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Hollywood Studios Itinerary: 1 Day and 2 Day Plans

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Hollywood Studios is a hot commodity during Disney vacations. Because of this, a solid Hollywood Studios itinerary is essential. Trust me, your day is much easier when you have a plan.

This Hollywood Studios touring plan is designed to help you maximize your park experience and ride as many of the attractions as possible while also avoiding the crowds.

With the permanent retirement of FastPasses, and the lackluster performance of Disney Genie+, you need to think through a solid Hollywood Studios plan for getting on rides without waiting 10 years for each one.

Because of all of this, I’m including not just a 1 day Hollywood Studios itinerary, but a 2 day itinerary as well. At this point, 2 days at Hollywood Studios makes it easier to hit the rides you want ( updated July 27, 2022 ).

Table of Contents

Hollywood Studios Itinerary Challenges

Previously, the main gist of my Hollywood Studios touring plan was based on the ability to potentially park hop. That way when the crowds catch up with you, you could abandon ship and go somewhere else.

Well, that idea doesn’t necessarily work anymore since Disney modified park hopping. At the same time, crowds are not low. 

On top of all of that, Hollywood Studios is the most sought after park, besides Magic Kingdom, because of the new rides. And let me just tell you, Hollywood Studios DOES NOT absorb the crowds well.

Between these factors and the lack of FastPasses, you really need to head to Hollywood Studios with a plan.

For this Hollywood Studios itinerary, I am deliberately ignoring paying extra to get Disney Genie+ or individual Lightning Lane access.

This is for two reasons. First, I want to try to save everyone money if at all possible. Why pay extra if you don’t have to? The trip is expensive enough as it is.

Second, the performance of Disney Genie+ has been completely abysmal. There are no guarantees you’ll even be able to get access to the rides you want.

So we might as well try to get you through your Hollywood Studios day without it.

How Rise of the Resistance Impacts Your Hollywood Studios Itinerary

At one point in time, the only way to ride Rise of the Resistance was by nabbing a spot in the virtual queue. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, that is no longer an option.

Even if you try to buy Lightning Lane access, it books up in seconds, so you may or may not actually get one.

As an aside, if Rise of the Resistance is a must ride for you, I would at least attempt to buy an individual Lightning Lane. This would allow you to focus your attention on other rides during rope drop. I know, it’s not free, but it’s easy.

If you want to get on Rise of the Resistance with the lowest wait possible, it is essential that you try to ride it at rope drop. Keep in mind, this tip only works for Disney resort guests who have access to Early Theme Park Entry .

If you are at the front of the pack, you’ll have a relatively low wait. However, if you can’t do rope drop, prepare for a long wait in line.

At this point, the line seems to average out at around 120 minutes posted wait time. That’s a long time.

If you haven’t already, read through my post on how to successfully navigate rope drop at Hollywood Studios . That will give you a step by step breakdown of how to manage it.

In addition, I have a whole post dedicated to how to ride Rise of the Resistance with less of a wait . Both those posts together should give you a good strategy for that ride.

Not as Many Attractions = Poor Crowd Management

Hopefully, at some point in 2022 all of the attractions will be opened. The last holdout at this point is Fantasmic!, which is rumored to reopen on October 1, 2022. Though who knows when it will actually reopen.

I wish I could say the crowds feel better now that more is open, but that’s simply not the case. This has always been the problem with Hollywood Studios.

Think about it, Magic Kingdom has something like 27 rides and attractions. This allows the crowds to spread themselves out. Hollywood Studios has decidedly fewer.

And frankly, some of the attractions at Hollywood Studios just won’t appeal to everyone, so they don’t bother trying.

Then factor in that one show closed permanently, and Fantasmic! hasn’t yet returned, and it doesn’t help the issue.

Hollywood Studios also has some pinch points which makes feel the crowds a bit more.

Best Times of Day at Hollywood Studios

What I’m about to say isn’t anything new. This pattern has always been the case at most of the parks. However, the issue seems way more pronounced now than it ever did.

The best times to visit Hollywood Studios are first thing in the morning, and in the evening. The real problem is that this has become really pronounced. The wait times from mid morning through late afternoon are quite long.

If you’re an early morning kind of family, make sure you read over my Hollywood Studios rope drop strategy . The window to take advantage of this is VERY small.

Please don’t show up right when the park opens and think that will work. You’re already too late.

In the evening, 4:00p is the earliest you’ll see enough of an improvement in ride times. Really, it’s the last 2 hours of the day that you’ll hit the butter zone.

So what do you do in that several hour gap? Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it?

How many days do you need for Hollywood Studios?

Considering how much dead time there is in the middle of the day, my answer sounds a little counterintuitive. 

I recommend spending 2 days at Hollywood Studios. Breaking things into two days allows you to prioritize different rides on different days during the morning and evening sweet spots.

This is what we did on our recent trip, and we were able to do our top priority rides multiple times, and hit all of the other rides at least once.

However, I recognize that most families won’t be able to spend 2 days at Hollywood Studios, so we’ll look at both a one day and two day Hollywood Studios itinerary later in this post.

Hollywood Studios Rides and Attractions

So, what are these amazing rides that everyone is scrambling to experience? Let’s take a look:

Toy Story Land

• Toy Story Mania
• Slinky Dog Dash (38”)
• Alien Swirling Saucers (32”)

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

• Rise of the Resistance (40”)
• Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (38”)

Sunset Boulevard

• Rock n Roller Coaster (48”)
• Tower of Terror (40”)
• Lightning McQueen Racing Academy
• Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
• Star Tours – The Adventure Continues (40”)
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Singalong Celebration
• Vacation Fun – A Mickey Mouse Animated Short
• Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight

Hollywood Boulevard

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Commissary Lane

• Meet Disney Stars at Red Carpet Dreams (character meet n greet)

Animation Courtyard

• Walt Disney Presents (Gallery and Theater)
• Disney Junior Play & Dance
• Meet Disney Junior Pals in Animation Courtyard
• Meet Sully at Walt Disney Presents
• Star Wars Launch Bay

Grand Avenue

• MuppetVision 3D

You might look at this list and think, that seems like a lot, what is Nicole talking about? There’s a lot that make this list seem long that most people will not attempt to go to.

In reality, the list is actually shorter once you take out the video shorts that most people don’t do.

Top Rides at Hollywood Studios

That being said, there are quite a few rides and attractions which are amazing and should top your priority list.

These are the rides you absolutely want to ride:

• Rise of the Resistance
• Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Rock n Roller Coaster
• Tower of Terror

Consequently, most of these rides have the longest lines in the park. Hence the challenge.

Rides with Lowest Wait Times

Not all of the rides have ridiculous wait times, thank goodness. However, some patience is still required.

Partly this is because you should wait to get on these rides until a bit later in the day. When everything else is a ridiculous wait, these lines are typically shorter.

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Frozen Singalong

You’ll notice that two of the rides from the best rides list are on this list, score! Toy Story Mania and Star Tours are both fun attractions. 

Due to a higher capacity, along with people probably selling them short, their lines are often shorter at various points of the day.

The attractions on this list should all be done when the wait is less than 30 minutes. Really, well under 30 minutes. I don’t think we waited more than 15-20 minutes for any of these attractions.

A Note About Wait Times on My Disney Experience…

Most of us live and die by the wait times posted on My Disney Experience during our park days. And it’s a great tool. However, keep in mind that the waits aren’t necessarily accurate.

Disney uses posted wait times as a way to direct people where they want them to go. Don’t want a lot of people on Tower of Terror because they line is getting longer? Inflate the posted wait time even more.

Because of this, take wait times with a grain of salt. Sometimes the wait is quite a bit shorter than posted. But sometimes it’s accurate. So it’s a bit of a crap shoot. But most of the times the wait is not nearly as long as it looks.

I have a Touring Plans membership that helps me with this. They have their own lines app which tells you both the posted wait times and the expected wait times. It’s pretty darn accurate and gives me a better idea of how to plan out my day.

Tips for Creating Your Hollywood Studios Itinerary

There are some basic components to consider for your Hollywood Studios itinerary. These components will help you prioritize your rides and hopefully get on everything you want with less waiting.

• Rope Drop – get on as many popular rides as possible right off the bat
• Fill in the afternoon with shows, shops, and dining reservations (or leaving the park)
• Eat an early (or late) dinner so you don’t waste valuable evening park time

1. Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

As I learned the hard way once, don’t plan on showing up at Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and expect to get everything done.

Don’t get me wrong, the later afternoon/evening is a great time to get on rides, just don’t expect to get on everything. That’s why rope drop is so important.

As with all the other parks, rope drop (right when the park opens) is the best time to get on a lot of the E-ticket rides.

However, that does not mean that you should show up right when the park opens. If you want to be at the head of the pack at Hollywood Studios at rope drop, plan to arrive 1-1.5 hours before park opening.

If you do plan on taking advantage of rope drop at Hollywood Studios, or any of the parks, it is essential that you read all about Disney Early Theme Park Entry . It has a huge impact on rope drop.

I’ve detailed an entire sample timeline for you in the Hollywood Studios rope drop post . Go ahead and click that link to get more specifics. It will open in a new window so you can keep reading this one!

Hollywood Studios Rope Drop Priorities

Briefly, there are certain rides you should consider getting on during rope drop. The rides not listed here are easier to get on later in the day so shouldn’t take up this precious time slot.

Rides to Consider During Early Entry Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Clearly, you can’t be in all places at once. So prioritize your plan before you go. The vast majority of people head to Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway . But really, Rise of the Resistance is the biggest draw.

If you want any of these rides, be prepared to get to Hollywood Studios no later than an hour before Early Theme Park Entry starts, NOT an hour before official park opening. You want to be at the front of the pack for these, especially Rise of the Resistance.

The lines for these particular rides fill up quickly. If you aren’t in the front of the pack, you’ll still end up waiting 30 minutes or more (likely more) to get on them.

I’ve watched the estimated wait time jump up to 60 minutes for both within 10-15 minutes of them letting people into the park.

