Why does Rise of the Resistance keep breaking down Disneyland?

Like Runaway Railway, Rise of the Resistance has trackless vehicles, but also includes other facets like animatronics, traditional moving ride vehicles, plus tons of other tech, so there are a lot of opportunities for things to break down.



Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is considered the most complex theme park attraction ever built, and its frequent "downtime" in 2026 is due to the precarious interplay of four distinct ride systems. The attraction utilizes trackless ride vehicles that rely on complex sensors and Wi-Fi to navigate; if a single vehicle loses its "positional lock" by even an inch, the entire system enters an emergency stop (E-Stop). Furthermore, the ride features massive animatronics (like the A-1000 Kylo Ren), a motion-simulator "drop" section, and sophisticated projection mapping. If any of these systems fail to "handshake" with the others in the exact millisecond required, the ride computers shut down for safety. Additionally, the "pre-show" involving the shuttle transport is a separate ride in itself; if the doors fail to cycle correctly, the line grinds to a halt. Because it takes 30–60 minutes to "re-index" and reset all the trackless cars after a shutdown, even a minor sensor glitch can result in the ride being closed for a significant portion of the day, much to the frustration of guests who waited hours.

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If You Were On the Ride. If you are physically on the ride (as in seated in a ride vehicle) when it breaks down, you will likely receive a Lightning Lane pass to return and re-ride it later in the day. Sometimes these passes are also given to guests who are about to board the attraction.

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There you have it! Rise of the Resistance is the ride that broke down the most in 2022. If that attraction is a must-do for you when you visit Disney World, we recommend trying to ride it first thing in the morning.

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We all know, though, that roller coaster rides don't last forever. That's because the roller coaster loses energy to other forces as it does loop-the-loops, curves, and other hills along the way.

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Ride stoppages on Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland rose from an average of 80 minutes a day in 2021 to 122 minutes a day in 2022, according to an analysis of Thrill Data metrics. Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what's new and interesting every week at Southern California's theme parks.

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Does Rise of the Resistance Have a Drop? There is one small drop at the end of the attraction, but it's not overly high, only about 10-20 feet.

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Rise of the Resistance, which opened in December, is touted as the most technologically advanced ride Disney has ever designed. It's the main attraction of the company's $1 billion Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge expansion, and so far, according to reviews online, the ride sounds pretty thrilling.

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This attraction was closed 302 days of 2022. That's over 80% of the year! Throughout this time, the ride closed a massive 580 times.

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Walt Disney World is closing down Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, one of its newest and splashiest attractions, at the end of September, the resort announced Thursday. The ultra-immersive – and ultra-pricey – bow to the “Star Wars” universe opened to much fanfare in spring 2022.

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-They're the exact same ride This means that, respectively, they're both the most immersive, innovative, groundbreaking ride that a Disney park has ever had.

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These attractions and rides usually close seasonally at Disneyland for refurbishments and holiday overlays. The estimated dates on this Disneyland refurbishment schedule are based on past ride closures. We'll always post the specific dates when we receive them under Disneyland ride refurbishments.

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It's always a great time to visit Disney theme parks! However, when planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, expect lower crowds from mid-September through mid-November (before the Thanksgiving break). Mid-January through mid-March is another time when potentially lower crowds are expected.

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Disneyland's Splash Mountain has officially closed after more than 33 years at the California resort.

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Rise of the Resistance can be scary at times for kids, even ones who love Star Wars. The interactions with Kylo Ren, Stormtroopers, and the First Order can be a bit intimidating. The ride itself can also be too much for some children, since some areas of the ride are dark and there is even a drop.

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