Rope Drop Dilemma: Star Wars Rise of Resistance Report
After last week’s “frustrating foray” with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, I wondered if our late arrival strategy might be more of a hassle. We thus set out for Walt Disney World at the crack of dawn yesterday, opting to fight the rope drop crowd at Hollywood Studios. In this ride report, we’ll share our experience and attempt to resolve the dilemma of whether an early or late arrival is the best approach.
We got to the front of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 6:25 am, where there was already a long line for security. This was the first time we had encountered any line for security at DHS since Rise of the Resistance opened; I’m not sure if it’s an anomaly or lower staffing is the new normal now that peak season is over. Either way, it still only took 10 minutes to get through bag check.
By the time we advanced to the turnstiles, guests had already been entering the park for a few minutes. While even our modest wait at bag check felt interminably long due to the slow/inconsistent pace (seriously Disney, get baggage scanning machines), this was a breeze. The tapstiles were not requiring fingerprint verification, so even though we were initially backed up beyond the ticket booths, we ended up inside the park and under Crossroads of the World by 6:40 am…
At this point, we could’ve continued forward as far as we could to the holding area in front of the stage (in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre). This would’ve been the ideal approach if we wanted to rope drop Slinky Dog Dash or Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run.
However, the crowd up there was already massive, the area looked cramped, and also very bright thanks to the illuminated stage screens…and we hadn’t yet had our morning coffee. Plus, it was a foggy morning, and I felt that’d be perfect for some ominous photos of the Hollywood Tower Hotel:
After that, we waited for what felt like ages but was really just like 15 minutes. We could’ve arrived about 20 minutes later, but the problem with that is things could’ve taken longer. It seems like our existing advice of getting to the park 30 minutes before the official park opening time remains the best course of action if you’re planning on doing rope drop.
At around 6:58 am, we both began refreshing the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue page on the My Disney Experience app incessantly to see if it was live yet. It went live the instant our phones rolled over to 7 am, and we both tried to join boarding groups (for both of us–not individually).
We had zero issues with this process, and scored a boarding group instantly–within maybe 5-7 seconds of the clock striking 7 am. Yet, we were in boarding group 43. Others around us reported higher groups (we heard someone say something as high as the 60s) and lower (in the teens).
That range should underscore the luck of the draw involved, and illustrate why this is a hybrid first-come, first-served and lottery system. While everyone inside the park yesterday at 7 am received a primary boarding group, the return times on those would’ve ranged from the morning hours until late afternoon.
The whole point of us arriving so early was to see if 45-60 minutes spent earlier in the morning meant no park hopping or wasted time later in the day, so we decided to stick around. We thus immediately headed back to Toy Story Land, where Slinky Dog Dash already had a 60 minute wait by 7:05 am.
About 10 minutes after that, the line for Slinky Dog Dash already stretched back to Walt Disney Presents and had ballooned to 80 minutes. The line for the attraction peaked before 8 am at 100 minutes. In other words, the longest posted wait of the day was not in the afternoon, but in the early morning. Same for Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run.
Elevated wait times were consistent among all headliners at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s safe to say that the early morning advantage in doing these attractions as walk-ons or with minimal wait has all but evaporated. Had we been at the front of the pack, we probably could’ve done Slinky Dog Dash with an under 20 minute wait, but that would’ve been it.
No more “riding the wave” of the crowd through Disney’s Hollywood Studios, doing everything with a minimal wait before returning to your Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance boarding group. Now it’s essentially a matter of picking one E-Ticket (at best), doing that, and then encountering the longest lines of the day everywhere else.
To compound matters yesterday, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance did not open and begin accepting boarding groups with the park. Still, our goal here was to avoid wasted time by park hopping, so we waited around until 8 am.
At that point, Rise of the Resistance still wasn’t open, so we decided to cut our losses and head out. We also had to get update photos from Epcot, so it’s not like leaving was a tremendous inconvenience. It turned out we made the right call, as the attraction didn’t start accepting boarding groups until around 8:45 am.
We continued watching the return progress in boarding groups, and saw that they were breezing along. So, at around 11 am when boarding group 41 was called we headed back over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Even as we entered the park, we noticed it had been stalled on 41 for a while.
Nevertheless, we headed back to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and saw that a slow trickle of guests were still entering. It wasn’t broken down! Eventually, boarding group 42 was called…and almost immediately thereafter, rope was put up around the entrance of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which had just broken down.
Knowing we’d be in for at least a 70 minute delay plus a surge of guests when the attraction came back online, I opted to take the Skyliner over to Epcot again. The smart move would’ve been doing MuppetVision or some other supporting attraction that didn’t have a long wait, but I still needed photos from Epcot.
