Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World

At Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, you get to see all kinds of entertainment. Rides and scenery and it’s all to do with movies. Throughout the summer there was a Monsters University scene carved into trees that you could stand in front of and have a photo taken. I’m not sure if it’s still there but it was awesome.


The view up Hollywood Boulevard


I’ll start with the rides and my boys’ favourite. The first is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror where you take a haunting ride on an elevator. But this is no ordinary elevator. As you sit in your seat it takes you up to the top of the tower and everything goes dark. Suddenly the elevator drops to the ground.


The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror


The Tower of Terror rises and drops you over and over again in a random sequence and if you’re faint hearted I suggest you give this a miss. You’ll be screaming your head off as you plummet towards the ground, if you’re anything like me that is.

This is one of my worst fears and I HATE this ride but because I didn’t want my four-year-old to be afraid I went on it. Twice. I won’t be doing it again but for those who are brave enough it is a great thrill. Just as a side note my four-year-old went on this ride on every opportunity he had, he LOVED it.

To ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror you have to be at least 40” or 120cm.

The Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith was my eldest’s favourite ride at Hollywood Studios. I have never been on this ride, roller coasters that go upside down are where I draw the line, but the Hubby and my eldest went on this ride almost as much as they went on the Tower of Terror.

From all the stories I’ve heard it is thrilling, you blast off in a stretch limousine and speed along the tracks as you listen to Aerosmith music. To ride on The Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster you have to be at least 48” or 122cm.


The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

My favourite ride at Hollywood Studios is a little more tame and is great for the smaller (or less brave) people in the group. Toy Story Midway Mania! is a target practice ride starring all of your favourite characters from Toy Story. It spins as you try to aim and shoot things at targets and get the highest score you can.

Toy Story Midway Mania! is a 4D ride and almost everyone who rides loves it. As a consequence this ride gets SUPER busy, more than any other I’ve mentioned so far. In the six weeks that we were in Orlando we were only able to go on Toy Story Midway Mania! four times. Planning is required when wanting to go on this ride and if possible I suggest you make this your priority when visiting Hollywood Studios, if you don’t you may find a wait time of more than 120 minutes.


Toy Story Midway Mania! Entrance

Studio Backlot Tour is another great ride/tour which takes 35 minutes. Part of this tour takes place on a tram so you do get a rest but it is not for the full 35 minutes. You go behind the scenes to see how special effects in movies are made and sometimes you get to take part yourself. The Hubby tried to volunteer on a few occasions but didn’t get picked, if you’d like to get some great photos and have a fantastic time I think volunteering is a good way to go about it.

If you’re after a rest then I’d suggest The Great Movie Ride where you journey into some of Hollywood’s most famous films. The ride lasts 22 minutes and you’re sitting the whole time, you have entertainment while riding and get to have a break too, what could be better?


Inside The Great Movie Ride


Hollywood Studios offers two shows for your entertainment, both quite different from each other.

The first is Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, you watch Indy and Marion as they perform amazing stunts and show you how they’re done. This show is 30 minutes long and you should pick up a Times Guide for showtimes. Unfortunately this show is sometimes cancelled due to inclement weather so watch out for this.

Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is a show that picks people from the crowd to take part in the show, including children. My two got picked and they thought it was amazing. They were given a line to start the show, got to go on stage, talk into the microphone and got a huge applause! This can happen to anyone, when you’re entering one of the cast members will simply ask if you’re children would like to help in the production. If they do they will be given a souvenir card to keep too.

The second show is Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and is spectacular. You get to watch professional drivers perform breathtaking stunts in their cars and get to hear all the special effects secrets. A tip here is remember your camera, if you don’t you will regret it! The show is 38 minutes long and if you have people in your group that love cars I suggest you go and see it, they will love it.


Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show - A fantastic show not to be missed.


For the evenings Hollywood Studios gives us Fantasmic! a musical show with pyrotechnics, water projections and stunning fireworks which goes on every night at 9pm and 10.30pm.

The show gets very busy and if you don’t have priority tickets you will have to wait in the queue and hope you get in. The theatre has limited capacity and Disney’s advice is to get there early and keep your party together.

To get priority tickets you have to book a meal at The Hollywood Brown Derby and ask for a Fantasmic meal deal. If you do this you’ll be given your tickets when you’re sitting down to eat and then you’ll be able to go to the theatre at your specified time and have VIP seating. This means you won’t have to wait in line and your seats are reserved. The meal deal has limited availability so I suggest booking it early, this is what we did and I don’t think we would have got to see the show otherwise. Waiting in a large queue with a four-year-old that late is probably not a good idea, my little one was worn out just sitting watching the show!

Character meets and various other activities are available throughout the park and you should grab yourself a Park Map and Times Guide when entering.

Have you ever visited Hollywood Studios? Is there something that they've got rid of that you would like them to bring back? What would you look forward to most if you were visiting Walt Disney World?