How to Get a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group

If you’re headed to Walt Disney World anytime soon, there’s a single attraction that should be a top priority on your travel itinerary.

It’s thrilling…

was created with the latest cutting edge technology…

includes three different ride tracks…

is located in the latest and most immersive land in all of Walt Disney World…

and, attracts droves of Star Wars fans from ALL over the World.

Ya’ll know what I’m talkin’ about! It’s…

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance! (Queue the heroic Jedi music!)

I’m not joking when I say that EVERYONE should make this a TOP priority as part of their Disney vacation – even if you’re not a huge Star Wars fan.

Since you’re reading this blog post, I’m sure you are already aware of the awesomeness that is Rise of the Resistance.

But here’s the thing. There’s a catch. And it’s a BIG one.

Just because you want to ride the Rise of the Resistance attraction, doesn’t mean you can or will even be able to.

Due to the overwhelming demand, Disney has offered this attraction in a virtual queue-style format. In order to be able to even get in line for this attraction, you will need to be assigned a boarding group number.

And not to make things more confusing, but boarding groups are hard to come by. Disney only gives out a limited amount each day. Oh, and there’s only two times in the day where you can try and snag one of these coveted passes.

Totally confused? Already pulling your hair out?

Don’t worry friend! I’m going to walk you step-by-step and even share some awesome hacks to almost guarantee that you and your family will be fighting along with The Resistance in no time!

Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group

So, first things, first. You and everyone in your party who wants to experience the attraction must first have a boarding pass.

There is a process to obtain these, but once you understand how it all works, you’ll quickly see that it’s really not all that complicated.

To start you’ll need a valid theme park ticket or an Annual Pass, plus a Park Pass Reservation for Hollywood Studios on the day that you plan on being there. You won’t be allowed access to join a boarding group without these two things. Make sure that your tickets or Annual Pass are linked to your My Disney Experience Account.

Also, go ahead and download the My Disney Experience app to your phone. This is how you will access the request to join a boarding group.

Boarding groups are offered two times each day. The first time is at 7 AM. The second time is at 1 PM.

**Disney has changed this several times, but this is the latest. I will keep this post updated too!**

For the 7 AM opportunity, you can basically do this from your bed! You no longer have to be at the park to try and get a boarding group. You can do this from anywhere! I’d just make sure to set an alarm so that you are awake and ready several minutes before that 7 AM mark. You want to be on your A-game!

If you don’t get a boarding group at 7 AM, you’ll have a second opportunity at 1 PM. For this one, you will need to physically be in Hollywood Studios.

So What’s the Process?

This is fairly simple. The key here is to be as quick as you can! Boarding groups go within seconds. So the more familiar you are with the process beforehand – the better. You don’t want to be trying to figure it out as you go. You just don’t have the time to spare once it’s go-time!!

Here are the exact steps that you need to take to get a boarding group. This is the same for either the 7 AM or the 1 PM attempt.

• Open the My Disney Experience app on your phone.

• Scroll down to where you see this. At EXACTLY 7 AM or 1 PM, you will hit the Join button. This is where speed comes into play. You cannot be a second late here.

A hack that I found that always works for me to ensure that I’m hitting the Join button exactly on the hour is to have someone else in my party use a World clock that shows the time by the hour, minutes, and seconds. When the time is showing 6:59:59; my finger is already on the way to hit Join!

• On the next screen that pops up, you’ll need to be just as speedy. Less than a second! It will be a Create Your Party page where you can select the people who are in your party that will be riding the attraction.

Don’t waste time here! This is where people mess up! Don’t even worry about who’s in your party. The app automatically selects those that are in your party with a Hollywood Studios Park Reservation for that day. ALL YOU NEED TO DO HERE IS HIT THE JOIN BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT! GOOOOO QUICK!!

If for some reason the app doesn’t select all those who want to ride, you can speak with a Cast Member at Guest Relations and explain. As long as you have a boarding group, they can add on those that the app didn’t get. (But we’ve never had a problem with that) Just don’t waste any time here. Even a second delay will almost guarantee that you won’t get a boarding group.

• AND THAT’S IT! IF you’ve scored a boarding group, the next screen will look something like this. HOORAY!! It will give you an approximate return time, so you’ll know when it’s time to join the queue.

You also might find that you get a screen that looks like this one below. This is a backup group. A backup group basically just means that if there is time left over after all of the regular boarding groups have gone, your group may be called. Keep checking back on the app to see what boarding groups have been called to board.

