Welcome, young padawan.
There is just one explanation if you are joining me to read this guide. You also agree that Rise of Skywalker should be erased from existence, right? No? Maybe? Oh, you want to know more about the best Star Wars rides at Disney? Let me tell you that both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida have some amazing Star Wars rides.
In fact, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is often considered one of the best rides at Disney (and one of the best dark rides in the world), while Star Tours is an absolute classic that gives you a complete overview of the history of Star Wars.
Here are the best - and, in fact, only - Star Wars rides you can find at Disney:
#1 - Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Located in: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Disney World) and Disneyland Park.
- Date: 2019
- Type: Dark Ride
- Score: 9 midichlorians out of 10
- FastPass: Lightning Lane Single Pass available
- Read our Review here!
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a must-see when visiting Disney. Period. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know who Greedo is, if you're not a fan of Jar Jar Binks, or if you’ve never even heard of Luke Skywalker in your life (what’s wrong with you?). This is the main ride at Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars-themed land added to Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios about five years ago.
Rise of the Resistance could technically be considered a dark ride, but in reality, it’s much more than that. It’s a dark ride with top-tier storytelling, expansive environments, and even a drop tower element near the end. It features characters from the newest trilogy of movies, so you’ll see and hear Rey, Poe, and Finn. It’s also a great preview of what dark rides can become in the future, and it’s still such a big hit that it apparently inspired Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry at Epic Universe.
Even the queue for Rise of the Resistance is amazing, and it’s considered part of the attraction. It’s one of the best queues in theme park history, complete with a big twist that I won’t spoil for you here. Toward the end of the line, even the cast members get in on the action, roleplaying as First Order agents and being “mean” to you in the best way possible. Seriously, I wish more queues were like this instead of just one big, boring line.
As for the ride itself, it’s a trackless experience that takes you through some massive environments. You’ll face off against CG stormtroopers (yeah, their aim is still terrible), towering AT-ATs, and even Kylo Ren with his lightsaber. It’s a fantastic mix of animatronics, practical effects, and special effects that really come alive near the end, as you witness a huge battle outside your ship between X-Wings and TIE Fighters. It’s seriously cool, and it genuinely makes you feel like you’re in a galaxy far, far away.
The main problem with Rise of the Resistance is the technical issues. This ride has a ton of moving parts, which means it goes down for maintenance more often than I’d like. On top of that, some effects just don’t work anymore, and I’m not sure why Disney hasn’t acted faster to fix them. One example is the cannons near the end, which no longer move while firing. When I visited in February 2025, even a cool effect with Kylo Ren’s lightsaber wasn’t working. Disappointing? Sure. But this is still a must-do ride that you should experience at least once.
#2 - Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Located in: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Disney World) and Disneyland Park.
- Date: 2019
- Type: Action Motion Simulator
- Score: 12 parsecs out of 1 Kessel Run.
- FastPass: Lightning Lane Multi Pass available
- Read our Review here!
Ever wanted to ride the iconic YT-1300 Corellian Light Freighter? Now you can (Chewbacca not included)! Smuggler’s Run is the little brother of Rise of the Resistance, and often doesn’t get as much attention as the dark ride. While Rise of the Resistance is a blockbuster attraction with tons of stuff happening at once, Smuggler’s Run is more like a videogame where up to six guests board the ship, with each one of them having a different role.
The roles are: pilot, gunner and engineer. The pilots are responsible for moving the ship, with one going up and down and the other left and right. The gunners fire the cannons at incoming enemies and the engineers fix the ship or protect it from incoming missiles. Yes, it reminds me of a video game, and it’s also pretty fun! In fact, I can see this ride receiving more and more updates in the future and just getting better.
I honestly don’t remember what the story is about. I think you’re protecting a freighter from the First Order or something? Sorry, I was too busy slamming the Falcon into every ship and tunnel I could find. The ride is pretty fun, and it’s one of those experiences where everyone starts screaming and laughing the moment you hit the first obstacle. Seriously, I just can’t coordinate with my cousin when I’m in charge of moving the ship up and down and he’s steering left and right. C’mon, Han, couldn’t you have programmed your ship to only need one pilot?
Just so you know, you’re moving along a pre-defined route. Yes, you’re only steering the ship and firing at whatever comes your way. Think of it like Nintendo’s Star Fox. I do wish the visuals were in 8K, but I’m guessing the screen resolution can be upgraded over time. The controls are also very simple, which makes sense since guests of all ages will be playing.
The good thing about this ride is that it seems pretty easy to upgrade - after all, it’s essentially a video game. Just recently, it was announced that a new mission based on The Mandalorian and Grogu will be added in 2026, where you protect Pedro Pascal and Baby Yoda from new threats. I really hope we get even more missions over time, which would make replayability even better. And yes, I still hope Disney upgrades the screen someday too. What else could they improve? Maybe add a VR version… though that might slow the line down way too much.
If you’re visiting Disney, make sure to check this one out. I don’t think it’s quite on the same level as Rise of the Resistance, but it’s definitely worth riding at least once. One more cool touch: after the ride ends, the exit hallway reflects how well (or terribly) you did, with blinking lights and sparking sounds if you slammed the Falcon too much during your run. Yes, it’s like a Christmas tree every time I leave, and I love it.
#3 - Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
- Located in: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Disney World) and Disneyland Park.
- Date: 1989
- Type: Motion Simulator
- Score: 530 new Star Wars Disney+ Series out of 798
- FastPass: Lightning Lane Multi Pass available
- Read our Review here!
Star Tours is the original Star Wars ride at Disney. For decades, guests have taken photos near the speeder bike by the entrance before embarking on an adventure with C-3PO through planets like Tatooine, Coruscant, and Naboo. Star Tours has only grown since then, with new scenes added over time to include content from every single movie, and most (if not all) of the TV series too.
At its core, Star Tours is a classic motion simulator that feels straight out of the ’90s. You sit down, buckle up, look at a screen in front of you, and watch a short Star Wars adventure while your seat shifts and tilts along with the action. The main twist? It’s randomized. Each ride is made up of three separate sequences, and for each one, you’ll get one of five or six possible scenes. That means you’ll probably never see the exact same “movie” twice, and Disney keeps updating the lineup with content from new films and shows.
There are tons of different characters, all portrayed by their original actors. You’ll see Rey, Poe, Finn, and most of the key characters from the new trilogy, as well as Ahsoka, Cassian Andor, Princess Leia, and Yoda. No Jar Jar Binks, though, which is absolutely heartbreaking.
Star Tours is a must-see for two main reasons. First, it’s a classic, and probably the most “Star Wars” ride at Disney, since it features every movie and tons of characters. It’s also the oldest ride, complete with the iconic score from John Williams. Second, it has some of the lowest queue times, and it’s not uncommon to walk right up and wait just 5 or 10 minutes to ride.
There’s also another cool element that guests love about Star Tours. One person on the ride is chosen as the “Rebel Spy,” and their face appears on the screen during the attraction. For a long time, I thought the Rebel Spy was chosen randomly, but it turns out the staff member in the ride room selects them from a panel. I’ve been the Rebel Spy at least once, and I can confidently, definitely say that… it didn’t change my life. But hey, for one or two seconds, it was pretty cool.
