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How to Tour Hollywood Studios When You’re Short On Time

Hollywood Studios

We understand that vacations can quickly become hectic when you are trying to fit in as much fun, food, and relaxation as possible. You paid a lot of money for your vacation and you want to experience as much of Walt Disney World as you can. Currently, Hollywood Studios is undergoing a lot of construction and has long been referred to as a half-day park because of the lack of things to do. We don’t know if the Studios deserves that distinction, but guests can certainly tour the bigger attractions in a short period of time. Here is our touring plan to get guests in and out of the park in a minimal amount of time.

5. Arrive Early – guests don’t head to Hollywood Studios first thing in the morning. Most families are trying to get to the Magic Kingdom to see the welcome show or make it to Epcot so they can ride Soarin’ or take advantage of a short line at Frozen Ever After. Make it to Hollywood Studios and you will have 2-3 hours of relatively low crowd levels before lines begin to grow. Most guests will make a dash towards Toy Story Midway Mania when the park opens, but our recommended plan is to head down Sunset Boulevard and tackle Tower of Terror, as well as Rock and Roller Coaster – you should be able to tackle both without having to use a FastPass!

4. FastPasses Necessary – since Hollywood Studios uses a tiered FastPass system – guests are forced to choose among higher popularity attractions for one of the FastPasses – currently guests much choose between Toy Story Midway Mania, Rock and Roller Coaster, the Great Movie Ride, Fantasmic, and Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage. Our family usually opts to FastPass Toy Story Midway Mania because it is the most popular attraction at the park and wait times have eclipsed triple digits in the past. The remaining two FastPasses can be used for any of the other attractions not in Tier One – we usually grab one for Star Tours and Tower of Terror – the other two attractions that are capable of having longer lines.

3. Skip the Table Service –when we are visiting Hollywood Studios for a quick trip, we usually skip one of the table service restaurants. We tend to try one of the many counter-service locations because there are some unique offerings – the most diverse options available to guests is along Sunset Boulevard at Fairfax Fare, Catalina Eddie’s, Anaheim Produce, Hollywood Scoops, Rosie’s All-American, and the Toluca Legs Turkey Company – everyone in your family can find a good option here from sweet to savory! There is also plenty of seating for your family to take a short break from all of the action!

2. Single Rider Line – if a member of your party is a fan of roller coasters, but everyone else is not, guests should consider taking advantage of the single rider line at Rock and Roller Coaster – the only ride at Hollywood Studios to utilize it. The single riders fill in empty spots in the cars based on party of size of others in line. Single riders won’t get to request a spot, but this can be a great way to experience the coaster (or to ride it again) fairly quickly and without having to use a FastPass!

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1. Skip the Shows – the shows at Hollywood Studios are great additions to the park, but eat up a lot of time and based on the time of the year that you are visiting, are offered at different times. We don’t always do the shows when visiting because we are able to save a lot of time in the park and are able to park hop somewhere else to continue our fun there. We will do the shows if we visit later in the afternoon or make the decision to spend the entire day at the park, but if we are trying to do the park quickly, we will cut them.

Visiting Hollywood Studios can be a great experience of looking into some of your favorites from movies, music, and television. A trip to Walt Disney World doesn’t feel complete without seeing the neon lights on Sunset Boulevard, but these trips can be quick and by using these tips above, your family can experience most of what Hollywood Studios has to offer in a short period of time!

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best Walt Disney World deal, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius!

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About Tyler

Tyler is a lawyer living in South Florida who visits Disney World at least once a month. He enjoys re-living classic Disney experiences and discovering new things about the parks when he visits. Friends and family always ask him to plan their trip for maximum Disney magic!

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