Disney Guests Left Devastated After Four Hour Wait

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Via InsideTheMagic

Imagine waiting in line for a Disney attraction for hours, only to end up reaching the front of the line to be told the ride is broken? That was the case for some Guests this past week.

rise fail star wars

At Walt Disney World, arguably the most popular attraction can be found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Rise of the Resistance tends to have the longest wait times in the Park. For Guests looking to skip the line and purchase a single pass for Lightning Lane, the ride is the most expensive option (continuously varying pricing around the $17.00 mark) due to its popularity.

In a recent post on Reddit, Basuit commented on the Walt Disney World subreddit page to share their experience, or lack thereof, with Rise of the Resistance. It seems this Disney Guest waited in the Batuu standby queue for 4 hours, only to have the ride break once they got to the front. Of course, this is always a possibility as rides tend to temporarily go down often; after waiting hours, it would be a tough pill to swallow.

The Guest stated:

Wanted to share our very very disappointing experience with Rise of resistance on 12/23. Started line around 3pm onward and it took almost 200 mins to reach final stage. Right before sitting in to the riders we have been told attraction is temporarily unavailable due to some technical issue and we we’re given ILL pass to come back when attraction becomes available.

stormtroopers rise of the resistance

Not sure if anyone experienced this before but for us it was very painful experience to stand in the line for such a long time and finally they simply said attraction is not available. I felt they could have handled situation in much better way.

As it was almost 7.30 pm and also, due to our other planned activities outside of park we had to call it a day. Not sure if they were able to resolve the issue during last hour, anyone was able to go?

This past week has been an incredibly busy one at Walt Disney World, which is likely why the wait was a whopping 4 hours! As noted in the story, the Guests were given another Lightning Lane pass for the attraction once it was running again, however, after the disappointment from waiting for hours, they decided to go home.

rise of the resistance crowds

Disney describes the attraction as:

An Attraction on a Scale That Is Impressive, Most Impressive
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a massive attraction with multiple ride systems that is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced at Walt Disney World Resort… or anywhere else in the galaxy!
Accept a Mission from the Resistance
The Resistance needs your help! Hidden in the forest outside Black Spire Outpost, the Resistance is gathering recruits for a secret mission.

With the First Order desperate to extinguish the spark of the Resistance, the mission is bound to have unexpected twists and turns. When your transport is captured by an imposing First Order Star Destroyer filled with legions of stormtroopers—and even Kylo Ren!—you’re going to need all the help you can get. Fortunately, a covert team of Resistance fighters—including Rey and BB-8—is at the ready to give you a fighting chance to escape… and a chance for the Resistance to rise.

Disney World Is Extending Early Theme Park Entry For All Hotel Guests

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Christmas is one of the merriest and most magical times of the year, and spending the holidays at Walt Disney World can add an extra sprinkling of pixie dust to Guests’ festive celebrations. The holidays are a very busy time of year at The Most Magical Place on Earth, so a lot of Guests try to get to the Parks early in order to get the most out of their day.

As a perk for staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, Guests are allowed to get into a theme park of their choice — as long as they have a reservation to that Park — up to 30 minutes before the theme park opens for non-hotel Guests. However, for this holiday season, Disney has decided to spread even more holiday cheer to Guests and has announced that they are extending early theme park entry from 30 minutes to one hour!

The Walt Disney World website currently reads:

As part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration, Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels can take advantage of a 30-minute early entry into Walt Disney World theme parks every day.

As we continue to celebrate the holiday season, from Sunday, December 19, 2021 to Monday, January 3, 2022, the early theme park entry benefit will be extended from 30 minutes to 60 minutes for Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels.

Valid theme park admission, park reservation and Resort ID are required.

Guests staying at the following hotels can take part in the extended early morning theme park hours:

  • Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
  • Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
  • Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
  • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort
  • The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
  • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
  • The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney’s Beach Club Resort
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
  • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
  • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
  • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort
  • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
  • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
  • Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World® Resort
  • B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
  • DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
  • Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
  • Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
  • Holiday Inn Orlando
  • Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
  • Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
  • Four Seasons Resort Orlando
  • Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
  • Waldorf Astoria Orlando

Extended theme park evening hours still only apply to Guests staying at Walt Disney World Deluxe hotels and other select hotels on Disney property. Extended evening hours typically happen on Mondays and Wednesdays and are currently only happening at Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT.

Disney World Making Changes To Park Hours In 2022

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Guests who are visiting Walt Disney World Resort in early 2022 may see a slight change in their plans.

If you’re planning to visit Disney World in mid-to-late February and are staying onsite at a Disney Resort, you should be aware of a change that was just recently made to Park availability.

Disney’s Extended Evening Hours, which is a perk for those staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort or a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, will change beginning February 21.

The Extended Evening Hours began in October and give Guests of select Resorts an opportunity to enjoy the Parks after hours once per week.

Magic Kingdom originally held its Extended Evening Hours on Wednesday and EPCOT held its Extended Evening Hours on Monday. Beginning February 21, the two Parks will be switching nights.

Disney Extended Evening Hours

Disney’s official description of the Extended Evening Hours reads:

With the kickoff of the 50th anniversary, enjoy extended evening hours on select evenings in select theme parks when you stay at a Disney Deluxe Resort or, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort or other select hotels. This exciting benefit begins in October 2021—so you can celebrate the spectacular 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort!

