In this post, I recap a visit we made to Hollywood Studios on December 9, 2021. You can find other trip / visit reports here.
About This Day & related Posts
As always, our Hollywood Studios One Day Itinerary focuses on how you build your day at the park, and our Hollywood Studios Rides & Entertainment Guide gives background on the attractions and entertainment we mention in this post.
We were staying at the nearby Swan Reserve (review forthcoming), which grants guests Early Entry. In this case, only I (Kenny) was using Early Entry. You can read our full post on Early Entry and Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios.
Emily had spent the previous night at Magic Kingdom Extended Evening Hours. If you take advantage of that perk, you might find it a bit much to visit Early Entry the following morning.
We purchased Genie+ and an individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance. We weren’t prioritizing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway because we rode it yesterday. We have a Guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Disney World and a post specifically focusing on Lightning Lanes at Hollywood Studios.
Besides Early Entry, we were visiting as a family (two adults, one 31” toddler). This greatly impacts how the day goes, and I’ll discuss it a bit more below. We have a post (in desperate need of updates, specifically following today) about visiting Hollywood Studios with a Toddler. We also have a post covering Height Requirements and Rider Swap at Disney World.
Pre-Arrival
I set an alarm for 6:45AM to begin my pre-arrival process. I’ll go into a bit more detail than usual.
First, I confirmed my hotel reservation was showing in my Disney account / in Genie’s “My Day” screen. The previous day, my Swan Reserve reservation had mysteriously become unlinked from my account, which delayed my purchase of individual Lightning Lanes while I re-linked the reservation. Today, I confirmed “My Day” was showing our stay at Swan Reserve. When you’re staying at non-Disney hotels that are partner hotels for select perks, you need to triple check that your reservation is properly linked to your Disney account.
Second, I purchased Genie+ for Emily and me ($15.98 per person). Zoe is only 16 months so does not need a park ticket, and thus does not need their own Genie+ purchase. Genie+ can be purchased in advance of your trip (for the full length of your ticket) or daily after midnight if you don’t want it for all days.
I continue to have the occasional credit card issue when purchasing Genie+ and individual Lightning Lanes. My preference is to have a Disney gift card for this purpose, but today, after my credit card was declined, I wound up using a Disney Rewards Redemption Card.
Third, with a computer on hand, I opened up a world clock. This would allow us to count down until 7AM, when it was time to make our first Genie+ selection. As guests of the Swan Reserve, we’re also able to make our individual Lightning Lane purchases at 7AM (if you’re not a guest of a Disney or partner hotel, you do this when the park opens).
The final step of…pre-arrival prep…is to run through the Genie setup for the day:
There are two critical parts of Genie setup for us today. First, we need to make sure our party is setup (in this case, the two of us). This ensures the system will automatically select the two of us when making Lightning Lane bookings, saving us precious (not kidding) milliseconds. Second, we make our “Top Pick” attractions.
Important, our Top Picks have nothing to do with whatever it is Genie is trying to do, we select our top picks with a singular goal. In my case, I picked only Slinky Dog Dash. Emily picked only Rise of the Resistance. This puts it at the top of our tip board, so when we refresh just before 7AM, the rides we are trying to book will be right at the top.
We put Zoe in the hotel crib at 6:59 and then counted down. Right at 6:59:59 AM we pull down on the Tip Board to refresh it. I was able to quickly grab a 9AM-10AM Slinky Dog Dash. Even with my skills, getting this good a time is indicative that crowds wouldn’t be too awful today.
Emily had a wide range of options for Rise. With individual Lightning Lanes at Disney World, the tip board will show the next available time, but you can pick from any available time. We quickly (too quickly) discussed it, and selected an 11:05AM to 12:05PM return ($15.98 per person).
I immediately regretted this, but it is fully non-modifiable. I should have booked between 1PM and 4PM—peak crowd hours and after lunch. Preferably, since Zoe can nap until 2PM sometimes, we’d want to be after 2PM. The 11:05AM to 12:05PM was just bad. It starts while we’re still wrapping up our morning strategy, and it ends right as our toddler is screaming for lunch.
Rope Drop and Early Entry
While Emily and Zoe had breakfast at the hotel, I walked over to Hollywood Studios. To be clear, with our setup—Genie+ and a Lightning Lane for Rise—I had no need for Early Entry. If we really wanted, the best option would be to arrive as a family at about 8:15AM and ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. As noted above, we weren’t prioritizing that ride, which basically gave Emily and Zoe a more relaxing morning.
People still ask me most frequently about rope dropping Rise of the Resistance, so I decided to do that (it’s covered in numerous places on this site already, too).
I made the walk in 13 minutes (there are a few routes), arriving at 7:17AM. The park opened at 9AM, and Early Entry began at 8:30AM. The security CMs walked us through at 7:30AM. This is also about the time the parking lot usually opens and the first buses arrive. I think Skyliner guests should start arriving around now, too.
