Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is perhaps the most anticipated Disney attraction ever. And as we inch closer and closer to its December 5th opening day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the spoilers just keep coming! Today, CNN released an exclusive look at Rise of the Resistance, including a scene-by-scene breakdown and extra facts and figures. A good portion of this is new information, so let’s dive right in without further ado!
The attraction is confirmed to last 18 minutes. The story behind the ride is rather complex, but familiar. You’re recruited to form part of The Resistance and are sent on a mission by a holographic Rey and an animatronic BB-8. From there, you’ll board the first ride vehicle, a standing-room only Resistance Intersystem Transport Ship, piloted by two animatronic aliens. As we leave the planet Batuu, your ship is intercepted by the First Order, and a tractor beam pulls you on to a Star Destroyer, where a phalanx of fifty intimidating animatronic Stormtroopers await your arrival.
You’re then placed in a holding cell and interrogated by projections of the evil Kylo Ren and General Hux. Suddenly, you manage to escape the clutches of the First Order (but you’ll have to ride to find out how) only to be chased through the ship by an animatronic Kylo Ren and an army of Stormtroopers! Now, you’ll transfer to a seated First Order Fleet Transport as an astromech droid drives you through the labyrinth-like ship, dodging blaster fire, skirting laser cannons, and ducking Kylo Ren’s glowing, crackling lightsaber as it penetrates the ceiling above! Finally, you’re jettisoned off the ship in an escape pod that acts as the ride’s climactic drop.
The attraction has been set up to be something truly special. Rise features dozens of audio-animatronics (and a couple of giant AT-ATs!), holograms, lasers, and the most complex ride system Imagineering has ever designed: a trackless vehicle that moves horizontally and vertically! At its annual shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger called the ride “the most technologically advanced and immersive attraction that we have ever imagined.” Scott Trowbridge, an Imagineer on the project, claims that five years and over five million lines of code have been used in the attraction. He designed it as a three-act experience, harkening more towards fully immersive experience rather than just a ride-through attraction.
They didn’t skimp on technology, either. In fact, there’s a whopping 65 animatronics throughout the entire experience! Both Kylo Ren and General Hux appear as projections and animatronics, but it may be hard to decipher which is which! Disney partnered with Panasonic to develop custom-made projectors and lenses that took several years of development, all to create the perfect level of immersion. Additionally, three highly-detailed humanoid animatronics required special “pancake” motors to create realistic movement without generating excessive heat. They’ve even developed proprietary effects to simulate laser blasts and other essential Star Wars effects.
I think all of us at WDWNT are ready to take a ride through Rise of the Resistance! And we’ll be on the scene on Thursday to bring you our thoughts and coverage! Stay tuned to WDWNT, because we’re all almost there!
Source: CNN Business