• If you didn’t get a boarding group, it will look something like this. Also, don’t worry! Remember, you have another chance at 1 PM. Keep reading for a few more hacks to help up your chances even more!

Here’s a few more tips and information that you’ll want to know…

• For the 7 AM boarding group time, you really can be anywhere! I’ve read from others that they’ve gotten a boarding group from another city or even state. So if you live within driving distance or are even coming in on an early morning redeye, you can attempt to join the 7 AM boarding group from wherever you are.
• With that knowledge being shared, please don’t try and attempt to get a boarding group if you do not plan on being in the park that day. It takes away from those who are there and are dying to get one!
• Get off Disney’s wifi and use your own data. With all the other guests on Disney’s wifi, you’ll want to use your own data so your internet will be as fast as possible.
• Only one person in your party should try to get a boarding group. Do not have multiple people from your party trying to get one. It won’t work and you’ll end up missing out.
• You can only get one boarding time per day. If you were able to score a boarding group at 7 AM, you won’t be able to get another one at 1 PM.
• Once your boarding group has been called, you have one hour to return to the Rise of the Resistance line queue.

• Since January 1st, park-hopping has returned to Walt Disney World. Just as a heads up, if you park hop to Hollywood Studios in the afternoon, you won’t be able to join a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group.
• The process for joining a boarding group has changed several times, especially since the reopening of Walt Disney World. I will keep this post updated as things change. (Because we can always count on change at Disney!)

Here’s a huge hack that can up your chances of getting a boarding group by a lot!

This hack might not be for everyone, but if getting on Rising of the Resistance during your trip is a priority, then seriously consider scheduling your trip in a different way. This will give you as many chances as possible to get on. This plan requires flexibility! So if you’re down with that, keep reading.

When most people plan their Walt Disney World vacation, they typically plan one of the parks for each day of their trip. Because you now need a Park Pass Reservation for each day that you plan on being at the parks, consider making all of your Park Passes for Hollywood Studios. The good reasoning behind this is because Hollywood Studios Park Passes tend to go the quickest, it is the smallest park, and everyone else is also trying to get on Rise of the Resistance.

Stay with me here…

So if you’re staying for five days, that will give you ten opportunities to try and snag one of these coveted boarding groups.

5 days x 2 boarding group attempts = 10 chances

See, that’s a whole lot better than just planning one Hollywood Studios day and only giving yourself two chances.

Now, do I expect you to go to Hollywood Studios every day while on vacation? Heck noooo! (But you totally could if you wanted to!)

Here’s how to work this hack…

Hopefully, you’ll use my tips and get a boarding group on your very first day. Once you have your boarding group, you can then go into the app and cancel your remaining Hollywood Studios reservations, and switch them out for any of the other parks that have availability on your remaining days. But if you didn’t get a boarding group, you now have more opportunities to try on another day.

Also, you could also just try during the 7 AM timeframe each morning. If you don’t get a boarding group, you can decide whether you’d like to go to Hollywood Studios that day and attempt for the 1 PM boarding group time. If not, cancel your Hollywood Studios reservation for that day, and switch it out for another park that has open reservations.

Another thing to consider is park hopping, you can hang out in Hollywood Studios until the 1 PM boarding group time. If you don’t get a group, you could park hop to another park of your choice. You don’t even need a park reservation for another park after 2 PM. For my quick and simple guide on park hopping in 2021, click {HERE!}.

I’m sure you’re wondering about your dining reservations. If the restaurant you’re wanting to visit is located within a park, consider making reservations after 2 PM. This way you won’t have to worry too much about rescheduling them should you decide to try and get a boarding group at Hollywood Studios that day. After 2 PM, you can park hop to that park and still make your dining reservation time.

May the Force Be With You!

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is an ABSOLUTE MUST-DO on your next Walt Disney World vacation. A lot of people want to know the secret to obtaining a boarding group. Is it speed, skill, or just plain luck? Honestly, it’s a bit of all three!

Use my tips and hacks, and I’m confident you’ll be able to snag a boarding group and get the chance to experience this awesome attraction!

Before you go, don’t forget to hang out with me on Instagram! We’re in the parks each week and take you along in our stories. We share a bunch of tips that you can use on your next trip.

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Need more Hollywood Studios info? Click on the posts listed below!

Have fun and may the force be with you!

More Hollywood Studios Posts:

Our top 5 must-have snacks in Hollywood Studios

The 10 best shows & attractions for kids at Hollywood Studios