Disney Abruptly Closes ‘Star Wars’ Attraction, Guests Turned Away Indefinitely on Oct. 28
Guests arriving at Disney’s Hollywood Studios may face an unexpected closure.
An important part of the park’s attraction lineup failed to open when Hollywood Studios welcomed guests at 9 a.m., leaving visitors wondering when they would finally get their chance to ride.
Even more frustrating, Disney Cast Members couldn’t provide an estimated reopening time, forcing families to reconsider their plans.
And this isn’t the only popular Hollywood Studios attraction experiencing operational problems recently.
A Rough Start to the Morning
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance remained closed Friday morning, October 28 after failing to open alongside the rest of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Located inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Rise of the Resistance is among the park’s most popular attractions. The experience places guests in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order, combining multiple ride systems and impressive effects.
For many visitors, experiencing Rise of the Resistance is a major priority, especially considering how much time families can spend waiting during normal operations.
However, guests arriving Friday morning discovered that the attraction wasn’t welcoming riders.
Disney Cast Members stood outside the entrance, informing visitors that Rise of the Resistance was temporarily unavailable. Unfortunately, they couldn’t tell guests when operations would resume.
Two hours after Hollywood Studios opened at 9 a.m., the attraction was still closed.
Rise of the Resistance has experienced delays before, but this extended downtime added frustration for guests hoping to start their mornings in Galaxy’s Edge.
Earlier in October, Disney also filed a permit involving unspecified construction work at the attraction. However, there’s no confirmed connection between that permit and Wednesday’s operational problems.
For now, the reason behind the delayed opening remains unclear.
The Problems Didn’t Stop There
Unfortunately, Rise of the Resistance wasn’t the only Star Wars attraction experiencing trouble Friday morning.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run also failed to open when Hollywood Studios began welcoming guests at 9 a.m.
The interactive attraction allows visitors to board the famous Millennium Falcon and take control of different positions during a mission.
Having both attractions unavailable at the beginning of the day created an especially disappointing situation for Star Wars fans.
Families heading directly into Galaxy’s Edge would have discovered that neither of the land’s two major rides was operating as expected.
Thankfully, Smugglers Run resumed operations shortly after the park opened, giving guests at least one Star Wars attraction to enjoy.
Rise of the Resistance, however, continued experiencing problems.
Instead of completing their Star Wars adventures before crowds increased, visitors faced the possibility of having to return later and rearrange their day.
Another Major Attraction Has Been Struggling
The problems at Galaxy’s Edge come as another popular Hollywood Studios roller coaster has experienced operational difficulties.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets has recently struggled with delayed openings and situations where the attraction wasn’t ready to welcome guests when the park opened.
The Muppet-themed experience has become another important attraction for visitors hoping to enjoy Hollywood Studios’ thrill rides.
However, when a major roller coaster doesn’t open on schedule, it can create problems beyond the attraction itself.
Guests who arrive early often have a specific plan for which rides they want to experience first. When those attractions remain unavailable, visitors must decide whether to wait nearby, return later, or head somewhere else.
That can become particularly frustrating when several popular attractions experience difficulties around the same time.
Although delayed openings don’t necessarily indicate a serious problem, repeated operational interruptions can make Hollywood Studios feel increasingly unpredictable.
What This Means for Hollywood Studios Guests
These problems serve as another reminder that even the most carefully planned Disney World vacation can encounter unexpected obstacles.
Hollywood Studios has several attractions that regularly attract substantial crowds, including Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
When a major attraction closes unexpectedly, guests often shift to other experiences, potentially increasing wait times elsewhere.
For families visiting Hollywood Studios, flexibility may be especially important.
Guests should monitor the My Disney Experience app for attraction status updates rather than assuming a ride will reopen at a particular time.
Visitors with Lightning Lane reservations should also check the app for any changes or recovery options if their selected attraction becomes unavailable.
Most importantly, families shouldn’t spend their entire morning waiting outside a closed attraction without knowing when operations might resume.
Exploring another area of the park could be a better option until Disney provides additional information.
An Unexpected Disappointment for Disney Fans
Hollywood Studios remains home to some of Walt Disney World’s most ambitious attractions, but these disruptions demonstrate how quickly operational problems can affect an entire park day.
With Rise of the Resistance unavailable for multiple hours, Smugglers Run experiencing its own delayed opening, and recent difficulties involving Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, guests have plenty of reasons to feel frustrated.
Disney hasn’t announced an estimated reopening time for Rise of the Resistance as of the latest reported update. That doesn’t mean the attraction will remain closed for the entire day, but visitors currently have no confirmed timeline.
For now, guests hoping to experience one of Hollywood Studios’ biggest Star Wars adventures will have to wait and see when Disney can welcome riders again.
