Number of visits: 3 days or 2 days if you’re using Genie+. Hollywood Studios has undergone a large expansion in recent years with Toy Story Land and the Star Wars land: Galaxy’s Edge. The addition of these rides and experiences have made Hollywood Studios become Walt Disney World’s second most popular park after Magic Kingdom and so can require several visits especially if you’re not purchasing Genie+. And because it’s a relatively small park it can feel crowded at peak times. Early starts (rope drops) and park hop to Hollywood Studios are essential. The older rides such as the Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster also continue to remain very popular. A LL for Fantasmic! nighttime lights and fireworks show is needed to avoid a long queue and better view.
Download an official WDW Guide Map of Hollywood Studios here.
Formerly Disney MGM Studios this park was designed as a direct rival to Universal Studios and so has an art deco entrance and ’50s style Hollywood facade buildings. You’ll find it off World Drive at the first junction after the WDW Welcome Sign. Keep to the far right before the sign so that you’re on the lanes which pass between Mickey and Donald. The car park entrance is then off the eastern stretch of Osceola Parkway. You’ll be parking in row sections Mickey, Minnie, Olaf or Buzz.
Crossroads of the World is the entrance area. See if you can spot Mickey high up on the tower. From here take Hollywood Boulevard down to the Chinese Theatre (which has Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway inside) which is the central hub of the park. Most of the areas branch off from here. Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land take up most of the back of the park. The Fantasmic! amphitheatre is right up the end of Sunset Boulevard a little way past the Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster. A second Star Wars area is the Launch Bay right up the end of the Animation Courtyard near the Disney Junior Dance Party theatre. This is an indoor section with film props, vehicles, costumes and character meets including Chewbacca, Kylo Ren and BB8.
Park hopping to here after 2pm is a great way get all the big rides done in your holiday as Hollywood Studios has a Skyliner cable car station connecting it with Epcot.
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
This is the newest land in WDW opening in 2019. The area is modelled on the Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu. Fans will know this is a new planet and not a setting that appears in any of the films. However, it is still a very immersive experience with lots of Star Wars details. It has a droid building experience at the Droid Depot. For a minimum of $120 you can build your own remote control R2D2 or BB8 from a range of colours and add extra parts (additional cost of course!). Book in advance on the MDE app. Also available is the lightsaber building experience at Savvi’s Workshop. You can choose from a range of blade colours and different parts to make up the handle. These have good quality metal parts and although the minimum age for this experience is 5 years old it is better suited to older kids and adults as these are not really toys but good quality collectibles. This may be why it cost $250 (eek!) per lightsaber. There is also a lightsaber presentation ceremony at the end of the experience. Again book before you fly to Orlando. For younger ones there is another lightsaber building area at Tatooine Traders shop at the exit to Star Wars Star Tours ride just outside Galaxy’s Edge. These plastic toy lightsabers cost a less eye watering $30 for a single blade or $45 for a Darth Maul style double blade design.
You can also buy blue and green milk – non alcoholic version is $8.50 and alcoholic one is $15. It’s made from rice milk and we were not overly impressed with the flavour and if you’re visiting planning on Universal Orlando, the Harry Potter Butterbeer is much better (and cheaper). But most Star Wars fans will want to try it any way.
If you want to have some Star Wars galactic drinks then head to Oga’s Cantina bar (book 60 days in advance). Quick bites can be found at the popular Ronto’s Roasters. For a sit down table service meal head to Docking Bay 7. The marketplace and stalls sell all manner of Star Wars merchandise and collectibles not found in any of the other parks or even at Disney Springs.
The two rides featured in Galaxy’s Edge are the Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run simulator and the immersive Rise of the Resistance – more on these below. The older Star Wars Star Tours ride is not in Galaxy’s Edge but just outside between the Backlot Express restaurant and The Muppets Courtyard.
All day there are characters that will wander around the Galaxy’s Edge area for guests to interact with including Chewbacca and Rey, Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren and at certain times The Mandalorian and Grogu (Baby Yoda).
TMTO TIP: Use your phone and the Disney Play app Datapad or your Magic Band+ in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge to activate the droids and spaceships and even carry out bounty hunter missions.
Toy Story Land
This is a great colourful area where you appear to be transported down to the size of a toy. It has 2 new rides – Slinky Dog Dash which is a great roller coaster for little ones and adults and the Alien Swirling Saucers spinning ride. The older Toy Story Mania shooter ride has also been incorporated into the new land and is certainly worth queuing for.
Food here is a simple affair with Woody’s Lunchbox. The cheese toastie and tomato soup is the winner here (although not cheap!). The Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a table service restaurant which opened in 2023 and does a small barbecue menu.
The whole land looks great at night as it’s lit up by the giant fairy lights that criss cross the attractions.
Characters are available at selected times include Woody, Buzz and Jessie and the Green Army Men perform a drum march through the land at selected times during the day.
TMTO Favourite rides
For the thrill seekers
Hollywood Tower of Terror 40” (102cm) (LL) The iconic broken lift ride in the old hotel building with a Twilight Zone TV show theme. Little ones might find it a bit too scary even if they meet the height restriction.
