Our 1-Day Hollywood Studios itinerary is an environment friendly step-by-step plan & technique for minimizing time ready in strains, maximizing rides, and avoiding crowds at Walt Disney World. It covers sights, eating places, exhibits, together with Fantasmic, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and extra. (Up to date March 30, 2025.)
This Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) plan for 2025 has been up to date to bear in mind the entire main modifications in the previous couple of years. Much more modifications are on the horizon with the opening of Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After and the Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey this summer season, together with the everlasting closing of MuppetVision and Muppets Courtyard to make method for Monstropolis, together with the reimagining of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster and a Mandalorian and Child Yoda mission replace to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
For now, not a lot has modified within the final couple of years. The large factor is the introduction of Lightning Lane Multi-Go and Single Go, the paid FastPass that changed the Genie+ system. Beforehand, we had separate plans with and with out Lightning Lanes. With the brand new system, we’re as a substitute recommending you begin with this itinerary because the ‘bones’ to construct your personal plan, and mix it with Disney’s Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Multi-Go Rankings & Technique.
The excellent information is that DHS is now the #1 park for Lightning Lane Multi-Go (LLMP) at Walt Disney World. It’s not needed to buy LLMP at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, particularly if in case you have a full day within the park and plan on staying late. Nonetheless, it’ll make touring a lot simpler, particularly as DHS has the very best common standby wait time of any park at Walt Disney World.
To that time, our ‘warning’ earlier than you embark on a day at DHS is that crowds peak early. It’s not unusual for the entire hottest rides to have 60-90 minute wait occasions shortly after common rope drop. These lengthy strains will be daunting, and lead to company ‘hitting a wall’ and leaving DHS sooner than the opposite parks. That is additionally why wait occasions, on common, are likely to drop sharper within the afternoon and night than the opposite parks. Suffice to say, you’ll actually wish to keep late at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, even when it means arriving late.
In case you’re staying on-site and may arrive early, take a look at our Information to Early Entry at Walt Disney World. This headstart provides you with an enormous benefit, however can be not strictly needed for a productive day in DHS. You’ll simply spend extra time ready in standby strains with out Early Entry or Lightning Lanes, and also you’ll want/wish to keep later within the day.
Luckily, there are nonetheless methods to outsmart the crowds with out shopping for Lightning Lanes or being eligible for Early Entry. With that mentioned, if you wish to know which of these (and different) approaches is finest, see our Savvy Standby Technique at Walt Disney World, which particulars one of the best and worst methods to save lots of time in strains.
This submit continues our collection of Walt Disney World Park Itineraries & Park Plans designed to reply the ceaselessly requested query, “what would you do in a perfect day on the park?” With Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway plus all of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge now open, together with each Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, there’s extra to do right here, and we as soon as once more advocate spending a full day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Nonetheless, it additionally generally is a very difficult and irritating day as a result of the attraction lineup could be very high heavy, consisting nearly largely of extremely well-liked rides. In contrast to just about each different park at Walt Disney World, DHS is missing within the “supporting gamers” division. Which is to say there are only a few low problem sights and exhibits which might be straightforward to do with minimal wait to spherical out your day or kill time.
In contrast to all of our different WDW plans, our technique for Disney’s Hollywood Studios begins previous to the day of your go to…
DHS Rope Drop – For a perfect expertise at DHS, we advocate arriving to the park about 30 earlier than official opening time, and choosing up this itinerary from there.
In case you’re staying on-site and are eligible for Early Entry, we’d strongly advocate arriving 45 minutes earlier than the official begin time of that.
Begin with Second Decisions – Sadly, in the event you’re staying off-site and are arriving for official park opening, you’re going to be behind the group, making each Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance unhealthy choices for beginning the day. This leaves you with the “second selection” choices.
As a substitute, begin with the best method with the Sundown Boulevard sights close to the entrance of the park. In the course of the first hour, wait occasions for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ought to be comparatively low.
In case you arrive early sufficient right here (or it’s a sluggish day), you may also have the ability to do Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster a few occasions through standby with brief waits. Comply with that by doing the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror when you’re within the neighborhood. Our precise waits for these rides early within the day have been beneath 20 minutes no matter posted wait occasions.
Hollywood Goals – By the point you’re executed together with your first few rides, all sights could have excessive wait occasions. That is an unlucky actuality at Disney’s Hollywood Studios–wait occasions get lengthy sooner than every other park. The primary bit of excellent information is that it’ll work to your benefit later within the day.
The second bit of excellent information is that, presently, character meet & greets lag behind different sights in having lengthy wait occasions. Get forward of the crowds by doing Purple Carpet Goals, which is the Minnie and Mickey Mouse meet & greet. This presently averages a virtually hour-long wait time all through the day, however ought to have an precise wait time of beneath half-hour whenever you arrive.
Over on Grand Avenue, you possibly can see extra characters. This consists of the favored Trip Goofy and Max Goof as Powerline close to the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge entrance, amongst others. These uncommon characters are all very talked-about, and we extremely advocate seeing them as early on as potential.