While the line might not actually be quite that long, it’s longer than you want to wait during rope drop.

Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror are located next to each other so you could get those done pretty quickly first thing in the morning.

Millennium Falcon seems to have a little bit of forgiveness before it starts to have long lines so consider making this your second or third ride of rope drop.

Two Early Entry Rope Drop Examples

I want to give you two different examples of what you can accomplish during those early theme park entry times. First up: Rise of the Resistance rope drop.

My sister and brother-in-law went to Disney during peak Spring Break crowds. These are the largest crowds Disney has seen since pre-COVID.

Here’s what they did.

• Arrive at Hollywood Studios over an hour before Early Entry starts (they were 14th in line outside of Hollywood Studios)
• Allowed entry into Hollywood Studios by 7:30a, made a mad dash towards Rise of the Resistance
• Rise of the Resistance began running before the official start of Early Theme Park Entry
• On the ride by 8:00a
• Once off Rise, went immediately to Millennium Falcon, low wait time
• Hoofed it over to Toy Story Mania and got on that ride just as the park officially opened

That’s an extremely successful rope drop example.

On the flipside, here’s a look at a rope drop strategy I tried out the last time I was at Hollywood Studios.

• Arrive at Hollywood Studios just under 30 minutes prior to the start of early entry, walk right on into the park
• Head towards Rock n Roller Coaster, get held by cast members on Sunset Boulevard, there are hardly any people here so I’m in the front
• At exactly the start of early entry, they slowly walk us over to Rock n Roller Coaster and into the queue
• Once off Rock n Roller Coaster, headed straight over to Tower of Terror, which was pretty much empty
• Rode Tower of Terror with only two other people in the elevator with me
• Headed over to Toy Story Mania and got on the ride just as the park opened

Within the official 30 minute span of early entry I got on 3 rides with little to no effort on my part. I was also able to take much more leisurely approach to my arrival time.

Whichever approach you take, I hope you see just how important rope drop is in getting on the big rides. Within 10-15 minutes of park opening, all of the wait times balloon dramatically.

What to Rope Drop if You Can’t Use Early Theme Park Entry

Even if you can’t access Early Entry, there is still the possibility of success at rope drop. Make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the official park opening time.

Once you get into the park, the big rides in Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land are not the best idea. The lines will be too long already from the early entry crowd.

That and everyone under the sun entering with you will head that way.

However, if you notice in my second rope drop example above, Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror remain quite low in their wait time.

This is the best direction to head first if your group plans to get on those rides. You should be able to get on both of these rides with waits of 20 minutes or less.

After that, check out the wait for Star Tours, all the way on the other side of the park. Even though this ride is less popular, it’s a ton of fun and the lines don’t get long as quickly.

With this you can bang out 3 of the best rides in the park within the first hour after the park opens.

2.  Fill in the Late Morning/Afternoon with Shows, Shops, and Food (or Leave)

The afternoon is notoriously the most crowded part of the day in any of the parks. This is made worse in Hollywood Studios by some of the traffic patterns within the park.

There are just some areas that get extremely congested, making it challenging to get through.

No matter what point of the day the lines get long, whether late morning or lunch time, this same plan still applies. In general, this is your slow down time.

The beginning portion of the day is a little frantic. Now is the time to slow down and enjoy the details of Hollywood Studios.

One of the things you should do is wander around both Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge to soak up the details. Both are really fun and amazing areas.

Checking out the Shows and Shops

This is also time to consider the more “show” like attractions at Disney World. The lines for the shows are generally shorter due to the fact that capacity is a lot larger.

The afternoon is a great time to go to the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Frozen Singalong, MuppetVision 3D, Lightening McQueen’s Racing Academy, and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.

A word of caution though, don’t wait for more than 30 minutes for any of these if you can avoid it. They’re not worth that kind of wait.

The other advantage to watching the shows is it involves a built in break. The indoor shows are air conditioned and there are seats to sit in.

Most of the shows last for 20-30 minutes, so it allows for a nice bit of relaxation for a little while. Trust me, your tired legs will thank you.

I will admit, window shopping isn’t for everyone, but I do enjoy checking out the stores in the parks. There were quite a few unique items that caught my eye in the windows, merchandise that I hadn’t seen at the other parks.

Advanced Dining Reservations and Leaving the Park

Alternatively, this is a great time to consider making a Disney Dining Reservation for an early lunch. This allows you to relax in air conditioning as the park rapidly fills up.

I recommend table service restaurants at this time because reservations are easier to get during off times, and when you start your morning so darn early, you’ll be ready for a nice break.

That and it kills at least an hour.

If things have just gotten too congested for you, you can’t get on anything you want, or the family just needs a break, another alternative is to head to Crescent Lake.

It’s easier than ever to get there now with the Skyliner gondolas. If those aren’t your cup of tea, you can also walk or take the Friendship boats there.

Crescent Lake is the resort area that is in between Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There are resorts to explore, Boardwalk fun, and so on.

I adore simply walking around this area on a beautiful Florida day. It’s such a nice, calm area, and a good place to escape from the crowds for a little while. It gives you a bit of breathing space.

Now with the Skyliner, there are even more areas open for exploration if you need a bit of a break from the Hollywood Studios crowds.

Here are some ideas if you leave the park for a break:

• Take the Skyliner to any of the resorts on it for a meal or exploration
• Pool break if you are staying at a resort with easy access via Skyliner, boats, or walking (don’t do this if you have to take a bus, it’s too much of a time suck)
• Play mini-golf at Fantasia Gardens (take a Friendship boat to the Swan & Dolphin, it’s an easy walk from there)
• Meander your way around Crescent Lake and explore the resorts

Whatever you decide to do, you want to be back at Hollywood Studios by 4:30p at the latest, possibly 4:00p for an extra buffer.

Park Hopping

Now that park hopping is allowed again, that is always an option. However, park hopping isn’t even allowed until 2:00p to begin with, so it doesn’t give you much time if you plan to return for the evening.

Due to this small time frame, the only park I recommend hopping to from Hollywood Studios is Epcot. You can be there within 15 minutes.

You can head over to Epcot for some amazing food and exploration. Due to the fact that Epcot is so much larger, it absorbs the crowds better. This gives you a bit of a break from being sandwiched in at Hollywood Studios.

If you don’t plan to go back to Hollywood Studios for the evening, the world is your oyster! Go wherever you want!

3. Don’t Waste Valuable Evening Park Time

If you’ve read many of my posts, you are aware at this point that I love the parks at night. They are just beautiful all lit up at night. The same is true of Hollywood Studios. Both Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge themselves are worth an evening visit.

Aside from this, now you’ve entered prime time for short(ish) ride lines. The waits are now more manageable than they were earlier in the day.

Fortunately, Hollywood Studios has returned to its more normal closing time of 9p. This is good as it gives you more time to enjoy the park in the evenings.

Also, a good rule of thumb is the later a park is open, the lower the crowds will be near closing time.

This gives you a pocket of about a few where wait times will be lower. Don’t expect walk on for the biggest rides, that won’t happen. But the waits should be more reasonable than they were earlier in the day.

However, these rides should be a walk on, or close to it:

• Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run – This one might be a longer wait than the others, but shouldn’t be too bad

Because of this, don’t have dinner at any point during this time. We flubbed this (twice!) on our recent trip. Make sure you eat between 4p-5p.

Please don’t scheduled a dining reservation for the evening. You’ll spend some of the best hours of the park sitting in a restaurant. The latest you should make a reservation is 5p. Table service dining takes up to an hour and a half.

That would still give you a little under 3 hours to hit some rides.

Also, get in line for a ride a couple minutes before park close . This is a great time to get on a hard to get ride with less of a wait. Disney deliberately inflates posted wait times to discourage people from riding.

It’s a gamble as you don’t know how long the wait will be, but it will be one of the shortest waits of the day.

Hollywood Studios in One Day

Now that we’ve looked at the different parts of putting together your Hollywood Studios itinerary, let’s create a sample touring plan. We’ll start with a 1 day plan since that’s the most common for families.

One thing to note: this plan assumes you want to get on ALL the rides. If you have members of your party who aren’t tall enough for rides you can use the rider swap option on rides with height requirements. This allows all the adults to take turns riding.

Of course, if you don’t want to get on all of the rides, adjust your plan accordingly.

Remember, this is a basic framework, but anything can happen on the big day. Rides break down, crowds are excessive, etc. So be prepared to be flexible.

The following recommendations are based both on watching line trends over the past month or so in addition to being there myself recently.

I’ve actually shifted my old recommendations slightly to reflect the fact that the lines tend to become unbearably long a lot sooner in the day than any of us would like.

Remember, your plan is slightly different depending on whether you are able to use early entry.

Well, heck. Let’s just do two different 1 day Hollywood Studios itineraries: with and without early entry.

1 Day Hollywood Studios Itinerary with Early Entry

As a reminder, Early Entry is a benefit for Disney resort guests, allowing them into the park and on rides 30 minutes before the park opens.

Often, on crowded days, the most popular rides start running even earlier than that. It seems like Rise of the Resistance ALWAYS starts running before early entry starts. As soon as they let you in the park, they start running that ride.

Arrive at park at least 1 hour before Early Entry starts (Ideally More)

This puts you at the front of the pack that heads towards the rides and is an essential component to this plan.

If you plan to rope drop Rise of the Resistance, get to Hollywood Studios as soon as you can.

You’ll wait outside the park first, then be allowed through the tapstiles. At that point, head in the direction of whichever ride you plan to go on first.

Early Theme Park Entry Time Frame (30 Minute Before Park Opening)

If you are at the front of the pack, Rise of the Resistance is the ride you need to go on first. This is quite simply the shortest wait time you’ll see all day.

They should start running people through the ride early, which gives you a leg up on the whole plan.

As soon as you get off Rise of the Resistance, head over to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run . The wait time should be pretty short as everyone else in the park is on other rides.

I recently did this and managed to get to Millennium Falcon right as early entry officially started. That’s right, I was on and off Rise of the Resistance before early entry opened.