I had no trouble scanning for Early Entry. This is part of the reason I do that 6:45AM check to confirm the reservation is properly linked.
I made the long walk toward Rise (there are a few routes, all of which involve going left). We were queued outside Galaxy’s Edge, and I was sixth in line at 7:36AM.
In my experience and talking to readers / followers, the exact opening time for Rise will vary. Some days I’ve heard it operates as early at 8AM, other days it won’t start until 8:30AM. Relatedly, you might begin the LONG walk to the ride early, or you might begin it late.
Today the walk began at 7:52AM with an announcement—that the ride would have a delayed opening. I decided to stick with it. It took 18 minutes to get us into the queue and into the first scene (with Rey and BB-8). I was surprised we continued from here with a delayed open, but we were in the hangar bay at 8:16AM.
It was in the hangar bay that we were held due to the delay. My assumption at this point was it would be a short delay, otherwise why bring us all the way here? I was sort of right. They had expected it to be a short delay. However, at 8:20AM they told us the delay would be longer than expected and that we’d have to leave.
We exited through a back door and were given redemption passes, good for Rise at any point in the day (once you get one of these, you can confirm it shows in the app). I was back in Batuu at 8:22AM.
I could have tried a different approach at this time, but instead I decided to just grab coffee from Starbucks and watch the crowds pour into the park. Emily arrived just before 9AM, and at 9:05AM she had her coffee in hand and we were ready to begin our family day.
Reminders About Toddler Touring
Okay, our hurdle here is that Zoe can’t ride anything with a height requirement at Hollywood Studios. That leaves Toy Story Mania and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway as rides Zoe can ride. Everything else, Emily and I have to ride separately. Generally, we’d use rider swap for this. With Genie+, we don’t have much need for rider swap, but we still spend extra time at rides since we have to ride separately. Zoe also needs dinner and then bedtime starting around 5:30PM, so we are dealing with a compressed timeline.
Morning at Hollywood Studios
Our first goal was to use our Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane so we could make a new booking. I rode at 9:16AM, waiting 7 minutes via Lightning Lane when the posted wait was 75 minutes. As Emily rode (4 minutes via Lightning Lane, 9:25AM), I headed into Galaxy’s Edge.
I got a breakfast wrap from Ronto Roasters (it’s spicy but Zoe even enjoyed a few bites) and checked on Smugglers Run. I confirmed it was using single rider, which meant we could use that instead of a Lightning Lane. Smugglers Run is the second most popular Genie+ Lightning Lane in the park, so avoiding it as our second booking (return times were already after 5PM), was very helpful. Instead, I grabbed a 10:45AM return for Tower of Terror.
The area in front of the Millennium Falcon is spacious and Zoe loves running around over there. Via single rider, we waited 4 minutes each (posted wait 35 minutes), riding at 9:37AM and 9:48AM.
We headed nearby to Muppet Vision 3D, Zoe’s first attempt at this show. It went better than expected. Zoe fought the 3D glasses a little bit, eventually signing “all done” near the end, but for the most part seemed content to sit and watch the show.
At 10:20AM with a little time left before our Tower of Terror Lightning Lane, we went separate ways. I took Zoe to the baby care center for a snack, Emily went to single rider on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Generally I’m not a fan of that single rider line, but since we had to be down by Tower of Terror anyways, it was an okay option.
That’s also right by Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. This would have been a good way to spend time with Zoe, but instead I just let them run around the area looking at DJ and Cruz Ramirez. Emily waited 24 minutes in the single rider line versus a posted wait of 50 minutes, riding at 10:53AM.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a Genie+ Lightning Lane, but with our compressed timeline (because of Zoe’s bedtime), it’s very challenging to fit everything in via Genie+. One thing we should have tried but forgot was getting a rider swap before Emily used the single rider line.
This wasn’t a good time for me to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (a small perk of single rider vs. Genie+—you don’t have to coordinate your rides back-to-back), and instead I headed to Tower of Terror, waiting 13 minutes in the Lightning Lane for the posted 50 minute wait, riding at 11:13AM. Emily tapped in, and at 11:23AM I grabbed a Lightning Lane for Toy Story Mania (2:35PM return time).
Then things went awry.
I’d completely forgotten about lunch, which would usually be around 11:30AM for Zoe. That would have to wait, because we also had to get to Rise of the Resistance by 12:05PM. Compounding matters, while Emily waited for Tower of Terror, one side of the ride went down, reducing capacity to 50%. By 11:40AM she just wasn’t moving and left. As we passed the entrance, it was clear the ride was now fully closed.
She’d already tapped in, using her Lightning Lane. Had we waited a few minutes, she probably would have been escorted out of the queue or at least allowed to leave and get a replacement Lightning Lane. Since she’d left early, we stopped by the Guest Experiences Team (blue umbrella), our first substantive visit to this guest services option.
