The nine main Star Wars movies were conceived as trilogies, but the Star Wars-themed expansion at Disneyland Resort has been a two-act affair.
Early reviews from the second part of the nearly $1 billion Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—the most-hyped addition to Orange County’s largest tourist destination in its 65-year history—suggests the sequel has bested the original, in terms of ambition and guest experience.
“It’s the most ambitious, immersive attraction we have ever done,” said Scott Trowbridge, the park creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, when discussing Rise of the Resistance during a media preview event late last week.
The ride, which opened to the public on Friday, is the final piece to the 14-acre development’s puzzle, and comes amid an executive shift for OC’s top employer.
Galaxy’s Edge and its initial ride featuring the Millennium Falcon opened in June under the watch of Disneyland Resort President Josh D’Amaro.
D’Amaro late last year left Anaheim to take the president role of the larger Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
His spot in OC went to Rebecca Campbell, a 20-year Disney vet most recently overseeing film operations for the company in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Campbell was not made available for interviews at last week’s media event unveiling Rise of the Resistance, a ride designed to bring together all elements of Galaxy’s Edge in an exciting and cohesive way.
“All of the story threads come together with this ride,” Art Director Kirstin Makela said.
15 Minute Experience
The story threads are centered on the setting—the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu—and the characters: the autocratic First Order and the rebelling Resistance.
The Rise of the Resistance lets you engage with all three.
The ride is massive in every sense of the word: the scope of the concept, scale of the technologies, and size and length of the ride—it nears 15 minutes in total.
When the Business Journal reviewed the Millennium Falcon ride last year, its display was described as the main act of the concert that is Galaxy’s Edge.
Maybe that was true then, but now, with the opening of the second and final attraction at the park, there’s a new headliner in town.
Review: Disney Magic
Similar to Millennium Falcon, the ride begins before it starts.
The queue is a cavernous environment that zigzags through seemingly hand-carved pathways and ultimately drops you into a room where the ride officially begins.
The experience starts out on foot, with several technology-fueled scenes that take place before passengers aboard a transport vehicle.
One of these scenes allows you to peer upon a Star Destroyer deck filled with stormtroopers and commanders barking orders. Fans of the movies will quickly identify the location, but non-fans could be caught off guard.
Rise of the Resistance brings together several ride systems, including a trackless car, a short tower-drop that feels like a free fall, and simulated trip through the galaxy—making it easy to give in to the wish-fulfilling nature of the adventure.
“Epic storytelling and massive sets were at the core of this ride,” said John Larena, executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering.
“We wanted to immerse guests in a truly epic Star Wars story.”
