• Hollywood Studios has a general theme of old Hollywood (similar to Universal Studios) but in the past decade has added new immersive lands for Star Wars and Toy Story. 
• There are many shows that are great but only available at certain times, so check your app and choose your top 1 or 2 favorite shows and make note of the times. Unless you have multiple days at this park or will be skipping some of the thrill rides, you won’t have time to see all the shows. Our favorties are the Frozen Sing-along, Beauty and the Beast (a mini broadway-version of the movie), and Indian Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
• The lines for the top attractions can get VERY long. We recommend either purchasing Lightning Lane Multipass (see the tab on this below because it depends on some factors), purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass, using early entry (for Disney resort guests only), hopping in a line at the very end of the night, or a combination of these. See our itineraries for more details.
• This can be the most frustrating park to navigate! Between the few attractions that need Lightning Lanes or have long lines, shows that only show at certain times, and a park set up that isn’t a circle and has some choke points, it’s probably not going to be your most relaxing day. Prepare yourself mentally for this and you will still have a wonderful and magical time!
• This park has an amazing nighttime show – Fantasmic! Check the app for the times of when the show will happen while you are there. There may be 2 shows, or there may be one show that starts after official park closing time. The show fills up quickly so you have to get there early. If you can have kids age 6+ and can stay up a bit later, I highly recommend trying to see this show! (Smaller kids can see it too but it is a bit scary and it’s late).
• You can reach this park by car, bus, or the Skyliner

What Day Within Your Vacation:

This park is best done by either utilizing Early Entry, staying until the end of the day, or BOTH! It’s a long day, but not as much walking as Animal Kingdom or Epcot. With that said, I would try not to put this park on day 4 of 4 straight park days. You’ll be worn out by then. Day 2 or a day after a rest day will work well!

You can have good meals at Hollywood Studios without doing a table-service restaurant. But it can also be really nice to have a mid-day break with a nice sit-down meal.

How to get an Advanced Dining Reservation:

Dining reservations open at 6am EST, 60 days in advance of the day you want to dine OR 60 days before you check in to your Walt Disney World Resort. This is a huge benefit for resort guests because you can book all your dining reservations before they open to everyone else. This is the easiest way to get hard-to-get reservations.

On the morning your window opens, use a desktop/laptop instead of the mobile app. Have a browser tab open for each of the restaurants you’re trying to book on the Walt Disney World website. Order your tabs in order of hardest to get to easiest to get and go through each tab to try to book the restaurant for the day you want. You’ll need to already know which day you want for each restaurant and approximate times so you can move quickly and not waste time. You can always adjust a reservation later if you change your mind and you can cancel up to 2 hours before your reservation time. 

If you missed the 60 day window or the restaurant you want isn’t available, start checking for reservations closer to the date you want, especially the night before or the morning of the date you want. People cancel reservations all the time and you might get lucky!

Fore more detailed information on making Advanced Dining Reservations, including screenshots, please see my post about How to Get the Best Advanced Dining Reservations in Disney World. 

Top restaurant recommendations for families in Hollywood Studios

Younger Kids: Hollywood & Vine 
This is a great character dining buffet! At lunch at dinner you can meet Minnie Mouse and friends, which typically includes Mickey, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy! It’s a great way to meet the fab 5 without waitinging in line while also enjoying a good meal! The decor is like an art-deco 50s cafeteria (not the greatest), but the buffet has some good food options. There is a seasonal theme so the characters will be in unique outfits themed to the season. If you prefer breakfast or have preschoolers, you can meet Disney Jr. characters like Doc McStuffins and Vampirina at the Disney Jr. Play and Dine breakfast. We have done both versions and have had great character interactions at both!
Cost: The breakfast is a little cheaper at $49/adult (because breakfast food is cheaper) and lunch and dinner are $63/adult. You’re definitely paying for the characters but it’s a great experience!

Older Kids and Teens: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater 
Our tweens love this one! This restaurant is inside a set building that is designed to feel like you are dining under the stars in 1950s cars while watching a drive-in movie. They play old sci-fi movies that are more funny than scary (but still might be scary to young kids). The food is burgers and milkshakes that are quite good! Cost: It is a little pricey for burgers and milkshakes, but cheap for a sit-down meal with a theme at a Disney park. Entrees range from $20-26.

Adults or teens with good taste: Hollywood Brown Derby
I just love their Cobb salad. The other food on the menu looks great too but that’s all I get! The restaurant is a replica of the one in real Hollywood and has a class old Hollywood vibe.

Honorable Mention: Roundup Rodeo BBQ
This Toy Story themed restaurant has a fun atmosphere but it can be pretty loud. I have some high BBQ standards and thought the food wasn’t worth the price, but some people like this one. Try it once if you have big Toy Story fans.

Time to Aim for:

If you are a Star Wars fan, there are some extra experiences you may want to get reservations for.

Oga’s Cantina
This is a Star Wars themed bar that serves unique alcoholic and non-alchoholic drinks and a few snacks. Our family enjoys the fun drinks and the atmosphere, but it is definitley crowded and loud and you will most likely not get an acutal seat and may be standing at the bar or around a bar table the whole time. If you do get a seat, they will often seat you with other people.

