RotR Important Details and Opening Day Timeline

How to Ride Rise of the Resistance

This post is a one stop shop for information on riding RotR via boarding groups. If you have any info to add or a question you would like answered in this lead post, please respond below.

TLDR: Arrive at HS between 5-5:30am (6am opening) or 6-6:30am (7am opening) and obtain a boarding group via MDE as soon as your entire party is through tapstiles, or when issuance begins (typically published park opening). Report to queue within stated return window (typically 1-2 hours) of your BG being called.


Boarding Group Basics

  • BGs utilized as the line for RotR (makeshift same-day FP) - NO STANDY
  • BG not necessary to gain entry to the rest of SWGE / MFSR
  • BG may be obtained via MDE home screen at published park opening once guests are within tapstiles
  • No ability to obtain BG from hotel, outside turnstiles, or on behalf of other guests in party who have not tapped into the park that day
  • It is possible to obtain a BG from outside the park if you have already tapped in that day, but not recommended in case CM assistance is needed
  • Once issued, MDE gives an indication of approximate timing for BG return (e.g., morning, afternoon, evening)
  • Once BG is called (via push notification), MDE states a return window (typically 1-2 hours) to report to RotR queue and tap in
  • After scanning BG, there is a short wait (15-30 min in morning, up to 1 hour later) prior to pre-show
  • Guests with a BG may leave HS as long as they return and report to queue within stated return window (typically 1-2 hours) of BG being called
  • Guests are currently limited to one BG per day
  • BG system is completely separate from and does not affect ability to obtain or use FPP
  • Lowest BG issued is typically high single digits (i.e., no 1-5)

BG Tips and Tricks:

  • See step-by-step BG instructions with screenshots here
  • Users have reported faster refresh if they press “My Status” rather than “Join Boarding Group”
  • Log in with the same credentials on multiple phones (some on WiFi and others using cell service if possible) and attempt to get a BG right at published park opening; first user to get in obtains a BG for all members of the party
  • If you do not have a cell phone or if MDE is not working properly, approach guest services (blue umbrella inside tapstiles) or CM with iPad to have your MB / ticket scanned to receive a BG. Boards around the park list which BGs have been called.
  • Do not rely on push notification as it may not be timely - check MDE
  • Try applying for another BG after scanning into the queue just in case Disney changes their 1-per-day policy

Special circumstances

  • Single Riders: It is not expected that there will be a single rider line for RotR; single riders are identified in the interrogation area
  • FPP: Will be available eventually, but no date has been announced
  • Accessibility: All riders need a BG. Entire queue is wheelchair accessible - two steps transfer to ride vehicle; if not able, guest may experience pre-show up to hangar but will have to exit prior to boarding main ride vehicle.
  • DAS: All riders need a BG. Approach CM to skip line and proceed directly to transport.
  • Rider swap: All riders need a BG (none needed for non-riders); report to CM for FP for 2nd group to skip line and proceed directly to transport. Min height: 40”
  • Motion sickness: There are two short sections of the ride with motion simulators and one 20 foot drop; riders sensitive to motion sickness report that RotR is very mild compared to ST, FOP, MS, ToT, etc.
  • Weight Limitations: Lap belt rather than bar in ride vehicle; similar to Dinosaur - no issues noted

Transportation

  • Ride share or self-park is the most reliable method for timeliness
  • Bus, Skyliner, and boat transportation does not reliably begin early enough to ensure timely arrival

Other Information

  • Neither SWGE or HS has reached capacity since RotR opened - guests admitted to all other attractions and areas
  • ADRs: ADR to Oga’s is NOT acceptable to gain entry to RotR or necessary to access SWGE
  • EMH: Disney has announced RotR will not be available during EMH. Expect MDE to start issuing BGs at published general park opening. This post will be updated when morning EMH returns to confirm procedure. Currently EMH is evening only.
  • Breakdowns: If ride breaks down, riders who are evacuated are issued a paper FP (good for only RotR) which allows guest to skip line and report directly to transport; if guest is in line during breakdown, MDE issues them a digital multi-experience FP which is good for any ride, including RotR, but does not allow the guest to skip the RotR line (similar status as BG)
  • If initial BG is not called by end of day, Disney has been issuing next-day FP and 1-day PH ticket exp 2030
  • Starting on 12/16/19, MDE has begun issuing “Backup Boarding Groups” above a specified number that are not guaranteed to ride and will only be called if all initial BGs are called before the end of the day and there is additional capacity. No compensation is given if Backup BG is not called.
  • Guests who have been issued paper or digital FP have often been permitted to use the following day
  • The entrance to SWGE from TSL is often exit only in the morning; later opened both ways; entrance from Muppets is always open

