The Hollywood Studios Problem

Hollywood Studios, MGM, or whatever you are calling it these days has a lot to offer guests. This park is made up of many high profile attractions as well as other unique offerings in the form of live shows and heavily themed dining. The one thing that is difficult about Hollywood Studios is...well it's complicated! There isn't just one problem this park has, it is several problems that interact with each other on any given day. Let's attempt to figure this problem out and hopefully allow you to have an awesome day during your Walt Disney World vacation!

Problem #1: The Genie+ phenomenon.

I know, you're done hearing about Genie+. You've either conquered it and it isn't a big deal to you or you avoid it which also makes it not a big deal to you! Well - whether you use it or not, you will find yourself personally victimized by this service specifically at Hollywood Studios.

Lightning Lanes are difficult to come by. If you start booking at 7am you have a huge decision to make. Do you grab Slinky Dog Dash (which is usually sold out in mere seconds)? Do you secure a spot on Tower of Terror due to is temporary low capacity but incredibly stubborn wait times? Or do you bypass all of that and decide to only buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance (a separate cost - not included in Genie+) to ensure you are able to board this ride. Let's fast forward a bit past 7am - after park open you have 2 hours before you are allowed to book another Lightning Lane for anything if you book at 7. Typically by the end of that 2 hours (unless you have scanned into your first ride) you are left with the slimmest of pickings for the remaining rides at times very far away. Tower and Rock 'n' Rollercoaster are some of the first to go, Slinky Dog has been sold out for hours at this point. Knowing what you want to rope drop and what you want to utilize Genie+ is going to completely change the game for you. Here are a few suggestions for tackling Hollywood Studios with (or without Genie+)

WITH GENIE+

you're going to book Slinky Dog Dash as quickly as possible. If you are not interested at all in this coaster - then bypass and grab something that works best for you. Once you've secured your top selection - you're going to want to ROPE DROP (utilizing early entry if applicable) the other popular rides (like Tower of Terror, Coaster, Rise) - more on rope dropping in a minute. Remember Genie+ utilizes a 2-hour cooldown if you select a lightning lane that is more than 2 hours away from the current time so you want to be grabbing the earliest possible selections as much as you can before they sell out.

NOT USING GENIE+

you have some options here. If you don't care about riding Slinky Dog Dash, then you are in much better shape not using Genie+. If you have decided not to use the service but DO want to ride Slinky Dog, then you are going to have much more luck trying to hit this coaster at the end of the night versus rope dropping it. Using your rope dropping time without having other Lightning Lanes to fall back on will not benefit you at all. If you don't care about Slinky Dog or have decided to wait until later, your mission is to head for either Rise of the Resistance (only if you have early park entry) or go straight down Sunset Blvd so you can ride both Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Rollercoaster (again, using early entry) before the park officially opens. From there you want to scurry as quickly as possible over to Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway (MMRR) before that line gets too long. It is currently being offered on Genie+ (until August 7th 2022) but once it reverts back, your only shot is to pay for it. The outdoor queue for this ride can be brutal so you're going to want to get this done early.

PURCHASING AN ILL FOR RISE

if you are not using Genie+, the safest (and probably stress free) scenario is for you to purchase a lightning lane for Rise of the Resistance instead of paying the same price for Genie+. If you do this, it will allow you to ride it later and knock out as many of the other rides (mentioned above) during those precious early park entry minutes. If you purchase Rise and don't have to worry about racing other people there first thing in the morning, this will allow you to go down Sunset Blvd. knocking out 2 other high profile rides and then zipping over to MMRR around park open. At the time of the park's official opening, you will have ridden 3 of the most popular rides and will have a guarantee of getting on the #1 most popular ride in the entire park. This way you can pick and choose what else you would like to spend your time doing.

Problem #2: Rise of the Resistance.

Oh Rise, you tricky tricky ride. Since its opening in 2019, Rise of the Resistance has been considered by many one of the most technologically advanced rides in all of the Disney Parks. It uses a trackless ride system as well as other sets. It really isn't considered a ride, more of an experience. How could this popular ride cause such a commotion? Well, let's just say its prone to its drama and has been lashing out at guests ever since.

"Rise of the Resistance - Temporarily Closed"

Have you seen this pop up on your My Disney Experience app? Of course you have! This ride breaks frequently. It is a complicated masterpiece and has frequent moments of down time. If you were planning on rope dropping this (utilizing early entry of course) be prepared to hear that the ride has chosen to sleep in and won't be opening up on time. However, I have heard from others that if you stick it out it can still potentially get you on faster than the typical 95 minute average wait. If you have purchased a spot on this ride don't be shocked to discover that the ride has closed down during your window. Don't panic! If the ride you have purchased is closed during your window, keep an eye on the app to see when it opens back up and they will let you on. Pro tip: if you had a lightning lane to ride and had to come back later please know that anyone who was affected by the closure as well as new lightning lanes and any guests who were issued passes to come back and ride may all be showing up the second the ride is back online, this could potentially create an actual queue in what would have normally been a walk on. You will still be prioritized over other stand-by guests, but it could take longer than usual.