TMTO TIP: If the ride wait time for the Tower of Terror shows 13 minutes then there is actually no queue at all and you can walk straight on! Also applies to the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom.
Rock n Roller Coaster feat Aerosmith 48” (122cm) (LL) Very fast indoor roller coaster with barrel rolls and fast launch where you are the limo driver for the band. The most thrilling ride at WDW! Similar to Flight Force in Disneyland Paris
Rides for all the family
Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run 38″ (97cm) (LL) – A simulator where you get to ride in the cockpit of the famous Star Wars spaceship as a pilot, gunner or engineer. How well each person performs their roles will change the ride outcome so expect a different experience each time you ride.
Rise Of The Resistance 40″ (102cm) (Ind LL or expect a queue time of around 2 hours+! Ride early in the day to avoid long queue.) Immersive Star Wars ride where you are recruited into the Resistance by Rey and BB-8 and transported across the galaxy to battle the evil First Order. Part simulator ride, part animatronic show and the cast members also play as either Resistance spies or First Order officers. The whole experience lasts around 20 mins. One of the most popular attractions in WDW but it is notoriously prone to breaking down.
Star Wars – Star Tours 40” (102cm) – 3-D simulator ride. Travel across the galaxy with C-3PO and R2D2 in a spaceship. Looking a bit dated compared to the newer Star Wars rides but still lots of fun. Ride it more than once as there are about 300 different combinations.
Toy Story Mania (LL – very popular, often not less than 60 mins wait time) – A great 3-D shooter ride featuring all the Toy Story characters. Compete against others in you vehicle by playing 3-D fairground shooting gallery attractions where you’ll brake plates, burst balloons and anything else that comes your way as you spin from room to room.
Slinky Dog Coaster 38″ (97cm) (LL) Really good little roller coaster for everyone to enjoy. Climb into Slinky Dog for a zip around Toy Story land. Always very popular so ride early or last thing at night.
Alien Swirling Saucers 32″ (82cm) – A spinning ride on board the little aliens rocket ship from Toy Story.
Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railway (LL) – The first ever WDW ride to feature Mickey Mouse! A very clever, fun but slow spinning but completely trackless train ride where you are put in the middle of a Disney cartoon with Minnie, Mickey and their friends. Find it inside the Chinese Theatre in the centre of the park.
Shows
Frozen Sing-A-Long – All the big musical hits from the movie sung live by Elsa and Anna with a subtitled video so you can join in too.
Beauty and the Beast 30 minute outdoor musical stage show with impressive costumes and sets.
Disney Junior Dance Party – A great show for little ones with songs and lots of space to dance. Bubbles and paper leaves fall on you during the show.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy Watch a full size Lightning McQueen take part in a simulator race against Chick Hicks with help from his friends. Get a picture with Cruz Ramirez outside.
Jedi Training (Currently closed – expected to return in 2024) On the stage next to Star Tours every 30 minutes. 4 to 10 years old can participate and have lightsaber training from a Jedi master and then fight Darth Vader – book a slot as soon as you enter the park in the morning as slots get filled quickly. Registration area in the shelter behind the Indiana Jones shop (see photos below).
Look out for the sign pointing you to the hut next to the Indiana Jones shop to register for the show.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Raiders of the Lost Ark stunt show with actors, vehicles, pyrotechnics and explanations on how they achieved some the stunts and special effects in the movie.
Voyage Of The Little Mermaid – 30 minute indoor live musical stage show of the film.
Wonderful World of Animation The Chinese Theatre in the centre of the park is lit up in a celebration of Disney and Pixar with clips from the long back catalogue of films.
Characters
Characters available all day:
Mickey Mouse in his wizard outfit
Minnie Mouse in her ‘red carpet’ dress
Olaf (Frozen) In the Celebrity Spotlight near to Jedi Trials stage.
Darth Vader (Star Wars) In the Star Wars Launch Bay.
Chewbacca (Star Wars) Also in the Launch Bay
BB-8 (Star Wars) In the Launch Bay
Edna Mode (The Incredibles) Inside the Edna Mode Experience at Pixar Place near the entrance to Toy Story Land.
Characters available at selected times only:
Buzz, Woody or Jessie can be found in Toy Story Land near the exit for Toy Story Mania at selected times.
Kylo Ren, Stormtroopers, Rey and Chewbacca can all be found wondering around Galaxy’s Edge during day light hours. From 2023 you can also find The Mandalorian and Grogu (Baby Yoda) at selected times.
Evening Fireworks
Fantasmic! (LL recommended although if the park’s not too busy stand by queue might be OK.)
This brilliant nighttime show is one of the most iconic attractions at WDW. Watch Mickey do battle with several villains with light projections, dancing water effects and fireworks. This is an ideal show to do after park hopping from either Magic Kingdom or Epcot with a Genie+ LL reservation from earlier in the day.
Park Map
Take Me To ORLANDO! 