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At 4:30 am, we rise for Rise of the Resistance at Galaxy’s Edge.

Our heads swim with advice from fellow park goers and cast members. We’re uncertain what is true, and what is false.

Everyone states that we MUST take a Lyft or Uber to Hollywood Studios. Taking the resort bus is certain Boarding Group failure.

At the resort entrance, we pass guests anxiously waiting  for Lyft or Uber drivers to become available, we roll the dice, heading to the bus stop at the Riviera Resort.

The bus arrives at 5:45 am. We’re on the bus and off at Hollywood Studios in a blink. I have a feeling the people back at the resort are still waiting for drivers.

There’s tension in the air as thousands of people wait for the park to open. We MUST be through the magic band gate by 7:00 am.

To avoid creating an angry mob, the main entrance opens extra early, leaving plenty of time to let those waiting into the park.

The bodies packs in tight.

As the sun rises, voices repeat rumors regarding boarding pass success.

“Turn off your Wi-fi. If the Wi-fi slows down, or worse, crashes (apparently it happened once?), you’re doomed.”

I turn off my Wi-fi and use my precious data.

“Make sure the My Disney Experience app states that you are in Hollywood Studios.”

Done (this is true and important).

“The boarding passes refresh at exactly 7:00 am. You want to press the app exactly at 7:00am, not before.”

Not sure if this is true, but I do it just to be sure.

At exactly 7:00 am, thousands of people log onto the app, jamming their fingers against the screen with hopeful desperation. Sounds of woohoo, yay, and YES, rise from the crowd.

I release a breath, letting go of all of the morning stress. My app registers that we’re in boarding group 63. Success. (Feeling more confident, we attempt a boarding pass on our last day. Using the same method, we get boarding group 16).

Relaxed, we allow the ocean of park visitors to carry us on their wave to Smuggler’s Run.

Smuggler’s Run is super fun. We ride it twice. The first day I’m an engineer. The second day I’m a gunner, the job I wanted most.

I’m good at pressing buttons.

While we wait for our boarding pass to be called, we wander around Galaxy’s Edge.  Black Spire Outpost Market, stirs my fangirl heart.

The setting evokes feelings of adventure.

Intrigued by the sweet and spicy popcorn, we order up a bag. The sweet is lemon pound cake popcorn, and the spicy is chili lime.

I know, it sounds weird, but it’s a delicious combination. It’s so good, we make a second bag a priority on our final day.

Since we left today’s agenda light, there is ample time to marvel at the immersive details in Galaxy’s Edge. Throughout the day we spot Storm Troopers, Chewie, and Rey, interacting with guests.

Boarding Group 63 is called around 11 am. Though we have 2 hours to get to the ride, our anticipation leads us to the entrance with geeky haste.

Since there are a ton of YouTube videos you can watch about Rise of the Resistance, I won’t go through it in detail. It’s a very cool ride. We especially enjoy the aspect of moving through a cohesive story experience. I felt like a kid, getting to act out my fictional fantasy.

Since all of the cast members take their roles seriously, I develop butterflies in my stomach when we’re captured.

I bubble over with excitement as we wait to be interrogated. One of the Imperial Officers asks me why I’m smiling since I’m about to be interrogated for being a rebel.

Thinking quickly, I tell her I’m excited because I want to join the Darkside.

“Good,” she replies. “Be sure to tell them as soon as your interrogation begins.”

We loved the ride enough, we elect to wake up at 4:30 am again on our last day to ride it a second time.

Joining the Rebellion really works up an appetite.

All of the information I absorbed before the trip said if you eat one food in Galaxy’s Edge, you have to eat a Ronto Wrap.

I agree.

The sausage, pork,  tangy slaw, with peppercorn sauce, is tasty. We wash the well -spiced- sausage- with- the- right- amount- of -bite, down with a non-alcoholic Tatooine Sunset (iced tea, lemonade, melon, and blueberry).

On our final day, we score a reservation for Oga’s Cantina (more on Oga’s in Lounging Around Disney- Round 2 post). It’s worth scoring a reservation to spend time in the highly themed atmosphere.

If you don’t do alcohol, or have kids,  there are plenty of creative non-alcohol drink options on the menu.

I’m ecstatic we finally got to visit Galaxy’s Edge. I’ve seen a lot of criticism over the whole Rise of the Resistance procedure, and though in the initial moments it felt bonkers, in the end it provided a familiar rush. It felt similar to the nights waiting for the midnight release of Harry Potter books, or, waiting at a West Coast video, receiving a lottery number, then crossing fingers that your number would be called so you could  buy tickets to a concert. There’s a feeling of anticipation, camaraderie with others, and elation when your goal is achieved. And just in case for some reason you don’t get to ride Rise of the Resistance, remember what Master Yoda says “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” There are so many great things to enjoy in Galaxy’s Edge so don’t let a non-boarding pass ruin your day.

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“Lounging” Around Disney-Round 3-Epcot Fun Staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort “Lounging” Around Disney-Round 2-Awesome Themes Star Wars Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios