Hollywood Studios Morning Rope Drop Strategy: Rise of the Resistance, Genie+ Tips
Hollywood Studios is one of the most popular Walt Disney World theme parks since it has most of the newest attractions plus Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Hollywood Studios can be one of the more challenging theme parks to build a theme park strategy around since it has a smaller number of attractions in comparison to parks like Magic Kingdom but it also draws just as large crowds. I visit Walt Disney World frequently and this is the theme park strategy that I utilize when I am visiting this popular park. I have experience using this Hollywood Studios theme park strategy with Genie+ to skip the lines and also without Genie+ when I am traveling on a budget.
Keep reading for multiple options on how to rope drop Hollywood Studios including my full strategy on using Genie+ or navigating the parks without Genie+.
Hollywood Studios Strategy
Hollywood Studios is the park that I get the most questions about when it comes to planning a trip because it's the park with all the newest attractions like Rise of the Resistance, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, Toy Story Land, etc.
We usually have great success with our Hollywood Studios morning strategy at this park since it's a bit easier to navigate with fewer attractions than larger parks like Magic Kingdom. But since this park does have fewer attractions, it also feels the most crowded because there's not as much to do to space crowds out!
This is also a park where using Genie+ can be challenging since the most popular rides (Slinky Dog Dash!) often sell out of Genie+ reservation times fast. While Genie+ can be a huge asset to skipping the lines, especially for the lower-in-demand rides, you need to know which rides to book first so you don't miss out on the opportunity to use the Genie+ Lightning Lanes.
Before we get into the logistics of my Hollywood Studios strategy, it's helpful to start off with your morning to-do list. Before you even arrive at the theme parks, there are experiences you can start booking!
Morning Hollywood Studios Checklist
Here are all the options that are available for guests to start booking via My Disney Experience app before the park opens. Not all of this is a necessity but some of it works along with our strategies below.
- Purchase Genie+ at 7AM and make your first ride reservation
- I recommend Slinky Dog Dash in my strategy below
- Purchase Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of Resistance at 7AM (Disney World guests only) or when you enter the park (off-site guests)
- Optional: see our strategy below to see how to ride without paying!
Now that you have that quick and easy morning to-do list on your radar, let's get into the logistics of the best Hollywood Studios strategy.
My Disney Experience App
The first thing you need to know before using my Hollywood Studios morning strategy is how to use the My Disney Experience app. This app is free to download and includes a map of each Walt Disney World theme park, posted wait times plus this is how you use mobile ordering and Genie+ reservations. This app is a must-have for any day at Walt Disney World.
See our Disney Hollywood Studios map for an overview of each area of the park with its main attractions and offerings!
In addition to downloading this app, make sure you have your Walt Disney World theme park reservation for Hollywood Studios completed for the day of your visit if you are coming before January 9th, 2024. After January 9th, theme park reservations will no longer be required.
Hollywood Studios Rope Drop
Rope drop is the term Walt Disney World fans use to describe when you arrive at the parks early enough that the ropes blocking off access to the rides are dropped at the beginning of the day. Since Walt Disney World Resort is the size of San Francisco (yes, you read that right!) figuring out your transportation to the parks is key so that you can arrive early with our Walt Disney World park strategy.
Ultimately, the goal is to get to the gate of each park about 30 to 45 minutes prior to park opening. To accomplish this you need to figure out which transportation you will use.
- Walt Disney World Resort Bus– I recommend lining up at your bus stop at your Disney World resort at least 90 minutes prior to the park's official opening time.
- Driving – you can drive yourself to the parks or use rideshare (read our guide to using Uber at Disney World) which some people prefer especially if they plan to park hop.
- Skyliner- currently the Skyliner gets you access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios if you stay at one of the Skyliner resorts. If you plan on using the Skyliner, line up 45-60 minutes prior to park opening at your resort's Skyliner station for EPCOT and 90 minutes prior to park opening for Hollywood Studios.
The Skyliner is amazingly efficient so if you are staying at one of the Skyliner resorts, I recommend this transportation to arrive in time for Hollywood Studios rope drop.
What About Rise of the Resistance?
If you want to ride Rise of the Resistance, the newest ride in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the good news is that the process is now far less complicated than it used to be. You can either ride standby or purchase access to the Lightning Lane- this is a separate purchase from the general Genie+ access since Rise of the Resistance is not included in that price.
