Let’s visit Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World! Full day schedule and ride, show, and food review
For the second park day of our week-long Walt Disney World trip, we were headed to Hollywood Studios!
Hollywood Studios is accessible from the Art of Animation by the Skyliner, so this was our very first time riding it! For our Hollywood Studios day, I was most excited to see the Walt Disney World version of the Fantasmic! show, check out Toy Story Land and all the cute Toy Story themed decor, and see Muppet*Vision 3D before it goes away! We were able to do all that and more, so all in all I would say it was a great day!
Here’s how the day panned out, and what I thought about the different rides, shows, and foods that I got to try from Hollywood Studios!
Schedule
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30AM | Waited at Skyliner stop | Art of Animation |
| 7:20AM - 7:40AM | Skyliner ride to Hollywood Studios | |
| 8:00AM | Scanned into Hollywood Studios | Hollywood Studios |
| 8:30AM | Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (No wait) | Sunset Boulevard |
| 8:55AM | Rise of the Resistance (40 min wait) | Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge |
| 9:45AM | Docking Bay 7 & Ronto Roasters | Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge |
| 10:30AM | Toy Story Mania (50 min wait) | Toy Story Land |
| 11:50AM | Coffee break at The Trolley Car Cafe | Hollywood Boulevard |
| 12:00PM | Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway | Hollywood Boulevard |
| 1:00PM | Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular | Echo Lake |
| 1:55PM | Lunch at ABC Commissary | Commissary Lane |
| 2:30PM | Muppet*Vision 3D | Grand Avenue |
| 3:00PM | Coffee break at Joffrey's Coffee & Tea | Pixar Plaza |
| 3:20PM | Slinky Dog Dash (90 min wait) | Toy Story Land |
| 5:00PM | Alien Swirling Saucers (25 min wait) | Toy Story Land |
| 6:00PM | Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (40 min wait - single rider) | Sunset Boulevard |
| 7:30PM | Vacation Fun - An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie | Echo Lake |
| 8:00PM | Toy Story Mania (20 min wait) | Toy Story Land |
| 8:45PM | Wonderful World of Animation | Hollywood Boulevard |
| 9:00PM | Fantasmic! (2nd showing) | Sunset Boulevard |
| 10:20PM | Skyliner back to Art of Animation |
Skyliner
Because we wanted to get ahead of the crowds, we lined up at the skyliner around 6:30AM even though it wasn’t set to open until around 7:00AM/7:15AM (no exact start time). By the time we got to the station, there were already a few people in line, but it wasn’t too busy. Since Art of Animation and Pop Century both have access to the same Skyliner station, there are two separate lines from either resort to access the skyliner. We stayed in the Art of Animation line, but conceivably, if the other side’s line is shorter you could always go to the other side.
In order to get to Hollywood Studios, we did have to transfer at the Caribbean Beach Resort, but the transfers are super quick and easy. There are clear signs and cast members there to help as well!
Rope drop
For rope drop, we decided to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster because it was one of the rides at Hollywood Studios that doesn’t exist at the other Disney theme parks in some shape or form. The other option was Slinky Dog Dash, but Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was closer to the entrance, and we had heard good things about this ride prior to coming!
We were actually the very first group in line for this ride! So cool! Next to us was the queue for the Tower of Terror rope drop, and by the time early entry started at 8:30AM, the lines for both of these rides were soooo long down Sunset Boulevard I couldn’t even see the end!
Early entry
During the Early Entry period, the direct route to Galaxy’s Edge from Hollywood Boulevard is closed off so that guests who are eligible need to scan through one area of cast members in order to get to Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge. So if you’re planning to hit Galaxy’s Edge for Early Entry, just know you’ll have to walk alll the way around the back through Toy Story Land to get there!
Rides
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
This was a really fun ride! I loved the speediness of it and the neon light-up signs that light as you pass them. It was really smooth too which always makes for a good time!
I didn’t really care of the theme since I don't really know Aerosmith, but the ride itself is really fun, and I’m honestly excited for it to be re-themed to the Muppets.
