There was a time when Rise of the Resistance took guests even closer to the Dark Side.
Beck!
Over my 30+ years visiting Disney’s theme parks, I can’t recall too many major attractions that have quite as mixed a reputation. On the one hand, the massive Star Wars E-Ticket is hailed by many as one of the best attractions Disney has ever created, with its trackless ride system, massive immersive sets, and multi-experience queue that almost counts as an attraction of itself. Others will counter that while the ride system is extraordinary, it’s also prone to breakdowns, delays, and long waits. However, both sides of the argument wish that this one rarely seen element would return.
One of Rise of the Resistance’s show-stopping moments is the reveal of the Star Destroyer, when guests exit the transport portion of the queue (yes, the queue has its own miniature simulator ride portion) to a full-scale hangar featuring a Tie Fighter and a seemingly endless army of Stormtroopers.
Rise of the Resistance
The sight is one of the most breathtaking in all of Disney’s parks… and in the past, it was a bit terrifying. See, previously, Disney has snuck real Stormtroopers into the large group of stagnant states and light animatronic troopers. Said real Troopers would then sneak up on guests, giving them a scare that would make some Halloween Horror Nights performers eat their hearts out.
Rise of the Resistance
While having real Stormtroopers in the Rise queue has never been an everyday occurrence, it was somewhat more common in the early years of the ride’s operation, with members of our team recalling several instances of encountering them back in 2022. Some online sources say that real Troopers appeared in the queue as recently as the summer of 2025, though we haven’t been able to independently verify these claims.
We don’t think any real troopers snuck up on Romain Grosjean ©Romain Grosjean
In any case, we would like to see the real Troopers return to the Rise of the Resistance hangar scene with more regularity, as they add some kinetic energy… and some legitimate scares to the mega-attraction. Stay tuned to DFB for more.
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When Magic Kingdom first opened, back when it had a lot of scary rides as Snow White, when your doom buggy turned around in Haunted Mansion a cast member would be there with a noose in his hand and he would bend over and dangle it in front of your face. Miss that human interaction.