Could Plexiglass Barriers Be Coming To Rise of The Resistance?
When I first started as a Travel Agent, the most common queries I would get from clients were how to get into Be Our Guest, how to minimize wait times at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and eventually strategies for Avatar: Flight of Passage. However, the big question these days is “How do I get picked for a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance?”
Ever since Disney World reopened the theme parks in July, this Hollywood Studios attraction is THE draw. However, because of the nature of the ride, the popularity of the Star Wars franchise and social distancing measures that needed to be put in place, most visitors walk away feeling like they stand a better chance of winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning then they do of getting picked for a boarding group for the ride.
As a matter of fact, this is the subject of an awesome piece in the Orlando Sentinel with the results that Disney may be looking to change the ride’s current social distancing measures as a way of accommodating more guests.
For those that have been following along with MickeyBlog you’ll know that Disney’s Hollywood Studios has implemented a Boarding Group system. Guests must enter Hollywood Studios as soon as it opens, log into the My Disney Experience App and try to nab a boarding group pass in order to experience Ride of the Resistance.
The problem is that boarding groups book up completely within minutes and those that didn’t get selected can try again at 2pm but if not selected again you are simply out of luck.
As getting a coveting Rise of the Resistance boarding group has become the stuff of legend, strategies have be springing up when it comes to steps you can take to increase your chances. As the Orlando Sentinel points out, this can be everything from ditching Disney Wi-Fi which gets notoriously glitchy with so many people trying to get passes and even finding a less-crowded part of the part to stand it to avoid reception jams. Another popular approach is to refresh the page using the “join” button which seems to work for some people.
The Sentinel spoke to Ryan Dorn a passholder who has been able to ride Rise of the Resistance some 10 times. When asked for his strategies he told the paper it’s partly dependent on where you stand in the park. He said, “Basically, as long as you are not in the dead center of the park, you are potentially going to have better luck.” He continued, “It’s really just making sure that you are, obviously, ready to go when everything drops,” he said. “Be ready to hit ‘join’ immediately. And, assuming everything doesn’t go in two seconds, literally, you should be able to get in.”
The virtual-line system means that crowds aren’t forced to gather in close proximity in long and winding queues which, with the popularity of the attraction could be hours long. Boarding groups mean no lines but it means guests only have TWO opportunities to try your luck at getting on the ride at 10 am and 2 pm daily.
Could Plexiglass Dividers Be Coming To Rise of the Resistance?
Another reason why Rise of the Resistance is in such demand has to due with capacity and layout restrictions in a COVID-19 world. The vehicles can hold eight people, two rows of four people across. However, to maintain adequate social distancing, one party per car has become more the norm.
However, Disney may be looking to change this. A Disney spokesperson told the Sentinel, “We recently tested an update to the ride vehicles and had Plexiglas barrier between the first and second rows.” They continued “We’re working toward introducing this to all the vehicles.” Though some people may not like having your view in the attraction hindered by a plexiglass divider the up side would be that it WOULD increase how many riders the attraction could accommodate each day!
As the Sentinel reminds us, its also important NOT to overlook the fact that Rise of the Resistance is the most “technically sophisticated” Disney attraction. When everything is working correctly it is absolutely mind-blowing. However, the ride also shuts down frequently which can also limited access. If you’ve been following along with MickeyBlog you also know that staffing is an issue with many part-time workers assigned to the parks being let go.
Oh and let’s not forget Disney’s new park pass system. Those wanting to experience must first purchase theme park tickets, then you have to book a Park Pass simply to be able to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios (where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is located) on a specific date. And then provided that you’ve ticked the top two boxes you can then try your luck at a Boarding Group.
Whether we start to see Plexiglass dividers on this beloved attraction remains to be seen. This is a story that we’ll continue to follow closely here at MickeyBlog so keep checking in with us for further news and updates!
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Source: Orlando Sentinel