Disney’s Hollywood Studios has undergone much change over the last few years. Because of those changes, it can be hard to figure out how to plan out your day. We want to help you have a great day visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so check out our top tips!
Plan Ahead
The dining at Disney’s Hollywood Studios isn’t the best. To have a great meal, you are going to want to plan. We recommend booking a table service restaurant for at least one of your meals. You will want to make an advanced dining reservation at one of these sit-down restaurants.
These reservations can be made sixty days before arriving at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. When your window opens, you will want to be on the My Disney Experience app or website. There are many great restaurants to choose from. If you wish for entertainment during your meal, consider 50’s Prime Time, Sci-Fi Dine-In, or Hollywood and Vine. Each of these locations provides entertainment and a meal.
Hollywood Brown Derby provides a more elegant and fine dining experience for guests. For an excellent Italian meal, check out Mama Melrose.
No matter what type of sit-down restaurant you are looking for, you will want to plan and make reservations ahead of time.
Go Early
A huge tip for having a great day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is to go early. By getting into the park early, you will experience top attractions, such as Slinky Dog Dash, with lower wait times.
For those staying at a Disney resort during their vacation, make sure that you take advantage of early entry. This will allow you to enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios thirty minutes early. During this extra time, you knock out a few famous attractions to regular park guests before the park even opens.
Because there are so many e-ticket attractions in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, riding some during early entry and the early morning hours will help you lower your overall wait time throughout the day.
Purchase Genie+ / Individual Lightning Lane
We know that only some people want to add additional costs to their Walt Disney World trip. When visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we would recommend thinking about budgeting for Genie+ and an Individual Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance continues to be extremely popular, making wait times throughout the day soar. We recommend purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane to save time in line. This will allow you to experience the ride via the lightning lane queue.
You could also choose to purchase Genie+. This will allow you to book Lightning Lanes for top daily rides. Starting at 7:00 a.m., guests can begin selecting experiences. With so many attractions throughout the park that see long waits, using Genie+ can help navigate those faster.
Before you arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, take time to learn about these two features and how they could help you have a great day in the park.
Visit the Shows
The shows are a huge part of the magic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As you enjoy the exciting rides, make sure you also schedule time to see the shows. Not only are the shows a great way to get off your feet, they are fantastic productions.
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along is one of our favorites. It combines the beloved story of Elsa and Anna with hilarious historians that create a fun show for the whole family. For adventure and action, hit up Indiana Jones: Epic Stunt Spectacular.
This high-energy show takes the audience behind the scenes of movie-making. Guests will see exciting stunts and thrilling special effects.
Finally, see a classic performance of Beauty and the Beast. Amazing costuming and beautiful songs bring this beloved movie to the stage.
A great day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios includes the top shows.
Explore Walt Disney Presents
A hidden gem found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Walt Disney Present. As they head to Toy Story Land, many guests walk past this area, but few slow down to take in all the magic it offers.
Here, guests can see artifacts and displays that show Walt Disney’s dream and how it came to be. There is a short film that you can enjoy or just walk through to see how his vision came to life.
Stay for the Evening
A considerable part of the magic for Disney’s Hollywood Studios happens at night. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land are breathtaking under the stars. Take time during your evening in the park to walk through these lands.
Batuu is full of sounds and colors during the evening. Stop and take pictures with lightsabers or grab a drink at Oga’s Cantina as you pass by. Toy Story Land is full of color and life evening during the evening hours. Andy’s Christmas lights create a fantastic atmosphere you won’t miss.
Finally, a massive part of the magic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the nighttime show Fantasmic. This nighttime show creates magic through music, fireworks, live performances, and outstanding projections. There is something magical about how this show comes together is such a beautiful and unique way.
We hope you consider these top tips as you plan your magical day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. From getting to the park early to wrapping up with Fantasmic, these tips will help you create a magical experience for all traveling with you.
