Resistance is futile as visitors become the main character in a virtual Star Wars world
One of the world’s most innovative theme park rides puts guests in control of the “fastest hunk of junk” in the galaxy and pits them against the enemy.
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It was like a six player video game.
That’s how my 11-year-old son aptly described the rush of non-stop action as six people pressed flashing buttons or controlled levers to pilot the fabled Millennium Falcon as it surged and battled its way through a galaxy of asteroids and enemy ships.
Jonah, my Star Wars-loving son, said the motion simulator-ride doubled as a video game “because everyone had to participate in it.”
“You had to have everyone participating in it to complete the game and you controlled if you were to succeed or not,” he said, enthusiastically.
Jonah was correct. Unlike other theme park attractions, the actions of the ‘crew’ affected the outcome of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run experience.
If the novice pilots damaged or crashed the ship in any way, it could cost you all.
Inside the ‘happiest place on earth’ in the US, exists two of Walt Disney World’s most interactive and innovative rides to date – the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the epic Rise of the Resistance, both based on the legendary George Lucas film franchise, Star Wars.
Guests are put in control of their mission’s outcome in Smugglers Run, where six people board the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon – the “fastest ship in the galaxy” – and are given a role as either a pilot, an engineer or a gunner, the latter of which often gets to try to shoot down incoming tie fighters.
Their mission is delivered by a life-size, technologically-advanced audio-animatronic of infamous Star Wars pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who instructs visitors they are to steal supplies from the villainous First Order.
Once on board and seated facing the front of a giant, realistic-looking windscreen, the voices of Hondo and wookie Chewbacca instruct the ‘crew members’ on how to take off, fly the ship or when to shoot at the enemy.
“It looked like the Millennium Falcon window. It looked like you were really there, in the ship,” a delighted Jonah said.
Smugglers Run was a rush of action-packed interactive shooting and aerial manoeuvring, complete with cinematic, 3D-like and other visual effects using real-time rendering technology – similar to those used in virtual reality and other video games – where each decision made by the crew affected the outcome of the game.
Depending on the scene, the motion simulator module would tilt in different directions or rattle and shake if asteroids, debris or gun fire hit the Falcon, or if the pilots scraped or damaged the ship in any way as the crew engaged in battle or jumped into hyper drive.
Jonah, of Brisbane, said it was just like you were in an actual Star Wars movie.
“A screen had realistic ships that we had to destroy and catch,” he said.
“It felt like we were actually there, chasing ships.”
The rides are part of the 5.5 hectare Star Wars: Galaxy Edge themed area that opened in late 2019 in both the Disney Hollywood Studios park in Orlando, Florida and in Disneyland in California.
It’s obvious that no expense was spared in the creation of the brilliantly detailed Star Wars sets, with the meticulous attention to detail evident in every aspect.
The rides themselves were an experience from entry to exit.
In some cases, the themes started before even joining the queue, particularly at the Smugglers Run, where an imposing, 34m tall, full-size replica of Han Solo’s famous “hunk of junk” towers over the entrance.
A new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu is scheduled to be added to the attraction in 2026.
There is no boring wait at these attractions as queuing patrons are immersed in the Star Wars fantasy world thanks to intricately detailed themes and a multitude of technology that set the scene for the upcoming ride.
While the Ohnaka audio-animatronic is Disney’s most advanced, there are 65 different animatronics – realistic moving and speaking figures – throughout the nearby Rise of the Resistance.
The largest, most advanced attraction ever built at Disney, the Rise of the Resistance is a trackless dark ride that combines various types of special effects and technologies with multiple different amusement ride formats.
The main part of the approximately 20 minute long immersive adventure starts with a real BB-8 droid receiving a transmission from scavenger-come-Jedi, Rey, who appears as an impressive 3D holographic image on a platform high above everyone in the room.
She thanks the ‘recruits’ for joining the Resistance – a private military force created to combat the increasing threat of Kylo Ren and the First Order – and then explains the mission.
The recruits are first sent outside to a waiting ‘transport’ as they are taken to meet former Princess and now Resistance General Leia Organa at a secret base.
Although every step of the way is intricately and fantastically themed, the transport itself felt like a shuttle taken between terminals at many large airports.
But this is where you meet the life-size, animatronic Mon Calamari Communications Officer, Lieutenant Bek, which really helps to suspend belief as the experience becomes even more immersive.
The pace also picks up as Tie Fighters from a nearby First Order Star Destroyer ship – seen through the windscreen in cinematic quality visuals – attack the transport, which is soon boarded by a First Order officer who takes everyone prisoner.
