Does anyone else find Rise of the Resistance and Runaway Railway underwhelming?

[Edward Jackson]

Disclaimer, I have only experienced Runaway Railroad, on Youtube. I am, to start with, impressed by the trackless rides. The technical
advancements that have made them possible are great. I rode rise in January of this year. The special effects in Rise are impressive and you can see the detail that was put into them. (You notice the projections of Kylo, Hucks & the Stormtroopers cast shadows) It is a fun ride that actually combines a number of ride systems. I definitely think it is exceptional.

 

[jaklgreen]

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RoTR is probably the best ride that WDW has right now. I feel that it is the most immersive ride that is not a screen. It goes to everything that I think Disney always wanted, an all immersive experience where you are "in" the ride. MMRR is a cute ride, but not seeing the preshow might have made a difference, but I liked it quit a bit.

 

[SJG]

Now that we've had some time for these attractions to settle, I can't help but feel that these attractions are kind of overrated. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy them both, but I feel that they're lacking, especially in the department of how they use their trackless vehicle technology. I don't think that Rise of the Resistance does anything special, even with having its vehicles move in and out elevators, because the Tower of Terror has been doing that since its opening. Runaway Railway also feels a bit like an empty warehouse and everything is happening at such a chaotic pace that you have a hard time following exactly what is happening. I think that Ratatouille, based off of what we see with the version in Paris, is actually likely to be the best of these attractions coming to WDW because of its pacing and how it uses its trackless vehicles to simulate movemen

 

[SJG]

Disclaimer, I have only experienced Runaway Railroad, on Youtube. I am, to start with, impressed by the trackless rides. The technical
advancements that have made them possible are great. I rode rise in January of this year. The special effects in Rise are impressive and you can see the detail that was put into them. (You notice the projections of Kylo, Hucks & the Stormtroopers cast shadows) It is a fun ride that actually combines a number of ride systems. I definitely think it is exceptional.

We actually LOVE ROTR but were terribly disappointed in M & M train ride.

 

[texasex95]

I agree with regarding Smuggler's Run. I find it boring and just go because my husband and son want to ride.

I agree too with Smuggler's Run and what really drives me crazy about it is that if you're a gunner, you can't watch the film! I can't believe they didn't think about this as a problem! Why didn't they put the gunner and engineer buttons on the seat in front of them?! So frustrating!

 

[texasex95]

Now that we've had some time for these attractions to settle, I can't help but feel that these attractions are kind of overrated. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy them both, but I feel that they're lacking, especially in the department of how they use their trackless vehicle technology. I don't think that Rise of the Resistance does anything special, even with having its vehicles move in and out elevators, because the Tower of Terror has been doing that since its opening. Runaway Railway also feels a bit like an empty warehouse and everything is happening at such a chaotic pace that you have a hard time following exactly what is happening. I think that Ratatouille, based off of what we see with the version in Paris, is actually likely to be the best of these attractions coming to WDW because of its pacing and how it uses its trackless vehicles to simulate movement.

I agree! I wanted more thrill with RotR and more "chaos" between the vehicles and Stormtroopers...I thought the hundreds of them were going to chase after us when I first saw the concept art...that would have been so freaking cool! Instead, they just stand there and a few of them turn their heads. zzzzzzz. I think Flight of Passage has a much more thrilling and fun experience. As far as having a Star Wars experience, I think Hyperspace Mountain is the best! I could ride that over and over! Great use of music and effects. I'm hopeful that Guardians of the Galaxy will have a "let's do that again...and again...and again" experience. That's what makes a solid attraction in my opinion.

I haven't been on Runaway Railroad yet but have been on Pooh's Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland...both more fun than RotR if you ask me. I've also been on Ratatouille at Disneyland Paris and it's OK as far as tackless rides go.

 

[ftblgenius]

I'm 0-3 on attempting to ride Rise of the Resistance so far, so I can't give my opinion on that. I honestly preferred The Great Movie Ride over Mickey and Minnie.

 

[djkidkaz]

There should be an option that Rise is amazing and MMRR is "meh" so I won't vote.

To me the best thing about MMRR was the pre-show effect. The ride itself is very underwhelming, I can't even believe they are building a second one in Disneyland. I would compare it to the Enchanted Tales with Belle show. Best part of that is the preshow when the door magically appears and you walk through.

Rise to me was amazing. I couldn't be happier with that attraction. So many unique ideas put into one attraction.

 

[Hcalvert]

I agree too with Smuggler's Run and what really drives me crazy about it is that if you're a gunner, you can't watch the film! I can't believe they didn't think about this as a problem! Why didn't they put the gunner and engineer buttons on the seat in front of them?! So frustrating!

I am always the gunner! However, I did let my son and husband be the pilots in July. It means more to them than it does to me.

