Visiting Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World
Hollywood Studios has been a major construction zone for what seems like years but we now get to enjoy both Toy Story Land AND Galaxy’s Edge! Hollywood Studios was Disney’s third theme park to open in Orlando and it celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019! It has some of the most intense rides in all of Disney. The sudden sporadic drops of Tower of Terror are not for the faint of heart and you go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 second on Rockin Roller Coaster. However, with all the construction the highlights of the park are the themed lands. In Toy Story Land you are fully immersed in Andy’s backyard and you’re transported to a galaxy far, far away when you enter into Batuu.
GETTING TO HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Hollywood Studios has multiple options for arrival. In addition to driving yourself or taking the Disney resort buses (available to those staying on Disney property or at a Disney Springs Hotel), you can take a boat or the Skyliner. If you are staying at a Boardwalk area resort (Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Beach Club or Yacht Club) or coming from Epcot, you can walk or take the boat. The Skyliner is also available when coming from Epcot as well as the resorts of Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach and the Riviera. All forms of transportation funnel towards the only entrance of the park.
As you enter Hollywood Studios you’ll walk down Hollywood Boulevard which is lined on either side with shops and the Starbucks. To the right down Sunset Boulevard you’ll find several counter service restaurants and the popular Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster rides. Just past the turn to go down Sunset Boulevard is the Animation Courtyard with the Little Mermaid show and Disney Junior Dance party. To the left of Hollywood Boulevard is Echo Lake with several restaurants and the Frozen Sing Along. Beyond Echo Lake is the Grand Avenue area housing the Muppet 3D show and Baseline Tap House. You’ll walk straight down Hollywood Boulevard past the Chinese Theater to the back of the park to get to the reasons you are probably there: Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge. These two lands connect to each other.
Hollywood Boulevard
FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS ATTRACTIONS
Fast passes are the best way to maximize your time in the park because they allow you to bypass the standby line. You can read more about Fast Passes on the Disney website here. The Tier 1 Fast Passes at Hollywood Studios are Slinky Dog Dash and the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride (which does have a single rider line). I anticipate that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railroad will be added to this tier once it opens. This means you can only pick one ride/attraction from Tier 1 when selecting your Fast Passes. So know which one you want when you go to book. Fast Passes are NOT available for the newest Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance. It’s standby only by way of Boarding Pass. A full list of Hollywood Studios attractions can be found here but aside from the Toy Story and Star Wars rides, favorites include Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster and the Beauty and the Beast stage show.
Popular character interactions include Star Wars characters and Toy Story Land characters in their respective lands. Disney Junior characters (like Vamprina and Doc McStuffins) rotate in a character spot by the Disney Junior attraction. You can still meet Star Wars characters in the Launch Bay area near the Little Mermaid attraction but back in Galaxy’s Edge they wander the land. Expect to be approached by a Storm Trooper or First Order solider - especially if your clothing represents anything to do with the Resistance. It’s a unique experience to any of the parks at Walt Disney World and it’s fun to interact with the cast members in this land.
Hollywood Studios has a couple of nighttime shows to end the day and the most popular is Fantasmic. You can only see this inside a theater so you either wait in line to enter or book a Fast Pass for it. The show is based on a dream Mickey is having about the battle between good and evil. Disney characters are plentiful and the special effects are awesome. Depending on the time of year they may have two showings of Fantasmic. Dinner packages can be booked to get you special seating.
The nighttime show for everyone to see is Star Wars themed fireworks. While you can see them from all over the park, the prime viewing spot is up and down Hollywood Boulevard facing the Chinese Theater.
Cockpit of the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride
FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS RESTAURANTS
Hollywood Studios has one of the fanciest restaurants on Disney property in the Brown Derby. They also have some fun themed restaurants with the 50’s Prime Time Cafe and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater where you eat inside a car.
Favorites include the Baseline Tap House (small plates and several options of California wines and beers) and Oga’s Cantina (an awesomely themed spot inside Galaxy’s Edge). While both of these are more bar than restaurant you can get some snacks with your drinks. For a meal we typically end up at the stretch of counter service restaurants on Sunset Boulevard. We like this area because there are multiple restaurants that offer something for everyone from salads to hamburgers to allergy friendly options. They all share the same outdoor seating so everyone can go to separate restaurants but eat at the same table. Ronto Roaster’s inside Galaxy’s Edge and Woody’s Lunchbox in Toy Story Land are also decent counter service options.
To help decide where to eat, I love using AllEars.net for their always updated park menus. If you or someone in your party has food allergies like me, you can also check out Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW for the places that offer allergy friendly menus. If you’re a passholder be sure to ask for discounts in the restaurants.
Drinking some California wine at the Baseline Tap House
MISC THINGS TO DO AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
If you didn’t know, #wallsofDisney is a thing. Disney has some colorful and creative walls in Magic Kingdom and Epcot that inadvertently started a trend on social media with selfies by the wall. Once Toy Story Land opened, Hollywood Studios got theirs. There is the Popsicle Stick wall (the most photographed) as well as a wall that looks like a checkerboard. You’ll find both as you exit the Toy Story Mania ride. If you aren’t riding the ride you’ll walk down the path that is the exit. You won’t find any Photopass photographers there so you can take a selfie or ask someone as they’re exiting the ride to take it. And photo ops abound in Galaxy’s Edge.
A year round popular activity for kids is to participate in the Jedi Academy. It’s shockingly free, but it’s done on a first come first serve basis. So you need to get to the park when it opens to sign your kid up (ages 4-12) and then they’ll give you a show time to come back for.
During the holidays, Hollywood Studios has a ‘Flurry of Fun’ on Sunset Boulevard. Special holiday treats are offered and at multiple times throughout the evening, snow falls on the Boulevard while holiday projections are shown on the Tower of Terror and the nighttime Star Wars fireworks change to Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
Tower of Terror projections during a Flurry of Fun