- Get to the park about 1 hour before opening. So make sure to leave your resort about 90 minutes prior to opening. They will let people in early! You will get to enjoy an almost empty park, take pictures, grab a coffee & get in line first for your favorite attractions! Seriously, the first hour a park is open is the GOLDEN HOUR with LOW wait times. 🎥
- Good Attraction choices for morning: Smuggler’s Run, Slinky Dog Dash & Tower of Terror. Following up on my previous tip, you will want to try and ride the hot ticket attractions in the first 30 minutes. My personal preference here is Tower of Terror, then Rockin Rollercoaster. But, start wherever is your favorite, must do attraction. 🌞
- Mobile Order well in advance! There aren’t a ton of restaurant choices here for Mobile Order and many fill up fast or close early, I’m looking at you, Backlot Express. Pick your Restaurant & Select your Arrival Time. Place your order about 60 min. before you’d like to eat or sooner. Heck, you can reserve your time and place your order at 10 am for dinner at 5pm. Then, you have your “time slot/order” reserved. You don’t select Prepare Order until you are at the restaurant (during your arrival window). Then, you’ll be eating and enjoying your meal in no time. So easy! 📲
- AVOID attractions at peak wait times from 11 am – 3 pm. I can’t stress this enough. Mid-day is hot and has crazy long lines. This really drags people down and isn’t the best strategy for efficient park touring. Try heading back to your hotel for a break. Do some shopping. Schedule a sit-down meal. Otherwise, be prepared for long waits on most attractions during this time frame. 🕰
- Best Quick Services: Backlot Express, Docking Bay 7, Woody’s Lunch Box and anything on Sunset Ranch Market. If you’ll be in Galaxy’s Edge, this is the place you’re looking for. Docking Bay 7 has indoor seating, so you can rest and cool off too. The food is very good and the theming is excellent. Get the Kaadu Pork Ribs or Endorian Fried Chicken Tip Yip! I also recommend the Backlot Express near Star Tours! It’s still my favorite quick service as I just love the family friendly menu here and the drinks are excellent. You’ll often find “Star Wars” themed menu items too like Wookie Cookie. Woody’s Lunch Box serves up fun, kid-friendly east right next to Slinky Dog Dash. Must get food item: Totchos! On Sunset Blvd, grab a margarita and churro from Anaheim Produce. Yum! 🍪
- Best Sit Down Restaurant: Book your reservations 60 days in Advance! Oga’s Cantina (Star Wars fans, this is a MUST do), Hollywood Brown Derby (Fine Dining), Hollywood & Vine (Really yummy & fun character meal) or Sci-Fi Dine In Theater (Cool atmosphere, nostalgic family drive-in). Now, time for me to geek out a bit! My love for Oga’s Cantina is endless. The theming: The Best in the Galaxy! It’s definitely geared to fun adventurous foodies and Star Wars fans. I recommend the Happabore Sampler (Charcuterie board)! It was really good. Must Order Adult Drink: Fuzzy Tauntaun. For the kiddos: Carbon Freeze. FYI: Oga’s just serves drinks and a few “provisions/bites” aka snacks. Time limit 1 hour. 🧉
- Buy souvenirs at end of day. It’s no fun lugging bags around all day. The theme parks aren’t doing resort delivery yet or front of park pickup. So, try & save some shopping til later esp. if it’s a big or heavy item. So that leads me to the ultimate souvenir. If you build a lightsaber or droid, try to get a reservation near closing. Score these 60 days in advance! You can thank me later. Both are truly unforgettable experiences! 🛍
- You can still get in line for an attraction 1 min. before park closing. Heck yes! Seriously, close the park if you can! Can you say LOW wait times! Great tip for you night owls! 🦉
- Great Attractions at nighttime: Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers, Galaxy’s Edge. If you’re a Star Wars fan, ride Smugglers Run right before closing. Then, take some great pics in front of the Falcon (with your lightsaber or any light up souvenir). You’ll get amazing pictures with very little/no people around. Otherwise, Slinky Dog Dash & Swirling Saucers are way cooler all lit up at night! For extra thrills & chills, drop in at Tower of Terror. I love how the eerie purple glowing lights and the darkness of the night just add to the spooky factor. On your way out, don’t forget to grab a selfie on Sunset Blvd with Tower as your backdrop. Talk about one spectacular photo! 🌜
- Rise of Resistance Virtual Queue Tips: Here goes: my got-to tips for scoring a coveted Rise of Resistance Boarding Group! Use mobile data not wifi. Keep refreshing that Virtual Queue screen. Click JOIN 2 seconds before 7 am or 1 pm. Your travel party will appear. Click Join again! FAST FINGERS!! Also, everyone in your party that has the MDE app can try to get the Boarding Group. Another tip: book 2 park pass reservations for Hollywood Studios to increase your odds. Friendly reminder, only guests with a Park Pass Reservation for Hollywood Studios can try for a Boarding Group that day. Park Hoppers may not. 🌌May the Force be with you, always.
Well, that sums it up. My Super COOL tips for touring Hollywood Studios like a PRO! I hope this helps you plan your BEST Day Ever at Hollywood Studios! I can’t wait to get back there myself. It’s easily my second favorite park at Walt Disney World, with so many of my favorite attractions, endless choices of fun drinks, and a chance for this Star Wars fangirl to explore a Galaxy Far Far Away, well, that my friends, is priceless perfection. ✨
So, if you’re ever in Hollywood Studios, you know where to find me: sipping cocktails at Oga’s, dropping in at the Hollywood Tower Hotel or having a wild ride on a Runaway Railway! Hope to see you there, too! Til next time….💖
Thanks again for reading!
Enchantingly Yours,
🥀AB
Enchanted Nook 