Key Stats

Date Tapstiles Open Actual (Official) BGs Run Out Highest BG Called Ride Downtime (avg 1hr)
Thurs 12/5/19 5:23am (8am) 8:57am 127/~160 2x
Fri 12/6/19 6:15am (9am) 8:15am 91/~100 4x
Sat 12/7/19 6:36am (9am) 8:50am 87/~120 4x
Sun 12/8/19 (EMH) 5:15am (6am) / 7:20am (8am) 7:50am 95/95 2x
Mon 12/9/19 6:28am (8am) 8:25am 115/115 2x
Tues 12/10/19 6:30am (8am) 8:40am 82/115 6x
Wed 12/11/19 6:30am (8am) 7:40am 81/~90 6x
Thurs 12/12/19 6:35am (7am) 7:15am 91/91 2x
Fri 12/13/19 6:40am (7am) 8:00am 108/108 2x
Sat 12/14/19 6:18am (7am) 7:51am 110/110 2x
Sun 12/15/19 6:20am (7am) 7:20am 124/~115 1x
Mon 12/16/19 6:25am (7am) 7:30/7:45am* 120/120 4x
Tues 12/17/19 6:43am (7am) 7:44/8:47am 122/106 2x
Wed 12/18/19 6:30am (7am)** 7:35/9:00am 126/105 0x
Thurs 12/19/19 6:31am (7am) 8:15/11:00am 144/105 0x
Fri 12/20/19 6:30am (7am) 7:45/9:00am 176/105 0x
Sat 12/21/19 6:30am (7am) 8:05/8:56am 129/105 3x
Sun 12/22/19 6:30am (7am) 7:16/9:20am 166/102 0x
Mon 12/23/19 6:30am (7am) 7:34/9:27am 192/125 0x
Tues 12/24/19 6:30am (7am) 7:27/9:01am 152/121 2x
Wed 12/25/19 6:30am (7am) 8:30am/12:00pm 165/118 0x
Thurs 12/26/19 5:42am (6am) 6:15/8:01am x/91 0x

(*) 12/16/19 was the first day “backup” BGs were used (121+). First time is regular BGs / after dash is backup BGs.
(**) - Important Process Change: Beginning 12/18, Disney opened tapstiles at 6:30am but held guests at Hollywood Boulevard and did not dispense BGs until 7am, limiting the benefit of arriving early. Disney announced that this will be standard going forward and so far has kept their word.

Opening Day Timeline 12/5/19

Expand

I’ve called out some specific liners who arrived at notable times.

