If you’re heading to Hollywood Studios on your big trip, you’ve probably noticed how much planning info is out there—and it can get overwhelming fast.
We LOVE Hollywood Studios. Especially for adults! You get not only amazing, thrilling rides but also unique themed lands 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, the amount of headlining shows and attractions means Hollywood Studios still requires some smart planning.
You 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:
A. Want to use Lightning Lanes and…
B. Need to be strategic about booking these Lightning Lanes.
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.
And again, there’s more than just rides: 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 sipping a cocktail at Oga’s Cantina.
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 adults.
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 adults using Lightning Lane (Disney’s paid skip-the-line option) and will cover everything from top-tier attractions to the best entertainment and dining options.
While this itinerary is going to show you the best (data-driven) strategy for tackling this park with Lightning Lanes, we should say that is because we really do not recommend going without the Multi Pass here.
A few key things to note when visiting Hollywood Studios without LL Multi Pass:
You also will be zig-zagging a bit with this itinerary, and getting up early and staying late in order to see the shortest wait times.
This is THE park where we recommend using the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. With a smaller number of attractions, most being popular headliners and thrill rides, it means that lines are long, starting early in the morning and lasting all day.
While it’s possible to see a few short waits if you can time things right, you will be waiting a minimum of 30+ minutes for some attractions, especially if it’s busy season.
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 be 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
With an adult-focused itinerary and using Lightning Lanes, you can hit most things in Hollywood Studios in one day quite easily.
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)
- Imbibe in different areas around the park
- 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, grabbing drinks and chillin’ out at BaseLine Tap House, 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 to high thrills (and sometimes all of the above!), 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 an adults-only trip, here’s an overview of our favorites:
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular: Consistently ranked #1 by our readers (and by us!), this behind-the-scenes-style stunt show is engaging, explosive, and perfect for adults looking for an entertaining break.
- A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration: We know, we know; you’d think this wouldn’t make the for-adults list. And while it is NOT a must-do per se, it is friggin’ hilarious and packed with that dry, adult, over-the-kids’-heads type of humor. If you love Frozen and have the time, we say go. It helps that the theater is air-conditioned with comfy seats!
- Walt Disney Presents: Less a show and more of an exhibit, this teeny fact-packed museum dedicated to Walt’s life and creations is one of our favorites. It’s also the best AC break in the park! 🙂
- Beauty and the Beast–Live on Stage!: This broadway-style recreation is another favorite and an absolute must-do if you’re a fan of the movie. Good luck not belting out the songs and annoying everyone around you!
Food
While the park isn’t necessarily known for a ton of specific drool-worthy food items like EPCOT is, some of our favorite watering holes and themed restaurants are here. If you imbibe, we highly recommend making time (and setting a pace!) for drinks on your HS day.
We’ll go through our favorites later in the itinerary and give you multiple options, not just one!
Lightning Lanes
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. There aren’t a ton of rides here, and almost all of them are super headliners, making standby waits super long most of the day for almost every attraction. It’s not easy to skip longer lines here doing just standby only, so we always recommend the LLMP.
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 adults only, we highly recommend these priorities:
- Tier 1: Slinky Dog Dash (a great coaster and one of our overall favorite rides—not just for kids, so we highly recommend it).
- Tier 2: Tower of Terror
- Tier 2: Toy Story Mania
Alternatives: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Tier 1)
At the time of writing, these are the top priority attractions we recommend.
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.
This attraction also holds a standby line, which can be surprisingly reasonable during slower times of the year.
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 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’re going to 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
- Shows & the in-between stuff
- Evenings at Hollywood Studios
- Dinner
- Fantasmic & more
- 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.
Which is why you need the Lightning Lane Multi Pass here—or you need to get yo’self up early if you’re not using it.
If you are using LLs, you really don’t need to use Early Entry/Rope Drop or even arrive super early. 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 an adult-focused day? We definitely prefer to be there at night more than anything!
If not using LLMP, you will want to use Early Entry to hit at least 1 if not 2 rides to take advantage of short waits.
We’ll get into this more, though.
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 want to be first, be at your resort transportation stop then.
