by Should you get a paper boarding pass for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland? We dive into the pros and cons of this boarding pass method.
Thinking about grabbing a paper boarding pass for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance? It’s a thought that many travelers wonder before heading to Disneyland. After all, boarding passes are running out in just seconds after the park opens. So are paper boarding passes easier and do they guarantee a better placement?
Disneyland created this option for those who don’t have access to the Disneyland mobile application. While the vast majority of guests get a digital boarding pass, we wondered if there would be a benefit to the opting for a paper one.
We recently tried the paper boarding pass technique and found it pretty challenging for a number of reasons. The first thing to understand is that there are only two paper boarding pass distribution kiosks. The first is in Tomorrowland, where most guests attempting to grab a paper boarding pass go. The second is at the Splash Mountain FastPass kiosks.
No matter which side of the park you choose, getting there first is very difficult. Most guests aren’t allowed inside of that area until 5 minutes before park opening. So even if you get there early you’re pooled in with everyone else. Once the rope drops, people pretty much sprint to these machines. Therefore, Splash Mountain is easier to get to than Tomorrowland since it’s so far away from the main hub. Keep in mind, you only have 5 minutes to get from the hub near the Castle all the way to Splash Mountain!
Of course, if you’re one of the first there, you’re in a better position as these are first come, first served. We didn’t run because, frankly, it’s unsafe due to un-level ground and it’s against Disney’s rules. However, we were pretty close to the rope when it dropped to allow us inside and speed walking was enough to score us sixth in line at a FastPass kiosk (that’s about a quarter of a mile)!
Now, here’s the tricky part. Like we said before, these paper boarding passes are first come, first served. On opening day, Cast Members told us that they FastPass machines had 50 boarding passes each. If that was ever true (we doubt that it was), it is no longer. Now ALL boarding groups are tied together including the kiosks and the mobile application.
Since we were sixth in line, we tried our mobile application at opening time instead. Within seconds, we slipped into a boarding group in the 20s. Meanwhile, only two people had gone before us in line. We hopped out of the line to give the people in back of us a chance, and then spoke with the parties in front of us. The first two groups received boarding passes below 10! This is a great number because you’ll likely board within the 30-60 minutes of park opening (our boarding pass in the 20s became available within the first two hours, which was fantastic).
Sadly, the third group wasn’t so lucky. Their boarding passes were split! Meaning, some received boarding passes in the 30s and others were in the 50s. These were run just a couple of seconds apart from one another.
Now, we’ve heard from guests that Disney may sometimes allow split groups to go together. However, you must all go at the later boarding group. Before you attempt this, we recommend speaking with Cast Members standing at the front of the queue for Rise of the Resistance.
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Disneyland and Walt Disney World opted for virtual boarding passes over traditional lines for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. After learning lessons Cars Land and Pandora–The World of Avatar, where guests waited several hours in line, this new option gives guests time to explore other areas of the resort while they wait.
Nevertheless, the virtual boarding pass system isn’t always well received. Crashed apps and connectivity issues have disappointed a lot fo visitors. If this happens to you, screenshot your phone and take it to guest relations. Sometimes they are willing to help you get in the boarding pass time on your phone. Keep in mind, like any boarding pass method, this isn’t guaranteed.
