Tips for Getting a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland

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The highly anticipated Rise of the Resistance attraction is now open at Disneyland and people can’t wait to experience it!  This attraction is different than anything Disney has done before, it’s completely immersive, it feels as if you are in an actual Star Wars movie.  You don’t want to miss it!

Disneyland is doing something different with Rise of the Resistance, instead of having guests wait in a stand-by line for hours, they are offering a virtual queue.  I love this system!  It really makes it fair for everyone to get a chance to experience Rise of the Resistance.  They are assigning boarding groups to guests and then they send you a push notification when it is time for your boarding group.  You will need mobile device in order to obtain a boarding group.  If you don’t have a mobile device, you can get assistance under the green umbrellas to the right of Astro Blasters.

So, the good news is you don’t have to line up hours ahead of time, the bad news is the the boarding groups are being claimed within minutes!!  We visited Disneyland after opening weekend of Rise of the Resistance and I am happy to report we were assigned a boarding group all three mornings we tried!  I’m sharing some tips to help you claim a coveted Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance too!

Here are the things you should do BEFORE you head to Disneyland:

1. Download the Disneyland app and register for an account if you don’t already have one.

2. Scan and load your entire groups tickets or passes into the app.  You can do this by clicking “Ticket and Passes” and the clicking the + button in the upper right hand corner.  Simply scan each pass into the app.  I highly recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time, I use Get Away Today for my discount Disneyland tickets.

3. Make sure to remove any tickets or passes for people that aren’t in the party with you on that day.  It will save you an extra step of unchecking boxes (be careful not to remove tickets of people if you don’t have the actual ticket on hand that you can re-scan).

4. Have everyone in your party complete these steps, the more people you have trying for a boarding group the better.  Your park tickets can be scanned into multiple accounts, you don’t have to have everyone sign into one account on their phone.  Your app could be glitchy (it happens frequently) and you may need somebody else in your party to grab the boarding passes for your group.

They day of your arrival:

Your entire party will need to be in Disneyland at official opening time.  Don’t worry!  They will let everyone into the park early in so you can be in the park at opening time.  If you are visiting on a Magic Morning you will still need to wait until official park opening to obtain your boarding group, you won’t be able to claim one early.

I recommend getting in line 45-60 minutes prior to official park opening time to allow yourself enough time to make it through the turnstile.  You will have time to kill once inside the parks, but the shops will be open and Starbucks too.  Lots of people head straight for Starbucks, so if you want a minimal wait time, walk towards Starbucks on main street right away.  We picked up breakfast while we were waiting for the official opening time.  Twice our boarding groups were obtained inside Starbucks with a crowd of people around.

Turn off your Wi-fi, most people are having the best luck when they use their own data plan.  Make sure you sign in to the app to ensure you remember your login ID and you can check to make sure that all your tickets and passes are linked. 

Once it’s official park opening:

Open the Disneyland app right at official park opening (watch the second hand on your clock).  This is the method we used when we obtained all three of our boarding passes.  Make sure EVERYONE in your group does this!  You can try it different ways too, one person with the app already opened and one that opens the app at official park time.   I’ve heard more people have luck with opening the app right at opening time.

Once the app is opened, you will see the Star Wars Rise of the Resistance message on the app, click “Join Boarding Group” and follow the easy instructions.   

Hopefully, your next step is cheering because you scored a coveted boarding group for Rise of the Resistance (seriously, so many people scream for joy)!

I think the main key to getting a boarding group is to have multiple people in your group trying at the same time.   Once somebody obtains a boarding group it will show up in the app of all the people linked.  You can only obtain one boarding group per day.  I was visiting with my young adult children and they were way quicker with the app then I was.  On the first day my son had snagged boarding group number 14 before I even pushed the “join a boarding group” button.  If you have teens in your group…use them!  They have quick fingers!

Waiting for your boarding group to be called:

To make sure you don’t miss your boarding time, turn on push notifications or check the app regularly.  You can also see signs around the park that show which boarding group numbers they are on.  Once your boarding group is called you will have approximately an hour and a half to return and experience the attraction.

If your boarding group is above 82, you are considered a back-up boarding group that may or may not get called.  I will say that we were at Disneyland on a day when they were only open until 9:00 and they got up to boarding group 105.  So if you have a boarding group above 82, keep your fingers crossed that things run smoothly that day.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind!  

I wouldn’t make any meal reservations that take longer than an hour.  There is a chance that your return time could happen while you are enjoying a character meal and that would be frustrating!

There is no stand-by line and no single rider line, the only way to experience Rise of the Resistance at this time is via a boarding group, so you will have to be at the parks before opening time if you want the chance to score one.

Don’t forget, everyone has to be scanned into the park in order to be part of a boarding group.  You can’t send one person in to get them for everyone!

Children have to be at least 40 inches tall to experience Rise of the Resistance.

I can’t wait for everyone to experience this ride!  Both my son Levi and I were blown away and thought it was one of the coolest things Disney has ever done.  Three of our family members were completely ridiculous and said they like Guardians of the Galaxy better, they were hoping for more of a thrill ride, while Rise of the Resistance is more of an experience.  Of course, my son convinced my daughter that Kylo Ren confesses his love for somebody on the ride and she was probably just bitter that it wasn’t actually a part of the attraction.  If you’ve experienced the ride, I’d love to hear your thoughts (no spoilers please)!

For even more Disney tips, trips and information, check out these posts:

• Hotel reviews of all the hotels we’ve used around Disneyland
• Complete Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Snacks
• Complete Guide to Pixar Pier
• Make a custom lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop
• Tips for One Day at Disneyland
• Saving Money when Dining at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Lunch at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Breakfast at Disneyland
• Our visit to Club 33
• Mickey Tic Tac Toe in a Bag
• 7 Reasons I Prefer Disneyland over Disney World