Not long after arriving in World Showcase, our boarding group was called. We met back up at the front of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance around 45 minutes later and did the attraction with an average wait. Everything was smooth and firing on all cylinders–no broken effects or unnecessary queue. So that was a plus!
It’s worth noting that nothing we experienced yesterday (the ride opening late or breaking down midday) is out of the ordinary. However, had Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened with the park and had everything been running smoothly, it would’ve taken roughly 2 hours for our boarding group to be called.
Meaning that in a best case scenario, our boarding would’ve been up by ~9 am, and able to return until 11 am. While that wouldn’t have been sufficient time to do multiple headliners, we could’ve done Slinky Dog Dash plus maybe Toy Story Mania and definitely Star Tours.
Or, we could’ve done one of the three before heading over to Epcot to rope drop Frozen Ever After or Soarin’ Around the World. (We did not do this, but I’m guessing with Test Track currently down for refurbishment, the rope drop crowd is now slightly larger at these two attractions.)
This ‘best case scenario’ also assumes we would’ve been in boarding group 43, and not a better or worse position. True best case scenario would’ve been a group in the teens, and out of the park before 8 am. True worst case scenario would’ve been a crashed app and boarding group in the 80s. A boarding group in the 40s is about middle of the road.
Even though word has gotten out about the park opening and boarding group process, many guests still arrive at 7 am or shortly thereafter. Which, as you know, is too late. This means that until around 7:15 am, there’s still a steady flow of guests into Disney’s Hollywood Studios, all of whom are likely ending up with boarding groups in the 80-100 range, depending upon the day.
Following this, there’s a prolonged lull. Fewer boarding groups are distributed between 7:15 am and 8:30 am than are distributed in the first 15 minutes that the park is open. Meaning there’s usually minimal difference in arriving at 7:20 am or 8:20 am.
Both are likely getting backup boarding groups in the low to mid-100s. In both scenarios, it’s total luck as to whether either or both of those groups are called. Some days, we’ve seen Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance get well above 150. Other days, it doesn’t even hit 120. Obviously, your odds are better with a lower-numbered backup boarding group, but the point is that an hour difference later in the morning is not as significant as mere minutes right when the park opens.
The dilemma is thus whether arriving 30 minutes before park opening for rope drop is still the smart move, or if compromising on a late arrival is smarter. Sadly, the answer remains “it depends.” Is that extra hour of sleep critical to you? Are you staying at a Skyliner resort and wanting to use that to get to DHS? Do you have multiple days to try for a boarding pass? The dilemma remains unresolved because results are inconsistent and thus it really depends upon your preferences/priorities.
Overall, this marks the second consecutive “unlucky” experience we’ve had with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but it’s worth emphasizing that our fortunes could’ve been much better on a different morning or with better/worse success in My Disney Experience. Just as our luck could’ve been worse back in December when things went so smoothly for us multiple times in a row.
On a final note, more than a few readers have asked us to “pick our side.” We share our ride report results not because we have some agenda–we don’t. One challenge in covering anything Star Wars-related is that many fans have made their minds up one way or another on literally everything before it even happens, and want our posts to fit with their agenda. Some cheered last year when we reported low crowds at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland because it squared with their narrative. Others cheered at the large crowds for Rise of the Resistance, as it matched theirs. When it comes to Disney’s handling of Star Wars, we don’t have a dog in the fight. We’re simply sharing our firsthand experiences, for better or worse.
Still have unanswered questions about the attraction? Read our Ride Guide & FAQ for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which covers everything you need to know. If you’re planning on visiting the new land, you’ll also want to read our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Guide. It’s a good primer for this huge addition. As for planning the rest of your trip, we have a thorough Walt Disney World Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts
Which is your preferred Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance strategy–getting up early to make it for rope drop or sleeping in a bit and taking your chances? If you’ve done RotR in the last few weeks, what time did you arrive, which boarding group did you receive, and when was your return time? (More data points helps other readers make informed decisions!) Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Just noticed the 7am openings at DHS have been extended into February. Was hoping to not have to get up too early next week to get in but looks like that’s not happening. Hope the crowds aren’t too bad!
Going to Disneyland in a few weeks and I know ROtR is not accessible during Extra Magic Hour in the morning but if we plan on going to the extra magic hour, we shouldn’t have to get to the park any earlier than this, correct? Pretty much just ride rides and set an alarm to remind us to join a boarding group when the park opens to the rest of the public? Just want to be sure I’m not missing something!
