Some of the biggest changes over the last few years have happened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We have seen the opening of new lands and rides at this Disney theme park. You might immediately think about Star Wars when thinking about planning your Walt Disney World vacation. However, there is a lot more to Hollywood Studios than just Star Wars, so we are going to share The Best Rides at Hollywood Studios and all the Best Shows too .
Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened back in 1989 as Disney – MGM Studios. Movies are very much the main theme of the park. What exactly is there to do at Hollywood Studios? If you haven’t been before and you are currently planning your Disney World Vacation, then take a look below as we provide a complete guide to all of the attractions in Hollywood Studios.
More on Hollywood Studios
- The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants
- Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Toy Story Land Rides and Attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- The Best Snacks at Hollywood Studios
- All the Places to Eat at Hollywood Studios
- Walking from Hollywood Studios to Epcot
- Hollywood Studios Friendship Boats
The Best Rides at Hollywood Studios
Before we dive in here is a brief overview of the best rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Rock n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Toy Story Mania
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Slinky Dog Dash
You can find a map of Hollywood Studios here.
The Best Rides at Hollywood Studios Ranked
Below you will find Disney’s the best rides at Hollywood Studios ranked. These are based on how much my family and I have enjoyed the rides over the years. Let’s dive in to the best rides.
9. Slinky Dog Dash
Location: Toy Story Land
Height Restriction: Guests must be 38in (97cm) or taller
Slinky Dog Dash is a family/kiddie coaster so don’t expect the same thrills as Rock n Roller Coaster. I love the design of the Slinky Dog Dash ride vehicle itself along with the theming in general. A fun ride for all the family. There are also some great views of Galaxy’s Edge during the ride. Family friendly thrills are guaranteed on this ride. One of the best family orientated roller coasters in the Disney parks.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: You definitely will need a lightning lane for this otherwise it could be a long wait in line.
8. Alien Swirling Saucers
Location: Toy Story Land
Height Restriction: Guests must be 32in (82cm) or taller
A ride very similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (located in Disney California Adventure at Disneyland) this is very similar to the Mad Tea Party in Magic Kingdom, but your vehicle is whipped around whilst rotating rather than spinning. Saying that though it is such a fun ride and we have found that we enjoy it more than Slinky Dog. The music on the ride is really fun along with the ride experience too.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: If you are planning multiple visits to Hollywood Studios during your vacation then consider a lightning lane otherwise head straight there from rope drop or keep an eye on the wait times with the My Disney Experience App.
7. Toy Story Mania
Location: Toy Story Land
Height Restriction: Guests can be any height
This 3D carnival style shooting game featuring the Toy Story characters is so much fun. You ride in a four seat ride vehicle with 2 pairs of riders back to back. You play through five shooting games trying to get as high as score as possible using your cannon which is operated by a pull cord. This ride can get competitive amongst your family but that’s what makes it a lot of fun.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: We would say use a lightning lane, but the wait times do seem to have dropped a bit as the crowds in Toy Story Land are eager to ride the new attractions, but this is still a popular attraction.
6. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Location: Grand Avenue
Height Restriction: Guests must be 40in (102cm) or taller
This simulator ride has different experiences so you may not get the same ride experience twice. The simulator works really well with the screen giving you a real feel of flying through the Star Wars galaxy.
The ride line is also fun preparing all the travellers for their journey with C3-PO making an appearance. You’re never quite sure what you are going to get but I have always found Star Tours a lot of fun.
The ride has been updated over the years which has helped to still make it an exciting ride for the Star Wars fans in your family.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: No as during a normal day in the park the wait times can be very reasonable.
5. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Location: Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
Height Restriction: Guests must be 38in (97cm) or taller
The first ride to open at Disney World’s new Star Wars land was Smuggler’s Run. The ride is set out in a six-seat layout of the Falcon’s famous cockpit with riders having to undertake certain job functions such as operating the navigation computer ready for the jump into hyperspace to get through the rides various missions.
The ride is a great experience especially if you get to sit up front as a pilot (you are assigned your roles by a cast member before you enter the cockpit). This is so much fun, especially if you are a big Star Wars fan like I am. Who doesn’t want to fly the Falcon?
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Definitely worth trying to get a Lightning Lane for if you can’t get to the park for rope drop.
4. Rock n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Location: Sunset Boulevard
Height Restriction: Guests must be 48in (122cm) or taller
Rock n Roller Coaster is a launch coaster which launches you at high speed into loops and corkscrews with Aerosmith blasting out from the speakers behind your head. A really fun roller coaster ride in the dark themed around a stretch limo ride attempting to get you across town to an Aerosmith Concert.
One of the few big thrill ride roller coasters at Walt Disney World. I love Aerosmith but the theme and story of this ride is a lot of fun with Aerosmith offering you a limo ride and backstage passes (during your time in the standby line) to their concert downtown.
