Last updated: August 21, 2025. Please email us if you find any errors.
Are you planning your Disney World vacation and feeling overwhelmed with the options and unsure how to navigate the parks? Disney can often leave guests, first-timers, and repeaters, overwhelmed. Using our Hollywood Studios touring plan in place will help to ensure your day’s success! Let’s get started!
Hollywood Studios is the smallest of the four Disney World theme parks and has the fewest attractions.
Many guests think this means they don’t need a plan or a full day to cover everything Hollywood Studios has to offer. But in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Fewer attractions to choose from means longer lines.
This is the park that I would purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass for every single visit. Avoid the long lines as much as possible!
What You Need to Know About Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass Before Visiting Hollywood Studios
Table of Contents
Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a paid service at Walt Disney World that replaced the old Genie+ system and works a bit differently.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be purchased each day of your trip and must be purchased for each person in your party who wants to ride using the Lightning Lane.
Attractions are selected on the official Walt Disney World app (My Disney Experience) with a specific return time when you can join the Lightning Lane line.
Lightning Lane is a separate line at participating attractions that allows guests to skip the standby line (regular queue).
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel will be able to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass 7 days prior to your check-in date, for the entire length of your stay (up to 14 days). You can purchase for as many or as few days as you want during your stay.
Guests not staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel have a few options, depending on which type of ticket you’ll be using. For date-based tickets, you will be able to purchase 3 days before the first day of your ticket, for the length of your visit. Any other type of tickets (Annual Passholder, Cast Member, etc) will need to book 3 days ahead for each day of your visit.
Note: At this time, international guests outside of the USA and Canada will not be able to pre-book selections until they are in the USA.
Pro Tip: You can choose your experiences and times before purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass to make sure there is availability that works for you.
You can select 3 rides in one park on your booking day: one from Tier 1, and two from Tier 2 (based on which theme park). After you use your first selection each day, you can choose another selection in any park, in any tier. After you use your second selection, you can again choose another, so that you always have 3 rides lined up.
Tips for Success:
Always check your My Disney Experience app as soon as you scan into a Lightning Lane and select your next attraction. The app tells you when you can choose the next attraction.
For a complete list of Lightning Lane attractions and priorities visit our Lightning Lane Priorities – Hollywood Studios Attractions. For the Hollywood Studios touring plan, please continue reading.
Lightning Lane Single Pass
Some of the more popular rides in each park are not included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass purchase. These few attractions are called Lightning Lane Single Pass. Confused yet? We know, the names make it extra tricky! But we promise, it will all come together for you!
Lightning Lane Single Pass can be purchased in your My Disney Experience app, as a per person, per ride add on – for each ride offered. This can be purchased at the same time as Lightning Lane Multi Pass, for any park.
Those rides are: (Subject to change)
- Hollywood Studios – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Animal Kingdom – Flight of Passage
- Magic Kingdom – TRON Lightcycle Run and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- EPCOT – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Prices change based on park and date attending.
Hollywood Studios Park Strategy with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Here’s your Hollywood Studios plan. Let’s get started!
Remember, you can select your experiences 7 days before check-in day for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests, and 3 days prior for date-based tickets. Note: there are two tiers for the rides at Hollywood Studios.
• Select your first 3 rides for Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Slinky Dog Dash from Tier 1 (this goes fast) – Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania! from Tier 2
• Buy Lightning Lane Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance, if wanted. This can be done at the same time as buying your Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Arrive at least one hour before park opening. Park hours can be found in your My Disney Experience app or on the Disney World website.
Once you’re scanned in at Hollywood Studios:
• Ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster standby
• Ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with Lightning Lane
• Select Lightning Lane for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Ride Alien Swirling Saucers standby
• Ride Toy Story Mania! with Lightning Lane
• Select Lightning Lane for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Fill time with Walt Disney Presents, Frozen sing-a-long, Indiana Jones Stunt Show (Lightning Lane is also available for the shows)
• Use Lightning Lane for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Select Lightning Lane for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Use Lightning Lane for Slinky Dog Dash
• Select Lightning Lane for Star Tours
• Ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run with Lightning Lane
• Fill time with some shows: Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage show, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
• Ride Star Tours with Lightning Lane
• Ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster with Lightning Lane
Other Entertainment
Hollywood Studios offers much more than attractions to fill your magical day.
Currently, there are a few options for evening entertainment at Hollywood Studios. Disney Movie Magic followed by Wonderful World of Animation and Fantasmic! You can not see both in one evening, as the times overlap. (During busy seasons Fantasmic! may be offered twice in an evening). If you only have one evening, choose to watch Fantasmic! Plan to arrive to the venue 45 mins to an hour beforehand for the best seats. This will most likely be the last thing you do on your Hollywood Studios day as the park is typically closed after the show.
Additionally, you can make a reservation for the Fantasmic! Dining Package for reserved seating. Reservations are made on your My Disney Experience App 60 days prior to arrival.
For additional Park Touring plans visit the following:
For additional information Lightning Lanes search “Lightning” in the top right. Here are links to a few of our favorites.
- A How-To Guide for the New Lightning Lane System (and How To Cut Costs Elsewhere to Balance the Price Increase)
- Lightning Lane Priorities – Magic Kingdom Attractions
Ready to book your next magical vacation? Contact your favorite Love of the Magic Vacations Travel Advisor or email hello@LOTMV.com
Don’t forget to join our Disney Besties Q&A Facebook Group where you’ll find all the helpful tips and answers you need for your next Disney vacation.
