What’s going on with the Rise of the Resistance virtual queue?
Have you longed to escape to a galaxy far, far away? With its Rise of the Resistance ride, Disney has built its most technologically-advanced, immersive experience yet! It combines four different ride technologies with holograms, live actors, and brilliant special effects to make you feel as if you’re actually aboard a Star Destroyer!
Until September 23rd, the ride was only available via the Rise of the Resistance virtual queue. The virtual queue for Rise was a bit tricky to grab a seat with, because people needed to form boarding groups and schedule a potential time slot at 7 am. the day of their visit.
Now, with Genie and Genie +, guests will have a much easier time securing a spot on this coveted attraction. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next one to go soaring above the stars.
Securing a Spot in the Rise of The Resistance Virtual Queue
Securing a seat on the ride was tricky. When the distribution time opened at 7 am., everybody jumped online and booked their boarding group in the first few seconds. Once obtained, guests will receive a notification in the My Disney Experience App. And have an hour from the time of the notification to head over to Rise of the Resistance.
The Rise of the Resistance virtual queue wasn’t without its flaws. On average, it can only cycle 1,500 people per hour on average, which amounts to 18,000 people per day. Pre-pandemic, Hollywood studios averaged 31,000 visitors per day. This meant that a little over half of visitors to the park were able to secure a boarding group.
Genie and Genie + Replaces the Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue System on Oct. 19, 2021
Due to high demand, the Walt Disney Company decided to update its virtual queue system. In the interim, between September 23rd and October 19th, all lines have defaulted back to the traditional standby queue system honoring the first-come, first-served policy. Long waits have abounded; but now, Disney is rolling out the new Genie and Genie + services!
How Genie Works:
Genie will be a new feature that’s part of the My Disney Experience App. It will provide recommendations based on your interests and a custom board allowing you to see wait times for rides and restaurants. Of course, in your case, your Disney VIP tour guides are there to take care of the trip-planning and itinerary for you. Our experienced agents will be able to take care of every detail from start to finish, so that you don’t have to worry about looking at your phone every 5 seconds.
How Genie + Works:
For a one-time fee of $15.00, you can buy Genie + to access the Lightning Lane entrances. This will be available for over 40 attractions throughout the theme parks, and will allow you to search and find the next available time slot.
Genie + also provides you access to fun, new Augmented-Reality Photopass lenses for your phone. Take shots with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and others at any attraction you want. It’s sure to be a hit with your kids!
You will be able to buy this service as an add-on to your theme park ticket with us. For a stress-free, fun, and exciting day, you can leave it to us, and enjoy the shorter lines and new filters for your phone.
Park-goers’ Opinions
When Disney announced that they would get rid of the virtual queue system, they said that the boarding groups may return during times of peak attendance. Beginning October 19th, guests will have to pay the $15 for Genie + and a reservation to be able to ride Rise of the Resistance.
Most resort-goers are happy with the idea. For the past few years, they have been frustrated with the lack of extra benefits available to them. One of the benefits that hasn’t been done away with is the allowance to enter the theme parks 30 minutes before the rest of the guests. With the interim standard queue, resort-goers had a serious advantage over everyone else when it came to scoring a seat on the Rise of the Resistance, and other similar rides.
With Genie +, guests still must reserve their time slots, but you don’t have to be assigned to a boarding group. You’ll have a much better idea of when their time to ride will be. Before, individuals were placed in with a group, and the messages were vague, “Try at 7 or 1:00” messages. You then receive a notification giving them an hour to head over to the ride for boarding. While that may have worked with those in the 1:00 time slot, it was a mess for those whose groups got called early in the morning.
Now, you don’t have to worry about boarding groups. The ride will schedule those who pay for the service on a first-come, first-served basis. Many who might otherwise not be able to ride will only have to pay $15, and they will have a very good chance of being able to ride that day.
What makes Rise of the Resistance so popular?
You’re most likely wondering why this ride is in such high demand? It’s actually the largest and most technologically-advanced ride that Disney has built! It combines a trackless dark ride with a walk-through, a motion simulator, and a drop ride system to make you feel as if you’re working with Rey, Finn, and Poe to thwart the Final Order and escape to the Resistance base.
The Rise of the Resistance starts off with a briefing. You’ll see BB8 make an appearance, as well as Rey in a life-sized hologram briefing you on the incoming Star Destroyers. You’ll escape the outpost on Batuu, only to be swept right into a space battle between the Resistance X-Wings and the Final Order’s Tie-Fighters!
You duck and dodge the Tie Fighters as you try to make the escape into hyperspace! But as luck would have it, a tractor beam pulls your ship into the massive dock of the Star Destroyer. You emerge from your transport to face a unit of Stormtroopers and the ever-present officers on deck.
The officers usher you into the holding deck, where you see Kylo Ren appear above, threatening to get the location of the resistance base out of you. But the rebels are there to open a secret compartment and usher you into your transport vehicles.
You are then whisked off on a journey throughout the Star Destroyer! Can YOU make it to the escape pods?
If checking out the Rise of the Resistance sounds like a great time, book a Disney VIP Tour with World Class VIP! We’ll provide a custom, worry-free experience for you and your family, so that you too, can enjoy your time in a galaxy far, far away.