Hollywood Studios: The Best and Worst Park at Walt Disney World

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the most uneven park at Walt Disney World, with two genuinely extraordinary areas and several others that feel like filler. Knowing which is which before you go helps considerably.

Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge occupies the back third of the park and is, setting aside the IP, one of the most impressive physical environments Disney has constructed. The Black Spire Outpost village is detailed at a level that rewards looking closely; no surface is generic. The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run puts six people inside a physical replica of the cockpit with interactive controls, the pilot seats affect the outcome and your score. Rise of the Resistance combines a pre-show, transport sequence, walking through Imperial sets, and a ride; the central sequence inside a Star Destroyer is technically the most ambitious single attraction in the Disney World system. Both rides are worth whatever wait you face.

Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge does themed cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks in a small bar with projected alien cast. Book dining reservations in advance if you want more than 45 minutes; it holds 30-40 people at a time.

Toy Story Land

Toy Story Land sets you at the scale of a toy in Andy’s backyard with appropriately oversized props everywhere. Slinky Dog Dash is a family coaster with good theming and manageable morning wait times. Alien Swirling Saucers is for younger children. The land works well for families with kids aged 4-10.

What’s Overrated

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (in the Chinese Theatre at the park entrance) has technically impressive ride system but thin content. Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is an indoor coaster from 1999 that has dated badly; the Aerosmith content means nothing to anyone under 35. Both receive long queues that are not justified by the experience.

Practical Notes

Rope drop strategy: Arrive when the park opens (typically 9am; on-property hotel guests often have earlier access). Walk directly to Rise of the Resistance if you don’t have Lightning Lane. Then go to Slinky Dog Dash. Complete this sequence in the first 90 minutes and you’ve done the two best waits of the day.

Dining: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (booths in cars facing a screen showing 1950s B-movie clips) is worth experiencing once regardless of the food quality. Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo inside Galaxy’s Edge has the most thematically appropriate food: the Ronto Wrap is genuinely good.

Getting there: Hollywood Studios is served by the Disney Skyliner gondola system, connecting to Epcot and the Caribbean Beach and Art of Animation hotels. This is a genuinely useful and pleasant transport option and is the best way to arrive if you’re staying at a connected hotel.