Rise of the Resistance Wait Time, Drop & Best Time to Ride
At Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance is one of the hardest rides to time well. This guide shows the current wait, typical wait, best time to ride, ride length, drop and intensity, Lightning Lane, and whether it is worth rope dropping.
Updated July 30, 2026. Live waits refresh throughout the day.
Quick facts
- Land
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
- Height
- 40 in (102 cm)
- Lightning Lane
- Yes
- Opened
- 2019
- Ride length
- About 18 minutes
- Thrill
- Moderate thrill
Best Time to Ride Rise of the Resistance
Typical standby wait by hour. The quietest hour is marked in gold (9 PM); the wait usually peaks around 11 AM.
Pro tip: ride Rise of the Resistance in the first hour after rope drop or in the last hour before Hollywood Studios closes. If you would rather not wait at all, Lightning Lane lets you skip the standby line.
What to Expect on Rise of the Resistance
Rise of the Resistance plays out as a series of scenes rather than one quick ride. You move through several pre-show rooms, get captured by the First Order, and then board a trackless vehicle for the main act. Plan for around eighteen minutes from the first room to the exit, with about five of those minutes in the ride vehicle itself.
The motion stays gentle for almost the entire ride. You glide, turn, and change direction rather than race or climb, and nothing ever goes upside down. The one moment that catches people off guard is a short, sudden drop near the finale. It lasts about a second, falls somewhere around twenty feet, and your vehicle stays level the whole time, so it feels like a quick elevator dip rather than a roller coaster plunge.
All of that makes it a comfortable pick for most families. Riders need to be at least forty inches tall, and the intensity comes from the story and the blaster battles around you far more than from anything physical. Younger or more sensitive kids may find the First Order scenes loud and dark, so it is worth setting expectations before you board.
Is Rise of the Resistance Reliable?
Frequently down Running about 90 percent of the day over the last 90 days, with most outages lasting about 65 minutes.
Should You Rope Drop Rise of the Resistance?
Rise of the Resistance can be worth rope dropping, but it carries more risk than some Hollywood Studios rides because it may not open right away with the park. If it is running at open, rope drop can save a lot of time. If it is delayed, you may be better off starting with Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, or another high-demand ride, then checking Rise later. If you miss the morning, the last hour before the park closes is the other reliably short window.
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Rise of the Resistance FAQ
- What is the best time to ride Rise of the Resistance?
- At Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance typically has its shortest waits around 9 PM and its longest around 11 AM. Riding right at rope drop is your best bet.
- How long is the wait for Rise of the Resistance?
- The standby wait for Rise of the Resistance runs about 49 minutes on a typical day and climbs near 95 minutes at its busiest.
- Does Rise of the Resistance break down a lot?
- Rise of the Resistance is currently graded Frequently down for reliability. Running about 90 percent of the day over the last 90 days, with most outages lasting about 65 minutes.
- Does Rise of the Resistance have a drop?
- Yes, but only one and it is brief. Near the end of the ride your vehicle takes a single sudden drop of roughly twenty feet that lasts about a second. The vehicle stays level instead of tipping forward, so it feels more like a fast elevator dip than a coaster drop, and there are no other big drops or hills.
- How long is Rise of the Resistance?
- The full experience runs about eighteen minutes from the first pre-show room to the exit. The trackless ride portion itself is roughly five minutes, and the rest is the queue scenes and pre-shows that set up the story.
- How scary or intense is Rise of the Resistance?
- It is a moderate thrill. There are no inversions, launches, or steep coaster drops, just the one short drop and a lot of immersive movement. The intensity comes mostly from the loud, dark First Order scenes and blaster battles, which can unsettle young children even though the ride itself is physically mild.
- Does Rise of the Resistance go backward or upside down?
- It never goes upside down. The trackless vehicle does turn and back up to face different scenes, so you change direction often, but there are no inversions and no high-speed sections.
- Can Rise of the Resistance cause motion sickness?
- For most riders it does not. The trackless movement is smooth and slow, with no spinning or rapid drops. If you are very sensitive to motion, the frequent turning and the darker scenes are the only things to be aware of.
- Is there a height requirement for Rise of the Resistance?
- Yes. Riders must be at least 40 in (102 cm) tall to ride Rise of the Resistance.
- Does Rise of the Resistance have Lightning Lane?
- Yes. Rise of the Resistance offers Lightning Lane, so you can pay to skip the standby line if you would rather not wait.
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