As more and more guests ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney has been testing new methods to make the overall experience as streamlined as possible. In an effort to ensure that all guests know what to expect when visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, they’ve announced official boarding group procedures for the time being, as well as how to join a backup boarding group.
Here’s what you need to know:
- As was first implemented today, virtual queue will be available at the published park opening time. The park may welcome guests onto Hollywood Boulevard prior to opening the rest of the park, and limited nearby locations will be open for guest convenience. This includes Trolley Car Café, where you can pick up a beverage, and Keystone Clothiers, for Star Wars gifts.
- At the park’s published opening time, the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens along with offerings throughout the rest of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests must be in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to access virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app.
Due to the incredible popularity of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney will continue to distribute backup boarding groups after the initial planned groups have been filled. Backup boarding groups will only be called if all of the initial planned boarding groups have been called back and there is capacity for more riders that evening. If they are able to accommodate boarding groups that evening, guests will be notified through the My Disney Experience app by a push notification (if enabled).
For anyone with questions or needing a hand with the virtual queue, the members of the Guest Experience Team are available throughout the park to assist.
Sorry, I have sooo many questions about the virtual boarding groups: So if I walk into the park at exactly 8am when the park opens and open MDE and get into the ‘virtual queue’ at the same time as someone that has been waiting since 6:30am? Basically it’s luck of the draw whose phone is fastest, right? Is there any benefit to getting there so early when it comes to Rise of the Resistance? Has anyone tested how exact the location is for accessing the virtual queue option on MDE? I live an hour away and obviously it didn’t work, but does it work in the parking lot? Outside the bag check gate? Outside the turnstile? Inside the turnstile? My biggest question is: If I get into MDE and I’m given a boarding group…what happens from there? I can go do other attractions but I have to keep milling around the park and checking for when my boarding group number comes up? Can I leave the park and come back? Once my boarding group is called and I get in line how long is the average wait after that? Thank you for all the coverage on the changes btw. 😀
Basically it breaks down like this the earlier you get there the earlier you can join a boarding group. If you go over and get in line between 6 and 7 you will more than likely be guaranteed a boarding group but not until later in the day maybe 8 that night. For example I just returned and rode rise of the Resistance 3 times the first time I arrived at 4:30 a.m. and was put into boarding group 7 and walked right on the ride second time I arrived at 6:15 a.m. and was put into boarding group 82 and did not get on the ride until 4 in the afternoon. You will not be allowed to enter a boarding group until you physically scan your magic being or your card and enter the park if you are going with other people they too must physically scan their card and be in the park once you get your boarding group number you can go anywhere you want Walt Disney app will call you back when your boarding group is called and you will have a 2-hour window to get in line for the ride.
Thank You!
I really hope they do boarding groups for Disneyland as well. Looking at Hollywood Studios hours, it’s hard to know this for sure as they don’t have any morning Extra Magic Hours for the foreseeable future, but I am hoping that guests staying at a Disneyland hotel can join a boarding group at 7am during the Morning Magic Hour. If not, at least I’ll be ready to go right at 8am and in the park well before opening!
Two Questions.
1.Do all of the members of your party need to be in the park to enter into a boarding group?
2. Can one person from a party make the boarding group reservation for all of the party members? Or does each party member need to enter into a boarding group individually?
I would usually answer this but since Disney did no previews at all for their cast or annual passholders, get to Universal early and enter the Hagrid’s line. This ride sucks it is based on new Star Wars. It would be like the Wizarding World being Fantastic Beasts and the Harry Potter IP only being the Simpsons simulator it makes no sense at all. How long until Darth Vader or Yoda are added to save this sorry land?
This ride needs some serious reconsiderations. The pilots may have a great experience but the other 4 guests miss most of the ride because they are busy figuring out if they need to push buttons….i say skip it and go ride domething else…like avatar.