1:25am @youcanfly scopes out HS - Handful of people there with blankets, CM supervision
2:54am @NYGIANTMickeyFan turned away from parking - CM reports 4am lot opening
3:30am @raisingthebarlc arrives at HS
4:13am @DisneyDayDreamin and @dunegirl arrive at HS
4:30am Parking lot opens and NYG allowed in
4:35am DDD and Dunegirl get through bag check and stopped at turnstiles
4:40am @RoskoBaseAlpha arrives at HS
5:00am Youcanfly reports boats running from Swan
5:23am (Approx) Tapstiles open
5:25am Rosko through tapstiles and joins BG 11
5:26am DDD and Dunegirl through tapstiles and join BG 13/12
5:27am NYG through tapstiles and joins BG 16
5:42am @kellyewithanE through tapstiles and joins BG 27
6:18am First guests escorted from hub to SWGE
6:30am (approx) First BGs called (including 1-12)
6:35am (approx) Raisingthebar joins queue
6:45am Rosko joins queue (BG 11)
6:47am Rosko arrives at pre-show
6:50am Rosko arrives at transport
6:55am (Approx) DDD and Dunegirl (BG 12/13) scan into queue and obtain second BG (49/52)
6:59am Sometime before 7am, First Liner (Raisingthebar) reports completing the ride
7:00am Ride down Rosko evacuated from cell blocks; anyone in line receives return FP
7:00am @Mom_loves_Mickey arrives, reports BG 58 (“afternoon”)
8:00am Official published park opening
8:01am RotR reported back up; NYG and Rosko back in line with return FP
8:16am NYG and Rosko arrive at pre-show
8:20am NY and Rosko arrives at transporter
8:22am (Approx) Dunegirl and DDD join queue with return FP
8:36am NY and Rosko complete ride
8:57am Liners report signs announcing no more BGs; Other Liners report being issued BG after this time, however they are higher numbers that likely won’t be called
9:10am Dunegirl (BG 12) and DDD (BG13) complete ride
9:12am NYG tries to join BG again and gets 150
9:20am Kellye (BG 27) joins queue
10:04am Youcanfly joins queue
10:50am Kellye completes ride
11:05am Youcanfly arrives at holding cell
11:21am Youcanfly completes ride
12:18pm Dunegirl and DDD join queue for second ride (BG 49/52)
1:05pm MLM joins queue (BG58)
1:06pm Dunegirl and DDD arrive at interrogation room
1:17pm Dunegirl and DDD complete ride (second time)
1:10pm Accepting BGs 33-53
2:10pm MLM completes ride
3:15pm Accepting BGs 59-72
4:15pm Accepting BGs 69-82
5:15pm Accepting BGs 73-90
6:15pm Accepting BGs 83-100
6:41pm MDE alerts @Randall1028 that his BG (154) will not be accommodated; receives an anytime FP (incl. RotR) for following day and 1-day PH ticket
7:15pm Accepting BGs 91-108
7:20pm Reports of evac / ride down
8:05pm Ride back up
8:15pm Accepting BGs 102-112
9:15pm Accepting BGs 109-127
9:59pm Accepting BGs 111-127
10:00pm Official published park closing

52 Likes

Just one update— @DisneyDayDreamin and I walked over from Beach Club together so we arrived at the park together and were together through both our first rides. I think maybe what you saw on chat at 3:30 was me letting her know I had arrived at Beach Club lobby.

Edited to add: and I was BG 49 for the second ride.

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Great re-cap. Thanks for that

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Thanks! I’ll update that.

Is there any info on whether RotR is offering rider swap?

I assume there must be but if anyone has confirmation I will add it to the summary.

Ok thanks. I’m not sure how the logistics would work with their being a virtual queue.

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This is a great recap! Our second ride started at 12:18 (BG 52) and we were in interrogation at 1:06 and off the ride at 1:17

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What we noticed today is that as you enter the interrogation area, that is when they ask of the number in your party. They were asking if there were any single riders and calling them forward.

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Also on our second ride, there was a person in a wheelchair (not EVC) They were able to go through all of the queue with no problem. In the interrogation room, they were asked if they were able to take two steps out of the wheelchair and they said yes. When we made it to the escape pod, the door in one of the ride vehicles opened wider than the others to allow easier transfer. They did say if they couldn’t take 2 steps outside of the wheelchair there were other options.

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This is great! Thanks for taking the time!

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I was wondering - how did you get a second BG so low? @NYGIANTMickeyFan exited the ride not long after you and got a much later BG. Did you get your second BG right after tapping into the queue? (Did you even “tap in” or just report?)

Yes, grabbed a second BG immediately after tapping into the first one upon entering ride queue. They had CMs at ride entrance scanning bands for BGs. I wanted to test if it worked like FPs and it seems to. Then I told @DisneyDayDreamin (standing with me in queue) to grab one and by then the BG numbers had gone up from 49 to 52.

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Is this to help predict the opening of other rides?

I mostly thought this would be helpful for people trying to ride RotR tomorrow into next week. Plus we can see over time how quickly the virtual queue maxes out. But yes, this could be relevant if another ride of this scope opens (maybe GotG or Tron?).

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That’s great.

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This is a top-quality post. Thank you @Jeff_AZ

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Thanks! :blush:

Agree—thank you for all this info! (But also omg I cannot imagine getting to the park at 1am… I hope it was worth it for those people…)

Now I’m crossing my fingers they keep doing boarding groups for a while—it sounds way more organized and efficient (and, frankly, I love that it lets you go do something else). I will be eagerly following along for any and all updates!

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To be honest I am just living vicariously through all who get to ride in the near future! I will be riding at Disneyland in Feb/Mar at the earliest! (Also I’m a bit of a data nerd so this was a fun project for me. :slightly_smiling_face:)

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