If you’re heading to Hollywood Studios on your big Disney trip and you’ve got kids in tow, it’s definitely a different kind of park.
We LOVE Hollywood Studios. There are tons of unique themed lands, elaborate shows you won’t find elsewhere, and plenty of places to grab a drink or bite to eat. We can (and often do) spend entire days here.
While it’s not the biggest Disney park, there’s an interesting proportion of thrill rides with height restrictions vs. shows and non-ride attractions that little ones CAN enjoy.
You might not want to miss the live Beauty and the Beast Broadway-style stage show, building a Droid in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, or letting the adults sip a cocktail at Oga’s Cantina (don’t worry—it’s a fun spot for kids too!).
A good game plan ensures that your day not only runs smoothly but that your group is getting the most out of your Hollywood Studios experience.
For instance, shows are not just an excellent way to spend downtime; they’re great for entertaining young kids, too. You’ll want to be able to time the shows right, which can be harder than it sounds.
And then almost all of the rides are super popular, meaning you’ll have to decide if the Lightning Lane Multi Pass is worth it for a handful of attractions (assuming you’re skipping the big thrills).
A clear game plan will also save you a lot of unnecessary walking, especially considering the usual heat. Don’t underestimate the effect of that Florida sun on your theme park day! Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge get HOT.
Our goal with this itinerary is simple: to help you maximize your time, minimize your wait, and hit all of the best rides, shows, and spots for people with kids ages ~6 and younger.
And, of course, the whole point of our itineraries is to reduce wait times as much as possible so you can do as much as possible.
Our itineraries are not just a labor of love; they are also research-backed and tested – thanks to Thrill-Data and our decades’ worth of Disney World experience!
This one-day itinerary is perfect for groups with young kids, ideally using Lightning Lane (Disney’s paid skip-the-line option). It will cover everything from top-tier attractions to the best entertainment and dining options.
You can go without Multi Pass if you’re planning on skipping the big kid/adult rides, but it can be tough at Hollywood Studios. Lines build quickly and stay long most of the day, even with seemingly “non-headliner” rides, so you will run into some longer lines. It’s inevitable.
Note: Disney is always evolving, and things like virtual queues or ride availability can change. We do our best to stay updated, but check the latest info before your trip!
Hollywood Studios Basics
Hollywood Studios is famous for its top-tier thrill rides, immersive lands, and diverse, quality shows. But there aren’t quite as many rides as some of the other Disney parks, so your itinerary will look different here.
While we’re going to lay out the must-dos in this itinerary (and leave out the stuff we think you can safely skip), you might want to think about the following:
- Which NON-ride activities you want to do at Hollywood Studios (i.e., shows, character greetings, or special dining)
- Which rides you want to do
Using Lightning Lanes and this kid-focused itinerary, you can easily hit everything in Hollywood Studios in one day. And if you’re not using Lightning Lanes, you can still do everything you want! You just may encounter a few waits at some point, but we’ll still show you how to tour the park and lower your waits as much as possible.
But you could also fill your entire day (or even do more than one day) if you want to take extra time to do things like:
- Explore Galaxy’s Edge more in-depth (perfect for Star Wars diehards and non-fans alike)
- Meet characters
- See most shows
- Sit down for different meals
Pro Tip: Our favorite time to hit Hollywood Studios is in the evening (or, at the very least, we opt to stay through the evening). We love hitting tons of rides with Lightning Lanes we’ve stacked up during the day, seeing any later shows, and then heading to Galaxy’s Edge or seeing Fantasmic! once it gets dark.
Rides
Attractions at Hollywood Studios are an absolute blast. Ranging from the “Let’s Go Again!” classics to cutting-edge technology, the attractions of Hollywood Studios are ranked among our all-time favorites and are an absolute blast for everyone.
Entertainment
With the glamorous Old Hollywood theme of Hollywood Studios comes a huge entertainment line-up with many shows that shouldn’t be missed.
For a kids-focused trip, here’s an overview of our favorites:
- A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration: It’s Frozen—and a sing-along—need we say more? It’s also friggin’ hilarious and packed with that dry, adult, over-the-kids’-heads type of humor, so it’s great for all ages. If you love Frozen…heck, even if you don’t…this is a must-do. It helps that the theater is air-conditioned with comfy seats!
- Beauty and the Beast–Live on Stage!: This Broadway-style recreation is another favorite and an absolute must-do if you’ve got young fans. Good luck not belting out the songs and annoying everyone around you!
Food
If you’ve got picky eaters, this is an easy park to please young kids. Most quick-service menus are pretty simple (chicken fingers and grilled cheese everywhere!), and the sit-down restaurants are perfectly themed for most little ones.