An Individual Lightning Lane purchase for Rise of the Resistance averages about $20 per person. Guests staying at Walt Disney World resort hotels can begin booking their Lightning Lane reservations as early as 7AM and then you will have the best pick of available times to experience the attraction. Guests not staying on-site will have to wait and book their Individual Lighting Lanes when they enter the park.
If you want to experience Rise of the Resistance without paying more, there are two options I recommend. The first one is to rope drop Rise of the Resistance but this is only effective if you arrive at the parks early enough (see my above breakdown of how to do this with Walt Disney World transportation) and if you're at the front of the crowd. During busier times of the year at Walt Disney World, it will get trickier to get on Rise of the Resistance with lower waits as this is such a popular attraction that many guests head to first thing in the morning.
Another strategy is to keep an eye on the wait times on the My Experience App as Rise of the Resistance wait times will start to drop around evening. This is often my favorite time to get on Rise of the Resistance as many guests that planned on park hopping have already left for the day and everyone is busy getting dinner.
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What About Early Entry?
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World hotel can take advantage of Early Entry which allows access into the parks 30 minutes prior to opening. Since so many guests visiting Disney World stay on-site, you can expect a large number of people to turn up at Early Entry but still significantly less than later in the day due to the earlier morning time.
Early Entry works seamlessly with our Hollywood Studios strategy below. All the rides I recommend going to first in this strategy are also open with Early Entry, even all the multiple options if you're not using Genie+, so just follow the strategy the same if you have Early Entry or not!
Hollywood Studios Strategy with Genie+
If you plan on purchasing Genie+ for your Hollywood Studios morning strategy, this is the best way to get the most out of your money. I've prioritized the rides that often book up first in our Hollywood Studios strategy.
- Book Slinky Dog Dash at 7AM
- All guests can purchase Genie+ and book their first reservation starting at 7AM.
- Ride Tower of Terror & Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at park opening
- These two rides are directly next to each other and most of the crowds in the morning tend to run towards Slinky or Rise- leaving the path open to knock these out before the crowds build
- Sometimes one of these rides, most often Tower of Terror, will not be ready at park opening so if this happens then pivot to the other attraction.
- Ride Slinky Dog Dash with Genie+
- Book Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway Genie+ reservation
- Ride Toy Story Midway Mania
- Ride Alien Swirling Saucers
- This ride is a skip for most folks, ourselves included, but this time of day will be a walk on so if you have smaller kids, it's worth riding.
- Ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway with Genie+
- Book Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run Genie+ reservation
- Ride Star Tours- The Adventure Continues
- Watch MuppetVision 3D
- Ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run with Genie+
- Use Genie+ to experience shows or character meet-and-greets
At this point, you can work in Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, and Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage into your afternoon fairly easily. Out of all these, I would suggest Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular to use your Genie+ on and the rest can be accessed in the stand by waiting areas.
Star Tours- The Adventure Continues, Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy, and MuppetVision 3D typically have low waits throughout the day so they're good options to enjoy while waiting for your other Genie+ reservations. This is why I don't recommend using Genie+ for these attractions since the standby is often so reasonable.
Genie+ Lightning Lanes- Hollywood Studios
For your reference, here are all the Genie+ attractions available with Genie+ at Hollywood Studios.
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage
- Disney Jr. Play and Dance!
- Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
- Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
- Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
- MuppetVision 3D
- Rock ‘n Roller Coaster
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours- The Adventure Continues
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
All of these attractions and shows are included with your Disney Genie+ purchase. You can reserve a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation once every two hours or once you've redeemed your previous Lightning Lane reservation.
Slinky's Dog Dash is easily the most popular ride aside from Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios! This means that Genie+ reservations often run out right away when the park opens. This is why I recommend booking Slinky Dog Dash immediately. The line will stay long all day even in the evening.
Individual Attraction Access- Not Included with Genie+
Lightning Lanes Individual Attractions service is an option for guests to purchase one-off access to the most popular Walt Disney World attractions on the same day of their visit. The price averages about $15-20 per person, per ride. Limit of two per day.
Individual Lighting Lane- Hollywood Studios
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Hollywood Studios may be one of the most popular parks but if you arrive early, you can cross a few of those key attractions off your list with no to minimal wait times. I highly recommend getting Genie+ for this park, I would prioritize having it at Hollywood Studios above all others.
Hollywood Studios Strategy without Genie+
If you are looking to navigate Hollywood Studios without Genie+ then keep in mind you will be waiting in longer lines since this park has fewer attractions to spread out guests. But with that being said, there is still a way to get around the parks without Genie+ especially if you prioritize your favorite attractions.
