Our Top 10 Time-Saving Tricks for a Better Hollywood Studios Experience

Hollywood Studios is Disney World's most action-packed park with some of the most thrilling and popular attractions. It is also home to some of the most popular “lands,” including Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land. Thousands of guests, including myself,  also love visiting Hollywood Studios in order to see the Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular where Mickey battles villains within the depths of his imagination.

Although Hollywood Studios is one of my favorite parks, it can be one of the trickiest parks to navigate. Because it has some of the best attractions and the park is fairly small, the lines tend to be very long for a lot of these rides. Many guests often get overwhelmed and stressed trying to figure out how to maximize their time at Hollywood Studios.

Despite the popular attractions and shows that can take up a lot of time, we have compiled a list of 10 time-saving hacks that we utilize on every trip to Hollywood Studios. If you're planning a trip to Hollywood Studios, these tricks should help make planning easier and ensure you're able to see and do it all! Read more on our best time-saving tips to experience the most at Hollywood Studios.

1. Purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass

In order to experience all the popular Hollywood Studios attractions in one day, you need to purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Lightning Lane Single Pass. Without Lightning Lane, it will be very difficult to ride everything and also have time to take breaks and enjoy the restaurants, shows, and other fun things to do at Hollywood Studios. We recommend prioritizing Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith, or Tower of Terror for your first selections as early in the day as possible.

Guests staying at a Disney World resort can book their Lightning Lane passes up to seven days in advance for their entire stay of up to 14 days. Guests with date-based theme park tickets (which require the Guest to choose a start date at the time of purchase) can purchase 3 days before the first day of their ticket, for the total number of valid admission days on their ticket. All other guests and annual passholders can purchase and select Lightning Lane reservations three days before their park visit.

Another important note is that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance requires what is called a Lightning Lane Single Pass. These passes can be purchased on the same days as the Multi Passes but are an extra cost, with a maximum number of two Single Passes per day. If you are not able to rope drop Rise of the Resistance, the Lightning Lane Single Pass is a great option to save time and still experience the attraction.

READ MORE – We Tested Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Three Parks In One Day!

2. Rope Drop Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance

Although there are many popular attractions at Hollywood Studios that typically have long lines, we always recommend rope dropping either Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance. These two attractions typically have the longest lines throughout the entire day. Additionally, Slinky Dog Dash is in the top tier of Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions along with Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, and Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster. When selecting your first group of three Lightning Lane Multi Passes, you are only allowed to select one attraction out of this group. Therefore, if you rope drop Slinky Dog Dash, you are free to select a different top tier attraction instead.

Personally, I usually choose to rope drop Slinky Dog Dash over Rise of the Resistance because Rise of the Resistance has a history of having delayed openings. Although this isn't always the case, I can almost always depend on Slinky Dog Dash being open. Additionally, I am able to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance and be pretty much guaranteed to ride both attractions that day.

In order to guarantee a successful rope drop, we recommend being at the front gates of Hollywood Studios at least 30 minutes prior to park opening. Keep in mind that all Disney World resort guests have access to Early Entry, which allows them to get into the park 30 minutes early. Therefore, we always recommend staying at a Disney World resort to take advantage of this perk as well as the amazing amenities and overall experience of a Disney resort. If you do plan on taking advantage of Extra Morning Hours, we recommend arriving to the front gates 30 minutes prior to the start of early entry, so technically one full hour before official park opening.

3. Book a Fantasmic! Dining Package

Fantasmic! is one of the best Disney World shows and is highly recommended for any trip to Hollywood Studios. The show takes place in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, which is located between the Tower of Terror and the Theater of the Stars, which is where the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage show takes place. There are usually two showings of Fantasmic! each night at 8 PM and 9:30 PM and it lasts about 30 minutes.

Although the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is very large and can fit up to 10,000 guests, people usually start to line up one hour before showtime. Especially on busier park days, Fantasmic! has been known to turn guests away that don't show up early enough. Additionally, although there aren't really any bad seats for the show, a lot of guests like to get a center stage view of the performance.

Therefore, in order to save time lining up early for a good seat, we recommend purchasing a Fantasmic! Dining Package. Each dining package includes one entrée, dessert and nonalcoholic beverage or one full buffet, where applicable. The best part is that each package includes guaranteed seating for Fantasmic! in a reserved area! Therefore, by booking a dining package at a restaurant you already plan on visiting, you can save time by not having to wait for up to an hour to watch Fantasmic!

4. Build a Lightsaber After the Park Closes

One of the most popular experiences at Hollywood Studios is building a custom lightsaber at Savi's Workshop in Galaxy's Edge. For $249.99 plus tax, guests choose their hilt, sleeves, emitters, pommel caps, activation plates and switches, and kyber crystal color. The experience also includes a cloisonné pin which represents which hilt theme you select. Once you build the light saber, the “Gatherers” will masterfully connect the hilt to a 31 inch lightsaber blade and bring your saber to life. It is truly an amazing experience, especially for Star Wars fans!

For guests wanting to build their own light saber, I usually recommend making your reservation later in the day. In fact, Savi's Workshop often has reservations shortly after the park closes. This is an easy way to save time during the day to ride attractions. Additionally, after the lightsaber building experience, Galaxy's Edge will be nearly empty of guests – allowing for some amazing photo opportunities with your new light saber!