The ride itself is a launch coaster that quickly has you corkscrewing upside down in the dark whilst listening to a soundtrack of Aerosmith hits. This one is a lot of fast paced rocking fun. Definitely a ride for fans of thrill ride type roller coasters. It rocks!
I personally love Rock n Roller Coaster but it is a short ride and we have speculated that this one may get an update sometime in the future, but it hasn’t happened yet.
You can read more about the Best Disney World Roller Coasters Here.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: we always get a lightning lane for this attraction and wait times haven’t really been affected too much by Toy Story Land opening. As with Tower of Terror this is another good one to get to straight from rope drop.
3. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Location: Hollywood Boulevard
Height Restriction: Guests can be any height
Based on the Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts this great ride takes you into the zany world of a Mickey Mouse Cartoon. You ride in Goofy’s train following Mickey and Minnie on a car ride before the ride turns into a crazy runaway train ride through a world where the rules of physics don’t apply.
Expect unexpected twists, silly gags at every turn, as Mickey and Minnie try to save the day in this trackless dark ride. Also the only Mickey Mouse dedicated ride at Walt Disney World.
This ride is a lot of fun with a theme song that is a real ear worm. You’ll be humming it for sometime after exiting the ride. This attraction replaced the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: You definitely will need a Lightning Lane for this ride otherwise get to the ride from rope drop or it could be a long wait in line.
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Location: Sunset Boulevard
Height Restriction: Guests must be 40in (102cm) or taller
Tower of Terror is one of the big thrill ride attractions in Hollywood Studio. It is a dark drop ride but before that you are taken on a wonderfully themed journey through the Hollywood Tower Hotel that starts in the standby line.
You enter the hotel lobby where you are then taken into a waiting area and you get to watch the backstory of the ride via a Twilight Zone video and then you enter the plant room which leads you to your elevator. The ride vehicle I find fascinating as you seem to make your way up and then through a section of the hotel before the drops await!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror never fails to thrill as you never quite know what you are going to get when you enter that lift in the hotel plant room. The Twilight Zone story is carried throughout the ride from start to finish to great effect making this much more than your standard drop ride.
As soon you enter the hotel lobby you get a feel for what this thrill ride is all about. This is a spooky and supernatural theme looking to scare you and it works very well.
As I mentioned you never quite know what you are going to get when it comes to this drop dark ride and sometimes you feel like you are getting dropped and catapulted up the lift shaft for quite some time. This uncertainty builds the anticipation of the ride making it exciting and one of my favorite Disney World rides. Even more thrilling at night too when it becomes a very dark ride.
You will probably see Tower of Terror well before you get into the park as it is large and a true Disney World landmark and as you walk into the standby line you will hear the screams of the riders which can really build the tension.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: we would recommend using one but wait times can vary during a normal day. A great ride to head towards from rope drop where you might be able to get on twice.
1. Star Wars Rise of the Resistance
Location: Star Wars galaxy’s Edge
Height Restriction: Guests must be 40in (102cm) or taller
This is an epic battle escape attraction with the setting of the attraction having riders trapped in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. AT-AT vehicles, Kylo Ren and loads of First Order Troopers all feature in this immersive attraction that is so much more than just a ride.
The ride vehicle is a First Order Fleet Transport seating eight riders in two rows of four and piloted by a First Order astromech droid. This ride is very immersive with the ride line making up part of the experience. Expect huge props, animatronics, drops and a fantastic Star Wars experience.
This ride is a dream for all the Star Wars fans in your family no matter how old they are.
You can read our guide on how to Ride Rise of the Resistance Here.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Definitely the easiest way of getting on the ride during the day. You can get on the ride fairly quickly first thing in the morning if you are staying at a Disney resort and make the most of the early park opening times.
The Best Show Attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Here are my top 5 shows that I enjoy the most at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
5. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
Location: Sunset Boulevard
A live stage performance of Beauty and the Beast located on Sunset Boulevard. The show last around 30 minutes and is very enjoyable. Definitely worth seeing if you have a Beauty and the Beast fan in your party. Lots of characters and great choreography along with the classic songs from the movie make this a very enjoyable show.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
4. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Location: Echo Lake
The Royal Historians of Arendelle take you through the story of Frozen in this fun sing along show. Throughout the show you will see clips from the movie and Anna, Elsa and Kristoff all make appearances so sing along with you too.
The Royal Historians are very funny and there is some fun humor for all ages to enjoy in this show. You might experience some snow in Florida too when watching this.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
3. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Location: Echo Lake
I always enjoy this show as I love the Indiana Jones movies especially Raiders of the Lost Ark which this show is based around. This 30 minute show looks at some of the stunts and set pieces in Raiders of the Lost Ark and how they are performed. The show is performed as if the movie is being filmed in front of you and there are some big explosions at the end.
The director and filming crew feature as well as actors portraying Indy and Marion from the classic movie.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
2. Muppet Vision 3D
Location: Grand Avenue
This fun 3D show from the muppets is a great little 15 minute attraction that also gives you a bit of a break from the park and the Florida sun. All of the Muppets feature and Statler and Waldorf join you as part of the audience. The 3D effects work really well and the Muppets humor really makes this a fun show. This is also normally a very easy show to see too with not normally a long wait time.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: You won’t need to use a lightning lane for this attraction.
