Disney World’s Hollywood Studios: What to Know Before You Go!
Known only for the iconic Tower of Terror, Hollywood Studios is often forgotten when put next to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. But in recent years, Hollywood Studios has received some major updates. The first being an entire section of the park being dedicated to Star Wars! For all the Star Wars lovers in your life, this is a must! I have to admit, I am not a Star Wars fan… That being said, I am a huge Harry Potter fan and when I saw Harry Potter world at Universal for the first time a few years ago, I cried. So I knew that this Star Wars section of Hollywood Studios was nothing to take lightly, knowing Disney, I knew it would be legendary.
If anyone you love is a Star Wars fan and this is something you want to do for them (or yourself), start taking notes now.
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge consists of 2 rides, a market, and a few restaurants. Seems small and manageable, however, it is also the most popular attraction in the park right now. In order to control crowds (especially during Covid), Disney requires you to make all your reservations through their My Disney Experience App.
Rise of the Resistance – is the ride everyone wants to do. In order to get a spot in line for this ride, you must be awake and be on the app by 7 in the morning. You have to add the ride to your queue. Within 30 seconds, it will be full. I’m not kidding, the demand is high. Garrett and I were both in position, in the app ready to add to the queue and he was successfully able to secure us a spot in line for 10:30 AM. If you do not get in the first time, there is another chance to ride at 1 PM.
I kept telling Garrett that there is no way any ride is worth this much hype. I was pleased to be proven wrong. As someone who has never seen a single Star Wars movie, I was absolutely amazed at the attention to detail. This ride is not just a ride. It is an experience. You walk for most of it, and it’s as if you are in one of the movies. Your team gets captured, you are detained for questioning, and then broken out in a mad getaway. As someone once again, who is not a fan and had no idea what was going on, all I can say is well done Disney because this ride is impressive.
The other ride is the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, which is a simulation ride as if you are flying a jet. I also found this one to be fun because each person was assigned a “job”: pilot, gunner, or engineer. Each seat is assigned tasks and when the jet controls light up you press them to save the mission! Though I ended up with a bit of motion sickness, it really felt like we were flying through a galaxy far far away.
Aside from the rides, which are the main draw, there is also a “trading post” or shops, restaurants, and more. Guests can assemble a droid at the droid depot or build a real lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop.
After a morning of Star Wars, we were starving. Don’t get so excited about getting to the park that you forget to make meal reservations. If you actually want to get a sit-down dinner, you will have to make a reservation through the app. We did not think this far ahead, but still lucked out and got a seat at the Sci-fi Drive-in Diner for some hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. This is a fun pitstop to get out of the heat and step back in time. Set up to look like a drive-in movie theater in the 1950s, the Sci-fi Diner features various bizarre black and white movies while guests enjoy refreshments from tables that look like cars.
Once we knocked Star Wars out of the way, there was really nothing left on the agenda except to explore the rest of the park. We hit my two all-time favorites, the tower of terror and the Rockin Roller coaster, not just once but twice. These are classic Hollywood Studios establishments.
If you have never been before and have no knowledge, the Tower of Terror is a 199-foot high tower that poses as a hotel. As you wait in line, it looks as you are walking through a very old and haunted hotel. Stemming from the show The Twilight Zone, the Tower of Terror takes you on an elevator ride you will never forget. Taking you up several floors and suddenly dropping down into darkness. Operating in various patterns, no two trips are the same. So riding more than once does not mean you will know what to expect. For anyone who likes that feeling of your stomach getting stuck in your throat, this one is for you.
The Rock N’ Roller Coaster is another classic that has been around since the early 2000s. Featuring Aerosmith, guests accompany the band down the freeway to make it to the concert on time. Completely in the dark, rock music blaring in your ears, glow in the dark road signs flash in front of your face, if you love the thrill of going fast, this is a must-do at the park. Garrett and I rode it twice and would have done it again if we had time!
The other main attraction in Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Land; for the millennials that want to relive their childhood. Where the lamp posts look like pencils and the guide rails are made to look like K’Nexs. Woody, Buzz, and the whole crew are there to welcome you as if you are toy-sized yourself! Once again, the attention to detail baffled me. Jessie and Rex standing on a Jenga tower while slinky races on the roller coaster track around them.
The two rides you want to hit in Toy Story Land are the Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Story Mania.
Slinky Dog Dash is a kid-friendly roller coaster. Perfect for kids of all ages. Riding in a cart that looks like Slinky himself he bounces around Andy’s backyard.
Toy Story Mania is a 3D ride where each passenger gets to shoot at targets earning points with a little popper gun placed in front of each seat. When boarding the ride, it’s as if you are entering Andy’s bedroom. You look to your left you see what looks like the bottom of a door, making you feel as if you are a foot tall. You look to your right, you see the window seal lurking far far away at the top of the wall. As you put on your 3D glasses and fasten your seat belt, the ride takes you through several 3D arcade scenarios where it actually looks like your throwing items at a target. Learn more here.
That is where we ended our tour of Hollywood Studios. To summarize :
- Get well acquainted with the Disney app before you go
- During Covid and post covid you need to have a ticket and reservation to enter the park
- Make reservations if you plan to eat in a restaurant in any of the parks
- Scope out your “must-do” list and check those items off first
- Bring sunscreen, water, and snacks because it gets hot!
I really just tried to take in the entire experience of being in a theme park in a post-pandemic world. I didn’t know when I would ever be able to stand in a crowd of people again, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Everyone was happy, excited, ready to jump into their Disney vacation. They don’t call it the happiest place on Earth for nothing, Disney always does it bigger and better than you ever could imagine.