Guest Experience Team is meant to handle relatively simple things to keep guest services open for more substantive issues. Guest Experiences can have long lines, but with two CMs working and just one group waiting, we decided to at least wait a few minutes (keeping our 12:05PM Rise time in mind).
We were assisted quickly and explained what had happened to the CM, who gave us both Lightning Lanes good for any ride other than Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. We’d only asked for Emily, but I imagine his flowchart was “Does this party deserve a redemption pass? Yes. Give everyone in the party a pass.”
A nice thing about Genie+ costing money is that I believe Cast Members are going to fix things like this whenever reasonably possible. This was definitely partly our fault, but the mistake—attempting to switch who was watching the baby only to have the ride break down while we were on a tight schedule—and the remedy—a multiple experiences pass that excludes the major rides—aren’t quite the same as “hey I slept in can you give me a pass for Slinky Dog Dash?”
At about 11:55AM we arrived at Rise of the Resistance. With only ten minutes left on our Lightning Lane, we knew I (who was riding first), wouldn’t be off soon enough for Emily to make the window (with a Lightning Lane, Rise takes about 20 minutes). So we stopped by a Cast Member to ask about rider swap.
The Cast Member was a little confused (in a 100% understandable and `100% combative way) about our request, reasoning that we could both just use our Lightning Lanes with no issue. He even confirmed that he would have let the late person through, no problem.
Of course, this might not always be the case. Especially when the service debuted, word was that Disney would be very strict about individual Lightning Lane return times. I’ve never had the courage to test this (it’s not the money, or the ride…I just can’t stomach the idea of walking up, tapping in, and getting turned away). So the safest option for us was to get rider swap. Another CM nearby agreed, and Emily was quickly given a rider swap pass. She went to have lunch with Zoe, while I got in line.
I waited 16 minutes (posted 160), boarding at 12:12PM.
Then the ride broke.
The evacuation took some time (Emily and Zoe were eating lunch), and I was back in Batuu at 12:35PM.
So yea, at this point I now had two redemption passes—one from rope drop and one from my attempt to use my individual Lightning Lane purchase.
Zoe napped in the carrier with Emily, I got a beer a Baseline (bass-uh-leen) and at Emily’s leftovers near Echo Lake. I posted a joke on instagram about how I hope people who ask me to help plan their trips are prepared for rides to break down and to eat lunch on the ground.
It was a bit of jest, but honestly I was in a pretty stressed mindset. I was unhappy with how everything involving Tower of Terror / Rise of the Resistance unfolded and I was stressed about the fact that we still both had to get on Rise today. I picked a spot on the ground away from people so I could sit in relative peace for a second, eat, recompose myself, and get on with my day.
Afternoon at Hollywood Studios
If you can fit a showtime into the morning (especially if you’ve got Lightning Lanes to help your afternoon), great. Usually for us, the afternoon is built around showtimes. This keeps you out of the sun and the heavy midday crowds.
At Hollywood Studios there are two stage shows currently—Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage and Frozen Sing Along. Beauty and the Beast is at the top of select hours, Frozen Sing Along is at the bottom of select hours (Frozen has more showings). Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is returning in about a week. Disney Junior Dance & Play is more of a short dance party for kids—if we can make it with Zoe we do, but it’s low priority.
Aiming for the 2PM Beauty and the Beast show, I opted to use my extra Lightning Lane (recall the CM had given me one as well after the Tower incident) for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, waiting 19 minutes vs. posted 65. Along the way, my (unrelated) two-hour timer from my last booking was up, and I booked a 5PM Lightning Lane for Alien Swirling Saucers.
This timeslot—5PM to 6PM—was a risky, late pick that might go unused depending on Zoe’s mood. But our only other real option was Star Tours, which had return times only about an hour ahead. The only way to get both of these in was to book Saucers now and hope Star Tours kept its low demand, so I could book a good return time in two hours.
We grabbed a way-in-the-back seat at Beauty and the Beast. Zoe had just woken up, so we wanted a bit of space and an easy exit if things went poorly. They went fine, and the show ended at about 2:24PM.
Basically every Hollywood Studios visit I point out you can try and book it from Beauty and the Beast to Frozen (in this case, the 2:30PM show), but on busier days the latter will be full by the time you get there. We didn’t want to make that walk, and Zoe needed a diaper change. I did that while Emily redeemed her extra Lightning Lane for Tower of Terror, waiting 13 minutes (posted 45) and riding at 2:41PM.
Then we headed to Toy Story Mania, waiting 11 minutes via Lightning Lane versus a posted 55 minute wait.