5. Mobile Order Food and Snacks

A simple but effective way to save time at Hollywood Studios, or any Disney World park, is to use the mobile order feature on the My Disney Experience app. When you open the app, click the “+” button on the bottom center of the screen, and choose “Order Food.” The available restaurants, along with available times for pickup, will be displayed. Next, you can choose which restaurant you want to order from as well as the food you'd like to purchase. Once your pickup window arrives, make your way to the restaurant and select “I'm here” in the app. Within a few minutes, you will receive a notification on where to pick up your food.

Guests are able to make mobile orders at the following Hollywood Studios locations:

• ABC Commissary
• Backlot Express
• Catalina Eddie's
• Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
• Dockside Diner
• Fairfax Fare
• Kat Saka's Kettle
• Milk Stand
• PizzeRizzo
• Ronto Roasters
• Rosie's All-American Café
• Woody's Lunch Box

There are so many popular restaurants that offer mobile ordering, and I highly recommend using this feature if you plan on dining at Woody's Lunch Box in Toy Story Land. This is a very popular restaurant and almost always has a pretty long line, making mobile ordering a huge time saver!

6. Use the Single Rider Line for Smuggler's Run or Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster

There are several single rider lines throughout Disney World for popular attractions that can save a ton of time, especially if you don't have a Lightning Lane reservation. You are able to use the single rider queue whether or not you are actually solo, however, if a group enters the single rider queue together they will be separated for the actual attraction.

There are two attractions at Hollywood Studios that offer the single rider queue: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run and Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster Featuring Aerosmith. I use the single rider queue at Smuggler's Run almost every time I go to Hollywood Studios and rarely wait more than 15 minutes. However, the single rider queue at Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster can sometimes be longer than the normal standby queue, so use caution. The single rider entrances for both attractions are located right next to the standby queues and are clearly marked. Disney has also been testing a single rider queue for Rise of the Resistance, however we don't recommend using this queue, especially for first time riders, because it bypasses the pre-show scenes of the attraction which are both amazing and relevant to the attraction's storyline.

Considering everything I've discussed so far, I would recommend getting a Lighting Lane Multi Pass reservation for Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster, Lightning Lane Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance, use the single rider queue for Smuggler's Run, and rope drop Slinky Dog Dash. This way, you'll have lots of other options for other Lightning Lane reservations and/or standby queues that will have a much shorter wait time.

READ MORE – Hollywood Studios Rides Guide 2024 – Best Rides Ranked, Full List, Which to Skip

7. Book a Hollywood Studios After Hours Event

For those primarily focused on riding the attractions and enjoying snacks, you might want to consider booking a seperately-ticketed After Hours Event at Hollywood Studios. I was so excited to hear Disney announce the return of these events because they are the absolute best way to save time and experience low wait times for all attractions. Tickets are currently available for Hollywood Studios After Hours on select dates between January 22, 2025 and September 3, 2025. Tickets cost between $155 and $185, plus tax, depending on the date. The ticket also includes unlimited novelty ice cream products, popcorn, and bottled beverages! The event takes place for three hours after the park closes, however After Hours ticket holders can enter the park as early as 7 PM. This means guests can choose to watch Fantasmic!, grab dinner, or get a head start on riding their favorite attractions.

Although it is an additional cost, guests can save tons of time by booking at After Hours event at any available Disney World theme park. The only downside is that there are not any restaurants or character meet and greets available, however, it is a great way to save time waiting in line for popular attractions.

8. Keep an Eye on Attraction Closures or Delays

Due to the advanced technology of many Hollywood Studios attractions, ride closures and/or delays are unfortunately fairly common. Therefore, I always recommend checking the My Disney Experience app more frequently at this park to avoid wasted time when walking to these attractions. Rise of the Resistance closes down the most frequently, however it usually always reopens within a short time period. If any ride closes down during your Lightning Lane reservation, they will provide you with another to use at any time on any ride within that tier. If Rise of the Resistance goes down and you're not able to use your Lightning Lane Single Pass, you can either contact Guest Relations for a refund or use it on another day.

Although this can be a frustrating situation, Disney World cast members always do their best to update, inform, and get the attraction up and running as soon as possible. However, being mindful of ride closures, especially at Hollywood Studios, can save you time and frustration!

9. Reserve a Spot at Oga's Cantina

One of the most popular dining locations at Hollywood Studios is Oga's Cantina, located in Galaxy's Edge. This Star Wars-inspired lounge serves light plates and unique drinks to guests of all ages. Due to it's popularity, I always recommend making a reservation to avoid frustration of having to wait in the walk-up line (if it's even available). Guests without reservations can also join a virtual Walk-Up List in the My Disney Experience app if available, however, you must be located within the same area as Oga's to join the list.

For those who have been to Galaxy's Edge you have probably noticed the long line that is usually outside of Oga's. This can waste a lot of time, and therefore I always recommend making a reservation up to 60 days in advance before your trip.

10. Take the Skyliner to the BoardWalk or EPCOT

Hollywood Studios, along with EPCOT, is one of the most conveniently located parks at Disney World. The Skyliner, Disney's newest method of transportation, takes guests between the two theme parks as well as various resorts in a high-flying gondola. Guests are also able to walk to the BoardWalk from the EPCOT Skyliner station.

Disney's BoardWalk is an actual boardwalk with plenty of amazing restaurants, shops, and entertainment, including a famous piano bar called Jellyrolls. The BoardWalk is inspired by the glory days of Atlantic City and is a great place to hang out at any time of day. Whenever I visit Hollywood Studios or EPCOT and want to continue the fun into the night, I love taking the Skyliner to enjoy everything the BoardWalk has to offer! It can often be hard to park at the BoardWalk due to it's popularity, and so taking the Skyliner can save tons of time as well as frustration of trying to find somewhere to park.

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