We’ll go through our favorites later in the itinerary and give you multiple options, not just one!
Lightning Lanes and Virtual Queues
Lightning Lanes, Multi Passes, Single Passes… what the heck is going on?
There is a definite art to making the most of the Lightning Lane Multi Pass (LLMP) system, but for the sake of this itinerary (and if you’re using this itinerary, you’re purchasing and using LLMP!), let’s review the basics:
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass: As we mentioned before, the LLMP is a paid addition to your park ticket that allows you to bypass the regular standby line for participating attractions.
- Lightning Lane Single Pass: Single Passes are designated to certain rides (usually high-priority attractions) as a paid “à la carte” option for guests regardless of whether or not they’ve purchased LLMP, allowing you to bypass the regular standby line.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass Must-Knows
Hollywood Studios is the one park that we ALWAYS recommend the LLMP for. However, if you don’t mind a few long waits, you can sometimes get away without it if you’re not doing the thrill rides.
However, a few Toy Story Land rides and other headliners in the park still see long waits, so usually, it’s worth it to shell out the extra cash. It’s just a bit of a bummer at this park specifically because it’s so expensive for the few rides you use it for (thanks, Disney).
But since this itinerary DOES include Lightning Lanes, we’re assuming you’ve got the budget for it already, so let’s dig in!
Ideally, you’re pre-booking your first three LL selections at 7 am EST when your pre-book window opens (3 or 7 days in advance).
You can initially hold one Tier 1 and two Tier 2 attractions. For an itinerary with young kids, we highly recommend these priorities:
- Tier 1: Slinky Dog Dash (38” height requirement—a great coaster and one of our overall favorite rides)
- Tier 2: Alien Swirling Saucers (32” height requirement)
- Tier 2: Toy Story Mania
Alternatives: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Tier 1)
Since Lightning Lane return times on the day of can be difficult to find for Slinky Dog Dash, booking it in advance is critical.
Note: If Lightning Lane sounds like a lot, we feel you. The system can be confusing, especially at first glance. But learning it is half the battle and puts you ahead of the 90% of Disney World visitors who do no research! If you want to visit Disney like a pro and skip waiting in long lines, check out the Lightning Lane Masterclass.
Lightning Lane Single Pass Must-Knows
Currently, there is one Single Pass option at Hollywood Studios, and it’s Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (40” height requirement).
This attraction also holds a standby line, which can be surprisingly reasonable during slower times of the year.
If you or any older kids/adults in your group want to do this ride, your day is definitely easier if you can buy the Single Pass since you will get to bypass the longer standby line (which is typically a 45-90 minute wait during moderate to busy season).
If not, we’ll give you some good strategies for riding it below. We almost always do this ride standby and have never waited over 25 minutes with a good strategy in place.
If you decide to purchase the LLSP, we like to purchase a return time between 11 am – 12 pm or after 3 pm.
This way, we can knock out multiple regular Lightning Lanes in the morning, secure the rest for later in the evening, and have this ride to do during the downtime.
Itinerary: Start Here
For the record, this is not a step-by-step itinerary. We will be breaking your day down into sections, and you’ll sketch out your plan from there.
Don’t worry; you’ll still know what to do and when, and this will put you ahead of other guests (who don’t do any research or follow proven itineraries!)
- Morning Strategy
- When to arrive
- Early Entry
- Rope Drop
- The Lightning Lane Situation
- Morning Must-Knows
- Midday: Explore & More
- Lunch
- Touring the Park Midday
- FAQ: “Do I need Lightning Lanes for shows/entertainment?”
- Evenings at Hollywood Studios
- Dinner
- Fantasmic!
- The Final Hour
Morning Strategy
Hollywood Studios is unlike the other three parks; wait times soar here within the first 30 minutes of parking opening on almost all rides.
This is why we usually recommend the Lightning Lane Multi Pass here!
As far as doing Early Entry and Rope Drop, you really don’t need to use Early Entry/Rope Drop or even arrive super early if using LLs. You’ll be able to skip the lines on almost every attraction with the LLMP using our itinerary.
We actually prefer to use Hollywood Studios as our later arrival or sleep-in park since getting there early doesn’t give much of a head start. And for a kids-focused day? You will have plenty of flexibility with having the LL Multi Pass, so there isn’t a rush.
We’ll get into this more, though.
If you’re not using Lightning Lanes or going for a second or partial day, being at the park at Early Entry or right when the park opens ensures that you can get at least one major attraction done without a long wait—and hopefully a second or even third if it’s not a jam-packed time of year.
