The most immersive ride at Disney World, and one of the most intense. Stormtroopers, Kylo Ren, a drop, and loud blaster fire. Know before you go.
Bottom line: Prep them first for kids under 6. Skip it for anxious kids. Rise of the Resistance is not a traditional thrill ride, but the confrontational Imperial theming, sudden drop, and loud battle sounds scare more kids than most coasters at Disney. Star Wars fans who understand that the villains are pretend tend to do well. Kids who aren't into Star Wars or who are nervous about villains should skip it.
You enter a room where a hologram of Rey gives you a mission briefing. It's dark but not scary. The tone is adventurous, not threatening. Most kids are excited at this point. This is the calm before the intensity ramps up.
You board what feels like a real transport ship. The doors close, the floor vibrates, and screen windows show you flying through space. Then the ship gets "captured" by the First Order. The ship lurches, lights flicker, and the tone shifts from adventure to tension. This is where nervous kids start to feel it. The doors open and you're inside a massive Star Destroyer hangar.
This is one of the most impressive rooms in any theme park. You walk out of the shuttle into a cavernous hangar with rows of life-size stormtroopers standing at attention and a full-scale TIE fighter overhead. It's brightly lit and absolutely massive. Some kids are awestruck. Others are terrified by the stormtroopers. The troopers don't move or interact with you, but their presence is deliberately intimidating.
You board a trackless ride vehicle that holds about 8 people. The vehicle moves through dark corridors with unpredictable direction changes. Kylo Ren appears with his lightsaber and slashes at the wall near your vehicle. Stormtroopers fire blasters. AT-ATs loom overhead. The vehicle jerks, spins, and reverses as you "escape." There is a genuine drop sequence where the vehicle falls suddenly in darkness for about 2-3 seconds. The blaster fire and explosions are loud throughout.
The ride ends with a dramatic "escape pod" sequence. Finn appears to help you escape. The vehicle moves quickly through a final corridor and you're out. The whole ride experience from first pre-show to exit takes about 18-20 minutes, which is long. That's a lot of time in dark, intense environments for a young kid who isn't comfortable.
Watch the full ride POV on YouTube together. This ride has so many phases and surprises that a preview is essential. Show them the stormtrooper hangar, Kylo Ren, and the drop sequence so nothing catches them off guard. Search for Rise of the Resistance POV here.
Frame it as "we're the heroes escaping the bad guys." Kids who understand the narrative handle the intensity much better. If they feel like they're part of the Resistance on a mission, the scary parts become exciting. If they don't know Star Wars at all, the stormtroopers are just scary strangers in masks.
Watch at least one Star Wars movie first. Familiarity with the characters transforms this ride. A kid who knows who Kylo Ren is will react very differently than a kid seeing a masked figure with a glowing sword for the first time.
There's no easy exit once you start. The pre-shows lead directly into the ride. If you think your kid might not handle it, make the call before entering the first pre-show room. You can always ask to exit before boarding the ride vehicle, but the pre-shows alone might be too much for very anxious kids.