After reading this blog I felt confident I could grab a boarding pass for my group of 12 if we were in the park by 7am (opening time) and that’s exactly what happened! Even though it was a holiday MLK Jr Day where I knew crowds would be higher. We left our Disney hotel around 5:45 am and we parked at 6:10. Made it thru bag check and waited with a huge crowd packed in shoulder to shoulder we were checked in the park by 6:45. They would not let us use fingerprints but that did not affect us being able to get a boarding pass. They did not open the boarding groups until 7am. Someone in my group got a boarding pass right away and we were in group 29. The people right beside us got group 69. It was fun to hear everyone cheer as they got a boarding group. We were on the ride at 8:45am. It must not have broken down all day because they were loading well into the 100s, I think I heard someone say they were loading group 177 at one point. I think everyone got in this day, even backup groups. If you are wondering if getting up early is worth it I have to say yes, it was definitely worth it. But if you don’t get in the rest of Star Wars land had a lot to offer, I was impressed with all of it.
We were also at HS on MLK Jr. Day – arrived via Uber at 6:15 am, no wait for bag check, and then waited about 10 minutes in the queue to go through the gates. Headed straight towards Galaxy’s Edge but they held the crowd at the bend in the road near Star Tours. There were literally thousands of people and everyone talking about how to best use the app….the consensus was to close the app completely and open it back up right at 7 am. Everyone was so friendly and hopeful as we all waited for the magic hour! My friend and I both had our phones ready to try for boarding passes, and at 7:00 and about 30 seconds, I got in first and we got boarding pass #28 for our party of four!!!! Couldn’t have worked out any better, since we had FP+ at Epcot later that afternoon. We jumped immediately into Star Tours with no wait, and then wandered the Galaxy’s Edge marketplace and shopped for about an hour. Our group was called to ride ROTR by just a few minutes after 8 am and it was worth every second!!! Totally amazing!!!! We did not get to do Smuggler’s Run this trip but we were ok with that. Hopped over to Epcot by lunchtime and enjoyed the rest of the day there. Crowd levels and wait time were high everywhere this holiday weekend.
What if you’re getting a boarding group pass for parents and grandparents but can’t board together because someone has to stay with the kids? Can I get all 4 at once and board take turns boarding within a certain time window or do I get my husband and I’s boarding group first then the grandparents?? ….my mom can’t download the app bc of memory and my dad is not techy.
Thank you for all of this information! We are going March 21st. I was wondering with all this new strategizing regarding ROTR, at what point are families signing up for Jedi training? Do you arrive, get boarding group, run to sign up and THEN go to your first ride? Or do you do your first ride first and then sign up? In the past they have had sign up by the turnstiles but I haven’t seen where that is currently happening. I realize its too early to know for sure, just thinking ahead.
seeking the same information!
Sign up for Jedi training was done at the outpost behind (to the left of) Indiana Jones. Before official opening, no one is allowed past the main thoroughfare of DHS. You wait there until official opening, grab your boarding group as soon as the time hits and then you’ll be able to make your way over to sign up for Jedi training. Just position yourself on the left hand side of the crowd. We had no difficulty at all.
Thank you! Did you find that it slowed you down getting to your rope drop ride? At this time we are planning to rope drop Slinky.
If you are trying to rope drop Slinky, you’ll have to pick one or the other. By the time we made our way over to Slinky, it was a 90 min+ wait. If there is one member of your party who could live without Slinky, send them to do the Jedi Training sign up. The “trainee” does not have to be there during sign up, any adult can do it. Depending on crowd level, it’s possible that Jedi Training won’t fill up immediately but that is a chance you would have to take.
We were told the jedi in training did need to be there for sign up. Our girls are huge star wars fans so we prioritized jedi training over slinky. Slinky dog had a 90 minute wait by 7:20. I’d say it was about 7:40 (after a 7 am opening) that we were through the jedi line It was almost to the inidana stage entrance by the time we hopped in line. Luckily we had an early morning boarding group for Rise and did an early jedi show at 10:20. Went home for nap and did slinky dog at about 5:30 pm dinner time when the line went down to 60 minutes. The Disney play app was super helpful in getting my 4 and 6 year old girls through the line wait.
I thought I would share my experience when we went to the park on Friday, January 17, 2020. Through a series of things not going to plan in the morning and our Uber driver taking 25 minutes to get to us instead of five we did not get into the park until 709. We tried for a boarding pass to see if any was left and we got group 107 which was NOT a back up group. Considering how our morning went up until this point we were happy with that.
