Disney’s Rise of the Resistance Ride Review: The Most Transportive Ride Of All Time
Take the primary ride vehicle. Like many new attractions, Rise of the Resistance uses an autonomous trackless vehicle. Think of it this way: A typical tracked ride moves along the same predictable path each and every time. A trackless ride can sweep a space like a drone, interacting with its environment and other ride vehicles, backtracking, and moving in almost any which way.
Still, many new rides that feature trackless tech don’t really use it to accomplish anything new or exciting. With Rise of the Resistance, your ride vehicle literally goes up an enormous elevator, seems to fall from the sky with a sudden Tower of Terror-esque freefall, and “clicks” into place on Star Tours-like simulator. This ride simply couldn’t exist on a track.
“Traditionally in an attraction, we settle on one ride system and that might become the main drive,” says Cory Rouse, Creative Director for Walt Disney Imagineering. “We have four different ride systems in Rise of the Resistance, and we had to tie them all together to serve the story.”
The trackless tech is also used to create a real character: A scared droid who has been tasked with piloting your vehicle. Its movements are frantic and skittish as it races to get you (and itself) to safety. Through it all, your route feels improvised and uncertain—a feeling made by the lack of a physical track to telegraph your next move.