There always seems to be a delay with the big crowds for Millennium Falcon, and you’re about to take advantage of it.

As you get off Millennium Falcon you should have time to get in line for one more ride before the park officially opens. It’s very important that you hustle to the next ride you want to go on so you beat the non-Disney resort guest crowd.

I recommend any of these rides for your third ride of the morning:

Personally, I go for Toy Story Mania often because it’s one of my favorite rides in all of Hollywood Studios.

But any of these options should give you a low wait time. If you don’t have a lot of time or are a group that moves slowly, focus on Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, or Star Tours.

But if you have the time, head to Rock n Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror. The off-site guests won’t head here first so you can likely do both rides in a short amount of time.

And just like that, you have 3 top rides under your belt right as the park opens.

Disney Planning Tip: Always check the wait time for Star Tours during the day. It is often reasonable AND there are 3 different versions of the ride depending on which section you are put in. So ride it multiple times!

Park Opening through Lunch

Once you get off your third ride, immediately check the wait times for all the attractions. If there’s a ride that jumps out at you as having a decently low wait, head there immediately.

Sometimes you can get lucky with this and grab one more top ride before the crowds balloon. Other times, not so much.

Once most of the rides have crazy long lines it’s time to switch gears. Head on back to Galaxy’s Edge to take some time to wander and check it out.

Before you go, make sure you know about what there is to do at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge . There’s more there than people even realize.

Most of the newcomers are more concerned with getting into lines, so this gives you a brief pocket of time with less crowds milling about.

Check out stores and maybe get yourself a snack or a Ronto Wrap. No seriously, get yourself a Ronto Wrap …

All of the stores will be mobbed later, so now’s your chance.

After you have your fill of wandering, start heading towards the shows . Your basic plan is to spread these shows out over the next few hours.

The order that you do the shows in doesn’t really matter. Check the show times and just go to whichever one is closest that has the soonest start time.

You’ll repeat this throughout the morning and early afternoon. After you get one or two shows in, it should be close to lunch time.

I recommend an early lunch dining reservation at either Sci-Fi Drive In or 50’s Prime Time Cafe . After all, you’ve been at the park since an un-Godly hour. It’s time to get some delicious fuel in your body.

Sit down, relax in air conditioning, and have a leisurely meal. Stretch it out to last around an hour and a half. You won’t be sorry.

Afternoon Delights

At this point, crowds have likely reached levels of insanity. Your plan is to finish out all the rest of the shows you haven’t seen yet .

Because the shows are lengthier, this actually eats up a good chunk of time.

Intersperse this with doing some souvenir shopping just to mix things up a bit.

Once you’ve done that, consider leaving the park for a breather. The crowds can be pretty unbearable during this part of the day.

Hop on the Skyliner and go explore ! As a bonus, the Skyliner is like a ride in and of itself!

Dinner Time and Return to the Park

Because you had an early lunch, you’ll be ready for an early dinner. This works out because you don’t want to waste any time later eating when you could be on rides.

It’s up to you whether you want another sit down meal or if you prefer a quick service option. Personally, I prefer quick service at this stage because I want to be in more control over how much time it takes. Aim to finish eating by 5:30p-ish at the latest.

The earlier you finish your dinner, the more time you’ll have to get on the remaining rides.

By this time the wait times on the rides begins to slow down. Check the wait times on My Disney Experience and see where everything is at.

The following rides are your focus during this time, likely in this order:

• Toy Story Mania/Star Tours (whichever one you didn’t do earlier)

Keep an eye on the time and make sure you prioritize your absolute must ride attractions. If you start to run out of time, cut out the ones you know you can sacrifice.

Try to get on line for Slinky Dog Dash right before the park closes. The posted wait time is typically inflated in an attempt to deter people from getting in line.

But it’s all a lie!

This is one of the best Disney hacks around: get in line for a highly sought after ride right before closing for some of the shortest waits of the day.

It goes without saying, if you haven’t gotten on Rise of the Resistance by this point of the day, it’s now or never. That should be the ride you get in line for right before park closing.

Slowly Exit the Park

Once you get off that last ride, the park is no longer open. While it won’t be entirely empty, this is an amazing time to simply wander and enjoy the beauty of Hollywood Studios at night.

Take your time exiting. Maybe hit up a shop or two to delay the inevitable. Wander through Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.

Trust me, you won’t regret it.

1 Day Hollywood Studios Itinerary WITHOUT Early Entry

Ok, here’s the basic plan for people who don’t have access to to Early Entry. There is much about this plan that mimics the Early Entry touring plan so make sure you read that one first.

I’ll gloss over the sections that are similar. However, the order of some of the rides is different, so pay close attention to that part.

Arrive at Park 30 minutes Prior to Park Opening

That’s right, you get to sleep later! I mean, not a ton later, but definitely later. Since you aren’t trying to get on Rise of the Resistance right away, this gives you some flexibility in timing.

As Soon as the Park Opens

Your very first goal is to head directly to Sunset Boulevard to get in line for Rock n Roller Coaster and then Tower of Terror .

Because everyone else under the sun will head to Slinky Dog, Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, this gives you a clear shot at two major Hollywood Studios rides.

The lines won’t be at walk-on level, but they should each be less than 20 minute waits.

If you have small children or people who aren’t interested in thrill rides, the recommendation is to go to Toy Story Mania and then Alien Swirling Saucers first.

Once you are done with those first two rides, pull out My Disney Experience and check the wait times.

In particular, look at the times for:

If any of these are posted as 30 minutes or less, get on them. If not, it’s time to follow the same plan as the Early Entry itinerary: shows and shopping.

Rest of the Morning through Early Dinner

Seriously, at this point the recommendation is the same. You want to wander in Galaxy’s Edge and start catching the shows.

Also, the plan is still to eat an early sit down lunch, followed by more shows, shopping, and possibly leaving the park on the Skyliner to explore and get away from the crowds.

For all the little details, go to the section with the heading Park Opening and Lunch (or just click that link, it’ll take you there). Then read through the next two sections.

Dinner and Evening Adventures

Again, the basic plan here is the same. A slight modification I would recommend is to make sure you are done with dinner by 5p. You still have one of the biggest rides in all of Disney World to hit.

No matter how you slice it, you’re looking at probably an hour to do Rise of the Resistance.

Because of that, you’ll want more time in the evening.

Here are the rides you have left:

• Possibly: Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, depending how your morning went
• Millennium Falcon

Start off with Star Tours, Alien Swirling Saucers, and Toy Story Mania , in that order. Delete any that you already got on earlier.

After that, head to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway . The lines for this should be calming down now, and you don’t have to stand in the hot sun in the outside part of the queue. Score!

Now, it’s time to head to a Galaxy far, far away. Go to Millennium Falcon . Throughout all of this you need to take stock. There is a good possibility some rides will get cut.

The big decision is whether to prioritize Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance . That’s a decision that is so personal to each family.

If the stars align you’ll get to do both. But if not, be prepared ahead of time with your decision.

This is A LOT to accomplish. And depending on the crowds, it might not be possible. Remember, prioritize the rides and call an audible if you need to.

This is the group of people I would recommend purchasing Disney Genie+ and/or Lightning Lane access. If you can skip the line on even a few of these rides during the day, it frees you up for the others.

Hollywood Studios Touring Plan – 2 Day Itinerary

I highly recommend spending 2 days at Hollywood Studios instead of one. I know most families schedule in 4 park days, 1 day at each park.

And if that’s you, definitely follow the 1 day Hollywood Studios touring plan. But if you have the flexibility, 2 days is the way to go.

I mainly recommend this because 2 days lets you move at a less frantic pace. It also provides you with a lot more flexibility in terms of the rides, crowds, and time you spend in lines.

Honestly, I would consider making one, if not both, of those 2 days a half day, ideally the second day. Clearly, this only works for people who have park hopper tickets.

If you don’t have park hoppers, stick to the one day itinerary. But if you do, you can do Hollywood Studios in the morning/early afternoon one the first day before hopping to another park.

Then you can hop to Hollywood Studios from another park after 2p in order to experience evenings there.

This strategy also doubles your chances of getting on all the rides that you want, just in case day 1 doesn’t go according to plan. At least you have a back up plan in place, just in case.

And if you get everything done on the first day, you could always switch out your Park Pass for the second Hollywood Studios day for another park (assuming there are passes available).

Sample Hollywood Studios 2 Day Itinerary

Let’s start looking at the details of how to make this happen. Again, the beauty is you don’t have to worry about getting on everything at once, so you can target things more specifically on day 1. Then whatever you don’t get on is the target for day 2. Or just ride your favorites over and over again.

All in all, you want to structure this very similarly to the above 1 day Hollywood Studios itinerary. However, instead of frantically going from ride to ride, adopt a more leisurely pace.

But here are some highlights.

Rope drop: Depending on whether you can use Early Entry or not, follow the rope drop plan from above for the appropriate itinerary.

Honestly, I would still play that part out as closely as written as possible. First thing in the morning is prime time, so you might as well take advantage of it!

Seriously, get on every single ride that you can before the crowds catch up with you.

And remember, there’s always time for a Ronto Wrap! Can you tell I’m obsessed with these things?

Rest of the morning and afternoon: Really, I should just say, do that whole rest of the morning and afternoon exactly as recommended in the 1-day Hollywood Studios itinerary.

There! Saves me some typing and you some reading.

Dinner and Evening: Here is where I’m going to change my recommendation slightly compared to the normal 1 day touring plan.

At this point, you know you’ll be back another day. This means that you don’t have to be quite so frantic in your approach.

Be a bit more relaxed about your dinner time, though still don’t make it too late. Don’t waste those evening hours.

At this point, I recommend trying to go on your highest priority rides. If that’s Rise of the Resistance, wait until the last hour of the day to get in line.

This way if you don’t get on them during day 1, you know you have a second shot on day 2.

Also, it gives you the opportunity to perhaps ride them a second time on day 2, because that’s always a bonus.