Okay. Here’s…a thing. It’s great that Zoe can ride Toy Story Mania (no height requirement). But Zoe can’t really ride Toy Story Mania. It requires 3D glasses and it’s a carnival game where you’re pulling a string to shoot things at targets. The result is one parent just holding the glasses on Zoe while the other plays. I was the parent holding the glasses and…I did not love the experience (especially once Zoe’s glasses fell so I just had to take mine off and give them to Zoe).
Anyways, at about 3:15PM we had time to try and get into Frozen Sing Along. Along the way (3:24PM), my two-hour timer went off and I booked a Lightning Lane for Star Tours at 4:10PM.
We were some of the very last people in the Frozen Sing Along (3:30PM showtime), getting seated at the end of the front row. The view wasn’t great, but it didn’t much matter to us. Zoe was wiggling the whole time (we’d taken only two seats).
Frozen Sing Along lasts just over 30 minutes (so you usually can’t rush from this to a Beauty and the Beast showing at the top of the hour). We saw the special holiday season ending, which was nice.
With the two shows behind us and only a few priorities left, it was pretty “by the book” from hereon. I rode Star Tours (posted 15, actual walk on, and 5 minutes via Lightning Lane) at 4:13PM. Then we split up.
Emily rode Star Tours (5 minutes via Lightning Lane, 4:29PM) and Rise of the Resistance (posted 105, 18 via Lightning Lane, 4:59PM). She hadn’t ridden Rise since March 2020 and immediately texted to tell me she still thinks it’s a good ride.
Zoe and I split a root beer float from Epic Eats (near Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular) and then visited the 4:55PM Disney Junior Dance & Play. Zoe is at least no longer overwhelmed by the experience, but still isn’t quite into dancing during the show (always shows off a few moves once everyone else leaves, though).
About 5PM would have been our last good time to hop in line for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. It was temporarily closed, though. As I mentioned at the outset, this just wasn’t a priority since we’d ridden it yesterday.
We reunited at Alien Swirling Saucers, riding at 5:16PM and 5:32PM (7ish minute waits vs. 35 posted). As I write this the following day we realize that with shoes on Zoe might be tall enough for the 32” height requirement. We’ll have to check. Zoe really enjoyed watching the ride, in any case.
We had originally planned on getting dinner in the park, but it didn’t make sense to do that just to get home (we have a home-away-from-home in Florida for the moment) later and rush Zoe to bed. Instead, we headed straight home, leaving at 5:43PM.
But Wait, There’s More
After a long day, I just couldn’t let my two passes for Rise of the Resistance go to waste. Once Emily started bedtime with Zoe, I came back to the park, riding a 8PM (posted 85, 15 via Lightning Lane) and 8:20PM (posted 85, 17 via Lightning Lane).
I grabbed dinner at Woody’s Lunch Box. The portions here are sort of wonky (and the pricing reflects this). I opted for two medium-sized dishes, grilled cheese w/ tomato soup and vegan chili tots, which was too much food, but one of those wouldn’t have been enough for dinner. I guess that’s maybe why it’s Woody’s Lunch Box and not Woody’s Dinner Box. I skipped the nighttime entertainment (currently Beacon of Magic and Sunset Seasons Greetings recurring on the Tower of Terror, and Disney Movie Magic Followed by Wonderful World of Animation once each on the Chinese Theater).
Reflections
As far as touring strategy goes, the what I’ve written before speaks for itself. Here I just want to reflect on this very full day with a toddler at Hollywood Studios.
Like the other three parks, there is enough to do with a toddler at Hollywood Studios. The problem isn’t the amount of toddler-friendly stuff, it’s the relative quality.
We didn’t make it to Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy or the Mickey Shorts Theater today. We didn’t watch the cavalcades or meet Minnie (who recently returned for a distanced greeting).
But it’s hard to prioritize those things when fantastic like Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, and Tower of Terror are available to the adults. As a result, we spent a lot of time apart.
Of course, the most popular ride for toddlers in the park is Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway, which didn’t make our itinerary today because we’d just ridden it yesterday. Had we worked that in, I’d probably feel a little differently about today.
That ride aside, it’s hard to know how vacationers should feel about a day like this. Emily and I don’t get as much satisfaction out of rides we’ve ridden dozens if not 100+ times. Is it worth the one, stressful, mostly apart day in order to get through this park’s strong ride lineup? Probably, but you have to know what you’re getting into.
At a park like Magic Kingdom, you can sort of do as much for the little one as you want, and you’ll still feel like it was a great time (assuming you visit the right family rides). At Hollywood Studios, doing a “only things Zoe can do” day would be wholly unsatisfying for everyone. Even doing a “mostly family time” day might feel lackluster.
The best way to get value out of your time at this park with a toddler is to accept this probably won’t be their best day of the trip. It probably won’t be as picturesque a family day as you’ll put together at the other three parks. But it definitely can be good for everyone. Embrace the great rides, even if you’re not on them together, and just make sure the little ones stay entertained to get through the day.
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