Hollywood Studios: The Complete Guide (2026)

Hollywood Studios: The Complete Guide (2026)

From our own wait data: we record every posted wait at Hollywood Studios every 30 minutes. See the quietest hour for every ride and how busy the parks have actually been.

Park hours today: Hollywood Studios closes early to day guests on Disney After Hours and Jollywood Nights dates. Check live Hollywood Studios hours, updated every hour.

Hollywood Studios has 9 rides, fewer than Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in intensity. Rise of the Resistance is arguably the best ride at any Disney park. Tower of Terror is a classic. Galaxy’s Edge is one of the most thoroughly built themed environments Disney or anyone else has put together. And Toy Story Land is a hit with families.

The trade-off is that Hollywood Studios has fewer gentle rides for very young children and longer waits on the rides that matter. This is the park where teenagers have the best time and toddlers have the hardest. Plan around your group’s ages.

Quick Facts

Opened: 1 May 1989. Typical hours: 9 AM to 9 PM (varies seasonally). Early Entry: 30 minutes before opening for Disney Resort guests. Lightning Lane Multi Pass: $20 to $37 per person per day in 2026 (Thrill Data, a third-party tracker, checked 17 October 2026). Getting there: Skyliner from EPCOT/Caribbean Beach/Riviera, water taxi from Boardwalk area resorts, bus from all Disney hotels.

Getting to Hollywood Studios

The Disney Skyliner connects Hollywood Studios to the Skyliner resorts, with a change at Caribbean Beach for EPCOT’s International Gateway. Water taxis serve guests staying at the Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Beach Club, and Yacht Club resorts. Bus transportation runs from all Disney Resort hotels. If you are staying at a Skyliner resort, the gondola is the most enjoyable way to get here. The Skyliner closes for refurbishment from 24 to 30 January 2027, and Disney runs complimentary buses instead.

Park Areas

Hollywood Boulevard and Echo Lake

The main entrance area, themed to 1930s and 1940s Hollywood. Echo Lake is home to Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, a live outdoor show that is well worth seeing once. The stunt work is impressive and it is a good seated break from walking.

Sunset Boulevard

Home to two of the park’s biggest rides: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, which reopened on 26 May 2026, replacing the Aerosmith version. Sunset Boulevard also leads to the Fantasmic! amphitheatre for the evening show.

Toy Story Land

Features Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!, and Alien Swirling Saucers. The theming shrinks you down to toy size in Andy’s backyard. Slinky Dog Dash is a family coaster that pulls solid queues. Toy Story Mania is an interactive shooting game ride with no height restriction and consistently one of the most popular attractions for families.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

A 14-acre land set on the planet Batuu, themed end to end. This is home to two major rides: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. You can also build lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop and droids at the Droid Depot. The level of detail in Galaxy’s Edge is extraordinary. Even the food and drink are themed (try the blue milk). Visit in the evening for the best atmosphere when the land is lit up.

Grand Avenue and Muppets Courtyard

MuppetVision 3D closed permanently in June 2025. The entire area is being demolished and rebuilt as Monstropolis (Monsters Inc. Land). Disney said at D23 in August 2026 that parts of it open in 2027. Expect construction walls here until then.

Animation Courtyard

The Magic of Disney Animation opened on 14 September 2026 in the building that housed Star Wars Launch Bay, which closed in September 2025. It includes Olaf Draws!, Off the Page! character meets, the Drawn to Wonderland playground and Once Upon a Studio Theater. Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! has run since 26 May 2026, replacing the previous Disney Junior show.

Best Rides at Hollywood Studios in 2026

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (102cm / 40in minimum). An 18-minute experience that begins with a Star Destroyer capture sequence and builds from there. This is the most technologically advanced ride at Disney World and arguably the best ride at any Disney park. In our readings from 8 August to 11 October 2026 its average posted wait was 45 minutes at 9am and peaked at 54 at noon, and busy days run higher. Buy Lightning Lane Single Pass or arrive at rope drop and head straight here.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (102cm / 40in minimum). A 13-story haunted hotel drop ride with randomised sequences, meaning no two rides are exactly the same. The atmosphere in the queue and the pre-show is excellent. Clearing the height requirement and wanting a second ride are different things.

