Hollywood Studios Tips

So here’s the deal. Disney changes the plans with getting on this frequently. The summary of it is that you will use the My Disney Experience App. On the homepage of the app, scroll down until you see “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance”. There is a paragraph there that explains how to join the “Virtual Queue”, and the Join button. If it says to join the queue at 7:00 am, then you get onto your app at 6:55 am to start trying. You’ll click that Join button (I click Join, back, Join, back, until I see that next screen when the virtual queue actually opens), and very quickly confirm on the next page. Don’t read it, just confirm it as quickly as your fingers can do it. They will then give you a “Boarding Group”, like, it’ll say Boarding Group 70. Each day varies with how many boarding groups the ride will take each day, but if you’re in a Boarding Group (and not a Backup Boarding Group), then you’ll most likely get to ride! They do take quite a few Backup Boarding Groups too, so all is not lost if that’s what you got. Just don’t get the kids excited. You can only Join the virtual queue at the time listed, and only if you have park reservations for Hollywood Studios for your party on that day. If the queue opens at 7:00 am, then the boarding groups are pretty much gone by 7:01 am. I’ll try until I get the notice saying there are no more boarding groups. Then you have to keep checking that same app section to see what boarding group they are calling. When they call your group, you have about an hour to get there (the notification will tell you how long). Be sure to wait until your boarding group number is actually called, and then don’t miss your window! They’re pretty strict about this whole process.

Now, onto other must-do’s:

• Millenium Falcon. It’s a ride simulator, but I thought it was pretty cool and I don’t even like Star Wars stuff. My people are big fans and they like this ride, although they don’t love it for unknown reasons. It makes the must-do list because so many people love it and I wouldn’t want you to miss it.
• Star Wars Land. You have to at least walk through this area even if you’re not a Star Wars fan.
• Star Tours. Very fun ride simulator, can cause a bit of motion sickness for some, but not bad.
• Toy Story Land
  • Toy Story Mania. Fun ride/3D game. Everyone seems to love this one. Some people get completely obsessed with beating their score.
  • Slinky Dog Dash. GREAT ride. Much more fun than it looks. Definitely one of my favorites, although the line always runs pretty long, and the line queue is in the hot sun for most of it. Plan for early in the morning or later in the evening.
• Tower of Terror. YES. Do it. Just do it. My favorite in Hollywood, tied with Rockin’ Roller Coaster. It’s not haunted house, sort of scary at all. Twilight Zone themed, but COVID took out the pre-show that explained the ride. If you don’t like the free-fall feeling, then this might not be for you, and it might be too much for timid kids.
• Rockin’ Roller Coaster. YES. Do this one, too. I LOVE this ride. Maybe not the best if you don’t like a loop in a roller coaster? But if that doesn’t terrify you, then just get on this ride even if there’s a long wait.
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Train. I also LOVE this ride! When it first opened, we almost didn’t want to bother with trying it because I had something different in my head of what it was. We go on this every time we go to Hollywood. I can’t wait to see what the pre-show was supposed to be before COVID took it out. However, I strongly suggest that you go to the Mickey Shorts Theater that’s around to the left of this ride before going on the ride. It’s a short movie (18 minutes maybe?) that gives you more context of the characters and animation style. They go hand-in-hand, and I would have liked the ride more if I saw the short movie about the characters first. Plus, the movie is in comfy “shorts” chairs with AC, so there’s no better way to take a break.

When you’re done with everything at Hollywood, and if you have a Park Hopper ticket, this would be a great time to take the Skyliner over to Epcot and try some new food! The Skyliner is just outside the main park entrance of Hollywood, and it brings you to the back of Epcot. You can take this even without a hopper ticket, you just won’t be able to enter Epcot. It’s a great ride, if nothing else.

For more information, visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/hollywood-studios/maps/