When to arrive
If you’re on Disney property, transportation (buses, monorail, Skyliner, and Ferryboats) will start about ~80-90 minutes before Early Entry.
If you are using Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Hollywood Studios, you don’t HAVE to arrive early or use Early Entry (unless you want to get a head start).
If you want aren’t using Lightning Lanes and want to ride Slinky, you want to plan on leaving then.
This is because you’re going to want to be one of the first in line to ride Slinky Dog Dash. This is one of the best rides but longest waits without using Lightning Lanes. You’ll want to get it done first thing if you have Early Entry (if you don’t, you’ll skip it in the morning, but we’ll get more into those details soon).
If you don’t have Early Entry, we still recommend getting there about 30 minutes before the official park opening and lining up for your first attraction.
You could choose to hit Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway via the standby line, but since you can also book it after using your first Lightning Lane, we don’t think it’s worth fighting the morning rush.
Once you work through the itinerary, you can decide the best time to arrive.
However, we recommend getting to the park within 90 minutes of opening to follow this itinerary easily. It’d be impossible to create itineraries for all different arrival times, so these best work with a start near park open.
Early Entry
Early Entry, a perk reserved for those staying on Disney resort property, grants visitors access to the parks 30 minutes before the official opening. It helps to know that the park opens a bit before that, and you can line up then.
Some attractions even start operating a few minutes before the official Early Entry starts! It’s never anything crazy early, but sometimes 5-10 minutes in advance. You might as well be there if you’re going to be up early.
Rope Drop (A.K.A. Park Opening)
After Early Entry, you’ve got the regular park opening when all of Hollywood Studios opens and all guests will be let in. Whether you’re using EE or not, it’s important to know what you’re doing around this time!
By the time the park officially opens, some of the attractions that were already open for Early Entry will have already grown in wait times (Slinky Dog Dash and Rise of the Resistance, in particular).
If you’re arriving at the park after EE, these rides will be out of the question (if you don’t want to wait in mega-long lines).
If you’re arriving at the park after Early Entry has started, the best thing to do is check wait times for the attraction you want to ride. But you need to check right before you head to that attraction; waits can double even within 5 minutes in the morning, so don’t walk across the park just to have this happen.
- Ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at opening
- Go back to Toy Story Land and ride Toy Story Mania and then Alien Swirling Saucers at opening (NOT Slinky Dog Dash!)
This will shave a few minutes off a potentially longer wait for these major rides while avoiding the already crazy lines for some other attractions.
If you did Slinky at Early Entry, feel free to follow it by either Step 1 or Step 2 above. If you don’t want to walk back to MMRR, just stay in Toy Story Land and hit those attractions!
The Lightning Lane Situation
The key to getting on everything easily with the LLMP at Hollywood Studios is to book and scan into your first Lightning Lane attraction EARLY.
We recommend booking and scanning into your first Lightning Lane before 10 am if possible.
Once you scan in, you will have “unlocked” tiers, and you can book another Tier 1 ride. You typically will want to book Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railway as your next Tier 1 choice (if you chose Slinky as your first Tier 1).
Pro Tip: After scanning into your first Tier 2, you can also modify your other Tier 2 to a Tier 1! However, if you have secured Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers as your Tier 2 rides, you’ll want to ride these, so we don’t really recommend modifying them. You’ll also only need a handful of Lightning Lanes after your initial three.
Morning Must-Knows
Once 10 am rolls around, standby lines for most rides will grow, and the park will feel quite crowded. Hopefully, by now, you have used a few Lightning Lanes and aren’t having trouble continuing to book them.
Lightning Lane times at Hollywood Studios day of can get tricky—you’ll quickly see rides having return times pushed out quite far, sometimes into the evening (or sold out).
Here are the other Lightning Lanes you’ll likely want to book with little ones (outside of your initial three prebooked ones):
- Slinky Dog Dash (38”)
- Alien Swirling Saucers (32”)
- Toy Story Mania
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38”)
- Star Tours (40”)
- [Optional] Thrill rides for older kids: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (48”) and Tower of Terror (40”)
You shouldn’t have a problem booking and riding all attractions that are geared toward younger kids over the course of a day. You will only run into issues if you’re trying to add in those thrill rides—stuff can sell out, and it can get dicey trying to figure out priorities for mixed ages.
What if it’s super busy and Lightning Lanes are pushed far out or showing as sold out?
Refresh that screen!
It can be pesky, but there’s nothing better than seeing an available time suddenly pop up and grabbing it!
