How to Visit Disney's Hollywood Studios

Last Updated: March 4, 2021 References

When you plan on taking an essential Walt Disney World trip, do you tend to overlook Disney's Hollywood Studios just because it hasn't suited your taste (or that taste of your kids) in the past? But now that the kids are grown, would you like to take a few hours out and explore this park now? This article will give you a rundown of all of the lands and the attractions.

Part 1

Part 1 of 9:
Entering the Park

1
Decide if you truly want to visit Disney's Hollywood Studios. Discuss some of your other options for the other nearby Walt Disney World parks or local attractions in the area. With other possibilities being the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Animal Kingdom and the mess of water parks and other activities that Disney sponsors, decide if Disney's Hollywood Studios is your best choice.
- Realize that Disney's Hollywood Studios mostly tries to give people the "lowdown" on how certain things in the movie industry are produced for use on the big screen. They do have a few thrill rides, but the thrill ride sector is still in its infancy.
2
Drive and park at Walt Disney World. Disney's Hollywood Studios doesn't have a monorail station to this park, so you'll either have to take a car or Disney's Magical Express bus to this park. The address to the Disney Hollywood Studios is located at 351 South Studio Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.^{[1]
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Research source}. The cost to park your car at Disney's Hollywood Studios will run you about $22 for cars and upwards from there (depending on the complexity of vehicle).^{[2]
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Research source}. Depending on how far into the lots it took you to get to the park, you could be located in either the Film, Music, Stage, or Television parking lots that are located on campus.^{[3]
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MyDisneyExperience for iPhone App, Guest Services tab (tap Parking Information)}
3
Purchase your tickets and enter through the MagicBand scanners.
4
Realize that Disney's Hollywood Studios is spread into several "lands" placed sporadically throughout the park including Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, Echo Lake, Commissary Lane, Grand Avenue, Animation Courtyard, and Toy Story Land. Take a map and review your options in each area.

Part 2

Part 2 of 9:
Hollywood Boulevard

1
Recognize that the first section you'll enter into as you enter the park is called Hollywood Boulevard. This land only gives you options for dining and shopping choices - there are no rides or attractions in this area.
2
Decide where to eat. There are two restaurants in this area to choose from.
- You can choose to eat at The Trolley Car Café, which has Starbucks espresso and pastries.
- You can also choose to eat at The Hollywood Brown Derby, which is more of a sit-down restaurant and serves things like salad, steak, and seafood. The Hollywood Brown Derby also contains a lounge where you can get adult beverages.
  - Reservations are recommended for this restaurant.
3
Decide where to shop. Hollywood Boulevard has quite a few stores.
- You can shop at Mickey's of Hollywood, which has souvenirs, Celebrity 5 & 10, a pin trading destination and sells home decor, or you can shop at Keystone Clothiers, which sells clothes.
- You can also stop by Oscar's Super Service to rent strollers, wheelchairs and to pick up your pickup-requested merchandise.
4
Go on through the rest of the park. Pass through and to the right at the first corner, as the park's hub will be slightly straight ahead after this section has come and gone.

Part 3

Part 3 of 9:
Sunset Boulevard

1
Walk down the Boulevard and recognize what choices of attractions you have in this section. Sunset Boulevard has two major "wild" thrill rides.
2
Walk towards Rock 'n' Roller Coaster if you like roller coasters and Aerosmith is wild enough for you to try to mess with it. Brave it and entice yourself into riding.
- The minimum height requirement for this ride is 48in (122cm)^{[4]
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3
Take the up and down plunge at the Hollywood Tower of Terror hotel building around the corner. Both of these two buildings are at the farthest edge of this section of the park.
- The minimum height requirement for this ride is 40in (102cm)^{[5]
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4
Watch the Beauty and the Beast stage show. It's just passed the shops on Sunset Boulevard down another short walkway on the opposite side of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
5
Note the Fantasmic show (if you have arrived during the daytime). Fantasmic, the Disney Hollywood Studios nighttime spectacular showdown along another long stretch of walkway here can be seen on most nights (even further out than the Tower of Terror).
6
Decide where to eat. There are quite a few locations on Sunset Boulevard that offer food and drinks.
- You can eat at Sunshine Day Café (open seasonally), which has snacks to enjoy.
- You can also try Sunset Ranch Market, which contains multiple food-stands listed below.
  - Anaheim Produce, which sells fresh fruit and lemonade
  - Rosie's All-American Café, which sells hamburgers and chicken nuggets
  - Catalina Eddie's (open seasonally), which sells pizza and Caesar salad
  - Fairfax Fare, which sells Tex-Mex food
  - Hollywood Scoops, which sells ice cream.
- If you want a quick bite, then you can go to KRNR The Rock Station, which sells hot dogs, ice cream, and drinks.
7
Go shopping. Many shops are lining Sunset Boulevard.
- There's Rock Around the Shop, which is located by Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and sells rock and roll merchandise.
- You can also shop at Tower Hotel Gifts, which is located by the Tower of Terror and sells Tower of Terror themed merchandise.
- You can also go to Once Upon a Time, which sells Disney-themed apparel, or you can visit Beverly Sunset, which sells Pixar themed gifts.