Leisurely make your way through the evening and night getting on whatever you can. Any ride that you don’t get on becomes a priority for day 2.

I still recommend getting in line for SOMETHING right before the park closes. This should just be standard practice at every single park.

And again, enjoy the much less crowded walk out of the park after it closes.

Once Fantasmic! returns, ear mark that for one of the nights. It really is an amazing show. The bonus of having 2 days at Hollywood Studios is you can do Fantasmic! one night and prioritize rides the other night.

I used to be torn over whether to make day 2 a half day or full day. Good news, I’m no longer torn. I definitely recommend doing a half day.

Ideally, you have park hopper tickets so you can spend your morning at another park. Animal Kingdom is a great park to hit in the morning before heading over to Hollywood Studios.

Remember: Park hopping isn’t allowed until 2p and after. Not that this matters in our plan, because 2p at Hollywood Studios is not a good time.

Arrival at Hollywood Studios: If you haven’t done all of the shows and shopping that you want to do, make sure you get to Hollywood Studios right at 2p.

If not, it’s ok to wait until around 4p before you decide to roll on up. Feel free to eat an early dinner elsewhere, or eat at Hollywood Studios right at 4p.

I probably should have mentioned this before, but take advantage of mobile ordering in order to get your food faster . Place the order much earlier in the day, that way you just have to say you’re ready and collect your order.

Since you only have a handful of hours, it is essential that you eat early. This night will have a bit of a more frantic feel if you want to get on as much as possible.

If you don’t have as many rides that you want to get on, it’s ok to have a slower pace.

From here, go on ALL the rides that you missed during day 1. Star Tours and Alien Swirling Saucers will likely have the best wait time starting around 5p, following by Toy Story Mania .

Hit those up for bonus rides on them on day 2.

Once you get off of those rides, hopefully the wait times are more reasonable for the other rides. Identify which ride is the one to get on right before park closing. Slinky Dog is always a good choice for this.

Then spend the rest of the evening squeezing in everything that you missed on day 1.

So there you have it! My 2 day Hollywood Studios plan.

Final Thoughts on a Hollywood Studios Itinerary

Well, there you have it, my recommended Hollywood Studios itinerary. I fully recognize it’s an imperfect plan. However, if you follow it relatively closely, you’ll maximize your ability to do most everything, without having to pay extra money.

On the whole, you can have a fantastic time at Hollywood Studios. There are some truly amazing rides. Rise of the Resistance is like no other experience, anywhere.

The park is definitely worth your time, but frankly, it takes a lot more planning than any of the other parks. I’m hopeful this Hollywood Studios itinerary gets you going in the right direction.

Your Thoughts

What do you think of this Hollywood Studios itinerary? Do you plan to do one day or two days at Hollywood Studios? Let me know in the comments below.

Don’t forget to follow The Disney Journey on Pinterest and Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest news and updates.

10 thoughts on “Hollywood Studios Itinerary: 1 Day and 2 Day Plans”

I’m so happy they added Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story, this park was seriously sparse before! I’m so excited to go back and see all the new upgrades to the park.

There is no height requirement/ restriction for mickey and minnie railway…

I meant ? Not .. LOL sorry

No, there is no height requirement. It is approved for all ages and heights.

Great tips! Will definitely use this for future trips. Side note- “Lightning” in Lightning McQueen is spelled wrong up above, don’t mean to be rude just wanted to point it out. 🙂

Ha! Thanks for pointing it out. Glad someone did. I actually have a vague recollection of looking at it and thinking something didn’t look right! Wonder how many people simply think I can’t spell.

One small suggestion: If you are touring Hollywood Studios during the rainy season (beginning in June) you may want to go on Slinky Dog Dash first thing in the morning and get a FastPass for Toy Story Mania. We recently visited and had a 5:30 pm Fast Pass for Slinky Dog when thunderstorms started to pass through and the ride closed and never reopened. Unfortunately we never got to ride it. In general, during rainy season in any of the Disney Parks, go on any outdoor rides ASAP and save the inside attractions for later.

That is a great point. Those thunderstorms are guaranteed pretty much daily during the summer

I enjoy reading your tips and helpful ideas. We are going the 1st week of November… my adult kids (4- ages 21 to 32) their spouses/significant others plus my 82 yr old parents. This will probably be the very last trip with my parents and probably the last trip with out little ones. we are staying at Wydham’s Bonnet Creek. Unfortunately this cuts us out of the extra extra magic hours…. what do you suggest we do to make the most of our trip? It would be a great help to see strategies for those not staying at a Disney resort too. Thank you!!

You are right, I do need to add a section for non-Disney resort guests! I think your best bet at Hollywood Studios in particular would be to make sure you understand how to make FastPass work for you. Until Star Wars Land opens and we can all see what the crowds are doing, some of this is guessing, but I’m assuming that Galaxy’s Edge will be mobbed at 9a. If Galaxy’s Edge is a priority, going near closing time will likely be the safest bet. For the rest of the rides, FastPass, FastPass, FastPass. Get through your first 3 as fast as you can, then try to grab more. You might have to be diligent with refreshing, but it should work. Try getting FastPasses in smaller groups (think 1-4). There will be more availability that way. Hopefully you can get them to overlap and still ride together. Keep an eye on how things are going once it opens. By November we should have a better feel for what will work.

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Hollywood Studios 1-Day Itinerary

Our Hollywood Studios 1-Day Itinerary is an efficient touring plan for what attractions, shows, and dining we’d do in our ideal day at the park. This itinerary is how we’d recommend experiencing all of the, what we consider, Hollywood Studios essentials.

While other touring plans are more focused on fitting in every attraction in one day, we’ll be more focused on how to have the best day possible. Instead of constantly running from attraction to attraction, this plan will also have you enjoying some of the little things that make Hollywood Studios special. Yes, we’ll get to the majority of the attractions but some are left behind in favor of, what we consider, better options. If you are more ride focused then check out our Hollywood Studios attractions rankings . We also have entertainment ,  table-service  and  counter-service rankings to help out your trip planning. We also have itineraries to every other Disney Park we’ve been to. Click here to find those .

Hollywood Studios has vastly improved over the last few years with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway , Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land all opening. While this itinerary will cover a full day, this could easily be fit into an afternoon and evening save for the Toy Story Land rope drop. For as much flack as I give the park, there are some great areas to visit at night. All this to say, if you’re trying to make the day at Hollywood Studios a little shorter, sleep in or start the day in another park. Come here after an early lunch and there will still be plenty of time to fit in all of the essentials.

Since Walt Disney World reopened, entertainment has slowly trickled back into the park and FastPasses have gone by the wayside. In our original version of the itinerary, both FastPass and shows played a significant role. We’ve adjusted to get rid of the FastPass steps but have left most of the entertainment as it comes back into play. If something isn’t open during your trip that is in this itinerary then just skip it and move on!

There are many different factors that go into a theme park day, so we do have to keep this plan somewhat general. I don’t know how busy the park will be when you visit, whether you have Genie+ or Lightning Lanes (this itinerary assumes you don’t), where you are staying, etc. What I do assume in this itinerary is that you are spending the full day inside of the park, getting there before the gates open and leaving after the park closes. Frankly, you should be able to get everything done in Hollywood Studios regardless of most factors. If you are extremely Hollywood Studios focused (you shouldn’t be) and the budget allows, staying at the Yacht or Beach Club, Boardwalk Resort, Swan & Dolphin or Caribbean Beach Resort would be ideal. If not, don’t worry. Just get to the park before opening one way or another. If you’re looking for  vacation packages  or  tickets then follow those links for our recommended sites. On to the plan!

Arrive Early and Spend a Morning in Toy Story Land!

With the park’s most popular ride, Rise of the Resistance, no longer using a virtual queue, our itinerary has changed some. We recommend arriving half an hour early to the park and from there we’ll go against the crowds and save Rise for the last part of the day. Assuming you get to the park half an hour before opening, the move is to go straight to Toy Story Land and ride Slinky Dog Dash. The line is hot and long later in the day and getting there to be one of the first riders on it will pay dividends later. If you arrive a little closer to opening instead of a full half hour ahead then consider saving Toy Story Land for the evening and head straight for the next step.

Assuming you do get there early and you’re able to get on Slinky Dog Dash relatively fast then keep hustling to the other Toy Story Land attractions, Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers in that order. Both should still have low waits but if the times have ballooned over 25 minutes then come back for them at night.

Morning on Sunset Boulevard

After three quick attractions, head over to Sunset Boulevard for a mix of Rock n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and a light breakfast. The order in which you do these will come down to how high the wait times are and how quickly the previous step was done. Honestly, once you get these two attractions done then the day opens up quite a bit since there aren’t that many rides to go on after this. While we don’t typically advise waiting for anything over half an hour, this is an exception. I’d do either of these attractions if the wait is 45 minutes or less.

As a whole, I typically stay away from Starbucks in the park as they are busier than other spots and I don’t care for coffee. The one in Hollywood Studios is enjoyable though. Named Trolley Car Cafe, this Starbucks has a nice aesthetic and has a few unique treats. While this blog would never do something so unhealthy 😉 we wouldn’t judge anyone who gets a cupcake for breakfast here. I’m a big fan of the Fruit Tart at this spot. That’s healthy because it has fruit on it!

Sunset Boulevard packs quite a punch with two of Disney World’s better thrill rides. Be sure not to miss either of them!

First look at Galaxy’s Edge

Our first planned trip inside Hollywood Studios’ most immersive land comes mid-morning after letting the chaos of the rope drop crowds clear out. Keep an eye on Smuggler’s Run wait times and if it’s under 30 minutes then hopping in line is a good way to go. You can also use the single-rider line! If not, this plan has you back here in the evening and the line will likely be shorter.

Outside of that, take the time to explore this enveloping land. The details are astounding and the design is jaw-dropping. Go in the shops, explore the market and just take a look around. If hungry, move the lunch step up a bit and grab something at Docking Bay 7 or Ronto Roasters . Both are good options.