You definitely want to be ahead of the pack for an attraction like Rise of the Resistance or Slinky Dog Dash, which we do recommend hitting first.
Once you work through the itinerary, you can decide the best time to arrive.
However, we do recommend getting to the park within 90 minutes of opening to be able to follow this itinerary easily. It’d be impossible to create itineraries for all different times of arrival, 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.
If you’re using Lightning Lanes at Hollywood Studios
Early Entry can be helpful at Hollywood Studios because you can hit the Tier 1 rides that you didn’t get to pre-book Lightning Lanes for. But again, we don’t find it necessary if you’re willing to employ some strategy.
But if you book Slinky Dog Dash for your Tier 1 LL, you could hit Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster early. That takes care of having to worry about that Lightning Lane—and vice versa. Or, you can ride twice, our favorite strategy!
If you’re NOT using Lightning Lanes at Hollywood Studios
You’ll definitely want to use Early Entry if you’re staying on-property at an eligible hotel. And if you’re not? Still plan on arriving plenty early so you can line up and be first on the rides when the park “officially” opens.
If you are using Early Entry, you’ve got two solid options:
- Riding Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy’s Edge
- Riding Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land
The more strategic option if you’re there early enough is to ride Slinky Dog Dash. The wait for Slinky soars within just minutes of Early Entry and stays high; we’re talking 60-100 minutes on average almost all day. So if you’re wanting to ride, this is the most reasonable time to do it and see a short wait.
Slinky Dog Dash might sound like a kids coaster, but it truly is for all ages and it’s a blast. It does make your day easier to skip it, but we don’t recommend it. We’d plan on trying to hit that first thing if you can.
If not, Rise of the Resistance is a good Early Entry option. The one problem with this is Rise frequently sees a lot of downtime in the morning.
So if it’s down, you’re kind of screwed, and the Early Entry plan is a wash. This is another vote for hitting Slinky first in our eyes, but you also need to pick which ride is the priority for YOUR group.
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).
Hopefully, Early Entry guests will have knocked out Slinky Dog Dash or Rise, or something else. If that’s the case, you’ll want to book it over to Sunset Boulevard to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror (in that order). If you’ve secured or plan to use Lightning Lanes for these later in the day, this is optional!
These are both great rides that can have longer lines later, but they will typically be walk-on or take less than 30 minutes around regular park opening (if it’s not busy season).
If you’re arriving at the park after Early Entry has started, the best thing to do is to plan on hitting both Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror during Early Entry or right at park opening, in that order. Hitting Slinky and Rise first are options for Early Entry people only—lines will be too long if you’re getting there later.
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 Lighnting Lane attraction EARLY.
For adult trips, 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 Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster or 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 Tower of Terror as your Tier 2 rides, we don’t recommend modifying these. It can be tempting, but these rides are also headliners, and you’ll want to use a LL to ride them.
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).
You’ll want to scan and continue to book as quickly as you can in the morning and make sure to modify and refresh (drag the screen down) to try and get earlier times if you have the patience.
Here’s the other Lightning Lanes you’ll want to book (outside of your initial three prebooked ones):
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Tower of Terror
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Star Tours
The goal for most adult trips is to score all of the above Lightning Lanes, which is doable! We recommend booking in the order above.
Again, if you’re there on a busy day and Lightning Lanes are pushed far out or showing sold out…refresh that screen! It can be pesky, but there’s nothing better than seeing an available time pop up and grabbing it!
And remember that there aren’t that many Lightning Lanes to go through here. Once you’ve only got three rides left, you could even “stack” those for the evening and have a leisurely afternoon.
Morning Tips if Not Using Lightning Lane Multipass
Now is where things get tricky because most rides will see wait times of 30+ minutes, and usually way more.
The best thing now is to check wait times for the following attractions and get in line for one with a reasonable wait (40 minutes or less):
- Toy Story Mania
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
If Runaway Railway is a reasonable wait, book it over there and get in line.
Next, check Toy Story Mania. At this point of the morning, the line is likely higher, but if the wait is reasonable to you, go for it.
Millennium Falcon is the lowest priority because it typically sees short waits during the evening and has a Single Rider Line that is usually less than a 10-minute wait (worst case scenario if your party doesn’t mind splitting up).
