Disney's Hollywood Studios
at Walt Disney World
For some time now Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World has gotten “the short end of the stick” so to say. It is the least visited of all the Disney World parks with many saying they skip the park altogether. I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t skip Hollywood Studios even before Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge open.
Hollywood Studios has something for everyone. There’s Old Hollywood Glam, to new franchises. Yes, there are Star Wars characters in the park but it is so much more than Star Wars, you just have to know where to look! The Studios were originally set up to be a real working studio where movies and television shows were filmed on site. Currently it is not a working studio but there are still studio aspects. You can see live action stage shows of both Beauty and the Beast and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.These are fantastic shows that are perfect for anyone, especially little ones who may not be able to sit through hour long movies and shows. I've seen The Little Mermaid show multiple times and it never disappoints! I haven't managed to catch Beauty & the Beast yet but it's top priority on my next trip. There’s also Muppet Vision 3D, which is fun for the whole family. I’m not much a Muppets fan in general but I still enjoyed this show. Personally my favorite show is the Indiana Jones Spectacular. I’ve always been a fan of the movies and this was a behind the scenes look at some of the actual movie scenes. Plus there’s the added benefit of audience participation. I've really only touched on the many entertainment options available check out a full list of available shows and character meet and greets on Disney's website here.
A concern for some park visitors is that there aren’t enough rides at Hollywood Studios. Walt Disney World (or any Disney park) is so much more than rides though! If you are only visiting a park for rides then yes, you will probably be disappointed in the amount of rides offered at Hollywood Studios. Though that could be said of any Florida park outside of Magic Kingdom. We had a full day in Hollywood Studios and still did not get in absolutely everything we wanted to accomplish. This is a park with great thrill rides: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock -n- Roller Coaster, and Star Tours. At the moment the only ride for very young children (under 48 inches) is Toy Story Mania, which is one of Disney’s best rides in my opinion. The fastpass tiered system can be a little tricky at the moment since there are limited ride choices. If you are visiting with young children I say definitely grab a fastpass for toy story mania and then you can do rider swap for the other thrill rides. My go to fastpass at the moment is Tower of Terror but I'm sure that will change when the new lands open. The Great Movie Ride closed earlier this year and will be re-opening as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad. This will be the first ride that features Mickey Mouse! It will be accessible for all ages. When Toy Story Land opens later this month there will be two additional rides: Alien Swirling Saucers and Slinky Dog Dash Coaster. Star Wars Galaxy's edge will be opening in "late fall 2019" and will bring the Star Wars franchise to life! With it's opening expect to see major changes in the fastpass+ tiers at Hollywood Studios. Even without those additions I still think Hollywood Studios is worth a visit. You can also join in with the Frozen Sing-a-Long, which is fun for the whole family, and Jedi Training (for preschoolers, kids and tweens). Multiple times throughout the day you can catch the March of the First Order & Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away, which brings to life scenes from multiple Star Wars movies.
With the exception of Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom I think the best night-time shows are at the Studios. We booked a Fantasmic Dining Package that guaranteed us seating at the show. If you’ve never seen Fantasmic put it on your must do list! While there probably isn’t a bad seat in the house due to the stadium seating, we enjoyed the fact that we didn’t have to fight the crowds for a seat since our dining package included special seating for the show. We were front and center for the show which includes live characters, projections, pyrokinetics, water pageantry, and a steamboat full of popular and lesser seen characters. It was our favorite show of the trip and we will definitely go back on our future trips. It should be said that we love the Fantasia movies and this was very reminiscent of those. If you don’t like Fantasia you may not enjoy this show. The only downside to Hollywood Studios night-time shows is that it is difficult to catch them all in one night, especially since we were there during the Holiday season and there was an extra show: Jingle Bell Jingle BAM! We were able to catch glimpses of it while we were waiting for Fantasmic to begin and it looked like a lot of fun. We were able to see the Disney Movie Magic show which is projected on the Chinese theater. If you are a fan of cinema then you will love this show. If you want to soak up all things Star Wars then you’ll enjoy Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. This show does not take place every night so you’ll want to check the schedule before making your park plan. I cannot express enough how amazing the technology is for these projection shows, it is very impressive. If you’re only going to plan a half-day at Hollywood Studios make it the second half of the day so you can take advantage of the numerous night-time shows.
If you want to meet some characters plan a meal at Hollywood & Vine, breakfast offers Disney Junior characters and dinner is Minnie and friends. This is where we booked our Fantasmic Dining Package. Overall this restaurant has mixed reviews but we really enjoyed our meal. It was a buffet that had diverse offerings of American style food. I had a delicious butternut squash soup and my husband enjoyed the fresh seafood offerings. Since we went during Christmas we did have seasonal holiday food, the regular menu is slightly different. Another fun restaurant at the studios is Sci-fi Dine-In Theater. It is set up like an old school drive in theater where your booths are shaped like cars with black and white sci-fi clips play on the big screen. They are known for their unique burger offerings. For an interactive meal experience you can go to 50's Prime Time Cafe but be on your best behavior, the servers will be quick to correct you poor table manners. It's just like your mom's kitchen with a menu featuring things like fried chicken and meatloaf. These are just a few of the restaurants that I think are fun for families. There are also many other places from walk-up quick service to higher end dining. One of our favorite meals of the trip was at ABC Commissary where my husband ordered the BBQ plate that was so tender it was literally falling of the bone. The decor was memorabilia from classic ABC tv shows with snippets of the shows playing on the tv's. A highly sought after reservation is the Hollywood Brown Derby known for it's glamorous old Hollywood decor and timeless dishes. If you're not keen on making reservations, or the Brown Derby is out of your price range, you can always walk-in to the Brown Derby Lounge that offers some of the same menu items as the full restaurant.
When is your next trip?
What’s your favorite thing to do at Hollywood Studios?
Hollywood Studios was our favorite park during our last trip and I can’t wait to go back and see the new additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars, Galaxies Edge. Toy Story Land opens later this month and Galaxies Edge will open in Disney World late fall 2019.
Planning a Disney trip? 2019 Packages open up on June 19 I know a few travel agents who would love to help you out and send you a quote for your next vacation!