It was now 710 and all of the popular rides had a fairly long lines. Slinky dog was already a 90 minute wait I believe. So we headed to toy story and got on in about 35 minutes. We saw Tower of terror only had a 35 minute wait and even though we had fast passes for later in the morning we decided to head over there. We waited in the standby line and got on in 35 minutes. When we got off it was almost time for a fast pass so we hung around and then use the fast pass to ride it again.
We noticed that rise of the resistance groups were not really advancing and by this time in the morning I believe it already broken down. I’m not sure what time it first broke down but sometime in the morning.
We used our fast pass for star tours and by this time… I think it was 930 and everything had extremely long wait so we decided to head over to Epcot. We picked up some fast passes over there. We rode Soarin , ate lunch , Frozen Ever after, met Elsa and Anna, Living with the land and spaceship earth. During this time, Rise had broken down again and they were only in group 40ish and I think it was 4pm or so. We got a message saying they were not going to be able to get all original boarding groups in that day and I head to guest services.
We took the skyliner back to Hollywood studios I believe around 430. The line to guest relations was super long… So we went into the park to see if the girls can get in line for a ride and we will go back and wait at guest relations. On our way to find a ride we saw some people standing under umbrellas that was labeled guest experiences and there was no line. So we headed over there to talk to them and they were able to help us. We were told we could get free tickets to come back the next day and ride Rise with any boarding group we wanted. We were elated and disappointed. Our girls had tickets the next day to Magic Kingdom with their cousins and there was no way they could fit it in. My husband and I had planned to spend the day at the hotel relaxing with other family members so we figured we could make it back.
We grabbed a snack and decided to shut the park down despite being there since 7am. Slinky was 70 minutes by this time (5:50). My husband decided to go over and ride millennium falcon as a single rider since he really wanted to ride this but the lines were just so long all day. I had read Several reviews saying it wasn’t worth the wait and then if you had a bad pilot it ruinEd the experience so we as a family have decided not to wait in a long line. Hubby finished single rider before we were done with slinky. He really liked millennium falcon and said he thought the kids would like it to so suggested we ride it when we were done with slinky as the wait was down to 40 minutes. We got over to millennium falcon around 730 and rode it in less than 30 minutes and it was just the four of us in our group. My husband and I were pilots and girls were gunners and we absolutely had the best time. We were all yelling and laughing and had a blast. I can see that if pilot so this ride with strangers and not very good how the ride will not be fun. But if your entire group can fill one ship or at least the two pilots and gunners and you have a half way decent pilot it is crazy fun!
During much of this time rise of the resistance was down again… I’m not sure that day they even made it into the 50s with the boarding groups.
We didn’t get a chance to break away from family the next day until the evening to go back and try to ride rise of the resistance. we’ve been checking boarding groups all day and it didn’t seem to break down and they were well into the back up groups. I think they might’ve gotten up to Group 150 or so that day.
We arrived I believe around 630. There was a long line just to get your tickets scanned For the ride and we waited probably 25 minutes just to get up to where they were scanning tickets to see if you had a boarding group. Our tickets did not scan, we told them that we had been the day before so they sent us over to a guest service person. Again our tickets didn’t scan, we explained, they looked us up saw that we were telling the truth, told us we had a fast pass and immediately we bypassed the entire line and walked right on the ride. The line with people that had already scanned and had boarding passes was over an hour long. I believe it was so long because they were into the back up groups and trying to get as many people on the ride as possible.
I don’t want to give anything away but the scale of this ride is incredible. The ride itself was a bit of a let down, for my husband and I. It was really cool but not in our top 4 rides. We had an amazing day the day before and we only waited for soarin and slinky. Everything else was under 40 minutes bc of fast passes or timing. So we had a great time and even though the whole entire strategy for our day was to get on rise, we still loved our time at HS and Epcot even if my husband and I didn’t go back the next day to ride it.
If you can get a boarding group and ride it for sure don’t miss it. However if you don’t get a boarding group, I personally think it’s not worth killing yourself to get one. Or waiting over and hour with a large boarding group at the end of the day if you are beyond exhausted. If you’ve got energy and there’s a long line with the boarding groups just to get on then definitely wait. If your kids are in meltdown phase I’m not sure it’s worth waiting an hour for at the end of a long day. or on a really hot day.
The ride seems to break down quite often and if you weren’t able to come back the next day to utilize a fast pass to get on the ride… all your hassle could be for not. Getting to the park super early can guarantee you practically walk on a Very popular ride that usually have a long wait. After that it’s strategically using your fast passes coupled with rides that have less wait time which is how it is anytime you get to the park.
My take away:
Rise is unbelievable in scale and really cool. The ride part wasn’t as thrilling as I hoped and your day won’t be ruined if you don’t get on.