When we rode Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster the first time, we rope dropped it and didn’t have to wait at all - we even skipped the pre-show!
The second time we rode it, though, the lines were much busier so opted for the single-rider queue and that helped us save a bit of time! It took us all about 40 minutes give or take as opposed to the 75-minute standby wait time, and we all ended up getting on the ride within two rounds of each other, so no one was left waiting very long!
Rise of the Resistance
This is the same ride as is in Disneyland, but it’s still one of my favorite rides and a couple people in our group had never ridden it before so I was more than happy to ride this one! I’m actually surprised that the wait times for this ride in Hollywood Studios isn’t as long as I thought it would be! The wait time was often under an hour which was so surprising to me since the ride at Disneyland is often over an hour long!
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
This ride is also the same as the one in Disneyland. I love this ride, but I typically wouldn’t wait very long for it. Since a couple people hadn’t ridden it before, we got in the queue whenever was convenient for us, but it did mean we ended up waiting around an hour.
While I have no complains about the ride, I did find it interesting that they placed it inside the Chinese Theatre since the theming of the building doesn’t match the ride theming at all. It made me appreciate the ride at Disneyland much more since that version had the whole building essentially custom made for it. One of my favorite parts about the ride is actually the queue because it’s so cute and immersive, so part of its charm is a bit lost in the Hollywood Studios version.
Toy Story Mania
Another ride that’s the same wherever you go! The main difference is really the queue, and the queue here is really adorable! I loved the “cardboard cutout” signs and awnings as well as all the references to different classic games!
Alien Swirling Saucers
I love these cart whip rides! In every theme, they’re fantastic and so much fun! The Aliens “oooo”ing is such a fun touch and the space and pizza toppings decorations were amazing. The wait for these rides are typically not very long, so they’re great for when there’s a bit of a lull in the day.
Slinky Dog Dash
This ride is really cute, and unique to Hollywood Studios! The queue is very cute - very similar to the Toy Story Mania queue, but with more references to the actual slinky dog toy.
The coaster itself was a lot slower than I expected, so it wasn’t exactly the roller coaster experience I was expecting, especially because the coaster track looked very exciting. Not to say it wasn’t exciting, but I’ll just say I was a bit…let down ? especially because the wait was so long. We waited around 90 minutes for it so it was basically the ride we waited the longest for, and I didn’t feel like it was worth that kind of wait.
I would definitely still ride it again, but maybe if I could catch it at a wait time of around 30 minutes?
Attractions
Muppet*Vision 3D
I didn’t grow up as a Muppets kid, so I don’t really have a nostalgic attachment to them. But that being said I LOVED this show!! The combination of the 3D video and the REAL LIFE muppets coming out for part of it literally blew my mind! I’m so glad I went into it not knowing anything about it because I really got to experience it all for the first time.
I can see why people love this attraction and are sad to see it go! I’d love to see it again before it gets replaced, though I probably won't. I hope that its successor will be just as fun!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
This show was also really fun to watch! I had heard that the Indiana Jones here was a stunt show instead of a ride, but I wasn’t really sure how that would play out until I saw it, and it was really cool! Of course, seeing the iconic ball rolling scene was really fun, and seeing the marketplace fighting coordination was really awe-inspiring too. At times the commentary was corny, but I love that kind of thing so it was cool. I really loved seeing how the stunts were executed and even the kind of on-set effects they use too, like the fire!
Vacation Fun
This short was shockingly violent! Maybe it’s because I haven’t really watched all of the new Mickey Mouse animated shorts on Disneyplus yet, but I was shocked!
It was still really fun to watch though, especially because the theater was so cutely designed with Mickey themed chairs and everything. (This is the kind of design I thought would go alongside Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway!)
I also love that when you exit the theater they have photo setups of each of the locations Mickey and Minnie visited in the short. The panda one probably made me laugh the hardest!
