Disney World’s Hollywood Studios park is home to some of its most exciting openings, including Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Here’s how to spend your time there.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios, located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is the ultimate theme park for fans of Disney films. The park’s Old Hollywood vibes are perfectly paired with many of Disney’s newest franchises for exciting attractions and entertainment.
In recent years, attractions like Streets of America, “Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights,” The Great Movie Ride, and “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show” have closed to make way for newer openings, like Toy Story Land, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
To experience Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests enter through Hollywood Boulevard and take a left for the Echo Lake and Grand Avenue areas, both inspired by Los Angeles neighborhoods. On the right, paths lead to Toy Story Land, Animation Courtyard, and Sunset Boulevard. Both Grand Avenue and Toy Story Land connect to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (otherwise known as Star Wars Land), which opened in 2019. (Whether or not you’ve been before, grab a Disney Hollywood Studios map upon entering, as plenty has changed.)
Furthermore, although Walt Disney World parks like Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are busiest in the summer and on holidays, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge keeps Hollywood Studios busy every day of the year. There are more experiences than rides for younger children; however, teens and tweens will still find plenty to do, as Disney’s Hollywood Studios features some of the most thrilling rides across all four parks.
Read on for more advice and information about Disney’s Hollywood Studios hours, rides, and what’s to come to this Disney World park in the next few years.
Getting to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
A standard vehicle parking pass, valid at all four Disney parks, costs $30 per day. If you want to get closer, you can upgrade to preferred parking, which costs between $45 and $55, depending on the season. Hotel buses, Disney World buses, Minnie Vans, taxis, and ride-share services including Uber and Lyft all reach the park through this main parking lot.
The Disney Skyliner gondola system connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Epcot via the International Gateway entrance, located within the World Showcase. To reach Epcot from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests will board the gondola system and disembark at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, transferring to another Skyliner at that station to reach Epcot. Guests at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort can also reach Disney’s Hollywood Studios via the Disney Skyliner.
Guests at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels can walk or take a short boat ride directly to Hollywood Studios as well.
Hollywood Studios Hours
Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ opening and closing times vary throughout the season. Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, which are offered to parkgoers staying at Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa, or other select partner hotels, allow guests to spend two extra hours at Walt Disney World parks on select days. Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels can also take advantage of a 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry into all Walt Disney World theme parks every day, though not all attractions are open during early entry.
Purchasing Hollywood Studios Tickets
Walt Disney World tickets use dynamic pricing. This means that the cost of Disney’s Hollywood Studios admission changes depending on which day of the year — as well as which park — you visit.
To enter any Walt Disney World theme park, a guest must have a theme park reservation — made via the Disney Park Pass system — along with valid park admission for the same park on the same day.
If you plan to visit more than one park, purchase Park Hopper tickets, which allow guests to travel between Walt Disney World parks after 2 p.m. Even with a Park Hopper ticket, you still need to secure a Disney Park Pass reservation for the first park you plan to visit, and you must enter that park before visiting another. You don’t need to make reservations for the other parks you visit after the first park.
It’s recommended to buy your Hollywood Studios tickets on Disney’s website, as they can cost more at the park’s entrance and are subject to availability. You can save money on Disney tickets by checking the Walt Disney World website for promotions and ticket discounts, which appear from time to time.
With so many Star Wars experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, vacationers should plan for at least a day and a half at the Disney World park. If you’re traveling with infants and young children or if you’re simply not interested in piloting the Millennium Falcon, one day should be enough.
How to Use Disney Genie+
Disney has replaced its FastPass+ line-skipping service with a new digital park tool called Disney Genie+. The service, accessible through Disney World’s My Disney Experience and Disneyland’s apps for $15 per day per person, allows guests to make reservations for attractions on the same day that they are visiting a park. When it’s time to return to a ride, guests can use special Lightning Lanes to skip the standard standby queues.
There are over 40 Disney Genie+ rides across Walt Disney World’s theme parks, including 13 rides at Hollywood Studios. Additionally, guests can use Disney Genie+ to make Lightning Lane reservations for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (prices for Individual Lightning Lanes vary depending on the day), which usually has a long line.
Unlike FastPass+, which allowed guests to make reservations months in advance, guests using Disney Genie+ can only make their first reservation at 7 a.m. on the day of their visit. Since some rides fill up quickly in Hollywood Studios, it’s best to try to make a reservation in the morning for one of the more popular rides, such as Slinky Dog Dash. If there are no reservations available for the ride you’re trying to book, try refreshing the app every few minutes, as times are released back into the pool when people cancel. If you’re park hopping and want to make a Lighting Lane reservation for a ride in another park, remember that you’ll have to wait until the return time for that attraction has reached 2 p.m. or later.