Millennium falcon and slinky were highlights for us at HS, over Rise. Slinky at night was very cool. Worth 70 minute wait. 90 minutes is probably my max that I would wait.
Totally agree that at this point it’s very hard to get on more than one popular ride (on a busy day) with a low wait time at rope drop.
Hope this helps! This blog and the comments really helped us get the most out of our visit so I wanted to pay it forward!
Finally! Someone else who is impressed by the scale, the scope, the work that went into ROTR but who also knows “your day won’t be ruined if you don’t get on.” I wholeheartedly agree. ROTR is visually stunning and so incredibly imaginative. If this is your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World, by all means get yourself there by rope-drop and try to get into a boarding group. But if it’s going to stress you and your family out too much to get there, or if you plan to come back another time (next month, next year, whatever), don’t worry if you don’t get on this time. You will still enjoy it next time because it is very enjoyable and impressive. To be honest, I’m a bit sorry I read so many posts about it; I most likely would have enjoyed it more had it not been so over-hyped by others (many of whom declared it Disney’s best ride ever). I will ride it again when I return in 2021!
Hi Tom,
Do you have a strategy for people with pre-park opening breakfast reservations? Our family has a reservation for 8 AM at Junior Play ‘n Dine on a day where the park is scheduled to open at 9 AM. I’m wondering how early we should arrive and whether that gives us an advantage or disadvantage given R.O.R.? Thank you!
Special request: This is a lot to ask considering all that will go on at WDW between now and late August, but I would really love subsequent updates as far as the boarding pass situation and RotR crowds go; if process changes, etc. I’ll always check back here of course!
Just returned from a week at Disney and did RotR on Tues, Jan 14 and Wed, Jan 15. Our experience mirrored Tom’s on Tues almost exactly – we were boarding group 43 also. [BTW, Tom, sorry to startle you as the crazy lady who recognized you. Just wanted to say hello and thank you for all your fantastic advice and reviews!] Staying at Riviera and knowing Skyliner was posting an opening operating time of 7:30, we scheduled a Lyft for 6:15 am. We were at security by 6:25-6:30 and thru the turnstiles (no fingerprint required) by 6:45 am. Opened the app at 6:57 per my iPhone and refreshed at exactly 7:00 am. Took an extra refresh to get the green light but otherwise had no issues and received BG 43. Got called around 12:10 and went over to ride about 12:35. Our experience lasted about 45 minutes from queue to end but the queue is so well done, we hardly noticed the wait. Actual experience was amazing!
On Wed, we opted to go for it again. Our approach here was to get our boarding passes, sign our daughter up for the Jedi Training and head back to the hotel for a nap – hoping we’d have about the same timing for RotR. Same play as the day before, Lyft at 6:15 and at the park by 6:30 am. On Wed, the crowds were noticeably less. Security was still a bit crowded but the turnstiles were just breezing people thru. Same timing with app and joining a boarding group but this time we got BG 8! So, we headed over to Jedi Training registration and were called while waiting in that line. Once signed up, we walked over to GE and quickly walked the queue to get started with RotR. So glad we had more of a wait the day before because otherwise, we would have missed out on the immersive queue. We completed our mission by 8:10 and were on the Skyliner back to Riviera by 8:30 am. We napped for a couple hours and were back at DHS by 11:30 am to complete the rest of our day. Ultimately, if you want to ride, I believe that Tom’s strategy of arriving about 30 min in advance of park opening is the most solid one.
We did RotR last Wednesday – got there about 0630 and through to the main street area by about 10 till. Four of us hit the app… apparently my son has the worlds fastest thumbs and got group 8.
So we followed the herd to Star Wars land… the ride wasn’t open yet, and they were guiding people on past. We held back a little and in a minute they called the first groups. We were in the first shuttle through.
Incredible ride.
On Saturday we scored boarding group 8 which was the second group. Prior visits last week we got 43, 23, and 23 and those were the instant the clock hit 7. Saturday all groups were gone in about 11 minutes. So best approach is get in early as on Friday they only loaded into the 60s. Take a Lyft. Get there at 615. Always a crowd built up so if in line by then you will get in. Tip is always be refreshing app when it gets close and when 7 hit refresh and go.
We have a group of either 7 or 8. Should we split or put everyone on one?
We had a group of 12 and had no problem getting a boarding group. If you split up there is a chance 1/2 will get a group and not the rest. Just a thought!
Did you have multiple people in your group trying to get a boarding pass for the whole party or just one person do it?
We are coming with 10 people in June and curious what the best strategy would be.