There are two schools of thought when a new Disney parks attraction opens: watch a ride-through video online, or wait for the surprise of riding it in person for the first time.
There are more than enough valid reasons to watch the ride-through ahead of time, especially if there are guests in your party not well-suited to more intense attractions. One of the greatest benefits to theme park vacationing in the social media age is the accessibility to knowledge and impressions before riding.
But there is something to be said about the experience of discovering a new attraction for the first time in-person. I refrained from watching videos in advance of my trips when new attractions and lands have opened for the past several years, and its lead to the same childlike wonderment and discovery my earliest trips to the Disney parks had. The excitement had never dwindled for me as I grew, but I longed for those first impressions of something fresh, not knowing when I would turn or drop next. Every second became a surreal surprise that amplified my enjoyment of the attractions and the lands, and made the first ride on them a set of experiences that I can recount in vivid detail.
That widespread desire speaks to Disney’s track record of mind-blowing thrill experiences, and based on impressions, the new attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, appears to be setting a new standard. Rumors and small hints of news spilled out across the internet since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge first opened to the public, but even that excitement seemed to a small indicator of the innovation guests have been introduced to now that the attraction has launched.
Guests able to hide themselves from spoilers are certainly in for a euphoric treat when the multi-system attraction unfolds before them, though those who need to for safety or other logistical reasons have just as much discovery awaiting them if they have yet to discover the rest of the Star Wars land.