Part 4

Part 4 of 9:
Echo Lake

1
Walk back to the hub and take a breather if you want. Near the Hub, you will find this area called "Echo Lake." It has a marsh-like lake with a green dinosaur named Gertie, which houses an ice cream shop. It was added here as a tribute to a lesser-known animation but was one of Walt Disney's primary influencing sketches.^{[6]
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2
Take in a showing of the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration if you have fans of Frozen in your party. You'll hear and get to sing along with a few favorites from the Frozen movie. ^{[7]
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Research source} It’s also a great place to cool off in air conditioning for a while if you’re in the park on a hot day.
3
Visit Olaf at "Celebrity Spotlight" following a showing of "Frozen Sing-Along Celebration." This building is located near the "Frozen Sing-Along Celebration," walk past "Frozen" Fractal Gifts. After the show, you will usually hear an announcement inviting you to meet the snowman.
4
Be sure not to pass up a showing of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular if you'd like to know how some stunts on movies and TV shows are performed.
5
Check out Star Wars: Path of the Jedi. This attraction is a film experience that contains footage from the recent Star Wars movies.
6
Go to Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. This is an absolute must for any young Star Wars fan in your group. Be sure to sign them up for a time slot as soon as you arrive in the park.
- It can also be a cool show to watch, too.
7
Ride Star Tours - The Adventure Continues. This ride is a 3-D motion simulator where you travel through a space battle in Star Wars.
- The minimum height requirement for this ride is 40in (102cm)^{[8]
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8
Decide where to eat. Echo Lake has many places where you can eat.
- You can eat at Hollywood & Vine, a buffet restaurant where you can eat with characters from Disney Junior or with Minnie Mouse.
  - Reservations are recommended for this restaurant.
- You can get alcoholic beverages at Tune-In Lounge.
- You can eat pot roast, meatloaf, and fried chicken at 50's Prime Time Café. In the 50's Prime Time Café, you also get waitresses that put on a show as if you are in a kitchen of the 1950s with the waitresses becoming your parents (mother or father). But heads up: Reservations are recommended for this restaurant.
- Dockside Dinner, located in the lake on the lake, offers burgers, salads, and beverages.
- You can get dessert at Oasis Canteen, which sells funnel cakes and ice cream.
- You can also try Backlot Express, which offers your normal fare like burgers, salad, chicken nuggets, and drinks.
9
Decide where to shop. There are a few stores around Echo Lake which offer merchandise.
- You can shop at Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost, which sells Indiana Jones related souvenirs.
- You can also visit "Frozen" Fractal Gits, which sells Frozen related goods.
- You might also want to stop by Tatooine Traders, which sells Star Wars-themed merchandise.
10
Pass back up into Echo Lake and continue walking towards the next section of the park called "Commissary Lane."

Part 5

Part 5 of 9:
Commissary Lane

1
Take a right when you see Echo Lake on your left and follow the long walkway down and around. You'll see a limited number of attractions here.
2
See Mickey and Minnie at Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams.
3
Decide where to eat. Commissary Lane has several options you can try.
- Eat at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant. Here you can get burgers, sandwiches, steak, and other food. You will sit at tables shaped like cars at a drive-in movie theatre with a gigantic movie-screen on the establishment's biggest wall.
  - Reservations are recommended for this restaurant.
- Try the ABC Commissary. This restaurant has standard fare such as burgers, ribs, and chicken.
4
Shop on Commissary Lane. Although shopping on Commissary Lane is a little light with just one bookstore labeled The Writer's Stop, this shop keeps the books more than ample to fill your own book collection.

