11 Best Hollywood Studios Tips That You Can't Miss | Easily Explained
In this page, we will cover our best Hollywood Studios tips to ensure that you arrive at the park extremely prepared, and know all of the 'hacks' to maximize your time and money.
1. Know Which Rides Have the Longest Lines
Waiting in lines for the majority of the day is no way to spend your hard-earned money.
Being familiar with which rides have the longest lines at the park can help tremendously, as you can better plan your day around it.
Rides that normally have the longest lines at Hollywood Studios include:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
- Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
You'll want to visit these rides either as soon as the park opens, when the park is nearing closing time, or when it's raining.
Another option is to purchase a Lightning Lane pass (at an additional cost) for these rides, to skip the regular line.
2. Head to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge First
If you take a look at the map for Disney's Hollywood Studios, you'll notice that Galaxy's Edge is located in the back left of the park.
We recommend starting from the back of the park and working your way toward the front throughout the day.
As most guests enter the park, they tend to spend a lot of time around the front and work towards the back as the day goes on.
You'd essentially be going in reverse, which will allow you to avoid a lot of the crowd throughout the day.
This tip will only work efficiently if you arrive at the park early.
3. Know About Oga's Cantina
One of our favorite places at the park, Oga's Cantina is a bar and dining area that you simply have to experience.
It is a Star Wars-themed bar where guests can eat appetizers and drink both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, while the former pilot of the Starspeeder 3000, is DJ'ing.
Inside Oga's Cantina pic.twitter.com/jawCjSVspB
— Theme Park Center (@themeparkcenter) July 4, 2022
DJ R-3X Rex in Oga's Cantina pic.twitter.com/kOxbu4Pynd
— Theme Park Center (@themeparkcenter) July 4, 2022
Standing Bar
You should know that this bar doesn't have any seats unless you are a large party and want to reserve the booths. It's essentially a standing bar.
Why is this important?
When you're spending an entire day walking around the park, most visitors want to take a break and sit down, to grab a bite to eat or drink.
Unless you're requesting a booth, you'll want to continue standing.
Waiting Time and How to Get Inside
Guests will normally wait 20-30 minutes outside of the entrance to be able to get inside Oga's Cantina.
You'll simply head towards the podium and leave your name to get on the waitlist.
The cast members will use an iPad to monitor the available seats and will say your name when it's your turn.
Make sure that your entire party is waiting with you, as you need your entire party to be 'seated' inside.
This place is easy to miss, so we've provided a picture of the entrance above.
What it Offers
- Drinks
- Cocktails
- Appetizers
- Music
- Booths Around the Perimeter of the Bar
You can see a full list of their menu items directly on the Disney site.
4. Know the Best Day to Visit
The best day to visit Hollywood Studios is on a weekday, in particular, Monday-Wednesday. Previously, you'd want to avoid Fridays and Sundays due to Extra Magic Hours, and even though these extra magic hours are no longer ongoing, you'll still want to stay away from the weekends.
Hollywood Studios is one of the smaller parks of the 4 at 152 acres (EPCOT is 300 acres), which means on crowded days, it will feel even more crowded than it is.
This makes the day that you decide to visit even more important.
We've created the Best Day to Visit guide that also explains when the best time of day to visit is, the best season, and an underrated season to visit.
5. Know the Park Layout
Before visiting, something that you should know is that the park is split into 9 sections, with each area offering something unique.
The three most popular sections include:
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
- Sunset Boulevard
- Hollywood Boulevard
These are the areas of the park that you should head towards first before the park fills up as the afternoon rolls around.
These areas are guaranteed to be packed with people later in the day.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in particular is one of the coolest areas in the park, as all of the rides, buildings, and even cast members are tailored towards the movie series.
Alongside rides, this area also offers dining options, drinking options, and a shopping area.
Some of the rides with the longest lines in this area include:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Sunset Boulevard
Before the opening of Galaxy's Edge, this was the most popular area of the park and still is one of the most popular areas in all of Disney.
Sunset Boulevard features the timeless classic best rides such as Rock 'N' Roller coaster & the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror.
There are also dining and shopping opportunities in this area.
The Remaining Sections:
- Hollywood Boulevard
- Echo Lake
- Pixar Place
- Commissary Lane
- Grand Avenue
- Toy Story Land
- Animation Courtyard
Disney's Hollywood Studios Map
You can see for yourself how close (or far) each area is to the other, through the Hollywood Studios map, to better plan your day.
6. Bring a Poncho
Florida is notorious for having afternoon showers, even if the sun is still out.
You'll want to invest in a waterproof, wind-resistant, and breathable poncho when you go to Hollywood Studios.
- Waterproof - Avoid Getting Soaked in the Rain
- Wind Resistant - Avoid Your Poncho Ending up Moving in Every Direction and You Getting Wet
- Breathable - Avoid Getting Hot (It will already be humid) While Waiting For the Rain to Pass
The reason that a poncho is better than an umbrella at a theme park is that it's very lightweight and can fit virtually anywhere (pocket or bag) when it is folded up.
If you bring an umbrella, you may need to store it in lockers throughout your day, and it may not even rain.
7. Know About Electric Vehicle Parking
If you drive an Electric Vehicle, you don't have to park in the general parking area, as there are charging spots available in the closest row to the entrance.
These parking spots are exclusive to Electric Vehicles only, and they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you're able to land one of these spots, you'll be able to park as close to the park as possible and have your car charge while you enjoy the park for the day.
8. Get to the Park Early
Arrive at the park early! The park normally opens at 8:30 am for the general population, and arriving 30-45 minutes before that is a great way to be one of the first to enter the park.
Entering the park early and knocking out your 'must-do' activities will maximize your chances of dealing with minimal lines, less waiting, and more riding.
You should always take a look at the Disney Calendar, to double-check when it opens on the day that you're planning to visit.
Early Entry for Hotel Guests
If you're staying at a Disney Resort, you should know that you can enter the park earlier than anyone else.
If the park normally opens at 8:30, Disney resort guests will be able to enter 30 minutes early at 8.
All that you'll need to show is a valid theme park admission, park reservation, and resort ID.
9. Know About Disney Genie and Disney Genie +
Disney Genie+ is an upgrade that costs around $25 that allows riders to skip the regular line and access the Lightning Lane entrance.
This is essentially the new fast pass.
Genie Plus selections must be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across several theme parks, which is extremely convenient for those with the Park Hopper options.
Disney Genie
Disney Genie on the other hand is included with admission and is essentially a live itinerary, that you can use to plan your day before arriving at the park, and while you're at the park through the My Disney Experience app or Disney app.
10. Use Mobile Ordering
Using the My Disney Experience app, guests can easily order their food as well as pay for it in seconds. The nice feature about this is that it's a very easy process, and you can order from virtually anywhere in the park.
Once you've ordered, and you've arrived at the Quick Service location, you can signal in the app that you've arrived, and then you'll be informed when your food is ready for pick up.
When you receive the notification that your food is ready for pick up, just head over to the counter/window and pick up your food.
You'll want to keep your app open in case a cast member asks for validation to ensure that you're picking up the correct food.
You can read more about Mobile Ordering and Quick Service here.
11. Watch the Shows Later in the Day
After a long day at the park, with the Florida heat taking its toll and your feet beginning to hurt, the best way to fix this is by sitting down in air conditioning to watch a show.
Save watching the shows for later in the day, as it'll allow you to sit down and cool off inside with air conditioning.
The best part is that you won't have to make sure that you get in there as early as possible, as almost all of the seats have a decent view.
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