The Best Hollywood Studios Rides
If you’re looking for thrilling rides at Walt Disney World, look no further than Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s plummet is exhilarating, and Star Tours — The Adventures Continue flight simulation through space is a delight. Be sure to experience Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Disney’s only coaster with upside-down inversions, playing the band’s music throughout the exciting journey.
Though Toy Story Land’s theming is kid-friendly, it’s enjoyable for all ages. The Slinky Dog Dash family coaster is a whimsical Disney ride that soars through the colorful land without too many dips or drops, and Toy Story Mania! is a crowd favorite for its arcade-like competitions.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge offers plenty of immersive experiences in the themed land, including droid creation and personalized lightsaber-making (advanced reservations are recommended). Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance sees riders joining the Resistance and breaking out of a Star Destroyer controlled by Kylo Ren, while the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride lets passengers pilot the famed Star Wars vessel.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway — the first Mickey Mouse ride — combines Disney’s most iconic characters with new technologies (including a trackless ride system) and catchy songs, creating joy for all ages.
The Best Hollywood Studios Attractions
Unlike other Disney World parks, there are as many shows in Hollywood Studios as there are rides.
Children will enjoy a variety of performances, including “Beauty and The Beast – Live on Stage,” a “Frozen” sing-along, and a Disney Junior Dance Party. Moreover, “Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy” brings characters from the “Cars” film franchise to the park for the first time.
If you’re traveling with teens, take them to “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular,” a live re-enactment and peek behind the scenes of the film’s action sequences.
Character meet-and-greets with “Star Wars” characters, like Darth Vader, are offered at Star Wars Launch Bay, and you can meet Woody, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story Land. Furthermore, there’s almost always a character meet-and-greet inside Walt Disney Presents; it currently features Mike and Sulley from “Monsters, Inc.” Of course, you can also meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse in this park.
Exploring Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Night
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is unique, having the most nighttime entertainment options of all four Disney theme parks.
“Fantasmic!”, one of Disney’s best nighttime shows, is held nightly at Hollywood Studios. Mickey Mouse leads a collection of special effects, water features, projections, and character appearances that create a can’t-miss part of any Walt Disney World vacation. (Consult a Disney’s Hollywood Studios map to find it, as it’s beyond the regular park paths.)
A projection and fireworks show, “Wonderful World of Animation,” plays nightly in the middle of Disney’s Hollywood Studios park, along with “Disney Movie Magic,” which projects memorable scenes from Disney action films onto the façade of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
The Best Restaurants at Hollywood Studios
Children adore Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant, an intriguing twist on traditional theme park eateries that seats diners within “cars” overlooking a movie screen that plays vintage films. For a quick meal in Toy Story Land, Woody’s Lunch Box, serving toasted sandwiches, is guaranteed to delight picky eaters. Hollywood & Vine is ideal for seasonal foods and Disney Junior character dining.
Everyone in the family will enjoy 50’s Prime Time Café, which serves homestyle food like pot roast and meatloaf within miniature home kitchens, complete with old-fashioned television programs playing on black-and-white TVs. The Hollywood Brown Derby is the most elegant restaurant at this park; if you’re traveling with teenagers or as a group of adults, this is a great choice.
A new Toy Story-themed restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ, will also be arriving to Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios soon.
Drinking Alcohol at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Cocktails, as well as beer and wine, are sold throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Tune-In Lounge, the bar attached to 50’s Prime Time Café, offers a great selection of drinks, and some of the best beer at Walt Disney World can be found at BaseLine Tap House. However, the most popular place to enjoy refreshments is within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Oga’s Cantina, featuring alcoholic and non-alcoholic concoctions from across the planets, provides delightful drinks and entertainment. Reservations are highly recommended; note that the Star Wars-themed cantina is open to guests of all ages, but much of it is standing-room only.
Special Events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney After Hours events give guests the opportunity to explore the parks without heavy crowds. These separately ticketed evenings kick off at 7 p.m., allowing guests to enjoy a theme park for three additional hours after regular park hours and savor some complimentary snacks and beverages. The best part is that tickets are limited, so the wait times for attractions are considerably shorter. Events are currently scheduled between January and April 2023 and Disney regularly updates the event dates on its website.
The Best Hollywood Studios Hotels
There are plenty of hotels in Walt Disney World, but a select few will help you maximize your Disney’s Hollywood Studios experience.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, and Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel all connect to a walking path that leads towards Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Boat service from these five hotels to the park is also available.)
With the Disney Skyliner Gondola system in operation, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort are conveniently located just a short ride away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