Shows
Wonderful World of Animation
This show was played in front of the Chinese Theatre and is made up of projections, audio, and some fireworks at the end! I love that the show is an homage to all of the animation history of Disney - it always brings on the chills when I get to see just how many stories they’ve brought to life and how impactful and memorable they’ve all been.
It’s really cool to see the projections spanned across multiple buildings too for a really beautiful panoramic view. Not too many people were gathered to watch it, so it’s also not too hard to find a good spot to watch either. Also I love when a show ends with a bang (as in fireworks) and this show delivers!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is such a classic show, there’s no way we could miss it! They originally had two showings and we wanted to attend the first one at 8:00PM. However, they unexpectedly cancelled the first one so we had to wait for the 2nd one (and hope that that one wasn’t cancelled too). I was really worried we wouldn’t be able to see it, but luckily the 2nd show did pull through!!
The amphitheater opens for the show about an hour before the show starts, but we didn’t go in until around 30 minutes before. There was still PLENTY of seating all around. The amphitheater area is HUGE and surrounds the stage, so honestly, I don’t think there’s really a bad view of the show at all. And I love that it’s all bench seating, so even if you’re a short person (like me) you’re more likely to be able to actually see the performance! At Disneyland I have no such luck with this - since everyone's standing, I rarely get to actually see the show so much as peek at it and deduce the rest.
The show in Hollywood Studios is different from the one in Disneyland, but I don’t mind that - I think it’s cool that you can see different shows at the two parks instead of just seeing the same thing. It’s still really fun to watch and the music is iconic and incredible. I always love seeing Sorcerer Mickey, and the princesses on the floating boats was really beautiful too. There were cool stunts with the Aladdin portion, and I also loved the Moana and Elsa parts especially!
If there’s anything that’ll keep me coming back to Hollywood Studios, it’s probably going to be Fantasmic! first and foremost, and the other shows that they have to offer. This one was just so much fun, I’d love to see it again!
Food
Cold Brew Black Caf
Location: Kat Saka’s Kettle
Price: $5.99
This was not a bad coffee drink, but I can see why people like the Disneyland version more. I noticed that a lot of Walt Disney World cold brews have some spice or flavor in it that I’m not particularly fond of for a cold brew base, and I think that’s what has thrown the flavor off for me. So I think that’s kind of what threw off this drink for me as well. If I’m looking for a coffee drink at Hollywood Studios though, I think it’s still a decent option. I might lean more towards a Joffrey’s coffee instead though since those are also readily available.
Ronto Wraps
Location: Ronto Roasters
Price: $12.79 (Breakfast Wrap), $13.99 (Ronto Wrap)
Ronto wraps are tried and true - they’re delicious and filling! Since we were there in the morning we also had the option of getting the breakfast ronto wraps which come with egg, cheese, and sausage.
The breakfast ronto wrap is what you might expect from a breakfast sandwich - it has all the standard ingredients. The sausage is snappy in texture and very savory. If you’re a breakfast person, it’s great, but if you’re looking for something a little more substantial that has more depth of flavor, I would go for the regular ronto wrap. The ronto wrap comes with roasted pork, sausage, and slaw so it has a lot more to offer. It is very meaty though (a little too meaty for me personally), but is really a great bang-for-your-buck option.
Or you can share with your friend and get the best of both worlds! That’s what I did, and it was great!
Shrimp Tacos
Location: ABC Commissary
Price: $12.99
This dish came with 2 tacos and a side of rice and beans. I actually quite liked these tacos! The shrimp were a nice size and had a nice bite to it. They had a good flavor and they were cooked to a really nice texture and consistency. The sauce was good, but was a bit on the spicier side.
Vanilla Latte
Location: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea
Price: $6.39
The latte was nice and smooth. The vanilla flavor added a sweetness to it but it wasn’t overly sweet which was nice. Joffrey’s in general is a nice pick-me-up when you need it through a mid-day slump!