Droid Depot
You can make your own droid! In this experience, you get to pick out the pieces you want to assemble your droid, then assemble it yourself, and bring it to life. There are cast members around to help you. You can either make an R2 style droid (like R2-D2) or a BB style droid (like BB-8). It is not cheap to do (check the current prices on the website), and you will most likely want to buy one of their packages that includes a bag and a personality chip. Only one person can come along with each droid-builder as an observer. Once your droid has been created, they will interact with other droids and things in Star Wars land, but you are not allowed to take them out and let them roll around the ground at the parks.

Savi’s Workshop
Build your own lightsaber! This is an expensive extra at $250 per lightsaber, but I have been told it’s a really cool experience! We have not done it yet (our kids have done droids but $250 per kid is too much to us). You can learn more on the website.

Generally, yes. I do recommend buying Lightning Lane MultiPass for Hollywood Studios.

BUT….

1. If you are visiting on a high crowd day, you may only get your first 3 pre-selected attractions. Usually after you use your first Lighting Lane you can book another, but on very crowded days, there could only be shows and less popular attractions left that don’t save you much time in line. But, those 3 attractions could save you a lot of time if chosen well (see the tab below for which to choose).
2. You have to be ready to make your selections before 7am, 7 days before you check in to your Disney resort. You should immediatly book Slinky Dog Dash first for whatever time is available – you can adjust later if needed. This is the attraction that runs out the fastest. See our other recommendations in the tab below.
3. If you are visiting during a busy time and are staying off property, there is a good chance you will not get Slinky Dog Dash or other top choices as your first 3 advanced picks. This is because you can book attractions only 3 days in advance, and everyone staying on property booked 7 days in advance. You will be able to see what is still available before you purcahse and will have to decide if it’s still worth it to you.
4. If you have kids under 38″, they won’t be able to ride many rides so purchasing Lightning Lanes won’t be worth it.  

Lightning Lane Single Pass: Rise of the Resistance

Wait, what even are Lightning Lane passes?

Yeah, we should probably explain this a bit more…Lightning Lanes passes allow you to skip the regular queue and enter the line labeled “Lightning Lane” and have a typically shorter wait time – sometimes MUCH shorter. Lightning Lanes passes come in 2 forms –

• Lightning Lane Multi Pass – This pass let’s you choose up to 3 attractions or experiences in advance. Once you redeem a Lightning Lane, you can book another. If you stay at a Disney Resort, you can book purchase a LL Multi Pass and choose your 3 experiences 1 week in advance for the entire length of your trip. If you aren’t staying at a Disney Resort, you can purchase and choose your experiences 3 days in advance. At some parks, if you are only able to book your Multi Pass selections 3 days in advance, popular attractions will already be sold out.  
• Lightning Lane Single Pass – This is a pass for one attraction only. These are done for the super popular attractions. At Animal Kingdom, this is Flight of Passage. 

What happened to Genie+? What happened to FastPass+?

Both of those are old forms of line-skipping passes that are no longer used. The new Lightning Lane Passes combine features of both of those old systems.

1. Slinky Dog Dash – earliest time available (which could be late in the day and that’s ok, you can sometimes adjust it later)
2. Rockin’ Rollercoaster – if you have kids over 48″ tall and you like roller coasters
3. Mickie and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
4. Millenium Falcon Smugglers Run

Always dress for the weather first and foremost! In late fall through early spring that usually means dressing in layers. I like wearing leggings with a phone pocket so you have quick access to the item you’ll use most. Your warm layer should be something you can tie around your waste or put in a bag if it gets warm.

In hot weather (most of the year), wear what will keep you cool such as tank tops, moisture wicking material, running shorts, skirts with built-in shorts, moisture-wicking bras, ect.

Themed clothing: If you or your kids have any Star Wars or Toy Story themed, this is the park to wear them! As long as they are comfortable.

Shoes: Wear what you can walk many miles in, because you will walk a lot (although not as much as Animal Kingdom or Epcot). For most, that means socks and a good pair of running/walking sneakers. If you’re visiting in summer you may also want a good pair of comfortable sandals if your feet tend to swell when they get hot. Make sure your shoes are broken in before your trip. 

Smartphone

Magic Bands (not required but they are convenient. Learn more about them: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magicband-plus/) 

Stroller if needed (recommended for kids age 6 and under, even if they don’t use a stroller at home anymore) Ideally bring or rent one that reclines, has an under-compartment for storing things, and folds easily so you can bring it on a bus or pack it in your car.

