When Disneyland unveiled Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019, the ambitious land promised to immerse guests in the world of lightsabers and stormtroopers like never before. The land’s shops and cantinas drew attention, but it was one attraction that quickly became the benchmark for theme park storytelling.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the sprawling, nearly 20-minute ride-through adventure, remains one of Disney’s most celebrated creations. Combining multiple ride systems, massive sets, and advanced effects, it placed guests directly into a battle between the Resistance and the First Order.
Critical and fan response has consistently been enthusiastic. Unlike the mixed reactions to Galaxy’s Edge itself, Rise of the Resistance has drawn praise as a technological milestone, a blend of spectacle and immersion that few other theme park experiences can rival.
A Record-Setting Lightning Lane
That level of acclaim has come with a predictable trade-off — massive crowds. Since opening, Rise of the Resistance has almost always carried some of the longest lines at both Disneyland Park in California and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. Wait times often surpass 90 minutes, spiking even higher during peak holiday periods.
To manage demand, Disney made the attraction a cornerstone of its Lightning Lane program, offering guests a paid option to skip the standby line. Usually, access has hovered in the high-$20 range, fluctuating with crowd levels.
On October 18, however, guests were confronted with a new high: $40 for a single Lightning Lane pass to Rise of the Resistance. The price, which quickly dropped back to $29 in the days that followed, marked a record-setting peak for the service in 2025.
$40 for a single ride is pretty wild.
$40 for a single ride is pretty wild. pic.twitter.com/pJJ7GuIalf
— RyanTheme Park (@Ryanthemepark) October 19, 2025
The reaction was swift. “Not worth it, unless you’ll never come back and it’s your only time to ride it,” one X, formerly known as Twitter, user wrote. Another posted, “They may as well start selling ride tickets again.” Others noted the irony of paying a premium for a ride known for breakdowns. “For $40 they better have Kylo Ren in A mode,” one wrote.
Not all criticism was negative. Some fans suggested the higher fee preserved the value of Lightning Lane by keeping its capacity limited. “In all seriousness, though, I welcome the [increased] cost … increasing the cost reduces the people in it,” another user said, pointing out that a more expensive skip-the-line pass also helps preserve flow for those waiting in standby.
The Price of Access at Disney Parks
Disney’s reliance on upcharges has become one of the most hotly debated issues among theme park fans. The company’s elimination of its free FastPass system gave way to Lightning Lane, while its international resorts introduced their own versions under names such as Premier Access.
Other Disney resorts have expanded the concept further. Tokyo Disney Resort allows guests to reserve parade and fireworks viewing with Premier Access. At Disneyland Paris, the service covers not just rides but stage shows, including TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure. For many longtime visitors, these changes represent a clear departure from the days when such access was free.
Disney’s rivals are moving in the same direction. Universal Orlando Resort recently tested Express Single Attraction Access, offering line-skipping for Skull Island: Reign of Kong and Revenge of the Mummy at $24.99 each.
While cheaper than Disney's standard single-ride Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, guests fear the model will soon extend to the resort’s most in-demand coasters, including Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
The result is a growing sense that theme park visits are no longer all-inclusive, but layered with choices that push visitors to weigh time against cost.
For Disney, the flashpoint remains Rise of the Resistance — the ride that embodies the company’s storytelling ambition while symbolizing the new reality of pay-to-play access. At $40 a ride, the debate over value is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
Would you pay $40 for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?
Sometimes you can win tix. Sometimes they’re given away to certain charities for kids. Sometimes particular groups will purchase them for members. So, Mom & Dad take the kid(s) with lunch & drinks & snacks already packed so they don’t have to buy any Disney products. Then these rich folks who have money to spare get on all the rides because they can afford the extra $40 per person, while Mom & Dad barely managed the gas money to & from the park & will be driving several hours home at the end of the night because they don’t have money for a hotel room nor can they afford to take time off work the next day. It’s just not fair that those on a tight budget don’t get to enjoy Disney like everyone else. I was THAT parent to some extent. As a single mom, I would win tix then save up hundreds for the trip and get a cheap hotel room nearby. I had the food, snacks, & drinks packed, so the money I had was for emergencies and must have souvenirs at the end of the day. We managed well, but that was before $40 lightening passes and whatnots. We’re talking early 2000s. I’ve gone once since then and had my older son & his wife cover my youngest & I for fast passes. I don’t think I’d go again without winning the lottery first.
Disney is just not worth it anymore. Its not that they are expensive, its just that beneath the veneer is a greedy and grasping enterprise that can no longer hide its corrupt core.