Option #1: Slinky Dog Dash
This strategy prioritizes Slinky's Dog Dash. This is the MOST popular ride in Hollywood Studios.
- Rope Drop: Slinky's Dog Dash
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
By this point, lines will be long for the most popular rides aside from the top three above: Rise of Resistance, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster, and Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. Check the Walt Disney World app and see which wait time is less from these options and go there after Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway.
Save Rise of the Resistance for the evening around dinner time, this is when wait times will start to drop compared to the morning.
Option #2: Sunset Boulevard
This option knocks out two popular attractions right at park opening that are located directly next to each other. The only problem is Tower of Terror is commonly known for NOT being operational right at park open which may require you to pivot your plan.
- Rope Drop: Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Tower of Terror
- Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
By this point, lines will be long for the most popular rides aside from the top three above: Rise of Resistance, Toy Story Midway Mania, Slinky Dog Dash, and Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. Check the Walt Disney World app and see which wait time is less from these options and go there after Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway.
Save Rise of the Resistance for the evening around dinner time, this is when wait times will start to drop compared to the morning.
As for Slinky Dog Dash, this line will remain long all day. Your best bet is to get in line for this attraction right before the park closes. As long as you are in line before park closing, you will get to ride and this way you're not using park time to wait.
Option #3: Rise of the Resistance
This is the most popular rope drop option for Hollywood Studios and you will be joining a large crowd with the same goal!
- Rope Drop: Rise of Resistance
- Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
By this point, lines will be long for the most popular rides aside from the top three above: Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, and Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster. Check the Walt Disney World app and see which wait time is less from these options and go there after Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway.
For Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster, check in with these two rides around midafternoon/dinner time as this is when you might see their wait times drop.
As for Slinky Dog Dash, this line will remain long all day. Your best bet is to get in line for this attraction right before the park closes. As long as you are in line before park closing, you will get to ride and this way you're not using park time to wait.
Do You Need Genie+ for Hollywood Studios?
This is one park that I think purchasing Genie+ is a good idea. There are not as many main attractions here as other parks like EPCOT or Magic Kingdom and the crowds cannot spread out evenly. This means the most popular rides will have consistent lines and this is where having that paid ability to skip the lines might be worth it. If you compare my Hollywood Studios Genie+ strategy with the options without Genie+, you can easily see the difference in how much you can get done.
Hollywood Studios Beyond the Attractions
There are some great entertainment options and characters to explore in Hollywood Studios beyond the attractions. These are all great ways to fill in your day if you are waiting for Genie+ reservations or if you are looking for things to enjoy without long lines.
Walt Disney World Character Meet and Greets- There are character meet and greets offered with Genie+ but there are plenty of characters to find around in the park like in Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Some of these character experiences are scheduled on the Disney My Experience App.
Walt Disney World Shows- There are a variety of shows, which we mention in our strategy above, that are perfect for incorporating in your afternoon. The ones offered in Hollywood Studios include Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage, and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! The most popular is the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and it's a not miss experience! In addition to these shows, there are also attractions that are more experience oriented like Muppet Vision 3D and Car's Racing Academy.
Nighttime Spectaculars, Seasonal Entertainment- Hollywood Studios also offers two separate nighttime entertainment options with Fantasmic! and the Wonderful World of Animation projection show on the Chinese Theater. If you are visiting during Disney World Halloween or Disney World Christmas, then there will be a great variety of special experiences to enjoy.
Plan Your Walt Disney World Vacation!
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- Disney World Dining Guide: Food Options, Budget Tips, Restaurant Guides
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- Animal Kingdom Morning Strategy & Rope Drop Tips
- EPCOT Morning Strategy
- Magic Kingdom Morning Rope Drop Tips
Yes, Hollywood Studios can be done in one day especially when you're using Genie+ to navigate the parks. If you show up at park opening to rope drop, use Genie+ and spend the whole day at Hollywood Studios you can see all the best rides.
You should get to Hollywood Studios at least one hour before the park opens for the day or 30 minutes prior to Early Entry if you're using it.
Yes, two days is enough for Hollywood Studios to see all the best rides and enjoy all the shows plus the nighttime entertainment like Fantasmic!
Hollywood Studios is perfect for those seeking thrill rides and Star Wars fans. EPCOT is a great choice for those looking for great food, entertainment beyond rides, and festival entertainment.
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