It was loud. If you were standing in the back of Batuu on that chilly January morning, you remember the energy. It wasn't just the usual theme park buzz. It felt like something historical was actually happening. People have been asking when did Rise of the Resistance open at Disneyland for years now, mostly because the launch was so chaotic and legendary that it feels like it belongs to a different era of theme park history.
The official date was January 17, 2020.
Think about that timing. We were just weeks away from the world shutting down. For a brief, shining moment, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was the center of the universe. The ride didn't just open; it exploded onto the scene. It was the "Phase Two" of the land that critics had been waiting for. Honestly, before Rise opened, some people were calling Galaxy’s Edge a "ghost town." Those people were wrong, but the pressure on Disney to deliver was immense.
Why the January 17th Date Matters So Much
Most fans forget that Florida actually got the ride first. Hollywood Studios in Orlando opened their version in December 2019. This created this weird, frantic FOMO for West Coast fans. By the time the Disneyland version was ready, the hype had reached a fever pitch.
Disney didn't just open the gates and say "good luck." They introduced the dreaded Virtual Queue. If you weren't on the Disneyland app at exactly 8:00 AM, you weren't riding. Period. I remember sitting on a bench near the Hub, hands shaking, refreshing the screen. It was a digital lottery. You either got a Boarding Group or you spent your day riding the Disneyland Railroad in sorrow.
The opening wasn't just about a calendar date. It was the moment Imagineering proved they could still do "the impossible." We’re talking about a trackless ride system, a motion simulator, a drop tower, and walk-through theatrical segments all stitched together into one twenty-minute experience.
The Technical Nightmare Behind the Scenes
You can't talk about when did Rise of the Resistance open at Disneyland without talking about why it almost didn't. The ride is a technical miracle. It runs on millions of lines of code. Because the ride vehicles (the First Order Fleet Transports) are trackless, they rely on RFID chips in the floor and complex sensors to stay on path.
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If one sensor tripped? The whole thing "dumped."
During those first few weeks in January 2020, "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is currently experiencing a delay" was the most common phrase heard in the park. It was frustrating. You'd wait all day for your boarding group, finally get in the hallway with the 50 Stormtroopers, and then—silence. The lights would go up. Cast members in First Order uniforms would have to break character, which was always a little surreal. Seeing a stern Imperial officer politely telling you to exit through the back door really breaks the immersion.
Bob Chapek and the Disney leadership were sweating. This was the most expensive attraction ever built. It had to work. The complexity is actually the reason for the gap between the Florida and California opening dates. Disneyland’s footprint is tighter. The logistics of the construction in Anaheim were a different beast compared to the sprawling woods of Florida.
A Different Kind of Storytelling
What makes this ride different from, say, Pirates of the Caribbean? It's the scale. When you "open" a ride like this, you aren't just opening a chair that moves through a room. You’re opening an experience that starts in the queue.
- The forest of Batuu serves as the entrance.
- The briefing room features a Rey hologram that actually looks like she’s standing there.
- The shuttle flight with Poe Dameron’s X-wing escort.
- The Star Destroyer hangar bay.
That hangar bay is the "wow" moment. When those doors slide open and you see the TIE fighter and the ranks of Stormtroopers, people actually scream. I’ve seen grown adults cry. It’s that intense.
The Boarding Group Era
For a long time after January 17, 2020, you couldn't just walk up to the ride. This is a huge part of the "when did it open" story. The opening lasted for years in a way, because the way you rode it kept changing.
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First, it was the 8:00 AM lottery. Then they added a 2:00 PM drop. Then they introduced Lightning Lane and started charging for it. The ride changed the business model of Disneyland. It proved that people would pay a premium—not just for the park ticket, but for a specific guarantee that they wouldn't miss the flagship attraction.
Misconceptions About the Opening Day
A lot of people think the ride opened when Galaxy's Edge opened. Nope. Galaxy’s Edge opened in May 2019 with only Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. For over six months, the "big" ride was missing. That’s why January 17, 2020, felt like a second grand opening.
Another myth? That the Disneyland version is "better" or "worse" than the Florida one. They are virtually identical. The only real difference is the entrance layout and the way the queue winds through the simulated rockwork of the Resistance base.
Realities of Riding Today Compared to 2020
If you go now, the experience is smoother, but some of the "A-mode" effects are hit or miss.
In the early days, everything worked. Now, you might see the "B-mode" version of the Kylo Ren animatronic (where he’s on a screen in a TIE fighter instead of physically reaching for you). It’s a trade-off. The ride is more reliable now, but some of the opening day magic has been swapped for operational stability.
The opening day crowd was a mix of influencers, die-hard Star Wars nerds, and confused tourists. I talked to a guy who had flown from Japan just for that weekend. He didn't even have a hotel room; he just planned on staying in the park as long as possible. That’s the level of devotion we're talking about.
Practical Steps for Your Next Mission to Batuu
If you're planning to experience Rise of the Resistance soon, the world has changed since that 2020 opening, but the strategy remains similar.
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First, check the Disneyland app the night before. Look at the "Typical Wait Times" graph. Even years later, this ride frequently hits 100+ minute waits by noon.
Second, decide if you’re going to pay for the Individual Lightning Lane. Honestly? If you only have one day in the park, pay it. The "standby" line for Rise is a grueling trek through hot, cramped caves. Your feet will thank you for skipping it.
Third, keep your eyes open in the Star Destroyer hangar. Most people just take a selfie with the Stormtroopers and move on. Look at the windows. Watch the space battle happening "outside." The level of detail Imagineers put into the scale of the ships is staggering.
Finally, don't forget that the ride breaks down. Still. If the ride goes down while you’re in line, stay put for at least 20 minutes unless they clear the building. Often, it’s just a minor sensor reset, and you’ll be the first in line when it kicks back over.
The opening of Rise of the Resistance marked the end of the "old" Disneyland and the start of the high-tech, high-demand era we're in now. It’s more than a ride; it’s a massive, complicated, beautiful piece of kinetic art that somehow, against all odds, works. Mostly.
Before you head to the park, make sure your phone is fully charged and your Disney account is linked to your group's tickets. You don't want to be the person standing at the entrance to the Resistance base with a dead battery when your boarding group is called.