Shows – Round 1 

After you’re done in Galaxy’s Edge, it’s time to slow down and enjoy something that Hollywood Studios has in abundance – shows! Some are good, some are bad, some are decidedly average but we have time to see most of them. Since the itinerary already had you at Galaxy’s Edge, check out Muppet Vision 3D. This is one of my favorite shows at the park despite it showing some age. After that, head back to Sunset Boulevard and see Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage as well as Lightning McQueen Racing Academy. The former is fine although probably wouldn’t be a bad one to skip. The latter is one of Disney’s newest shows, featuring Lightning McQueen and other favorites from the Cars franchise. I’d especially recommend this show to those with kids. Neither show will blow you away but we’re trying to spend an entire day at Hollywood Studios so what do you expect!

If you have time before lunch, there are a few other shows that you may want to see including Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Frozen Sing-along and any random street acts you find. I really enjoy the streetmosphere acts around Sunset Boulevard. Voyage of the Little Mermaid is fine. I despise the Frozen Sing-along but your mileage may vary there.

Counter-service options at Hollywood Studios were incredibly bad but have since improved greatly. Still there aren’t many options so we’ll just list our favorites here for you and you can choose! Woody’s Lunch Box , Toy Story Land’s counter-service restaurant, serves really good grilled cheese sandwiches. Woody’s is a logistical nightmare with long lines, and a lack of seating which all happens to be outdoors without shade. Fortunately, the food is good and at a fair price. Use the mobile order feature on the My Disney Experience app to avoid the line and then be prepared to eat on a trash can! If Woody’s doesn’t appeal to you then the aforementioned Galaxy’s Edge spots are also good. BaseLine Tap House has limited food offerings but I do like the charcuterie offered. Finally, ABC Commissary has a bad atmosphere but the best counter-service food in the park. If you need some character dining in your life, Hollywood & Vine is a hidden gem. If those options don’t appeal to you then you could also leave Hollywood Studios for lunch. Primo Piatto is close by with several great options and Epcot has a surplus of good places, just a short boat or Skyliner ride away. Caribbean Beach Resort also has a few decent options and is an even shorter Skyliner ride.

A George Lucas Late Afternoon

Now that it’s the hottest part of the day, head over to Echo Lake and go for a swim! Kidding. Instead, enjoy a few George Lucas inspired offerings. Star Tours, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, and Jedi Training are all on the docket. Star Tours doesn’t generally have a very long line so you should be able to find it for under half an hour. For the other two shows check the times guide. Jedi Training is great for those with kids, as the show features kids earning their Jedi stripes. Even without kids, this is a fun show to watch as everyone seems to enjoy themselves and the production value is pretty strong. If you are hungry during this time, stop by Gertie, our favorite dinosaur, for some ice cream.

While we’re in this step, go ahead and walk over to Walt Disney Presents, which is another short show that is worth seeing. It’s not about George Lucas but another visionary – some fella named Walt Disney. There’s a small exhibit before the show that’s well worth spending some time in, as well!

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

By now we should be into late afternoon and it’s time to bite the bullet on one of the park’s best rides. We’re biting the proverbial bullet because regardless of the wait time, it’s time to get in line for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. It’s not a pretty queue, at least the outside portion, but we’ve done almost every other attraction at this point and going here now will free up the rest of the night to re-ride whatever you want! I guess the one caveat here is if the line is over an hour long or it’s exceptionally hot on this day. Otherwise, enjoy the attraction that’s inside of the park’s icon!

If it’s too early to eat again then just swap this step with the following step. For dinner we recommend 50’s Prime Time or the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge over anything else. As we’ve already covered, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater has a great ambiance so that’s not a bad choice. If you didn’t try any of the counter-service options for lunch then it’s an option here and fits in with the following step. If you want to spend more money then the Hollywood Brown Derby is unequivocally the best restaurant in the park albeit a little pricey. That said, the Lounge has some cheaper options that are very tasty.

I should mention that Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge has a great environment, probably the best in all of Hollywood Studios. The drawback is a lack of food offered here. But if you’d rather snack and have drinks then Oga’s is a great way to go.

Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge at Night

Opting for Woody’s Lunch Box leaves you in Toy Story Land as the lights start to take effect. Even if you didn’t eat there then walk on over and enjoy the larger than life architecture and lighting. If the wait times are low then go for an attraction. Grab a dessert and enjoy the atmosphere, either exploring the details or pulling up a chair and relaxing for a little bit.

Galaxy’s Edge is far superior and is a must-see at night. The lighting throughout the land is really fantastic. Our usual park habits actually end the night at this new land, letting the crowds drain and soaking in the environment while taking photos. Riding Smuggler’s Run before closing is the best time to do the attraction because the wait times start to decrease significantly.

Nighttime Spectaculars

Disneyland’s Fantasmic! is far superior to Hollywood Studios version so if you have seen those then skipping this might be worth it. The fireworks and Fantasmic! can be at the same time, if that’s the case then we recommend the fireworks.

Hollywood Studios has some fun and interesting nighttime shows centered around the Chinese Theater. Wonderful World of Animation is the latest projection show at Disney World, featuring vignettes of animated classics projected on the Chinese Theatre. Disney Movie Magic is another projection show that celebrates Disney’s live-action films and shows on certain nights. The park’s fireworks are typically a Star Wars themed show, Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, that is fun and exciting, especially for fans of the franchise. Around Christmas time, Hollywood Studios does a holiday themed show called Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! All of these are worth seeing and fairly different from other Disney World firework shows but I likely wouldn’t plan to see them all. Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! is the worst of them. Spending some time in Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge when they are least crowded would be my preferred option over watching all of the nighttime shows.

Rise of the Resistance and a slow walk out!

Finally, it’s time for the park’s biggest attraction! Rise of the Resistance is an excellent ride and likely had long lines throughout the day. Before closing will be the shortest wait and will also keep guests from wasting other park time. We recommend getting in here just a few minutes before park closing and then enjoy this long masterpiece of an attraction. Keep an eye on the attraction’s hours though, as it may close early. If need be, do this before the nighttime spectaculars!

As we’ve covered, Galaxy’s Edge is the best environment in the park so linger here for a while on your way out. Outside of that, the central spine of the park has a large amount of neon that makes for some easy nighttime photos and interesting settings. The Hollywood Tower looks a little spookier at night and the Chinese Theater is beautiful anytime of day. My favorite part of Hollywood Studios at night is Echo Lake with some beautiful reflections and a few interesting subjects behind it. If photos aren’t your thing, then find a bench around there and take a moment to relax and enjoy the night. Slowly make your way out of the park and maybe go buy yourself a drink. You just made it through a whole day of Hollywood Studios!

As always, if you have questions or thoughts on our Hollywood Studios itinerary then leave a comment below. If you are planning a trip to Disney World, then check out our planning guide . This site has discount tickets to Walt Disney World . If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!

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Hollywood Studios Genie+ Priorities & Lightning Lane Ride Ranks

Hollywood Studios is the second-best park for buying Walt Disney World’s Genie+ service. Lightning Lane line-skipping access is available at 15 attractions in DHS, and many are headliners or popular thrill rides. This guide ranks all in terms of time-saved and how quickly they book up. ( Updated October 22, 2023 .)

For our Late 2023 update to these rankings, we want to start with a pretty positive update: Genie+ is easier  at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For a long time, Slinky Dog Dash booked up within seconds of 7 am, other rides moved fast starting at 9 am, and it could be difficult to score a worthwhile third Lightning Lane of the day–nevermind good 4th or 5th selection.

To be sure, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is still tough and requires savvy strategy. On peak season days, the above dynamic still exists. However, on moderately busy days (6/10 to 8/10 on the Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar ), it is much easier. Slinky Dog Dash can last for hours, not seconds or minutes, and most other attractions have availability through midday. So long as you choose in the correct order, it’s now possible to score Lightning Lane selections for just about every high-priority attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With that update out of the way, let’s turn to what you need to know about Genie+ at DHS, and cover the best order to make your ride reservations…

The goal is to give you the tools and info you need to create your own DHS itinerary with Genie+, rather than relying on our recently-updated 1-Day Disney’s Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes Plan . Or, you can utilize “a best of both worlds” approach, consulting that pre-made plan and the rankings here so you understand the why of it, and can adjust the itinerary to account for your Advance Dining Reservations, preferred stage showtimes, Fantasmic Dining Packages or standby , whether you want to minimize walking distances, etc.

As indicated above, crowd levels can heavily impact how an actual day at DHS plays out. To a lesser extent, weather, ride closures, stage showtimes, and more can also impact how things play out. As such, a sample itinerary cannot be replicated step-for-step with the exact same Lightning Lane time slots, etc. This equips you to put together your own dynamic plan of attack for using Genie+ in DHS.

Of course, this assumes that you want to ‘pay to play’ and will use the Genie+ paid FastPass option rather than simply doing standby lines. In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, that’s our recommendation. If you want to know the basis for that suggestion, see My Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Using Genie+ with Peak Season Crowds . That illustrates just how tough DHS can be even with strong strategy–it’s a brutal park no matter what your approach.

Additionally, see our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ for all of the foundational need-to-know info about this replacement for free FastPass+. This whole system is confusing and convoluted, so you might have a question or two-dozen. That answers all of the most common ones we’ve been receiving from readers.

Alternatively, if you’re thinking about skipping Genie+ at DHS, that’s possible, too. Our 1-Day Disney’s Hollywood Studios Itinerary covers how you can accomplish everything even if you’re staying off-site and don’t want to spend anything extra on Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes.

If you are staying on-site and don’t want to buy or otherwise hassle with the Genie+ service, the one thing we highly recommend is Early Entry at Disney’s Hollywood Studios . (Not to overwhelm you with planning resources, but having an idea of how a day at DHS is likely to play out will help you tremendously!)