A comfortable backpack or fanny pack packed with:

• Sunscreen (Face or body stick is great for putting on your family quickly on the go)
• External phone charger and correct chord (really important…trust me)
• Ponchos or packable rain gear. Waterproof shoe covers are also helpful to take with you if there’s rain in the forcast (take out if there is no chance of rain)
• Band aids (regular and blister kind)
• Medicines (Ibuprofen, Dramamine, allergy, kids Tylenol, anything you might need that comes in a small pill or chewable form)
• Chafing Stick (helpful for thighs if wearing shorts, helpful for males on sweaty days)
• Ziplock bags (for putting your phones in on water rides)
• Sunglasses
• Lip balm with sunscreen
• Snacks (plenty of snacks to purchase in the parks, but if you have picky kids or young kids that need snacks to entertain them at times, bringing your own will be helpful!)
• In hot months, neck fans or portable fans are really helpful
• Suckers (obviously not required but if your kids are getting bored in a line or waiting for a show to begin, hand them a sucker for instant delight that helps pass the time)
• Water bottle(s) (They give out free water at quick service restaurants, but having a few water bottles you can fill on your own is helpful. Use ones that won’t leak if they’re knocked over or bumping around in a stroller and ones that will keep water cool on a hot day.)
• Stroller rain cover (no one wants to sit in a wet stroller)
• Baby/toddler gear if needed. (You know what you need…diapers, bottles, pacis, etc. If your little one will need to nap while at the park, bring something you can drape over the stroller and consider bringing a portable sound machine. This will create a good nap environment while in the parks while older kids and adults can still enjoy the fun. This is often a lot easier than going all the way back to your hotel for a nap. Even if your kid doesn’t usually nap in a stroller – they might once they’re Disney tired.)

Use Rider Swap!
Disney will allow you to do a rider swap, where one adult and up to 2 children can wait in the queue and ride the attraction, while another adult waits outside of the queue with any children who aren’t tall enough. The younger children can do other attractions during this time so they don’t get bored. Then when the older kids and the other adult are done, the adult who waited can use the Lightning Lane to ride the attraction with a minimal wait time, and can also take up to two children with them so they don’t have to ride alone. 

Sometimes, they will allow the kids who are tall enough to ride the attraction twice – once with each parent. This used to always work but they started cracking down on this more in recent years. It’s really up to the cast member at the queue entrance, so be nice and ask kindly! My older kids were actually a bit sad when our youngest got tall enough because they loved getting to do all the thrill rides twice.

Do keep in mind that utilizing rider swap will take more time. All our itineraries have approximate times to help you plan, but you will have to adjust for more time if doing rider swap.

To use rider swap:
Check in at the entrance of the attraction queue with a cast member and let them know you want to rider swap. They will scan the magic bands or tickets of the people who will be waiting. This basically puts a free Lightning Lane on your band/ticket. After the first group rides, the second group can enter through the Lightning Lane by scanning at the touch point.

Attractions with height requirements at Hollywood Studios:

• Rockin’ Rollercoaster – 48″
• Star Tours – 40″
• Tower of Terror – 40″
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – 40″
• Slinky Dog Dash – 38″
• Millenium Falcon Smuggler’s Run – 38″
• Alien Swirling Saucers – 32″

This isn’t much of a foodie theme park compared to Epcot and Animal Kingdom, but there are still some great food to be found!

Our favorite quick service foods and snacks:

ABC Commissary – The buffalo chicken grilled cheese is delicious! They also have shrimp and pork tacos and some good salad options.

Baseline Taphouse – We like to grab a beer (try a Golden Road beer) and a charcuterie board for us and pretzels for the kids and relax for a bit and do some people watching!

Ronto Roasters – Ronta Wrap. They also have a breakfast version you can grab if you’re up ealry to rope drop Rise of the Resistance.

Backlot Express – most of the food here is only ok, but the Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger is quite good.

Woody’s Lunch Box – the BBQ Brisket Melt and Smokey Turkey Sandwich are pretty good. Only problem with this one is finding seating and it’s all outdoors.

Favorite Dessert – Jack-Jack’s Num Num Cookie! It’s a huge, warm, thick, chocolate chip cookie. You can find it at the Market stand next to the Joffery’s in Pixar Plaza (behind the Chinese Theater, before you go down the path to Toy Story land.

Fantasmic!

• The main evening show at Hollywood Studios is Fantasmic! And it’s fantastic! Try to make it to the show, even if that means taking a nap during the afternoon and coming back to the park.
• It’s held in an outdoor auditorium with bench seating and it fills quickly.
• If the park is crowded you may need to arrive an hour before show time to get seats.
• If you don’t want to get there that early, you can purchase a Fantasmic Dining Package that includes a meal at a table-service restaurant at some point during your day, and tickets to the reserved seating area for Fantasmic.
• The show features a ton of Disney characters, lasers, projections, fireworks, lighting effects, and music. 
• The overall plot follows Mickey as he goes through dreams and has to face some nighmares. The middle can be a bit scary and there is a large fire-breathing draggon. We first took our kids when they were 2.5 years old and they were screaming in terror and we had to leave early. But it ends very happy with a boat full of Disney characters and Mickey shooting out fireworks.
• There may be more than 1 showing, so check the My Disney Exprience app for times. If there are 2 shows, the 2nd show is usually less crowded. But if you see the first show you mau have time to hop in line for one last attraction after the show and before the park closes.
• If there is only one show, you may see the start time is AFTER the park has closed. Remember that park closing times means that no one else can get into the parks and they close the queues, but they don’t quick you out. If the show starts 30 minutes after park closing, that ensures everyone who wants to stay for the show has time to make it into the theater before it starts (don’t wait to head to the theater 30 minutes before though – it could be filled).

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