I’m going to give you an overview of what is available for rides and attractions at Hollywood Studios. Really it will be up to you and your party to choose what you want to do. With the additions of Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge there are a lot more options available now.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Hop aboard the Runamuck Railroad with engineer goofy and get taken on an adventure thru desserts, oceans and carnivals. This is one of my new favorite rides at Disney World. It has been a long time coming that Mickey would get his own ride and Disney did a fantastic job with this one. It is themed like you are entering into one of the Mickey shorts which quickly became one of our family favorites.
Height Requirements – Any Height
Best Suited for – Any Age
Best time to visit – All Day
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
This Frozen themed sing-along for kids is absolutely great and is a must-do for our daughter on every single trip now! There’s some really raucous humor for the adults built into the show as well. The Royal Historians of Arendelle retell the story of Frozen through the art of song.
This is the story of Beauty and The Beast told live on stage. This ride is typically not that busy. If your little ones are really into Belle or Beauty and The Beast, then you won’t want to miss this dramatically choreographed tale.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
This is a scary free-fall thrill ride themed after the Twilight Zone that will literally leave you catching your breath. Although a 30-minute wait would totally be worth dropping 13 stories. You never know how many times you’ll go up and down. I think our record is 5 though.
Height Requirements – 40″ or taller
Best Suited for – Older kids and adults who don’t mind drop rides and the dark.
Best time to visit – All Day
Tips or Tricks– if you have someone who hasn’t ridden this before or is unsure, make sure to have them ride in the back row. They will most likely feel more secure there.
Walt Disney Presents…
This is a walkthrough area that is a tribute to the man who built the dream, Walt Disney himself. We’ve also seen this area used as a preview for new attractions coming to the Disney World theme parks, like Guardians of the Galaxy. This is an overlooked high traffic area that you’ll need at least 10 minutes to explore.
MuppetVision 3D
This is a 3D show featuring some of your favorite Muppets. This line is not usually very long. While the comedy here is pretty good and the kids will like it, we’ve never found this to be one of the things on our need-to-do list.
This is a fairly enjoyable stage show that is worth seeing if you have the time. You’ll notice a lot of black light imagery being used in this show. There are some pretty neat technical effects that make it fun and honestly it’s better for little kids as the colors are very vibrant.
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
Personally, this rollercoaster is my cup of tea! It’s a fast and very intense indoor coaster with a loop. If you like Rock music, then you’ll love this Aerosmith inspired rollercoaster as it whizzes you through the night in a 24 passenger stretch limo. You definitely must love rollercoasters for this.
Height Requirements – 48″ or taller
Best Suited for – Older kids and adults who enjoy thrilling rollercoasters and are not afraid of going upside down.
Best time to visit – All Day
If you an 80’s kid like me then you grew up watching Indiana Jones. This stunt and stage show is one of the older attractions at the park, but it still just as awesome as the first time I saw it! It offers a variety of different scenes with some humor twisted in as well. If you want to make your husband happy, take him to this.
Replacing Disney Junior Live is a new high-energy, live show that is inspired by some of the most popular Disney Junior shows on TV, including Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Doc McStuffins, The Lion Guard and the newest hit series Vampirina.
Fantasmic is a must-do when you are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This nighttime spectacular takes you into Mickey Mouse’s dreams in a stage show featuring projections, characters on stage, boats, fire, fireworks, and more.
You don’t go to this show for the fireworks. It’s literally an experience that can’t be aptly described. I’ll just say that if you only have one night at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, put this on your must-do list. Don’t waste your time on other things, because it will just blow you away.
If you want the best seats in the house, then you should do the dining package for Fantasmic, as it will give you some of the best seats in the house. (I mean you are going to eat anyway right?).
One last tip about this, when you are leaving Fantasmic, go to the top of the stairs make a left and keep going straight instead of taking the main exit with everyone else. It will put you outright in the middle of the main street in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That way whether you want to leave the park, or stay and enjoy the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular, it will put you in a nearly perfect viewing spot with a quick exit.
If you have ever wanted to shrink down tot he size of a toy and run around in Andy’s backyard, Toy Story Land is the place for you. Toy Story fans will enjoy being immersed into their favorite movie.