 

[tl77]

I haven't rode either of these yet, and have been avoiding online videos til I can see it myself in person, though I'm not really excited for either one. For one thing, I feel like the trackless rides I have seen are kind of underwhelming in general, I think the trackless ride "concept" sounds more impressive than it really is. Those rides seem to take up a lot of space in the park, but are mostly just a lot of "scenery". I may be alone here, but I think the WDW Winnie the Pooh ride is a better fit for that character than the Tokyo one, and the AA figures in the new Tokyo Beauty and the Beast ride are amazing, but that is another "mostly scenery" attraction ...aside from that, I think the new Star Wars Kylo Ren thing? and the new "Ren and Stimpy" looking Mickey Mouse characters? were a horrible choice for attractions. If they had gone with the classic Mickey in a "non screen based" setting I'd be into that... or if the Star Wars ride was Luke Skywalker's landspeeder on a Test Track ride system, speeding past all the stuff on Tatooine in the original trilogy? The Jawas, their sand crawler, the sand people, Mos Eisley, the cantina characters, Jabba the Hutt, his palace and all those characters, The Rancor Monster, Boba Fett, the Sarlacc Pit... that's the Star Wars ride I would want to go on, I don't really care about a "trackless ride vehicle through a lame sequel movie"

 

[Ginzuishou]

I haven't rode either of these yet, and have been avoiding online videos til I can see it myself in person, though I'm not really excited for either one. For one thing, I feel like the trackless rides I have seen are kind of underwhelming in general, I think the trackless ride "concept" sounds more impressive than it really is. Those rides seem to take up a lot of space in the park, but are mostly just a lot of "scenery". I may be alone here, but I think the WDW Winnie the Pooh ride is a better fit for that character than the Tokyo one, and the AA figures in the new Tokyo Beauty and the Beast ride are amazing, but that is another "mostly scenery" attraction ...aside from that, I think the new Star Wars Kylo Ren thing? and the new "Ren and Stimpy" looking Mickey Mouse characters? were a horrible choice for attractions. If they had gone with the classic Mickey in a "non screen based" setting I'd be into that... or if the Star Wars ride was Luke Skywalker's landspeeder on a Test Track ride system, speeding past all the stuff on Tatooine in the original trilogy? The Jawas, their sand crawler, the sand people, Mos Eisley, the cantina characters, Jabba the Hutt, his palace and all those characters, The Rancor Monster, Boba Fett, the Sarlacc Pit... that's the Star Wars ride I would want to go on, I don't really care about a "trackless ride vehicle through a lame sequel movie"

yeah, the trackless ride system on beauty and the beast looks really dumb. you sit in a cup dancing and spinning with all of these other people. spinning, tilting, spinning, swaying back and forth, la dee da, dumm, dee dumm.....

 

[Poseidon Quest]

yeah, the trackless ride system on beauty and the beast looks really dumb. you sit in a cup dancing and spinning with all of these other people. spinning, tilting, spinning, swaying back and forth, la dee da, dumm, dee dumm.....

I completely disagree. I think this is how the trackless ride tech is used to its fullest potential. The ability for the vehicles to sync and dance with each other, as well as backtrack, creates a whole new type of dark ride scene where space is utilized to the maximum. I posted a link on original post to a video I did that illustrates this.

 

[gerarar]

I've said this before, but ROTR is the peak of trackless ride systems. But when you really look at it, it's not just that.

There's elevators and sudden elevation changes (caught off guard on first ride through), a simulator at the end with a drop elevator.
In addition neat a lot little tricks throughout. One impressive effect is the fake down elevator with the lightsaber. Most guests take this as a real elevator and they're actually going down, so by the time it's escape pod time, most aren't even expecting it. That's just pure genius work right there from the Imagineers.

My favorite part/scene is probably the bridge scene. Having Kylo turn towards you as you run away is so cool! Plus Kylo dropping down and chasing you before you go down the (fake) elevator.

However, could Disney have done more? Of course yes! The ride severely lacks in actual physical ride effects, so more of that would be fine. There's somewhat of an over-reliance on projections for smoke and blaster effects imo.
Hopefully in the future Disney can somehow add more AA's to the ride, like more Stormtroopers popping out in the AT-AT scene or even the during first encounter as earlier concept art indicated.

I rode ROTR and FoP for the first time last December, and they were the highlights of my trip. I couldn't stop thinking about either, but to this day -- I still can't get over Rise and continue to monitor and watch POV's on YouTube.

It's a great attraction, or should I say experience. As soon as you go through the entrance, it's an epic adventure until you exit your ride transport. It's up there with ToT, which imo complement each other as they are in the same park.

 

[Raineman]

I haven't been to studios to ride either yet (planning on 2021).

My daughter and I road Smuggler's Run at Disneyland and we were like WOW. I cannot believe how lame the ride is.
The queue was great but the ride was very underwhelming.
To us it was star tours except not as varied.
Mission Space where - Oh press these buttons but it does nothing.
Very sad. We were hoping for more.

I agree with you regarding Smuggler's Run. I find it boring and just go because my husband and son want to ride.

