Here is part 3 in the continuing series of Chip’s Touring Plans for Walt Disney World. In case you missed Magic Kingdom or Epcot be sure to check them out and let us know what you think.
Hollywood Studios is one of the harder parks to visit. When you are looking at the Disney Park on the map it is pretty scattered. I am unsure the layout structure here as both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot are circular and more fluid, Hollywood Studios on the other hand is more jumbled and not the greatest park to navigate.
Also this park is much harder to plan a Touring Plan as a lot of the park is made up of shows and depending on how long it takes you to view them and when the next available showtime is it makes this park very tricky. Hopefully this touring plan will help you minimize your wait times and make for an enjoyable day.
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Get there early
Like the other parks you want to get there at rope drop.I tell my wife all the time you can sleep when you get home so we make it a point to be there before the park opens.
If you can get into Hollywood & Vine for breakfast you can sneak down Hollywood Blvd for a quick picture of the Sorcerers Hat.
To Infinity and Beyond
As soon as the rope drops we make a B-Line straight to Pixar Place and Toy Story’s Midway Mania. Normally we don’t dash to the biggest ride in the park when the rope drops but here you have to. If you notice you will see 2 clusters of people at rope drop, the ones headed to Toy Story Mania and the other Heading to Tower of Terror. Once you ride TSM once grab a fast pass for later.
Usually by lunch time all the fast passes for Toy Story Mania are completely gone. This has happened every time we have been at the park.
Rock the Tower
With Toy Story Fast Pass in hand head over and ride Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster. There probably won’t be a line yet and you can get right on both rides. If there is a line it will be no more than 10 minutes. Most times your safe as people are getting off these rides and heading to TSM which you have already ridden :)
Toy Story Mania Again?
Yes go back and cash in your fast pass for Toy Story Mania. You can pick up another fast pass if you really love the ride or just let it go for now.
It’s showtime
Now is the time we usually like to see the Little Mermaid and Playhouse Disney Shows. We need to take a little break from walking back and forth and welcome the coolness of the air conditioning.
If you have younger children I would avoid going to The Magic of Disney Animation. Maybe when they get older they will enjoy it. It’s a good show for adults.
Snacktime
After a busy morning it is getting close to lunch time. We like to take an early lunch and Starring Rolls Cafe is on the way to Streets of America our next area to visit.
Try the Butterfinger Cupcake!!!!!!!!
Check the show times
If your picked up a showtime list with your map you can start to coordinate times to see Indiana Jones, Lights Motor Action, American Idol and Jedi Academy. We like to fill in wait times with the Muppets show, Star tours and the Great Movie Ride. There is no set schedule to follow here just be sure to not go past 3pm because you don’t wait to miss…
Block Party Bash
This is one of my favorite parades. Our little one loves the end where they shoot Nerf balls everywhere. We have a bunch around the house from our last trip. We have found the best spot to see the show is near where Hollywood & Sunset Blvd come together. There are some trees there that offer some shade and seats. Being in this location will help after the parade.
Be sure to be nice and share the Nerf balls with kids that have none. We always make it a point to share any extras with kids to spread the Disney Magic.
Make a Mad Dash
After Block Party Bash since you are near Sunset Blvd make a mad dash to Beauty and the Beast for the 4pm showing. Most of the prime seats will be taken but you can squeeze down front and off to the sides still.
Dinner Time
Most times we have a snack for lunch so after Beauty & the Beast we are getting hungry. There are several great food options here in DHS and we usually book Sci Fi Dine In or 50′s Prime Time Cafe. Also they have a ferry that will take you to Epcot or Disney Boardwalk so there are even more options for dinner. Nothing like a relaxing boat ride to dinner.
Playtime
After dinner the temps have come down a few degrees and if you have little ones now is a good time for them to head over to the Honey I shrunk Kids Movie set. If you don’t have kids you could always get some character autographs & pictures, do some shopping, or revisit some of your favorite rides.
Fantasmic
If you planned your day right you should be here on a night they are running Fantasmic. We like going to the 9pm showing and find ourselves just killing time walking around and relaxing after dinner.This late in the day we have done everything we wanted to do and like to walk around exploring and taking pictures. If you can find Leroy Small he makes for some funny interactions. Check out a video of him picking on me here. Fast Forward it to 1:45 for the abuse.
Well that is about it for my Hollywood Studios Touring Plan. If there is something I missed or if you want to share yours with us let us know in the comment section below. Stay Tuned next week for the Animal Kingdom..RAWR!
When Chip isn’t having a great time at Walt Disney World he is busy blogging about it over at Chip and Company – Your Source for Disney News, Food, and Views.
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We also did the rope drop to get to get to Toy Story Mania. It had just opened a couple of weeks before. We went through twice right away! I had picked up 4 fast passes as well. We went back later with the passes. Our two year old was not interested in doing the ride again. So my husband and I took turns taking in our four year old that was a Toy Story nut. Because he was small they only required that an adult have the fast pass. So he ended up riding it six times! At six, he still talks about it!