Mini Corn Dogs
Location: KRNR The Rock Station
Price: $10.99
These were fine corn dog nuggets, nothing too special, but not bad either! I couldn’t really find anything in Hollywood Studios food-wise that I was super interested in eating that wasn’t in a restaurant, so options felt pretty limited. At that point, I was kind of just looking for something to fill my stomach, so this did the job.
Highlights
The shows
I loved both Wonderful World of Animation and Fantasmic! I think these two shows were beautiful and unique, and they made Hollywood Studios special! I’m so glad we were able to watch both (I was a little worried for Fantasmic! because of the first cancellation).
Wonderful World of Animation was really touching, and it definitely brought a few tears to my eyes as animation-based shows tend to do (looking at you, Wondrous Journeys).
Fantasmic! had lots of wow moments and I just loved the experience of watching it in the amphitheater and getting to see every scene! The extra bit of fireworks added another wow factor to both shows that I loved! I also thought it was cool that Fantasmic! still has a Maleficent dragon that I wasn’t expecting to see!
Honestly, I think the shows really make Hollywood Studios a must-visit park, and if anything they’re the things that would keep me coming back!
Muppet*Vision 3D
I think the rest of the people in my group found this show as a good opportunity to take a nap, but I absolutely loved it. I had so much fun with this one, and I really wasn’t expecting it either! I love that the show is enjoyable even if you’re not a Muppets fanatic.
Notables
Lots of similarities to Disneyland rides
I felt like a lot of the rides here were very similar to the ones we have in Disneyland if not pretty much the same rides like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Rise of the Resistance, and Toy Story Mania, so there didn’t feel like a ton of pressure to get to every ride. I thought that was a good thing since we didn’t feel too rushed, but also that it made the park just a little less exciting for me.
Not a lot of quick service options for food
This felt true for all the WDW parks, but especially here. I didn’t feel like I could find a lot of quick and easy food options that were really enticing. It seems like most of the food experience focus is on the restaurants, which require more time and cost, so the food I did eat here felt pretty average.
Disney does Toy Story theming so well
Everywhere I go, I’m always struck by how adorable Disney creates Toy Story themed spaces. Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios was so cute! I loved the giant lights and all the toy themed things everywhere. It reminded me a lot of Toy Story Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort, and I feel like being in it just makes me happy (even though I’m not even the biggest Toy Story fan!).
A few things I missed
Tower of Terror
I did really want to ride Tower of Terror even though we have the Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Disney’s California Adventure! Our whole party wasn’t able to ride with us, which is why I think we continued to deprioritize it throughout the day, but the next time around I really hope I can get on Tower of Terror!
Woody’s Roundup BBQ
I’ve heard mixed reviews about dining here, but I think the overall energy and idea sound really fun to me. I didn’t want to make too many high-cost dining reservations for the week since I didn’t want to pressure everyone in the whole party to join in. I would really want to experience this another time around when I’m open to an all-you-can-eat experience, and I’m so curious to experience the “Andy’s coming” part of the meal!
Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
I love watching shows and performances at Disney parks because the caliber is always amazing. The Festival of the Lion King is one of my favorite shows at Disneyland because it literally feels like a mini broadway show, so I’m tempted to believe that the Beauty and the Beast show at Hollywood Studios might be similar. I’d love to prioritize this next time!
Recap
Coming from Disneyland in California, Hollywood Studios has a lot of overlapping rides in common with Disneyland with few if any changes to them. This does make it seem a little less enticing of a park for me to visit if I’m ride-focused. However, the shows at Hollywood Studios are fantastic and those may be what keep me wanting to go back.
I loved the experience of watching Fantasmic! in the giant amphitheater and getting a great view of the entire show. Even though I missed some shows that I wanted to see, I bet they were awesome and would want to visit again to watch them in the future if they’re still running. Even though I didn’t get to all the rides in Hollywood Studios, I also didn’t feel too ride-pressured all day which was actually kind of nice. I do think that I didn’t really get to spend a lot of time in certain areas like the surrounding Muppets area, even though I would have liked to. So I still think there’s more to explore about Hollywood Studios, and I’m looking forward to going back!