Speaking for myself, and I’m sure there are others that feel this way, the reason that I loved Smugglers Run wasn’t so much that it was a great ride technically, but the emotional connection to the source material was strong. When I was a kid, I dreamt about boarding the Falcon, sitting at the holochess board and hopping in that cockpit and flying the Falcon. Not only did I get to do that, but I did it with my daughter as my copilot. Are there aspects of the ride that could be improved? Sure, but that experience will always rank as one of the greatest WDW memories for myself and my daughter. I can understand why people who do not have that connection aren’t big fans of that ride.

 

[LovePop]

Haven't got on either ride, so can't vote. Planning on going on Mouse ride but not RotR. Too old with too many kids to be standing outside DHS for hours, so, will forget that until Disney decides to give out fastpasses for RotR. I don't think it's fair of Disney to not give out fastpasses; it's just a direct snub at people like me who can't manage standing outside DHS early in the morning, but not a big deal. I don't like the look of the ride anyway, I just want to do it for my kids. I just like a trackless dark ride that give me something to do at DHS, I don't care what it's about. I wish it was about How Coca Cola is Made, or something, because then the line wouldn't be so long and I can likely get on it with some ease. The Mouse ride looks pretty good and I think my baby will enjoy it. I don't like stick Mickey but my baby does.

 

[jaklgreen]

Haven't got on either ride, so can't vote. Planning on going on Mouse ride but not RotR. Too old with too many kids to be standing outside DHS for hours, so, will forget that until Disney decides to give out fastpasses for RotR. I don't think it's fair of Disney to not give out fastpasses; it's just a direct snub at people like me who can't manage standing outside DHS early in the morning, but not a big deal. I don't like the look of the ride anyway, I just want to do it for my kids. I just like a trackless dark ride that give me something to do at DHS, I don't care what it's about. I wish it was about How Coca Cola is Made, or something, because then the line wouldn't be so long and I can likely get on it with some ease. The Mouse ride looks pretty good and I think my baby will enjoy it. I don't like stick Mickey but my baby does.

Did you not see that you don't actually have to be in the parks anymore to get a boarding group for RoTR. You just have to have a park reservation for that day and you can do what everyone else does and get on right at 10 to take your chances. So you can be in your hotel room and try to get a boarding group. I was there last month and walked from the Yacht Club to HS and they were getting people through really fast. They are now letting everyone into the parks well before opening time and you no longer have to all stay just in the area by the entrance. They are allowing people to walk anywhere into the parks and even start to line up for the rides well before the park actually opens. So the waiting for hours outside of the park is no longer a thing.

 

[Giss Neric]

I agree too with Smuggler's Run and what really drives me crazy about it is that if you're a gunner, you can't watch the film! I can't believe they didn't think about this as a problem! Why didn't they put the gunner and engineer buttons on the seat in front of them?! So frustrating!

Uh, you can't multitask? The buttons light up to signal you to press it or you can just press them without looking. You can definitely watch the ride while simultaneously pushing buttons.

 

[Giss Neric]

Haven't got on either ride, so can't vote. Planning on going on Mouse ride but not RotR. Too old with too many kids to be standing outside DHS for hours, so, will forget that until Disney decides to give out fastpasses for RotR. I don't think it's fair of Disney to not give out fastpasses; it's just a direct snub at people like me who can't manage standing outside DHS early in the morning, but not a big deal. I don't like the look of the ride anyway, I just want to do it for my kids. I just like a trackless dark ride that give me something to do at DHS, I don't care what it's about. I wish it was about How Coca Cola is Made, or something, because then the line wouldn't be so long and I can likely get on it with some ease. The Mouse ride looks pretty good and I think my baby will enjoy it. I don't like stick Mickey but my baby does.

You just said you were planning but clearly you haven't done more research as the boarding groups can be done outside the parks now and you don't have to arrive early before park opening and standing in line. But as you said, you don't care for what it's about anyways so just let other people who care have a chance to ride it.

 

[HoustonHorn]

Rode both for the first time today. My answer to the OP:

No.

 

[UNCgolf]

Speaking for myself, and I’m sure there are others that feel this way, the reason that I loved Smugglers Run wasn’t so much that it was a great ride technically, but the emotional connection to the source material was strong. When I was a kid, I dreamt about boarding the Falcon, sitting at the holochess board and hopping in that cockpit and flying the Falcon. Not only did I get to do that, but I did it with my daughter as my copilot. Are there aspects of the ride that could be improved? Sure, but that experience will always rank as one of the greatest WDW memories for myself and my daughter. I can understand why people who do not have that connection aren’t big fans of that ride.

I think getting to boarding the Falcon etc. is phenomenal but the ride itself is not good. There are 25 year old computer games that do a better job making you feel like you're flying a ship in the Star Wars galaxy. It may have been better as a Swiss Family Robinson treehouse walkthrough attraction.