If you did not purchase Rise of the Resistance...

...as an Individual Lightning Lane - let me fill you in on what the queue is like. For starters, this is still an incredibly popular ride. Wait times on average are about 80-95 minutes (and yes that is considered low). This ride has topped out at about 4 hours total for a wait time before - insane! Understanding this is important. Other rides in other parks you have multiple opportunities to ride. Let's take Peter Pan's Flight for instance. This ride (one of the oldest in the park) has one of the longest lines in Magic Kingdom to this day, and it does not go down often! You opportunities to ride this ride can be during early entry, normal park open (rope drop). and usually you can squeak in towards the end of the night for a reasonable wait time. You also have the ability to ride this with lower waits if you are staying at a Deluxe Resort and can use Extended Evening Hours. Rise of the Resistance however, your lowest possible wait time (without purchasing it) will be during early park entry and ONLY by being one of the first people inside the park and lining up at the ride (about 30 minutes before early park entry even starts). Crazy right? If you cannot commit to those hours - I don't blame you! I have personally had success being one of the last people in the queue for the night. If the park is going to close at 9, hop into that queue between 8:30-8:45 so you will be able to ride. It may still be a long wait, but hey the park is closed at that point - what else would you be able to do? The one time that I was able to do this it had a posted 135 minute wait, but we only ended up waiting 60 minutes. Just saying, miracles can happen!

Side note:

If the attraction breaks down while you are in line, or even during the ride...please, PLEASE be nice to the cast members. They did not break it on purpose, I promise. They most likely have had to deal with angrier guests than you, multiple times just that day! I'm going to say this again because it is important - this is one of the most technologically advanced rides in all of Walt Disney World - that does not guarantee perfection! There are a lot of moving parts that you may not understand if you have never been on this ride - so please be patient and just know that the cast members are working so hard to get it back up and running for you, and if they can't - they will make it right if you are nice! (No I am not a cast member, never have been one, and I do not have any family that are cast members - nor should I have to in order to beg you to be nice to others).

Problem #3: Intergalactic Passengers.

If you have seen anything about Disney in the last 7 months then you probably are aware that they now host the Galactic Starcruiser. The "Star Wars Hotel" as it is jokingly called, is a 2-night immersive experience aboard the Halcyon while you fight alongside (or against) beloved Star Wars characters with the added benefit of enjoying a cruise-style vacation. What does this have to do with Hollywood Studios you ask? I will gladly explain.

Docking on Batuu:

The Halcyon is a space cruise ship experience - and what would a cruise be without a "land day" excursion? For the Starcruiser, they dock on Batuu on the second day of the voyage. This doesn't sound like it impacts much until you realize that they day they dock also coincides with your Hollywood Studios park day! That's right - for those that are unaware "Batuu" is the planet you are on when you venture to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. All passengers are allowed entry to Batuu on these days which can make the already crowded land, well more crowded! If you are attempting a Hollywood Studios day during your trip, and you want fewer crowds - avoiding these docking days will help tremendously. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to nail down those days, but I'm sure by calling in to the Disney helpline they can assist you if they have that information. Don't want to wait on hold for one silly question? Consider using a travel planner (like me!) to handle that for you. While having the added passengers might seem like a challenge never forget that you have options when it comes to visiting this land:

1. Purchase your Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane so you can guarantee a spot on the ride.

2. Consider visiting Batuu later in the day, Halcyon passengers are required to report back to the ship in the evening - so you can explore the planet after they take off.

3. Score that Oga's reservation EARLY! How early? 60 days in advance! If you book a WDW Package you are eligible to book you entire trip's worth of dining (up to 10 days) at the 60 day out window. Bad news is - that dining window opens at 6am! Just another reason to use a travel planner (like me!) so we can book all that for you. Lucky for you Halcyon passengers are under the same 60 day window you are so everyone has a fair shot.

4. Score the latest possible Oga's reservation for a truly magical experience! Some reservations to Oga's are right at park close - that's right! By the time you party with DJ R3X and have a few Jedi Mind Tricks you will be exiting the Cantina after the park has officially closed. This is an amazing way to score some cool shots around Galaxy's Edge with little to no crowds and enjoy a leisurely stroll out of the park.

Problem #4: The Littlest Problem.

The smallest problem reserved for our smallest guests, kiddos! As I mentioned earlier, this park has a love of popular attractions with some hefty height requirements! If you are planning a vacation with very young children in tow, this park may end up being a skip! By young children, I mean anywhere in the 4 and under range. In a minute I will list the available attractions with no height requirement, and then those that have a height requirement. Keep in mind: just because a child is tall enough to ride, doesn't mean they may actually enjoy the ride. Haunted Mansion over in Magic Kingdom has no height requirement but that doesn't mean we took our 5 year old! Every child is different and I strongly advise looking up ride POV videos on YouTube to see how interest a child might be in a ride.