Tips for the morning if you’re NOT using Lightning Lanes
At this point, based on crowd levels, you’ll need to scan wait times and decide if you can still hit a few more attractions without long waits. Check times for the following rides if you haven’t done them:
- Alien Swirling Saucers (32”)
- Toy Story Mania
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38”)
- Star Tours (40”)
If any of the posted waits are reasonable, head over there!
Otherwise, it’s probably time to move to easier experiences & attractions and take a (likely needed) break.
Midday: Explore & More
Lunch
Hollywood Studios isn’t necessarily known for amazing food, but don’t worry. We’re going to give you the top options and focus on the important stuff: food for picky eaters and the easiest places to eat with young ones.
Our team has tried almost every food item at every kiosk, quick-service, and table-service at all the parks, AND we have pretty bougie palates.
Let’s go through some of our favorite options (note these work for BOTH lunch and dinner):
Our two favorite quick-service stops with toddlers:
- Backlot Express: Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with a big menu of many basic selections and a few fun ones for adults. Also, a nice selection of alcoholic beverages!
- Sunset Boulevard “Food Court” – Rosie’s All-American Cafe and Catalina Eddie’s: This outdoor dining strip back towards Tower of Terror has multiple quick-service locations in a cluster so that everyone can be happy. You’ve got personal pizzas at Catalina Eddie’s, nuggets and burgers at Rosie’s, salads and a few other healthier options at both, and there’s even Fairfax Fare if adults are looking for bolder options.
Our favorite sit-down meals*:
- Sci-Fi Dine-In: Incredible theming of a drive-in theater with clips playing from the 50s. While you go primarily for the atmosphere, the burgers are also really good.
- Hollywood & Vine: Character dining that’s not just super interactive but one of the more solid food buffets in WDW. During breakfast, it’s Disney Junior characters. For lunch and dinner, it’s Minnie and other classic Disney characters. This is a fun option to help break up the day at HS if you want a solid character meal.
*While you can sometimes get into the restaurants last minute, you almost always want a reservation in hand at Disney. You can try to find more last-minute reservations by “stalking the app” or refreshing and checking for times throughout the day, just like you would with Lightning Lanes (although not as incessantly or frequently!).
And then there are some favorite snacks (although most fall in the dessert category – oops!):
- The Carrot Cake Cookie at Trolley Car Cafe (which is really a giant whoopie pie!)
- The Jack-Jack Num Num Cookie at the Neighborhood Bakery outside of Toy Story Land (a huge chocolate chip cookie tart)
- The funnel cakes from Epic Eats
- Not dessert (and maybe more for the adults), but our favorite item in the entire park: the Bavarian Pretzel with Beer Cheese Fondue and Beer Mustard at BaseLine Tap House. Almost always our “dinner” when we’re at this park! It doesn’t hurt that there are delicious draft beer and margarita options, either 🙂
Touring the Park Midday
Again, Hollywood Studios only has a handful of actual rides for all ages, so you’ll find yourself with some downtime between waiting for Lightning Lanes.
But no worries; there is plenty of fun stuff to make this a well-rounded park visit and fill in any gaps. Plus, plenty of the entertainment options are readily available and won’t have any real queues.
Here’s what should be on a kids-focused “downtime” list that you shouldn’t miss:
- Check out showtimes for the following shows: Frozen Sing-along and Beauty and the Beast. We love and recommend both, and you’ll likely find that you easily have time to fit these in between rides and other stuff.
- Hit character greetings when wait times are low. Meeting Olaf is a really fun one and typically sees reasonable waits most of the day. Minnie & Mickey at Red Carpet Dreams is cute theming but sees longer lines most of the day.
- See the Green Army Men and their drum show and meet characters in Toy Story Land (check the app for specific times and locations).
- Explore Galaxy’s Edge fully (especially if you’ve got Star Wars fans in the group). Build a Lightsaber or Droid, browse all the shops and classic memorabilia, interact with the roaming Stormtroopers, and try the blue or green milk.
- Shop! We love the stores on Sunset Boulevard more than most stores around Disney World. It’s got the same merch as many parks, plus more specialty merch (like Pixar!), and WAY fewer people than some of the other big stores.
- See The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. A quick and cute Hollywood Studios classic. Great for LM fans (who isn’t?).
There’s so much to do, we can’t list it all. But the above items are our classic “must-dos” for any Hollywood Studios visit with toddlers.
Pro Tip: Many character greetings and shows end early and will not go up until the park closes. It’s a good idea to know what your must-dos are and know the cut-off times so there isn’t disappointment (simply search using the MDE app).