1. Fantasmic
Location: Sunset Boulevard
Fantasmic is a night time show on a huge set with over 50 performers, projections, water and fireworks. The show itself in our opinion is a must see show and it is like no other show you will see at Disney World.
You take a trip through the dreams of Mickey Mouse where he starts out as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice only for a variety of Disney Villains to invade his dreams and turn them into nightmares. Mickey must win the battle with the power of his imagination.
The combination of fireworks, characters, water and pyro technics make it such a fun spectacle that it never fails to entertain. All of our family enjoy watching this show each year.
Don’t forget that you will need to take a break for something to eat in the park. You can read about the Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants Here.
All the Other Attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
We have looked at all my favorite rides and shows, now let’s take a look at everything else Hollywood Studio’s has to offer.
Citizens of Hollywood
These street performers are a lot of fun providing improvised and planned shows on Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard throughout the day. They are a lot of fun if you get to see them when exploring the park. You can also sometimes find them before you enter the park where you can walk along the red carpet whilst they commentate.
The Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Location: Animation Courtyard
At around 20 minutes this show tells the story of the Little Mermaid using actors and puppets. Like the Beauty and the Beast show this one is definitely for fans of the film but to be fair is a nice show to entertain a family with younger children.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
Green Army Drum Corps
Location: Toy Story Land
You will find these Green Army Soldiers entertaining the crowds with their fun drumming routine in Toy Story Land throughout the day. You will also find the Green Army Patrols in Toy Story Land too.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
Location: Echo Lake
Located off Echo Lake just before you get to Star Tours you will find the Olaf Meet n Greet location. Have your photo taken with Olaf in his fun beach themed location where you will probably get a warm hug from the famous snowman. Meeting Olaf can be a lot of fun with some nice interactions.
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
Location: Grand Avenue
4 to 12-year olds can take part in Jedi training that takes place at the temple in front of Star Tours. You get to see Darth Vader and some other Star Wars baddies, but this is probably a lot more fun for the parents who have kids taking part.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
The Incredibles at Pixar Place
Location: Pixar Place
The Incredibles have taken over Pixar Place turning it into a Municiberg City Block where a dance party is held and you also get to meet Edna Mode in a special location too. The dance party is held at the end of Pixar Place.
Walt Disney Presents
This exhibition celebrates the history of Walt Disney. There are some wonderful exhibits to see such as props and maps relating to the development of Disney Land and exhibits relating to Walt Disney’s life too. There is also a theatre attached that shows a preview of upcoming Disney Movies or the short film ‘One Man’s Dream.
Genie Plus Lightning Lane: Not required.
Mike and Sulley
Location: Walt Disney Presents
Mike and Sulley a meet n greet guests inside Walt Disney Presents. The stars from Monster Inc did previously have a meet n greet location but had to make way for the construction of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge so it is great to see them back in the park.
Lightning McQueen’s Race Academy
Location: Sunset Boulevard
This new show located at Sunset Showcase (next to Rock n Roller Coaster) features Lightning McQueen (obviously), Tow Mater, Cruz Ramirez and friends. It ihas a wraparound screen which will be used during the show as a racing simulator of sorts to allow Lightning McQueen to show off his racing skills and at some point he will need the help of his friends to get him out of trouble. A definite must for the families that have some Cars fans in their party.
Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams
Location: Commissary Lane
Meet Sorcerer Mickey in this character meet and greet along with Minnie Mouse in one of her dazzling red carpet gowns.
Disney Movie Magic
This 10-minute show projects scenes from live action movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones on to the Chinese Theater. This is normally shown before the Star Wars fireworks.
Wonderful World of Animation (Night Time Show)
The Wonderful World of Animation projection show celebrates 90 years of Disney Animation. Beginning with Mickey Mouse this state of the art projection show will take you through a 90 year journey of Disney Animation. I always enjoy the night time shows and fireworks at Hollywood Studios as it is such a great location.
A fantastic Star Wars firework display that also uses projections on to the Chinese Theater as well as using Star Wars music and audio clips. I really like this display and it is a great way to end a fun day at Hollywood Studios.
The Best Rides and Shows at Hollywood Studios
There are a lot of great rides and shows at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park to enjoy and plan for when you visit Disney World. Hopefully this article has given you a helpful overview of what Hollywood Studios has to offer your family when it comes to the best rides and shows.
More Disney World Planning Articles
Thanks for reading this article. For more helpful Walt Disney World articles on Disney World Rides take a look at our posts by clicking the links below to plan more vacation fun.
Take a look at our Hollywood Studios Disney Genie Guide
The Best Animal Kingdom Rides and Shows
The Best Magic Kingdom Rides and Shows
Thanks for stopping by.
Darren
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