As one final (we swear) note before we delve into the rankings, we should note that this offers ride priorities for Lightning Lanes via Genie+ and not Individual Lightning Lane (ILL) , which is pay-per-ride . The only ILL attraction is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Previously, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was also an Individual Lightning Lane ride, but that’s now a permanent part of Genie+ at DHS.

We are not keen on buying a la carte front of line access, so we recommend doing this attraction either first thing in the morning (if you’re eligible for Early Entry) or towards the end of the night. On busy days, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is potentially worth paying for ILL access–it’s the only ride at Walt Disney World we’d even consider paying for that, and even that depends upon crowd levels and wait times.

Now, on with the show & ride rankings for Genie+ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios…

The Best of Genie+ at DHS

1. Slinky Dog Dash – The obvious choice for your #1 Genie+ Lightning Lane selection and not just in DHS, but all of Walt Disney World. It used to be far and away the most popular pick, but lately, it has gotten some competition at EPCOT from Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

Whether you’re starting at DHS or Park Hopping later, you’ll want to prioritize this early in the day, as this one books up fast–often within minutes of 7 am. For Slinky Dog Dash, we strongly recommend following our Speed Strategy for Genie+ Selections .

2. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Since returning from its multi-month refurbishment earlier this year, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (RnRC) has been the second most popular Genie+ Lightning Lane and has averaged the third highest wait time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (after Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash). That safely cements it as the #2 priority, which is the highest it’s ever been. While you’ll definitely want to snag it early if you’re relying upon Genie+ to skip the lines, RnRC frequently has a short wait the first hour of day. In fact, there have been times we’ve done it back to back with zero wait at the end of Early Entry and start of rope drop.

3. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – This is the secondary attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but it still averages a top 5 wait time in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and is usually the second or third-fastest booking Lightning Lane ride reservation via Genie+. It shouldn’t be too difficult to secure this into the afternoon, so you have a little flexibility in booking this strategically depending upon your preferred return time and personal priorities.

4. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Earlier this year, the “new ride smell” started wearing off Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The average wait time has been dropping, and the attraction is typically not in the top 5 wait times at DHS. There is some day-to-day fluctuation in this, but Runaway Railway is now typically the #4 or #5 priority Lightning Lane. Its family-friendly and all ages (and heights) nature makes it more appealing for a lot of Genie+ guests, but you shouldn’t have much difficulty scoring this one even in the early afternoon most days.

5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – It has been an up-and-down year for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s ranking. It shot up last spring, then plummeted towards the end of summer before quickly rising again in the winter. This dynamic was attributable to a lengthy “stealth” refurbishment that took each elevator shaft down, with a gap in between the downtimes. That meant that the attraction was effectively operating at half-capacity for about 4 months on two different occasions.

During those downtimes, Tower of Terror had the second highest wait time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after only Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It even beat out Slinky Dog Dash most dates! Suffice to say, when Tower of Terror has one elevator shaft down, it became the #2 Genie+ Lightning Lane priority. When operating at full-capacity, its ranking drops significantly.

We mention all of this for two reasons. First, you might see references to Tower of Terror’s increased Lightning Lane popularity or higher wait times elsewhere, or you might’ve been tracking that yourself over the course of the last several months. In any case, it’s no longer part of the equation. You can once again safely save Tower of Terror for your fourth or fifth selection.

Second, if you see Tower of Terror’s wait time spike on the day you visit–and it has the first to third highest-wait time in the park–you should move it up to the #2 priority, as there’s a good chance one of the elevators is down (again). Even post-refurbishment, downtime does happen!

5. Toy Story Mania – Every park has one attraction that “soaks up” Genie+ ride reservations, allocating a significant portion of its capacity to line-skipping. Toy Story Mania is definitely that for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Its standby wait time has spiked since Genie+ launched (making this a good use of the Lightning Lane), but there’s typically easy availability via Genie+ for Toy Story Mania throughout the day.

6. Alien Swirling Saucers – Based on average standby wait times alone, this is a smart seventh pick. Subjectively, most people are probably good to skip the Toy Story Land flat ride.

The Rest of Genie+ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Star Tours — The Adventures Continue – This excellent Star Wars simulator can have decently long waits on the busiest days of the year, but most normal days, we’ve found Genie+ to offer almost no advantage here. Get it if you can, but don’t sweat standby.

Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight – There are a few deceptively popular meet & greets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight  is  the only one that offers a Lightning Lane. (Accordingly, we recommend doing Red Carpet Dreams and the Monsters, Inc. meet & greet earlier in the day or later in the evening.)

Stage Shows – Everything else at Disney’s Hollywood Studios–Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage, Disney Jr. Play & Dance, Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, MuppetVision 3D–is a show of some sort, or at least not a ride .

While Genie+ offers priority seating, which can amount to a better view, it’s typically not all that advantageous for shows. If you’re not going to Park Hop, you might consider using it for these shows, but there’s not a good way to put Lightning Lane reservations for these into your itinerary during the middle of the day. The opportunity cost of not booking one of the top 6 rides is too high. The vast majority of guests should simply do shows via the standby lines.

Ultimately, you should be able to knock out most attractions via Genie+ using Lightning Lanes on a good day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The biggest obstacle might be your first pick, as Slinky Dog Dash goes fast every single morning, especially during peak season.

You will miss out entirely on it if you’re not up and ready to make your first selection at 7 am. Other than that, you shouldn’t have much of a problem scoring slots for the remaining top 5 picks (except maybe Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run), so long as you’re willing to stay all day and don’t mind reservations in the afternoon.

On a bad day, you might not only miss out on Slinky Dog Dash, but also on another headliner or two in the top 5. Plan accordingly based on the crowds when you’ll be visiting, and also give yourself as many other advantages as possible–like Early Entry, rope drop, or staying late when crowds tend to die down at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Regardless of when you’re visiting, Genie+ will save you the second-most time at DHS, behind only Magic Kingdom, which earns that distinction because of its higher eligible attraction count. This is what makes buying Genie+ our recommendation for most people and on most days of the year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Even if it requires a bit of a splurge, cut the cost out of your Walt Disney World vacation budget somewhere else.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

How would you rank your ride priorities using Genie+ and Lightning Lanes in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Surprised by any of the rankings in our top 5, or that Slinky Dog Dash takes the #1 spot? Are you planning on buying Genie+ or skipping it? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

Just got back from Disney on Sunday. We did Hollywood Studios with genie plus and had a terrible experience. I booked slinky dog at 7am and my range of time was 5pm-6pm. By noon all of the rides (whether on top 5 list or not), were not offering anymore availability. Rock n Roll Coaster didn’t have anything available at 10am, but it came back to being available for about a hour around 11am. It’s our second time doing genie plus here at Hollywood and I think it might be our last visiting this park for awhile.

Great article! Would be curios to see a similar one for Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

So do you book your LL first and then buy ILL for ROR? Or vice versa?

Now that Fantasmic is showing again, I am curious as to if and how that has changed the dynamics of evenings at Hollywood Studios. We have been pretty successful at stacking a couple LLs and getting on several rides including Rise without long waits. Any insight into how Fantasmic has or has not affected the rest of the park? Thanks

I went in November of 2022, and I noticed for the 2nd showing of Fantasmic a lot of the rides had low waits, Rise of the Resistance was like 20 minutes?

Has anyone had issue trying to book lightning lanes while in transit to a park on a bus or private vehicle or booking outside the park entrance? Curious if trying to be at parks slightly before early entry will create issues booking lightning lanes due to cell service etc.

Great question – I’ve had the same question as we plan on doing EE and will need to leave the hotel before 7am.

As a long time AP, I can assure you one thing is absolutely pointless anymore… rope dropping. EVERYONE rope drops and it is almost always the busiest time of day at the parks. So when my family goes, we sleep in or go to a sit down breakfast… take our time. However during that time, I start booking Genie+ rides for the park we have a reservation for, stacking them for later in the day. By the time we end up at the parks (normally around 3-4pm), I have 4-6 rides already booked and we practically walk on to everything. Last time we were at HS during a busy time, we rode every ride with a Genie+ and paid for Rise. Started at RR, then Tower, then Runaway, then Slinky, then Toy Story, then Aliens, then Millennium Falcon, and finally Rise. Absolutely the way to go. And had time to have a few drinks along Hollywood Blvd, a little shopping in between, and some other snacks. We’ve done this at Magic Kingdom and Epcot also. MK is a little more in depth bc there are so many more rides, but we don’t do the small kid rides anymore (son is 11). Stacking has definitely been the best method we have found and we’ve tried all the “hacks” and tricks listed on these websites, with little to no luck. And the single day plans are also bogus unless you like standing in long lines.

I don’t agree with this at all. There’s still a ton of value in rope dropping the parks—the key is not to follow the herd.

Thank you for sharing this approach. I’m not a morning person. How do you “stack” your rides? I have not used genie+ before? Do you get to select times like the old FastPass? Can you book 6 rides in the morning? Or do you have to compete a few rides and then book the rest?

Thanks for the confirmation this strategy works. I’ve done experimental days from home where I “book” a Slinky Dog LL at around 5:15pm and then follow the two hour rule the rest of the day and theoretically arrive at the park with five evening LLs in hand, six if you include Rise.

I have followed you for a long time and always appreciate your insight! We just returned from a six night stay at the Riviera. Prior to that, February 2020, just before the pandemic, was our laser trip. So much has changed! We were up early each day and at the parks for early entry. Overall we had a wonderful time BUT I was disappointed in the number of headliners down throughout the trip. This included ROR, Slinky Dog, Mickey and Minnie’s Railway, GOTG, Frozen, Ratatouille, Everest and Test Track. We wound up returning on other days (changing our park reservations) and ultimately rode all of those, but I would think with the amount of $ park tickets cost more rides would be working. Is this more common now? If so, I wonder why.

Same experience. Tons of breakdowns and after waiting an hour in line in several parks. Happened way too many times. Just one example, frozen broke down then test track then remy. Over half the headliners. The morning was lost for so many people. Ridiculous and costly.

