Disney World Quietly Removes Rise of the Resistance Ride Element

The Walt Disney World Resort is once again the subject of firey discourse thanks to a new change to its already divisive Genie+ and Lightning Lane systems. Amid the update, which was rolled out online yesterday, Disney has also made a quiet change to one of its most popular and beloved rides–Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

In late 2021, as the Disney parks were acclimatizing to a new way of operation following the pandemic shutdowns and subsequent health and safety changes, the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort rolled out the Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane offerings.

Over the years, Disney Genie+ has evolved, adding and removing experiences and beginning to operate on a fluctuating price basis. Initially, Genie+ at Walt Disney World cost guests $15 per person per day, for example, but now can rocket up to nearly $40 depending on the season.

Despite the outcry over replacing the formerly free FastPass+ option with the paid Genie+, Disney guests are still buying into the scheme. The service often completely sells out multiple days in a row, especially during peak seasons like Spring Break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Earlier this week, Disney enacted a new change to its Genie+ and Lightning Lane systems. Instead of buying and reserving their first Genie+ selection of the day at 7 a.m., guests can now pre-book reservations up to seven days in advance–but only if they are based in the United States.

Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can purchase the service—now called the Lightning Lane Multi Pass—seven days before arrival and book three experiences for the entirety of their vacation (up to 14 days). Guests not staying on property can book three days prior.

For the Multi-Pass, guests will be required to select experiences from two lists, with more desirable attractions limited to just one selection at first. The new Lightning Lane rollout will commence on July 24, 2024.

The Lightning Lane Single Pass (formerly Individual Lightning Lane) can also be booked in advance for two attractions per day.

Those include Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The new queue system is not the only change coming to Walt Disney World Resort this year. Upon announcing the dates and experiences for Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios, Disney quietly confirmed a major change to one of its most in-demand rides.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened in 2019, shortly after the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Park at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios at Disney World. The attraction famously opened with a virtual queue but now welcomes guests both through standby and the a la carte Lightning Lane option.

Despite removing the virtual queue, Rise of the Resistance still utilized this system during the seasonal Jollywood Nights event in 2023. However, as confirmed by the official Walt Disney World website, this year, guests will be allowed to experience the Star Wars ride using a traditional standby line.

The removal of this part of the ride experience from Jollywood Nights is seemingly indefinite for the event. Fans will have to check back for 2025’s rules to see which option Disney has decided to use moving forward.

Jollywood Nights takes place on select nights from November 9 through December 21. The event is hard-ticketed, meaning guests will need to purchase a specific Jollywood Nights ticket and cannot enter on just Hollywood Studios admission.

The event page states, “Special event tickets may be purchased starting July 10, 2024. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can also purchase tickets early—starting July 2, 2024—for event dates during their stay.

The five-hour party commences at 7:30 p.m., but as usual with hard-ticketed events, guests can enter ahead of time. For this particular event, entry begins at 6 p.m.

Related: EPCOT’s Big Closure To Displace Thousands of Disney World Guests as Summer Crowds Descend

Jollywood Nights not only allows guests to enjoy a Disney park under less crowded conditions but also includes rare and exclusive experiences. This year, Kermit the Frog will host Disney Holidays in Hollywood at Theater of the Stars, while What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along will take over the Hyperion Theater.

Other themed entertainment includes celebrations and dance parties at locations such as Echo Lake, Pixar Plaza!, and the courtyard of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. New for this year, Disney welcomes guests to a skating spectacular on Hollywood Boulevard for “an awe-inspiring twist on the traditional ice show.”

Related: Restricted Access: Disney World Guest Spent Thousands to Experience Florida as a “Slimmer Person”

While Jollywood Nights proved popular in terms of ticket sales, the 2023 event was marred by negativity. Guests complained about long wait times for rides and characters, and a My Disney Experience app glitch caused operational chaos.

It will be interesting to see what changes Disney has made to this year’s celebration and guests attending will hopefully receive an overall smoother experience.

Will you be heading out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this year for Jollywood Nights? Let us know in the comments down below!