The crowd levels can have a significant impact on the amount of attractions you can do in one day. I suggest looking at this crowd calendar to see the expected crowds on the day of your visit.
You also want to research the rides and shows at the park. There may be attractions that you might want to skip or rides that your kids do not meet the height requirements or are scary.
The weather is another thing to consider during your visit. Depending on rain and the heat you may want to plan a mid-day break at your resort.
The weather is another thing to consider during your visit. Depending on rain and the heat you may want to plan a mid-day break at your resort.
We suggest staying at a Skyliner resort to maximize your time at the park. Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation resorts offer options for most Disney vacation budgets. If you are staying at another on-site Disney resort you can take the complimentary bus service from the resort to the park. If you are off-site check if your accommodations offer shuttle or plan on driving.
When planning a theme park visit I always look at the map of the park to get an understanding of the park and to know the locations of the attractions we are visiting. Hollywood Studios is not a difficult park to navigate but it will be necessary to do some back tracking during your day. It doesn’t follow a traditional hub and spokes lay-out like the Magic Kingdom.
Guests visiting must purchase tickets AND make a park reservation before arriving. This can be done on the Disney World website. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort can take advantage of Early Entry. Early Entry allows on-site guests to enter the parks 30 minutes before opening. Check the Disney World website for hours of operation for the day of your visit.
Genie+ at Hollywood Studios is the new program replacing Fastpass+ at Hollywood Studios. FastPass+ is being retired and a new system Genie+ is replacing it. Disney Genie is a complimentary service offered through the My Disney Experience App that will allow guests to customize and create their visits to the Disney parks. In theory this will help guests know the best times to visit attractions that they want to see and do. The Genie+ service is the paid option that is replacing FastPass. Genie+ will be an upgraded service that will allow guests to make reservations for popular attractions one at time on the day of visit. This is very different than the 60 days in advance guests were used to with FastPass.
Guests will enter the attractions through the Lightning Lane. Once they have entered an attraction they can make their next attraction reservation. This will cost $15.00 per day per person, plus tax. On-site and off site guests can make their first reservation at 7:00am day of visit. Then you can make your reservations 120 minutes from your previous booking or once you have used a Genie+ reservation. There are a few extra things to know about how the 120 minute rule works. First the 120 minute rule is from when park opens. If you make a reservation at 7:00am you will not be able to make another one until 11:00am, when park opening is at 9:00am.
– Alien Swirling Saucers – Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage – Disney Junior Play & Dance! – For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration – Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (February 25th-August 7th) – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – Muppet*Vision 3D – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Slinky Dog Dash – Star Tours – The Adventures Continue – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ – Toy Story Mania!
Genie+ at Hollywood Studios is the new program replacing Fastpass+ at Hollywood Studios. FastPass+ is being retired and a new system Genie+ is replacing it. Disney Genie is a complimentary service offered through the My Disney Experience App that will allow guests to customize and create their visits to the Disney parks. In theory this will help guests know the best times to visit attractions that they want to see and do. The Genie+ service is the paid option that is replacing FastPass.
Before you even arrive at the park you should open your My Disney Experience App and try to secure a boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance. This starts at 7:00am and again at 1:00pm. Be on at least 5 minutes before start. Update: Disney has been changing this procedure. You may have the option to secure a virtual boarding pass or there may be a traditional stand-by line. Guests also have the option of purchasing a Lighting Lane pass for Rise of the Resistance. If you don’t want to purchase a lightning lane and want to experience Rise of the Resistance, arrive early and make it your first ride of the day.
The most popular attractions are located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This means you need to plan your day based on what your group is most interested in. If you purchased Lightning Lane you want to secure your first ride at 7:00am before you are at the park. If you plan on experiencing Rise of the Resistance this will be your first ride of the day, unless you purchase an individual lightning lane pass. Honestly, Rise of the Resistance is worth the morning rush. It is an amazing ride and one of the best at the park.
If you are purchasing an individual Lightning Lane pass for Rise of the Resistance you may want to start in Toy Story Land and ride Slinky Dog Dash. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is another very popular attraction. It is so much fun and one of my favorites at the park. If you are not planning on purchasing an individual lightning lane pass this should be your first attraction. Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway are both very popular attractions. They both also require a Lightning Lane pass to ride.
In the afternoon I would plan a mid-day break at the resort or check out a few of the shows.
If you are visiting during a low crowd season night time can be one of the best times to visit. Most people have left for the day and you can experience the park at night. Use this time to ride attractions again or anything you may have missed. There are also nightly shows at Hollywood Studios that are great to see. After dusk Tower of Terror lights up for the 50th celebration. At the Chinese Theatre, where Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is, guests can watch the Wonderful World of Animation nightly firework and projection show.
A few of our favorite Disney’s Hollywood Studios dining options: – Hollywood & Vine (Table Service, offers Character Dining.) – 50’s Prime Time Cafe (Table Service) – PizzeRizzo (Quick Service) – Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant (Table Service) – Woody’s Lunch Box (Quick Service) – Sunset Ranch Market (Quick Service) – Ronto Roasters (Quick Service)
6:50am: Log into My Disney Experience App and be ready to book Slinky Dog Dash with Genie+. **Purchase Genie+ before you do this. Make sure you include everyone in your party. Don’t wait until day of if you can.** Also book my individual lightning lane pass for Rise of the Resistance. On-site guests can book at 7:00am, off-site guests can book at park open. 7:30-7:45: Take the bus from Resort to Hollywood Studios. Consider time to pack your bag for the day, walk to the bus stop, bus ride, and walking to park entrance. This can often take more time than anticipated. 8:20-8:30: Line up at Hollywood Studios entrance. While in line we typically eat an on the go breakfast. 8:30: Park Opens!!
If you have one day at Hollywood Studios, it is best to pick your top favorites and add in the other attractions after you have accomplished your list.