If waits are too long for most attractions or you’re there at a busy time, go ahead and move to the next section and plan on saving the rest of the rides for the evening.
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.
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 meals:
- Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese at ABC Commissary (our favorite meal in the entire park!)
- BBQ Brisket Melt at Woody’s Lunch Box
Our favorite sit-down meals*:
- Sci-Fi Dine-In is incredible theming around a drive-in theater with clips from the 50s. While you go for the atmosphere, the burgers are also really good.
- Hollywood Brown Derby is probably the best sit-down restaurant for adults with decent food and drink options, but we do find it a tiny bit lacking, considering the high price and its “signature dining” status.
*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 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! 🙂
Touring the Park Midday
Again, Hollywood Studios doesn’t have many rides, and 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 an adult-focused “downtime” list that you shouldn’t miss:
- Explore the Walt Disney Presents exhibit (we LOVE it!).
- Check out showtimes for the following shows: Frozen Sing-along, Beauty and the Beast, and Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular are our three priorities. There is also the Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, but it’s hard to manipulate them all into a day’s itinerary. Pick your top 2-3 and try to see those between Lightning Lanes.
- 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.
- Drink! Hollywood Studios is a great park for adults as there are some excellent bar options if that’s your thing:
- Definitely hit Oga’s Cantina (you’ll want a reservation). Even non-Star Wars fans will love it.
- Grab a beer flight and pretzel, and people-watch at BaseLine Taphouse (our favorite).
- Have classic cocktails and fancy small plates at the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge if the weather is nice (it’s outdoor seating).
- Definitely hit Oga’s Cantina (you’ll want a reservation). Even non-Star Wars fans will love it.
There’s so much to do, we can’t list it all. But the above items are our classic “must-dos” for an adult Hollywood Studios visit.
Pro Tip: Often, attractions at Disney will see a drop in wait around peak lunch hours, typically between 12:30 pm and 1 pm. You should be keeping an eye on the wait times in the app at this time and see if anything drops to a reasonable wait. If so, jump in line!
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.
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.
For us, an adult-centric evening at Hollywood Studios typically involves finishing rides, grabbing a cocktail or beer at one of our go-to watering holes, and ending the night with Fantasmic! and/or a ride on Rise of the Resistance (with a much shorter wait!).
If you missed any rides in Toy Story Land, plan to get in line around 6 pm, when waits often dip before they go back up in the evening.
You can also ride Smugglers Run anytime after 6 pm with a shorter wait.
Dinner
Unfortunately, there aren’t many amazing “foodie” options at Hollywood Studios. Either see the lunch options above, or try Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy’s Edge if that menu interests you.
As we said, we do love beer, pretzels, and a charcuterie plate from BaseLine as a dinner here. We even get extra classy and bring over chicken tenders from Backlot Express for some extra protein 😉
You could also consider a dinner outside the park if you’re hoping for a nice sit-down experience. We love hopping on the Skyliner to the Riviera Resort for a decadent dinner at Topolino’s Terrace.
Just note that leaving the park does eat into your evening park time, so consider an earlier dinner or re-visiting Hollywood Studios on a different night for the full nighttime experience.
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is the nighttime show at Hollywood Studios. It is a big production, and it’s EPIC. It should not be missed, even for adults (given, of course, that you enjoy Disney).
It’s a 30-minute show and will run at least once a night, but often, it runs twice a night. If you can swing the second show, that’s the 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. During heavy crowd periods, you’ll want to get there at least 45 minutes in advance. Other light to moderate crowds or nights with second shows, you can typically swing getting there just 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 close to or potentially “better” seats, you should plan to get there a bit earlier.
Regardless, the show is a must-do for us, so we vote trying to work it into your itinerary.
The Final Hour
The night showtimes and park closing hours can vary at this park, so you will often find that you have some extra time or a few minutes to get extra things in. Every bit counts!
Here’s 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—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.
- Grab a cocktail at Oga’s Cantina! This bar typically stays open and takes guests in up until an hour after closing, and it’s a great vibe to be in there after the park has closed.
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 parks.