Hello, we are planning a WDW trip (first timers) at the busiest time of the year (Dec 27th – 31st), and although we are staying on property and planning Early Entry and utilizing ILL + LL, our main focus is Star Wars Edge for our 13yr old. However, I also don’t want to miss out on Slinky Dog Dash, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, and TOT. Are my expectations to high for that time of year, or can I book LL waiting for Early Entry for ROR? Thanks!

I haven’t been to WDW for Christmas since 2017 so I will leave that to better experts. I would only emphasize that I was surprised at how many people headed to Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. They ended up shutting down access to MK at noon. Plus, the street traffic to the park was crazy. Now that they have the park reservation system that will definitely help with crowd numbers but definitely plan your park reservations early and make them asap. Knowing that MK was popular, we did the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on our first night. Best move ever. Way less crowds in that park so we were able to hit so many of the must-do rides without long lines. If it’s not already sold out, strongly consider adding that. When we had our Christmas Day Magic Kingdom visit we didn’t miss out on all the great rides due to crowds because we’d done many of them at the party. If you are staying at a deluxe hotel check into extra late hours too. Another way to hit favorites without the crowds. Of course you’ll be an expert at Genie+ after a day or two – a definite must for MK and Galaxy’s End rides. If I can make one definite suggestion for your time on Bantuu, it’s lightsaber building at Savi’s. It’s pricy but so worth the entertainment, experience, and the excitement my two kids had when we walked up and surprised them (ages 20 & 13). You could bring in one guest to observe with the builder – we were taping every second – it was that good. And all the awesome photo’s afterward in Batuu. Worth every penny – an experience that your son will never forget. We are so grateful we splurged on Savi’s for the kids. They also have the Star Wars Bounty Hunter game with the Magicband+. Have heard good things about that too but you must have the MagicBand+ to play it. Have an awesome time!

We are headed to Disney the 2nd week of September (5 days, but all weekdays). I know it’s hard to predict because last year was far from normal, but we are hoping that things like ILLs and perhaps Genie+ wouldn’t be as necessary. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks!

Since you haven’t had responses and trip is so close I would say if you are staying at Disney hotel and you can do early morning and/or last thing at night , you can maybe get away with no genie + or ILL early September. The exception is probably rise because not only is it still usually first reservation to sell out but the ride is probably the most likely to break . At least with paid lightning lane you can come back later. For that reason I think it’s prudent to get the ill for rise at least once if you’re interested in riding. If you aren’t staying at Disney and rise sells out before you can buy, I’d probably buy genie+ for HS so at least you’re not risking spending your whole day waiting in line. Just one person opinion I also think the priority order for the rides has changed and millennium falcon is no longer second or third ride to sell out. Also the repairs are over for tower and runaway May fill up before tower. I’d suggest you start monitoring on app to get a sense about whether the wait times would be doable for you if you’ll be at park a lot mid day. No expert but hope this helps a little bit

CL 4 day ROTR showed 20 minute wait at 8 pm the other day (I suspect a typo by CMs lol) so we hopped in line and the wait was a pretty easy 40 minutes. Seems towards end of day ROTR is doable without ILL.

Hi there. I wanted to thank you for all this great info! We just came back from a 4 day stay during busy Easter weekend. Our main goals were to get on the RTR as we had never been on it, been a few years since we came to WDW and also Pandora rides at AK. I spent a lot of time here reading up on what is new and strategies to maximize our time and heavy investment on this trip. We did pay for Genie +, stayed on site and took advantage of early entry and rope drop at MK, DHS, and DAK and it was so worth it. We went on all the rides at DHS including Slinky Dog and got to go on RTR twice! We also got a recovery ticket that was used on Rockin Rollercoaster twice due to a breakdown in the Runway Railway ( only ride we missed). All in all your tips made this a memorable trip. We were able to book simultaneous at times and took advantage of the genie time rules, much easier while doing than reading about it. Rope dropping was fun and worth it to ride, eat, and take pics with low crowds early in the AM. We even went back to hotel two of the days and back to parks at night. I don’t think our trip would have been half as successful without your blog!

My daughter and I will be in Orlando from May 25 to June 4 (25th and 4th are non park days for sure). Because we are AKL from May 28th to June 4th, I was assuming we should do our 4 Disney park days in that window (we are Univeral pass holders this year so doing those, too). We don’t usually hop at WDW but between possible Cosmic Rewind opening, Memorial Day holidsy crowds, extended evening hours for deluxe guests (AKL qualifies), etc., I’m wondering if it makes sense in this case. Do you think it’s worth bigger crowds on Memorial Day at Epcot. For example, for the extended evening hours? This is not our first trip and universe-dependent, hopefully not our last.

How many people would pre pay for genie + for their whole trip if they could book their first ride at a normal time. Like when they buy them or 24 hours ahead at noon.

If it was fast plus I would.

I just returned from a trip to WDW (1/23 – 1/28). Monday, 1/24 was a 10/10 day at MK — ride times rivaled New Years times — I have no idea why. I can firmly say Genie+ worked for us for MK, DHS, and even EPCOT one day. I closely followed the strategies identified on this site and created a spreadsheet that I followed closely. My daughter and I worked the Genie+ / ILL at 7:00AM every morning. Yes, Genie+ costs more money, and yes it takes planning — but I was willing to pay-to-play (including ILL’s) because the amount of money we were already spending just staying at WDW was more than justified to me. For those of you curious, I spent an extra $419 over 6 days in the parks on Genie+ and ILL’s for 3 people — but, this preserved my sanity and tremendously maximized our rides by following the strategy I created from the many blogs on this site. We talked to a wonderful mother from Alberta Canada while at DHS, and she described the same crazy 1/24 Monday at MK, where she rode a *maximum* of 4 rides spending an average of 2 hours at each ride. That is 8+ hours waiting in line doing nothing else!!! For us, this saved us time (not money) by maximizing our time on rides — we rode 12+ rides including most “headliner” rides. On the crazy Monday at MK, we did many rides and ILL’ed Seven Dwarfs. Unexpectedly, Seven Dwarfs was down when we went to the LL but were rewarded with a return time of *all day* — we kept that in our back pocket so that worked out to our advantage as we rode this ride when it suited our schedule. Bonus! We did Jungle Cruise Genie+ and that ride reached a crazy 125 minutes.

All of this to say something to think about when deciding on whether to buy Genie+ and/or ILL’s. I did use Genie+ pass stacking and pass-and-ride strategies. For all parks we did early entry rope drops (we were Disney resort guests) and closed many of the parks. For DHS on 1/25, at early opening we did Tower of Terror x 2 (one after another), followed by Rockin’ Roller Coaster. 3 rides without spending a dime by getting there early. Granted we don’t mind getting up early and staying to closing — we averaged 24,000 steps per day with a high of 26,800 steps on a park hop day (we park hopped and continued to use Genie+ in the other parks — by the way, don’t discount the use of Genie+ with a park hop option — this is often overlooked but yields many late rides).

Money aside, Genie+ works *with* a strategy. This blog site helped immensely with creating a strategy in a spreadsheet. We also packed plenty of patience with the crowds. And for those who think there is no downtime, there is plenty of time to shop and rest (we had reservations for table service at all parks, and did the MK After Party and EPCOT Rose & Crown Dinner Fireworks combining both — this was my favorite meal / fireworks after a long day of cold and rain).

One other point — this was perhaps the best trip we have taken over 20 years where the crowds were well behaved. Seriously! I only saw several gaming the system attempts — the newest example is people taking “service dogs” to the parks. One service dog vest was so fake you just had to laugh at the brazenness coupled with the breed. But this was minor — I experienced no bad line cutting attempts at all — even with the high crowds. It was an unexpectedly good experience.

Sorry for the long post, but having a solid strategy for Disneyworld makes ALL the difference in maximizing your time and experiences.

Hi Matt, I hope this doesn’t sound too forward, but I’d love a copy of the spreadsheet you made for your WDW trip. I am taking my family for the first time in June and am a big believer in planning ahead!

Thanks so much, Christi Budge [email protected]

Thank you for this field report post. Appreciate the detail. A couple things do stand out for my situation is that I have a family of 5 not 3 so I’d be looking at even more dough spent on genie and also we like to enjoy the pool in the late afternoon and not just go to the parks early to close.

Hi Matt Same as Chriti. I’d love to see your spreadsheet as I try and do things like that myself. We have a trip coming up with 6 and we will have to pay if we are doing any Geni+. My daughter is old enough so this would be the 1st time she would have her own account. So at 7am we can both try and get that 1st LL for the 6 of us and whoever gets it then it will work for all 6 of us correct? [email protected]

Hi Matt, Do you mind sharing your spreadsheet. We are going to WDW in June for the first time with our daughter and I like to plan ahead of time. Thank you so much in advance! Regards, Mitzy [email protected]

Just got back and bought Genie+ for DHS not sure it was worth it. Park was Packed on a rainy cold Tuesday and while we did score SDD for midday almost every other ride only had after 3pm available when we became eligible at 11am for a second pass. By 1pm half the rides were sold out or 6pm or later returns. Rope drop continues to be the best strategy here I’ll buy ROTR usually the same price as Genie+ and continue to make this a half day park.

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Undercover Tourist Review [Discounted Tickets, Hotels, and Car Rentals]

Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

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Table of Contents

What is undercover tourist, discount tickets, earning points on tickets, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets at a discount. If you’ve planned a trip to Walt Disney World , Universal Studios, or SeaWorld, you’ve probably come across Undercover Tourist. But did you also know you can use this website to book hotels and rental cars, too?

In this post, we’ll go over what you need to know to use Undercover Tourist to find the best prices on amusement park tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Plus, we’ll go over some of the popular features of the site like the Crowd Calendar.

Undercover Tourist is a website that that’s been around since 2000 and is known for offering discounted tickets to theme parks across the U.S. The site is an authorized seller of tickets for all the major theme parks you know and love:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
• Disneyland in California
• Universal Orlando Resort
• Universal Studios Hollywood
• SeaWorld Orlando
• SeaWorld San Diego
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort
• LEGOLAND California Resort

Undercover Tourist also has discounted tickets to non-theme park attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, ski resorts, zoos, movie theaters, and lots more! Plus, it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals.