Toy Story Mania
This is a 3D screen-based, Toy Story themed, shooter game. This is a pretty fun game that you can share with the kids. I usually like to do this as a break in the day to give us a chance to sit. You may want to prioritize this ride especially if your kids are really into Toy Story.
Height Requirements – Any Height
Best Suited for – All Ages
Best time to visit – All Day
Tips or Tricks– don’t wear your hand out too much on the practice round. Take a couple of shots to get your aim and save your energy for the game!
Slinky Dog Dash
This ride is just addictive! It is one of the best new attractions that has been added with the addition of Toy Story Land. One of the most fun rollercoasters in all of Disney World in my opinion and a must-do. Especially if you’ve never done it before.
Height Requirements – 38″ or taller
Best Suited for – Great first rollercoaster for little ones!
Best time to visit – All Day
Alien Swirling Saucers
It’s like the teacups in the Magic Kingdom….but with Aliens! These cute little guys zip you around in circles. The ride is fun, and it doesn’t seem to whip you around too fast. Although you might want to avoid it anyway if spinny rides tend to get to you.
Height Requirements – 32″ or taller
Best Suited for – All Ages
Best time to visit – All Day
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
It’s been long-awaited and highly touted, this massive section of the park is approximately 14 acres and creates a new planet in the Star Wars timeline called Batuu. We’ve got a bunch of tips for you in our Galaxy’s Edge guide, but I’ll cover a brief overview here.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
This new experience will put you behind the controls of the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs!
Height Requirements – 38″ or taller
Best Suited for – All Ages
Best time to visit – All Day
Star Wars: Rise of The Resistance
If you want a ride that will put you in the middle of an epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order then this is it. Now one of the most sought after rides in Walt Disney World.
Height Requirements – 40″ or taller
Best Suited for – All Ages
Best time to visit – All Day
Other Star Wars attractions in Hollywood Studios
Has your child ever wanted to become a real Jedi? Then this stage show is perfect for them! If they are an introvert then they won’t care about this much, as it does put them on stage. Your child needs to be between 4 and 12 years of age.
Availability is limited, so you’ll want to sign them up first thing in the morning right after rope drop, or if you have a character breakfast in the morning it’s the perfect time to go right next door to the Prime Time 50’s cafe’ and get them registered. Check out our guide to the Jedi Training Academy if you want to learn more.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
My husband rode this 4 times in a row one quiet morning and has been addicted to it for years! Basically, it’s a 3D motion simulator ride that takes to locations in the Star Wars Universe, including Hoth, Kashyyyk, Naboo, or Tatooine, among others.
There are actually more than 54 different ride combinations you can experience, so each ride should feel different. The ride is fast-paced, and the locations you visit are randomized, this is how my husband can ride it several times in a row and never get bored.
My husband’s tip, if you want to get on this ride repeatedly in order to see multiple combinations of the ride, then you need to do a character breakfast and head DIRECTLY over there after you are done eating. There is virtually no wait time at the beginning of the day, especially now with Galaxy’s Edge open.
Height Requirements – 40″ or taller
Best Suited for – All Ages
Best time to visit – All Day
There are a few gift shops in Disney World where my husband lingers. This is one of them. Completely Star Wars themed with quite literally an actual Museum inside, if you love the movies then you could spend a long time in here. They do have three meet and greets normally. Kylo Ren (shortest wait time for feeling intimidated), BB-8 (medium wait time for a really awkward meet and greet), Chewbacca (long wait time for the biggest hugs in the Galaxy).
Droid Depot
Want to build your own R2 Unit? The Droid Depot, located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios allows Guests to build their very own droid to go on adventures with. Building your own droid in the Star Wars galaxy is a complex process, with many steps involved. That’s why we created our own guide to walk you through the process of creating your own droid at Droid Depot.
Savi’s Workshop Handbuilt Lightsabers
Savi’s Workshop is a special place for elite Star Wars fanatics in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The store is located on Batuu and run by a secretive group, known as the Gatherers. If you want to build your own lightsaber then this is the place to do it. This is a once in a lifetime chance, but beware, the price is a bit lofty ($219.00). If you are interested, please feel free to read our entire guide on visiting Savi’s Workshop for more tips and tricks.
Click here if you’d like to learn more about Disney’s Hollywood Studios