Part 6

Part 6 of 9:
Grand Avenue

1
Head back out of Commissary Lane and into the Grand Avenue’’ section of the park.
2
Watch the really funny Muppet Vision 3D show. Muppet Vision 3D was inspired by the antics of The Muppets from The Muppet Show. It is hilarious and well-liked by all who come for a visit.
- On the attraction's right, construction for "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" is currently underway and is off-limits to normal guests.
3
Check out cool places to eat. There are three restaurants in this area to choose from.
- Go to PizzeRizzo. PizzeRizzo is a pizzeria where you can also get desserts.
- Check out Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. This restaurant offers food like pasta, chicken, and seafood.
  - Reservations are recommended for this restaurant.
- Get drinks and snacks at BaseLine Tap House. This sells California craft beers and wine.
4
Go shopping at Stage 1 Company Store. This store sells various Disney-themed products.
5
Head back down Commissary Lane. This will take you to the hub.

Part 7

Part 7 of 9:
Animation Courtyard

1
Head to the other side of the hub. You'll come across Animation Courtyard.
2
See Walt Disney Presents. This show tells the story of Walt Disney and how he managed to build the Disney empire.
3
Watch Voyage of The Little Mermaid. This is a live musical featuring characters from The Little Mermaid.
4
Check out Star Wars Launch Bay. You can see the movie props and screen videos here. You can also shop for Star Wars merchandise and meet with Star Wars characters.
5
Watch Disney Junior - Live on Stage. This is a stage show featuring characters from shows on Disney Junior.
6
Eat within the Animation Courtyard. This area has too few restaurants. It has a snack stand called "Coffee Espresso and Pastries," which Joffrey's Coffee and Tea Co owns, but there are a few small ice cream carts within this area that make for a small number of choices.
7
Shop at the Disney Studio Store. This store contains Disney Junior-themed items.

Part 8

Part 8 of 9:
Toy Story Land

1
Explore Toy Story Land. The newest addition to Disney's Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Land. This land's theme is the Toy Story series of movies and shorts produced by Pixar. There are some exciting rides in this land, but there are currently no merchandise shops onsite.
2
Ride Slinky Dog Dash. This is a roller coaster that has curves, hills, and drops.
- The minimum height requirement for this ride is 38in (97cm)^{[9]
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3
Check out Alien Swirling Saucers. This ride is similar to the spinning teacups ride, but it is different enough to feel like a totally different ride, and if you're lucky enough, you might get picked by "the claw."
- The minimum height requirement for this ride is 32in (81cm)^{[10]
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4
Play games on Toy Story Mania. This ride is a 4-D ride where you play multiple mini-games and rack up points. Try to beat your other family members to be the ultimate champion.
5
Eat at Woody's Lunch Box. This place offers sandwiches and desserts.

Part 9

Part 9 of 9:
Exiting the Park

1
Walk back to the hub. Then walk down Hollywood Boulevard and out the exit gate.
- Remember to stop at Oscar's Super Service and pick up any items you had sent to the park's front.
2
Walk back to your car and follow the arrows and signs to exit.

Warnings

If you have heart disease or other medical conditions, check with your doctor to see what rides you should avoid and what rides are safe.

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Heed all warning signs. If you are an expectant mother, then you should check the signs in front of the ride to see if they warn you against riding.

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Always ride the ride with safety in mind. Use all safety devices the ride operator asks you to use.
- Disney takes safety to an extreme during thunderstorms. Any guest waiting outside is pushed towards the closest pavilion (even if that means having to walk to another attraction nearby that has the capacity needed to hold these few extra guests).
- Rain will most likely impact a quick stay at Disney's Hollywood Studios, so be prepared if a sudden rainstorm impacts the area. Although your best bet is to run/walk into the nearest attraction and seek shelter, those left outside may be left to fend off the elements that come with it.
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Rides occasionally close and change at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Don't be disappointed if your favorite ride has changed or has become defunct. Something will be there to replace it over time.

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