10 Tips to Getting the Most Out of Your Hollywood Studios Day at Walt Disney World

1. Arrive early

Getting to any Disney park early can always help you make the most of your visit, but with Toy Story Land being one of the newest and most popular areas in any of the parks getting to Disney’s Hollywood Studios early is a must. Even if Toy Story Land isn’t your first stop, getting to the park early to do other popular attractions like Rock n’ Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror can help free up some of your time later in the day.

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2. Check for opportunities for early park entry

Depending on the dates of your trip, there are a couple of ways that you may be able to get into Disney’s Hollywood Studios before the park even opens. One way is to visit on a day when Extra Magic Hours is in the morning. If you are staying at a Disney resort, Extra Magic Hours can get you into the park an hour before it opens. Early Morning Magic runs on select dates and gets you into Toy Story Land before the parks opens, and the event even comes with breakfast!

3. Start or end in Toy Story Land

Planning when you visit Toy Story Land is especially important if you were not able to secure FastPasses before your trip. This new land (and the park in general) will have the smallest crowds early in the morning and late at night, therefore planning to start or end in Toy Story Land can help cut down your wait times. Plan to visit Toy Story Land twice though– it lights up at night and is worth seeing after the sun goes down.

4. Reserve FastPasses in advance

Reserving FastPasses in advance can help you save time on waiting in lines while you’re in the park. Toy Story attractions are quite popular and may not be that easy to come by even when you search before your trip, but any FastPasses for rides will help you save time. If you weren’t able to get all of the FastPasses that you really wanted, keep checking for available changes on the My Disney Experience app during your trip–you never know what will come up!

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5. Make time for shows

Shows make up many of the attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and they are truly not to be missed. Whether you are looking for a classic musical experience like Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, or a live-action stunt show like Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, there is really a show for everyone at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Be sure to keep an eye on the Times Guide for showtimes so you don’t miss a thing.

6. Stop for a meal

Hollywood Studios probably isn’t the first park that comes to mind when you think of Disney parks with the best restaurants, but there are some true standouts here. For a signature dining experience, don’t miss the Hollywood Brown Derby based on the original location in Hollywood where the Cobb Salad was created. Fun themed dining in the park includes 50’s Prime Time Cafe and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, and even Woody’s Lunchbox in Toy Story Land offers some whimsical quick service eats.

7. Do some shopping

Hollywood Studios is also vastly underrated in terms of shopping. It’s one of the best parks to shop for limited-edition MagicBands and accessories, and attractions like Tower of Terror and Rock n’ Roller Coaster make for some unique merchandise. Additionally, it’s the best park to shop for Star Wars and Toy Story items.

8. Plan around nighttime spectaculars

There are two nighttime spectaculars in Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular and Fantasmic! Seeing both in one night is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible, so you may find it easier to pick one or spend two evenings in the park. Plan your visit around these shows so you have time to arrive early enough to get your spot.

9. Don’t forget about character meet and greets

This park is home to some character meet and greets that you won’t find anywhere else including Olaf, Disney Junior characters, and Star Wars characters like Kylo Ren and Chewbacca. Because most of the crowds in this park go for rides or Toy Story Land, meet and greet lines tend to be smaller in this park making it a great place to meet lots of characters.

10. Experience Star Wars

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge may not be quite ready yet, but there are still plenty of ways to experience Star Wars when you visit Hollywood Studios. Start your Star Wars adventure in the Launch Bay, where you can check out a film, exhibits, meet and greets, and more. Check the times for the March of the First Order and end the night with Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.