Here is the list of participating Hotels and Resorts:

Disney Deluxe Resorts

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Other Select Hotels

  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
  • Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World®
riviera sunrise

Just recently, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was added to the lineup of available attractions at EPCOT for Extended Evening Hours.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom do not currently offer Extended Evening Hours.

Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane Passes Sell Out in Just Hours

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

On December 8, Disney’s newest planning tool, Disney Genie, launched at Disneyland Resort, along with the new paid-for Lightning Lane service, Disney Genie+. Unfortunately, due to a massive cloud server outage, the launch was anything but smooth, and Guests who purchased Disney Genie+ found themselves unable to do things like book ride passes, access their already booked passes, and mobile order. The outage caused app issues for a couple of days, but now it looks like things have settled down and things are running relatively smoothly at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Disney Genie Plus

When Disney announced Disney Genie+, they also shared that some of the most popular rides at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World would not be a part of Genie+. These rides would be called individual attraction selections, and Guests would have to pay an additional fee to access the Lightning Lane.  At Disneyland Resort, those rides are Rise of the Resistance, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, and Radiator Springs Racers, and the fees that Guests would pay would depend on the time of year and even the day of the week.

Web Slingers

A lot of Guests voiced their discontent at having to pay not only for Disney Genie+ but then also having to pay even more if they wanted to get to the front of some of the most popular rides. Rise of the Resistance could cost upwards of $20 per Guest for front-of-the-line access on busy days, and some were shocked to see that high price tag. However, it seems that the shock wore off quickly and a lot of Guests decided that the price tag was worth skipping the line.

According to Instagrammer Gothic Rosie, individual attraction selection passes for Rise of the Resistance sold out in a matter of hours on Saturday, December 11.

STATUS UPDATE: INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANE
RISE OF THE RESISTANCE HAS SOLD OUT TODAY

Standby is still available. Check the app for wait times, currently at 120 minutes at the time of this posting.

Web Slingers and Radiator Springs Racers still have times available through ILL.

Thanks to @mramtrak457 for the heads up🥰🙏🏼!

ROTR Disneyland Tickets Sell out

It is important for Disneyland Guests to remember that individual attraction selection prices will vary, so it is important to check the Disneyland app for the most up-to-date information on the rides, as well as Disney Genie and Genie+.

Disney Is Giving Away a Free Stay on the Galactic Starcruiser BEFORE It Opens!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Hollywood Studios

If there is one thing Disney is always trying to do, it is creating new, one-of-a-kind experiences for its Guests at its theme parks around the world. Beginning in March 2022, Guests will be able to board the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser for a 2-day completely immersive experience. The Galactic Starcruiser — named Halcyon — will feature amazing things like Lightsaber Training, a planet excursion to Batuu — located in Hollywood Studios — and unique dining options.

While Guests will not be able to stay onboard the Galactic Starcruiser before March, Disney is hosting a sweepstakes where the winners will be able to stay on the Starcruiser before it opens! That’s right, the whole Starcruiser just for the winner and up to four Guests. Here are more details on the sweepstakes from Disney Parks Blog:

As part of the ongoing “Star Wars Bring Home The Bounty” campaign, Lucasfilm Consumer Products is partnering with Walt Disney World Resort and Lucasfilm Publishing to give one lucky winner the ultimate adventure: a chance to win a 2-night experience on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser before it opens in March 2022, and an exclusive meet and greet with the authors of  “Star Wars: The High Republic.”

By entering the Star Wars Bring Home the Bounty: Galactic Starcruiser Sweepstakes, one lucky grand prize winner will receive round-trip airfare for up to four individuals to Orlando, Florida for a 4-day/3-night vacation to Walt Disney World Resort, including a 2-night experience on a test voyage of the Galactic Starcruiser in February 2022. The winner of the grand prize will also get to experience a separate meet-and-greet opportunity with all five authors of “The High Republic” books and comics.

Galactic Starcruiser

While the Galactic Starcruiser sweepstakes will only have one grand prize winner, there will also be two first prize winners who will win an ultimate Star Wars prize pack. Here’s what the two first prize winners will receive:

Two first prize winners will receive a LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series AT-AT construction set, a Star Wars Galactic Snackin’ GROGU animatronic toy from Hasbro, a Star Wars R2-D2 TAMAGOTCHI, a Star Wars | Corkcicle – Death Star Ice Bucket, Star Wars | DIFF Eyewear – Darth Vader 2.0 sunglasses, Star Wars Jedi Decorative Pillows from Sobel Westex Home, a Star WarsDroids Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away by USPS, a “Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm” bundle, a “Star Wars: The High Republic: The Republic Fair” T-shirt and the full collection of “Star Wars: The High Republic” books and comics.

Galactic Starcruiser

The Galactic Starcruiser sweepstakes is open now through December 14, so make sure to enter as soon as possible, as the entry window is not very big. The winners will be announced during a special Star Wars: The High Republic livestream that will take place on January 4, 2022.

The Galactic Starcruiser sweepstakes is open to all US residents from all 50 states who are 18 or older. Those entering the sweepstakes may enter the contest once per day. The grand prize winner must take their Galactic Starcruiser vacation between February 16 and February 23, 2022.