Aspects of theatre then merge into the saga as actors, playing First Order crew members, start appearing and ordering everyone around as the captives are taken on board the enemy ship.
Gasps from fellow ‘recruits’ could be heard as the door of the enemy ship opened into a room with an imposing platform full of Stormtroopers, with more standing around the perimeter of the hangar.
Behind them, a giant screen-window backdrop showed an occasional tie fighter – complete with their famous sound – passing by on assumed missions.
At first, it was unclear if some of the 50 Stormtroopers were real, costumed people or if they were all just figures, particularly as some occasionally moved and appeared to be looking at the crowd now in front of them.
As we move on, Kylo Ren soon makes an appearance (and a threat) before Resistance members bust in to rescue the recruits, leading them to escape pods that travel through various parts of the enemy ship, including a room with two massive AT-AT Walker’s.
A battle ensues in the dark recesses of the ship as the First Order realises the prisoners (us) are attempting to escape.
At this point it felt like a change from a theatrical, cinematic combination experience to truly being the main character in your own Star Wars action saga – complete with gunfights between ships that can be seen ‘outside’ among the stars after several appeared from light speed – as Kylo Ren chases after us in the escape pods.
Surprised screams emit from passengers as the pod and one they are viewing outside through a ‘ship window’ are seemingly vertically dropped simultaneously as they are ejected from the Star Destroyer.
The technology and epic detail is incredible as the immersive storyline and action-packed ride heads towards its climax.
As one of the most popular rides in the theme park, it is one of the few where you can pay extra money to obtain a shorter wait time, and it’s recommended you do so online weeks in advance if that’s a preferred option.
Otherwise, patrons can wait still wait in the queue as per usual.
The only negative is that the Rise of the Resistance ride was broken down when we arrived and it was hours before it was back online (that said, that’s a credit to the Disney engineers or other staff who got it up and running again on the same day, at least).
This meant there was a backlog of riders with those who paid extra given priority, so it was worth the money for this alone in the end since we only had the one day to visit from another country.
More than just Star Wars
Of course, there’s more to Disney World than just the Star Wars section.
The other, most popular ride at Disney Hollywood Studios – one of four separate theme parks that make up Disney World Orlando – is the Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story World.
The mini-roller coaster twists and turns through Andy’s backyard and past some of his giant toys, as seen in the popular movies.
At Disney’s nearby Animal Kingdom theme park, we opted to head straight to the open-air Kilimanjaro Safari experience, which takes cars of visitors through a fantastic replica of an African savannah, which turned out to be a wise move.
Our guide, Tory from Rhode Island, pointed out that by 5pm most of the animals are often hiding away eating their dinner, so we’d highly recommend visitors head straight to the safari ride first.
Not only was the safari fun, it was educational as the tour guides taught guests about various endangered animals around the world.
We learnt everything from the fact a group of cheetahs is called a coalition to that elephants are afraid of bees.
For decades, Disney’s Conservation Team, in conjunction with the Disney Conservation Fund, has worked with the Save the Elephants organisation on The Elephants and Bees Project.
The project helps with research, innovation, technology and science to help African communities peacefully coexist with elephants.
It was fascinating to learn how bee hive fences had been created to assist with managing the dwindling divide between humans and the endangered African elephant.
Habitat loss has resulted in herds of elephants often eating and trampling up to a year’s worth of crops in one day in places like Kenya.
The ongoing research has resulted in the creation of fences with several beehives linked together – but placed about 10m apart – to deter elephants trampling crops.
Later we explored the giant centrepiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park – the Tree of Life. The 44m tall realistic-looking baobab sculpture has more than 300 animals carved into the trunk and branches.
Inside the giant trunk was a cinema which played a short, educational 3D animated movie called It’s Tough to be a Bug, featuring characters from the A Bug’s Life movie.
Besides the many animals and the amazing tree sculpture, it can’t be a Disney theme park without various rides on offer.
Our most favourite ride at Animal Kingdom was the Avatar: Flight of Passage, based on the popular film series.
Visitors straddle stationary motorbike-like vehicles and don 3D glasses as the immersive, virtual reality ride commences.
Passengers find themselves on the back of a virtual banshee – complete with being able to feel it ‘breathing’ – while experiencing the sensation of flying through various landscapes of the world of Pandora.
I absolutely loved the feeling of flying – complete with bursts of air or water on your face – and could have remained in there soaring above the land and water for hours, given the opportunity.
WHAT: Walt Disney World
WHERE: Orlando, Florida, USA
VISIT: disneyworld.disney.go.com
Originally published as Resistance is futile as visitors become the main character in a virtual Star Wars world
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