, you will not be allowed to finalize the process though.
Does Rise of the Resistance Operate During Extra Magic Hours?
Rise of the Resistance does
NOT operate during Extra Magic Hours
Note: the land and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
ARE open during Extra Magic Hours.
DHS has moved all previously scheduled Morning Extra Magic Hours to Evening Extra Magic Hours for the foreseeable future.
How many guests are in a Boarding Group?
We do
NOT know how many guests are in each Boarding Group. Several sources have tried to estimate this but it can vary day to day and this information is not released by Disney.
What time does the Skyliner start running and can I use it to get to DHS at park opening?
Generally speaking, the Skyliner has
NOT been opening early enough to arrive at or prior to the DHS published park opening. Do not rely on the Skyliner as your mode of transportation.
Buses are provided as an alternative.
What time do buses start running from Disney Resorts?
With some isolated reported exceptions, Disney resort buses have generally been reported to be running well in advance of a time needed to get to DHS prior to park opening. Disney typically advertises at least one hour prior to park opening buses will be running. Many are also utilizing rideshare services as well.
Are restrooms located outside the park gates?
Restrooms are located next to the outside Guest Relations window and adjacent to the Skyliner station.
Can I Join More Than One Boarding Group Per Day?
Guests are only allowed to join ONE boarding group per day. Even if backup boarding groups are still open after you ride the app will not allow you to enter another boarding group.
Ignite the spark and may the force be with you!