Go See A Star Battle: Episode I – When you’re completed with the characters, proceed to Star Excursions: the Adventures Proceed after which Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Don’t be afraid to decelerate and luxuriate in among the ambiance on Batuu–it’s the least crowded Galaxy’s Edge might be till the night hours. Contemplate perusing the retailers and market stalls now, as many could have strains later within the day.
We’d additionally strongly advocate prioritizing the free-roaming Mandalorian and Child Yoda characters who seem in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This duo is totally mobbed within the afternoon, however their units that begin earlier than 11 am are usually not practically as unhealthy. Now may additionally be a very good time to strive your luck with a walkup at Oga’s Cantina, the Star Wars bar.
If characters aren’t your factor, one other sturdy possibility is Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run after the Sundown Boulevard sights. (By which case, it is best to skip Star Excursions and do it later.) You would possibly encounter a barely longer line for Smugglers Run, however it gained’t be practically as unhealthy as later within the morning or early afternoon. En path to Galaxy’s Edge, you is likely to be tempted to do Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, however don’t–that’s the longest line it’ll have all day.
DHS Morning Run Recap – Right here’s how your morning at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would possibly look earlier than breaking for lunch:
- Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster (doubtlessly twice)
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (doubtlessly twice)
- Characters (non-obligatory)
- See Mandalorian & Child Yoda (non-obligatory, however they’re cool and free-roaming, so no strains)
- Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run and/or Star Excursions: The Adventures Proceed
Though it’s listed later within the day, I’d pencil in MuppetVision 3D as #6 on this listing. Throughout my days in Spring 2025, I’ve discovered this present filling up quicker and enjoying to nearly full homes. With it completely closing in June, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than MuppetVision’s noon waits are considerably longer. May as effectively get out forward of the crowds and knock it out in your approach to lunch.
Early Lunch – In the course of the center of the day, you’re going to have a while to kill whereas ready for wait occasions to drop. Luckily, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is residence to 2 of the Finest Themed Eating places at Walt Disney World.
Positively e book Advance Eating Reservations for proper round midday at 50’s Prime Time Cafe or Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. Disregard the unfavorable evaluations, because the expertise at each eating places is the star of the present. Personally, I feel each serve fairly good meals, too. (Be aware that each are extremely arduous Advance Eating Reservations to attain proper now; Hollywood Brown Derby can be an incredible choose in the event you can’t e book both of the opposite two.)
Reveals & Stuff – Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a bunch of exhibits which might be price seeing. These embrace the Frozen Sing-along, Magnificence and the Beast: Stay on Stage, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and MuppetVision 3D.
No technique is required for seeing these, simply do them at your leisure round their scheduled showtimes. They seldom have precise waits or strains, and are a great way to fill the center of the day whereas the rides have lengthy standby queues. They’re all prolonged, therefore this being the only real entry between lunch and dinner.
Particularly, we extremely advocate MuppetVision 3D–to skip it could be distinctly unpatriotic. Contemplate spending a while within the pre-show space and overflow queue at MuppetVision, as there are some hilarious Easter Eggs throughout.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular can be a ton of enjoyable, a blockbuster manufacturing worthy of its “epic” identify. Positively be sure to watch (no less than) each of these; these exhibits are nice methods to kill occasions whereas ready for standby wait occasions to drop on the park’s headliner rides.
Early Dinner – In case you’ve one way or the other already labored up an urge for food and nonetheless have time to kill, contemplate doing one other meal. Ideally, whichever of the 2 desk service eating places you didn’t do above. In case you’re extra in a ingesting and snacking temper, give BaseLine Faucet Home a strive (meals spreads pictured above).
Another choice is Docking Bay 7 Meals & Cargo in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That’s presently one of many finest counter service eating places at Walt Disney World. Yet one more various is to caffeinate by heading to Trolley Automotive Cafe (the Starbucks location at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) for espresso. Oh, and when you’re there, seize one of many two Finest Snacks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
No matter you do, be sure to’re not going to wish to eat a full sit-down meal within the final 4 hours that DHS is open. This plan virtually depends on doing dinner early, which is one other “zig-when-they-zag” piece of planning recommendation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Late Prepare to Runnamuck Park – Whereas it is likely to be tempting to run(away) to the most recent headliner attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to begin your day, the higher possibility is doing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway about 3 hours earlier than park closing.
There are three advantages to this method. First, that’s when its line is shortest, so that you’re ready the least period of time. Second, the queue is generally outside, and the solar will be brutal earlier within the day. Lastly, this attraction is on the entrance of the park, and has the longest strains whereas company are arriving or leaving. The candy spot for brief strains is a couple of hours earlier than park closing. You gained’t expertise the shortest strains of the day, however this can be a good compromise.
Toy Story Land Mania – The most well-liked a part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios with households is Toy Story Land. It’s much more well-liked than the larger funds Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with this demographic, and the crowds you’ll expertise earlier within the day bear this out.
