The Rise Of The Resistance At Galaxy's Edge Is An Immersive 'Star Wars' Adventure

The new Rise of the Resistance ride at Galaxy's Edge in Disney World's Hollywood Studios starts with a mission from Rey to escape Batuu as a First Order Star Destroyer heads for the planet. Sounds like a hefty task, right? Thankfully, the Rise of the Resistance ride is long enough to make sure you have plenty of time to live out your own Star Wars mission.

Joining Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Orlando, Florida, Rise of the Resistance gives park-goers a chance to be in the driver's seat for an exciting Resistance mission. From the very beginning, you can tell this new ride is more of a journey than a run-of-the-mill coaster. Lasting between 16 and 18 minutes, depending on the size of the lines, you first walk through the forest outside of Black Spire Outpost to learn your mission. BB-8 and a holograph of Rey relay the urgent message that you need to get off Batuu to avoid an incoming Star Destroyer.

Your mission is to meet General Leia Organa on a secret base called Bakura. After taking off, the transport vehicle, which is a simulated ride, is boarded by members the First Order in a Star Destroyer. You're then led into the interrogation chambers by First Order Officers, but not before first being greeted by 50 stormtroopers.

The First Order then lines you up on a blue, white, red, or orange line, and you'll need to remember your color to make an escape from the Star Destroyer. The last stop before boarding a trackless coaster is the interrogation room, where Kylo Ren tries desperately to get members of the Resistance to give up the location of the secret base on Batuu. The interrogation lasts about three to five minutes, and then the Resistance busts open a secret door to rush you into a droid to get you safely back to Batuu. (At this point, your mission is no longer to meet General Leia on Bakura. You're now trying to get back to Batuu and prevent the First Order from discovering the Resistance base.)

Then comes the real fun — a trackless coaster. What does that mean? Well, you hop in to an eight-seater droid, according to the color given to you by the First Order, which follows an invisible track controlled by computers. If you think this means you won't get a real "roller coaster" thrill, guess again. Weaving through firing stormtroopers and narrowly missing blows from oversized canons, you'll experience elevator drops, tight turns, and a bumpy return to Batuu.

Even if you don't know enough about the franchise to recognize the ride takes place between Episode 7, The Force Awakens, and Episode 8, The Last Jedi, you'll still enjoy every twist and turn in your own Star Wars adventure. You can currently ride the new attraction in Orlando, and Rise of the Resistance at Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland will open on Jan. 17, 2020.