Didn’t use Lightning Lanes? You’re still going to have a handful of rides you may not have hit yet. Here’s our best advice and timing for the following you may want to work into your schedule:
Finally, if you’re planning on riding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38”), save it for the evening if possible! The line will dip significantly around 7 pm.
If it’s on your list, you can typically ride Star Tours (40”) at any time of day and see a reasonable wait if it’s not a super crowded time of year. If it is crowded, hit it before 11 am or after 5 pm.
If you haven’t done it yet, ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway around 3:45 pm. The line typically sees a decent dip then.
FAQ: “Do I need Lightning Lanes for the shows/entertainment?”
This is a common question with varying answers. Typically, you DON’T need a Lightning Lane for shows like Beauty and the Beast or Frozen, even though they’re offered.
LLs for shows also require you to get there a bit early, which we don’t like (although you can scan in up to 15 minutes late, and Cast Members will often let you in with a LL up until the show starts).
However, as usual, the question to ask is: is it a busy time of year?
If it’s a winter holiday or Spring Break, these shows will fill up—especially the ones in the middle of the day when crowds are at their peak.
In that instance, if you have a Lightning Lane available, just use it. If not, plan to get to the show at least 20 minutes ahead.
Again, if it’s not a high-crowd day, you’re usually ok arriving 10 minutes before a show and often even up until a show starts.
But if something is a huge priority or you want great seats, just play it safe and get there early!
Evenings at Hollywood Studios
Let’s start this section by saying we LOVE evenings at Hollywood Studios. The park clears out, and it’s got a darn good evening vibe if you’ve got kids who can handle it.
Staying later also makes your day a bit easier. That way, you can grab Lightning Lanes for the evening and not worry about excessively refreshing and modifying them to get earlier times if it’s a busier day. You can also get in line for rides in the evening once wait times are reduced a bit.
BUT, a warning that sometimes it’s not a significant drop in wait times! If Slinky Dog Dash has been at 80 minutes all day, it’s not suddenly going to drop to 20 minutes. But you might see some 75-minute waits drop to a more reasonable 45-minute wait, but that’s it for some of the headliner rides.
For us, a kid-centric evening at Hollywood Studios typically involves finishing rides, hanging out and enjoying Toy Story Land as the crowds subside, and ending the night with Fantasmic!.
Dinner
Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of crazy options in Hollywood Studios. We recommend a quick-service or sit-down meal for lunch and vice-versa for dinner. Use our recs from the lunch section!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is the nighttime show at Hollywood Studios. It is a big production, and it’s EPIC. It should not be missed (given, of course, that you enjoy Disney).
FYI, if you have timid ones in your group, the show is a bit darker and has a couple of scarier or startling parts. Most tend to do OK with it, though.
It’s a 30-minute show that will run at least once a night, but it often runs twice a night. If you can swing the second show, that’s a much better option, as it’s a lot less crowded.
The show can get full, especially if there is only one showtime or the park is crowded. You’ll want to get there at least 45 minutes in advance during heavy crowd periods.
In light to moderate crowds or nights with second shows, you can typically swing getting there 15 minutes early.
The show is in an outdoor amphitheater with bleacher seating (think a smaller-scale Red Rocks in Colorado), and you will be seated where there is availability by Cast Members. You won’t get to choose your seats.
If you do want to sit closer to the front for potentially “better” seats, you should plan to get there a bit earlier.
Regardless, the show is a must-do for us, so we vote to try to work it into your itinerary if the kids can hang out later.
The Final Hour
The night showtimes and park closing hours vary at this park, so you will likely have a few minutes to get extra things in. Every bit counts!
Here are our favorite ways to end a Hollywood Studios evening:
- Jump in line for a favorite attraction or something you missed earlier right before the park closes (literally minutes before). We love this strategy for Rise of the Resistance or Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway—and have never waited longer than 25 minutes at the end of the night to ride!
- Get photos in Galaxy’s Edge. It’s super cool after dark and after crowds clear out, and there is even an unofficial group photo-op that’s typically done with guests holding their lightsabers in front of the Millennium Falcon. It’s awesome.
In Conclusion, Class
If that felt like a lot, it’s because it is. There is a lot to know before you head into the parks, but don’t let that overwhelm you.
Most people book their trips and don’t research anything, which equates to long lines, short tempers, and what is potentially a total waste of a very expensive trip. You’re already way ahead of the curve!
And if we’ve got you sold on strategy being the key to a line-skippin’, snack-eatin,’ magical visit to Walt Disney World, be sure to check out the Complete Parks Strategy Playbook for a run-down on the best way to visit all four Disney World parks.