Everybody’s gotta eat, and most of the people dine on a constant and predictable schedule. That is doubly true of households with babies, the core viewers of Toy Story Land. Like clockwork, households will begin doing dinner at round 6 pm, leading to a little bit of a lull in Toy Story Land crowds. That is exactly why we really helpful zigging after they zag and consuming an early dinner if in any respect potential.
With so many high-profile rides in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, that is actually your finest play in the event you aren’t eligible for Early Entry and are unwilling to buy Lightning Lanes. The fact is that you just’re going to need to compromise someplace, because it’s merely not potential to get all the pieces executed with out going towards the grain someplace. You possibly can’t have your cake and eat it too at DHS…until you achieve this at 4 pm or 5 pm! 😉
When you’re in Toy Story Land, you’re going to wish to do each Toy Story Mania and Slinky Canine Sprint. Which it is best to do first actually is dependent upon whenever you enter the land. In case you arrive earlier than 6 pm, do Toy Story Mania first. If after 6 pm, do Slinky Canine Sprint first. Don’t fear an excessive amount of about posted wait occasions–they’re reactive fairly than proactive, which means Slinky Canine Sprint’s posted wait time will drop in the direction of the tail finish of the dinner lull…proper as individuals are beginning to bounce again into line. (Skip Alien Swirling Saucers.)
Another choice right here in the event you’re not up for an early dinner is consuming at Woody’s Lunch Field after each Toy Story Land sights, after the dinner rush subsides a bit there. If in case you have much more time, you are able to do Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant.
Go See A Star Battle: Episode II — Following Toy Story Land, we advocate backtracking to Batuu as soon as once more. It’s higher to spend the majority of your time in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge later within the day fairly than within the morning for a few causes. First, crowds are literally worst within the morning and get progressively higher because the day wears on.
Second, as a result of Star Wars Land is just higher because the day goes on. The lighting provides rather a lot to the moody off-planet ambiance, and makes the expertise much more immersive. If time permits, attempt to knock out each Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance through the standby line.
Do the sights in that order, and anticipate Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to take lower than an hour, even when the posted wait time for the standby line is 90 minutes or longer. (Barring a breakdown, it’ll take far much less time than the posted wait time suggests.)
Fantasmic – The reimagined Fantasmic is a should see. On nights when there’s just one exhibiting of Fantasmic, that’s the one you’ll do (clearly). Whilst you can line as much as see Fantasmic as much as 90 minutes upfront, we advocate exhibiting up round half-hour in earlier than showtime. You gained’t get nearly as good of a seat, however most views within the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater are “ok.” (Contemplate reserving the least expensive Fantasmic Eating Bundle to ensure your self an incredible seat that method!)
On nights when there are two showtimes of Fantasmic, it’s widespread for the second to happen at park closing or half-hour after. We’ve managed to see the second exhibiting of Fantasmic from spectacular seats with out arriving greater than 5 minutes upfront of showtime.
This has been the case even on evenings when the primary efficiency was fairly busy and seats crammed up half-hour earlier than showtime. On those self same busier days, the late performances of Fantasmic had a number of total sections that went unfilled. I used to be capable of snag the third row of an incredible part at (actually) 2 minutes earlier than showtime, and that was on a busy day.
In case you’re a Fantasmic fanatic, you would possibly desire the ‘excellent’ view of the newly-reimagined nighttime spectacular. Once more, we’d advocate reserving the eating package deal in that case. For extra viewing recommendation, see our Information to Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
After that, take the time for a sluggish stroll out of the park upon exiting, taking your time to take a look at and {photograph} all the attractive neon indicators. The excellent news right here is that regardless that it’ll be darkish out, the neon is so brilliant that it’s straightforward to {photograph} at night time.
All in all, it ought to conclude a fairly satisfying day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This park is so a lot better than it was just some years in the past–it’s now unquestionably a full day park and one which is freed from seen development. The added excellent news is that Disney’s Hollywood Studios ought to additional enhance as soon as extra of the stage exhibits begin to return. That has already occurred with the Frozen Sing-Alongside, so hopefully the others will comply with go well with quickly!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? In case you’re fascinated by studying extra about resorts, our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page is an efficient place to begin. For the place to eat, check out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions web page. If you wish to get monetary savings on tickets or decide which kind it is best to get, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular take a look at unconventional issues it is best to take in your journey. When you arrive on the parks, our Walt Disney World “Experience Guides” are nice for figuring out what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of those matters and a lot extra, one of the best place to begin is our complete Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information to take advantage of your expertise!
Your Ideas
What would you embrace in your excellent day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? What’s your most well-liked technique for Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the Sundown Boulevard duo? What concerning the first v. second exhibiting of Fantasmic? Do you make the most of a zig-when-they-zag method to DHS, or follow typical technique? In case you haven’t visited Walt Disney World, what do you intend on doing? Do you agree or disagree with our technique or plan of assault? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