Slinky Dog Dash (97cm / 38in minimum). A family coaster in Toy Story Land. Not extreme, but fun, colourful, and a solid ride for families. Queues build quickly, so use Multi Pass or ride at rope drop.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (97cm / 38in minimum). An interactive ride where your group pilots the Millennium Falcon on a mission. The pilot seats are the best experience. Gunner and engineer seats are less exciting but still fun. New Mandalorian and Grogu missions were added on 22 May 2026.

Toy Story Mania! (no restriction). An interactive 3D shooting game ride. Fun for all ages, no height restriction, and reliably entertaining. A good choice when other queues are long because its capacity is high and the line moves quickly.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (122cm / 48in minimum). Reopened on 26 May 2026 as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, after closing on 2 March. The ride system is unchanged, an indoor launch coaster with inversions. The theming, soundtrack and storyline are entirely new.

2026 Updates

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closed 2 March 2026 and reopened 26 May 2026 as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run got new Mandalorian and Grogu missions on 22 May 2026.

Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! opened 26 May 2026.

The Magic of Disney Animation opened 14 September 2026.

Monstropolis (Monsters Inc. Land) construction is underway in the former Muppets Courtyard area. Disney says parts of it open in 2027.

Lightning Lane Strategy for Hollywood Studios

Buy the Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane Single Pass as soon as your booking window opens (7 days before check-in if you’re staying at a Disney hotel, otherwise 3 days before your visit, from 7am Eastern). It sells out early on busy days and is the most important Single Pass purchase at this park.

Multi Pass is worth buying here. Disney’s Multi Pass lets you book only one of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Smugglers Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Slinky Dog Dash in advance, so pick the one you care about most and add Tower of Terror. Toy Story Mania has high capacity so its standby queue moves faster than most. Check the live wait times before deciding the order on the day.

For standby access to Rise of the Resistance, arrive at rope drop and head directly to Galaxy’s Edge. Our readings show the average posted wait at 45 minutes by 9am, rising to a 54-minute peak at noon.

Where to Eat at Hollywood Studios

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant is themed as a drive-in cinema with car-shaped booths and classic B-movie clips on the screen. The atmosphere is excellent. The food is standard American diner fare. Go for the experience.

50’s Prime Time Cafe is themed to a 1950s kitchen with servers playing family roles who will tell you off for not eating your vegetables. It is funny and the comfort food is solid.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo in Galaxy’s Edge is the best quick-service option at this park. Creative Star Wars-themed dishes that are a genuine step above standard theme park food.

Woody’s Lunch Box in Toy Story Land is known for its Totchos (nachos made with tater tots). Good for breakfast and lunch. Expect a queue.

Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge is a bar experience with themed cocktails and a DJ droid. Disney says reservations are highly recommended, and visits are limited to 45 minutes per party. Worth booking for the experience even if you only have one drink.

Insider Tips

Prioritise Rise of the Resistance above everything else. Whether you use Single Pass or rope drop, make this your first order of business. It is the headline experience at Hollywood Studios and potentially at all of Disney World.

Visit Galaxy’s Edge in the evening. Queues are shorter and the atmosphere is dramatically better when the land is lit up after dark. Batuu at night feels like a different place entirely.

Hit Toy Story Land at opening or after 7 PM. Afternoon crowds and heat make it the worst time for this area. The outdoor queues have limited shade.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is worth doing. It does not have the profile of the headline rides, but the stunt work is impressive and it is a good way to rest your feet for 30 minutes while still being entertained.

This is the best park for teenagers and Star Wars fans. If your group skews older or has Star Wars enthusiasts, Hollywood Studios will be their favourite park day. If your group is mostly young children, Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom will serve you better.

Planning the day itself? Follow our one-day Hollywood Studios itinerary, and read up on Galaxy’s Edge before you go. If you are choosing between parks, we have compared it with Magic Kingdom.

Frequently Asked Questions