Rides with NO Height Requirement (anyone can ride):

• Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

• Muppet Vision 3D

• Toy Story Mania

That's right! Those are the only attractions with no height requirements. Please remember that Hollywood Studios offers other experiences suited for small children such as:

• Disney Junior Play and Dance

• Meet Mickey and Minnie

• Meet Sulley

• Meet Olaf

• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-a-Long

• Vacation Fun (A Mickey Mouse Short)

• Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage!

• Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy

• The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular

Rides with Height Requirements:

• Alien Swirling Saucers - 32 inches (81cm) - think Tea Cups with less spinning, or Junkyard Jamboree (over in Disneyland).

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - 38 inches (97cm) - be one of 6 to pilot or defend the Millennium Falcon. The downside to this ride for little kids is the seats are separated so if you were planning on sitting close to your child to explain what to do - you cannot. But I have heard little kids love just pushing the buttons and having a blast if they're a huge Star Wars fan.

• Slinky Dog Dash - 38 inches (97cm) - this is designed to be a graduated coaster for littles! Not as baby-ish as Goofy's Barnstormer (over at Magic Kingdom) but if you're looking for a full on adult roller coaster experience, this ain't it! Themed to the adorable landscape of Toy Story Land you will board Slinky Dog and go zooming around Andy's backyard! It is so adorable, and a great moment for littles who are finally "tall enough" to do the big people rides like everyone else. Keep in mind that the ride is short, but the line is...not!

• Star Tours - The Adventures Continue - 40 inches (102cm) - this is a motion simulator attraction that will take you through various planets of the Star Wars universe. It requires using 3D glasses and the chairs will learn forward and shake you about. This is a high motion sickness risk - but is minimal impact for most kiddos that enjoy screen rides.

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - 40 inches (102cm) - we have covered this ride so much - but just letting you know the height requirement is relatively low for our young Star Wars fans!

• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ - 40 inches (102cm) - this is what I was warning you about! Just because a child is tall enough, doesn't mean they won't be scared! This heigh requirement just guarantees that the child will be safe using the provided in-ride safety measures. The storyline for the attraction is creepy and most of this ride takes place in the dark with sudden drops!

• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith - 48 inches (122cm) - topping the charts (I'm so sorry) we have the only Walt Disney World coaster that can go upside-down! This is definitely not for small children as it requires being secured by shoulder restraints.

A full list of heigh requirements for each park can be found at: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/parks/height-requirements/

Problem #5: The Quick Service Conundrum.

If you are a foodie, or are hoping to rely on Hollywood Studios to provide a proper meal - depending on who you are you might be disappointed. Hollywood Studios is typically considered the park with the worst quick service food, and only OK table service options. This can be frustrating considering all of the things I mentioned above - there is a lot to do, but it is hard enough to do it without needing to be picky about where you eat. This is probably the one problem I do not have a solution for because food is not something that is easy to say "this is good for everyone" because things people love, I hate - and I find myself sometimes getting items from locations that others deem "a skip." What I advise everyone to do when thinking about a vacation, pull up your options for each park and comb through menus. If you are one that relies on reviews, look those up second. Some popular options that are typically considered as "worth it" are:

• Woody's Lunchbox - has Totchos and sandwiches but can get very busy around peak meal times.

• Ronto Roasters - galactic hot dogs (but much better quality than a regular hot dog) closes at 3pm though!

• Docking Bay 7 - has the most possibilities for members of your party, but I haven't heard about anything "wow-ing" guests.

• ABC Commissary - this used to be a hard pass by many and it has since updated their menu and has seen an increase in popularity! The selections here are more diverse and less "cookie cutter theme park food."

• Backlot Express - this is what you consider typical theme park food. Burgers, chicken tenders and fries, so the best option for picky eaters.

• PizzaRizzo - huge Disney fans are screaming right now. This used to be Pizza Planet but then they rethemed it to the Muppets (love). However, these are your standard personal "puffy dough" pizzas. For kids that will eat any kind of pizza, then I do not judge you one bit for choosing this - you gotta do what you gotta do! But for adults looking for higher quality for the amount you pay for theme park food, this won't make you that happy. One of the big perks of this place though is the Vegan Meatball Sub - this has been talked about by plant-based eaters as being a really good option, so it has redeemed the location for them.

Hollywood Studios also offers a few Table Service options, but those again vary so much in their popularity and what they offer for their price. This is something else that would require research, or by using a travel planner, we take a look at those together and decide what would work best for you, your travel party, and your budget.

Conclusion

There you have it! 5 varying issues with this particular park. Depending on when you travel, and what your priorities are will determine how many of these issues come for you!

Still Wanting to Travel?

If that didn't scare you off and you are looking to make a trip to Hollywood Studios I hope you are a little more prepared than you were before! When in doubt, reach out to a travel planner (like me!) so we can work together to get all of your wish list items checked off, and avoid disappointment as much as possible! The service I provide is absolutely free, no hidden fees or charges, and you receive more help than you could possibly need! Interested in traveling? Head on over to the home page and fill out the quote request to get started!

Or you can click this link: https://cattinthekingdom.wixsite.com/website

Interested in my other Disney shenanigans? Click this link: https://linktr.ee/cattinthekingdom