While Undercover Tourist offers a ton of ticket, hotel, and car options, the site is limited in the number of destinations it covers. You’ll only find options in the following cities:

• Breckenridge, CO
• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York City, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Park City, Utah
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Washington, D.C.

Options in Seattle, London, and Paris are coming soon.

Bottom Line: Undercover Tourist is a resource for discounted tickets to theme parks and other attractions in select cities across the U.S. It’s best known for offering discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks.  The site also acts as an online travel agency for hotel reservations and car rentals in these select cities.

Let’s review the steps to using Undercover Tourist to purchase discounted tickets.

You can start your search for discounted tickets from many different places on the home page. Click on Discount Tickets in the top menu bar, click on a logo underneath the menu bar, or click on any of the featured tickets in the middle of your screen to start your search.

After choosing your destination, you’ll be able to see lots of information about your chosen theme park, including maps, hotels, tips, and more. Scroll down a bit to find the availability calendar and ticket options.

The tickets you buy through Undercover Tourist are exactly the same as if you purchased them directly from the park, except you’ll probably save some money.

After choosing the type and number of tickets you need, you’ll be able to see your final price and choose your travel dates. The price you see is what you’ll pay — taxes are included and shipping is free!

Hot Tip: Are you on a tight budget? Check out our full guide to using visiting Disney World for cheap using points and miles.

Paper Tickets vs. E-Tickets

You may be inclined to have your tickets emailed to you, but there are some risks. E-tickets are non-refundable, and you’ll need to stop at Will Call at the gate to pick up your physical tickets. For Disney tickets, if you have a MagicBand, you can add the e-tickets to your account and proceed directly to the gate, but they’ll still be non-refundable.

Instead, it may be a better idea to have the physical tickets mailed to you. This option is also free and the tickets will be eligible for a refund. Plus, you’ll be able to go straight to the gate at the park which can be a huge timesaver.

Refundable Tickets

Many tickets sold on Undercover Tourist are refundable within 90 days of purchase. To get a refundable ticket, you’ll need to have tickets mailed to you vs. opting for email delivery. Refundable tickets will be clearly marked. Be sure to confirm the return policy for your specific tickets before completing your purchase.

If you need to return tickets that you purchased, you’ll be charged a 5% fee to cover the return.

Hot Tip: E-tickets are non-refundable. To get a ticket that is eligible for a refund, you’ll need to select the Mailed To Your Door  option.

Travel Insurance

Before finalizing your purchase, you’ll be prompted to add travel insurance. Before choosing whether or not to add insurance to your purchase, you’ll want to learn about all of your options.

Undercover Tourist offers insurance through Allianz Global Assistance , a popular travel insurance company. However, the policy offered by Undercover Tourist covers lots of areas that may already be covered through your credit card including trip cancellation and interruption , lost or delayed baggage, and travel accident insurance, so it may not be needed.

If you purchase tickets that are eligible for a refund, insurance is probably not necessary. If you’re also booking a hotel or rental car, take a minute to determine if you have a credit card with rental car insurance  before purchasing a separate policy.

Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a popular feature on the site that helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park.

To access the Crowd Calendar, just click on Crowd Calendar in the top menu bar of the website.

You’ll be able to look at specifics for a handful of the most popular destinations:

• Discovery Cove
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Magic Kingdom Park
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal’s Volcano Bay

Hot Tip: The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a color-coded chart that helps you predict which parks will be more or less crowded on a specific day.

If you’re headed to Orlando, be sure to download the Undercover Tourist Orlando Planning App, free for iOS . This handy app will take the stress out of trying to navigate the parks on your own with features like an interactive map, up-to-date park information, park plans, and estimated wait times.

The app covers Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando.

The Frog Guarantee and Frog Family Promise

The Frog Guarantee and Frog Family Promise are not price guarantees, rather they’re guarantees of quality and customer service.

When purchasing amusement park tickets through Undercover Tourist you’ll always receive:

• Authentic tickets from an authorized seller
• Free standard shipping
• No hidden fees
• 90-day refund/return policy (not applicable to e-tickets)
• RFID enabled and Genie+ eligible Disney tickets
• Next-day pickup or delivery availability

Price Comparisons

So, let’s answer the question you really want to know, “Can Undercover Tourist save me money?”

To do this, we priced out some ticket options for 1 adult on Undercover Tourist and compared those to what we could get directly from the park’s website.

In every single example we priced out, Undercover Tourist was the cheapest option! If you’re looking for discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and other popular theme parks, you’ll probably save money by using Undercover Tourist.

Hot Tip: You can NOT use Disney gift cards to pay for tickets through Undercover Tourist. So, if you’ve been collecting gift cards from stores with high points bonuses (like grocery stores ), you’ll need to purchase your tickets directly through the park.

Purchasing tickets to an amusement park can be expensive. So, of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re earning as many points as possible on your purchase.

Amusement park tickets usually code as “entertainment,” so if you’re purchasing them directly, you’ll want to use a credit card that offers bonus categories on entertainment purchases . The Citi Premier ® Card earns 2 points per dollar spent on entertainment purchases, including tickets to amusement parks.

However, purchases from Undercover Tourist code as “travel” which opens up the door to earn points on a variety of different credit cards. These credit cards all earn bonus points on the travel category, which will include amusement park tickets purchased from Undercover Tourist.

Earn 3x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve ®
• Citi Premier card

Earn 2x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card
• Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards card

Hot Tip: If you have an American Express card, check to see if Amex Offers has any current money-back offers from Undercover Tourist. 

While Undercover Tourist is known as the place to buy theme park tickets, the site also acts as an online travel agency for booking hotels.

To get started, click on Hotels in the top menu bar. Then select your destination from the drop-down box and enter the number of travelers and your travel dates.

Your search results will be displayed in a format similar to other hotel booking websites that you may be familiar with (like Expedia , Priceline , Hotels.com , etc). Filtering options will be available on the left side of your screen and sorting options are located on the upper right-hand side, above the results.

Unlike with tickets on Undercover Tourist, the prices you see initially don’t include tax. You’ll have to click through to the payment page to see the full price with taxes and fees included.

Cancellation policies will vary by the hotel but will be clearly displayed once you add an item to your cart.

Hot Tip: If you’re traveling to Florida to enjoy the theme parks, check out these places to stay in Orlando for your Disney vacation!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples to see if booking a hotel through Undercover Tourist can save you money. For both of these examples, we priced out a week-long stay for 2 adults and 1 child. Prices include taxes and fees and are for the hotel stay only (tickets are not included).

The results are typical of most price comparisons we do — they aren’t consistent! Undercover Tourist had the best price for the first option, but Trivago came out with the best price in the second example. The bottom line is that you can definitely save money by using Undercover Tourist for your hotel stay, but not always.

The car rental search functionality on the Undercover Tourist website is pretty limited. You’ll only be able to search for car rentals at Orlando International Airport (MCO) from only 5 car rental companies — Alamo, Avis , Budget , Enterprise , and National .

We did a couple of searches to find out if booking your Orlando car rental through Undercover Tourist could save you money. We searched for the cheapest price for a week-long rental on 2 different dates.

In both of these examples, Undercover Tourist came out as the second most expensive option. Interestingly, Momondo  had the lowest price and Priceline had the highest price in both examples.

Undercover Tourist may be a great place to purchase theme park tickets, but it’s not a great option when you’re searching for a rental car.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets on the cheap. It also acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals, but only in select cities.

It’s a great site to use to save some money on theme park tickets, but the savings on hotels and cars aren’t as consistent.

Before you head to Disney, check out some of our helpful guides including re-opening plans , packing lists , and even how to visit virtually .

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does undercover tourist give refunds.

Yes, most ticket purchases are eligible for a refund within 90 days of purchase if you choose to have your tickets mailed to you. E-tickets are usually non-refundable. If you choose to return tickets, you’ll be charged a 5% fee.

What is the Undercover Tourist crowd calendar?

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park using a color-coded system.

Is Undercover Tourist legitimate?

Yes, Undercover Tourist is a legitimate website that sells discounted amusement park tickets and it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and rental cars. It’s an authorized seller for tickets to some of the most popular parks in the U.S. including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

Why is Undercover Tourist cheaper?

Undercover Tourist buys tickets at a wholesale price from the theme parks so they’re able to re-sell them to you at a discounted price. Plus, they don’t charge any additional fees so the price you see is the price you’ll pay.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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Hollywood Billion-Dollar Skyscraper Plan Scrapped By Developer

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A controversial plan to erect what would have been the tallest buildings in Hollywood has been scrapped.

The proposed Hollywood Center would have been located straddling parking lots between the Capitol Records tower and the Pantages Theater , just north of Hollywood Boulevard. The plans for the $1 billion construction would have seen a mixed-use development of residential and office towers.

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“Sixteen years ago, we spearheaded the effort to save the world-renowned Capitol Records Building by getting this iconic structure declared a City of Los Angeles historic-cultural monument so that future generations could continue to appreciate its timeless beauty,” said Millennium Partners founding partner Philip Aarons in a statement. “Over the last several years we have worked to preserve this architectural treasure by completing a full seismic upgrade of the structure so that the building can return to its critical role within the music industry.

“While we have made the decision for now not to move ahead with our vision to build housing on the surrounding surface parking lots, we remain committed to working to make the Hollywood community a better place to live and work and to help Hollywood realize its full potential as the entertainment capital of not just Los Angeles, but the world.”

The Hollywood Center project would have seen buildings 46 and 35 stories high and created up to 1,005 residential units.

The project has run into roadblocks galore during its time under consideration. A flawed environmental impact report, complaints from neighbors about views being spoiled and untenable traffic, and a finding by the California Geological Survey that an earthquake fault ran through the property all plagued the project.

There were even assertions that the natural acoustics of the Capitol Records studios would be harmed by construction.

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