No planned visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is complete without a guide to all its rides and attractions!
The 3rd of 4 parks to open at Walt Disney World, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a love letter to Hollywood. It immerses guests in the movies they love – from Indiana Jones to Star Wars to up and coming Disney feature films. In fact, the reason I visit this park so often is because of its Hollywood charm as soon as I enter.
It’s easy to spend your entire day hanging out with Mickey and Minnie, chilling with your favorite Muppets pals, and spending time with the Toy Story gang. Hollywood Studios offers guests incredible experiences from a wide array of Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars movies. But exactly what rides and attractions does Hollywood Studios offer?
This is your ultimate guide to every ride and attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Important Details to Know About Rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Table of Contents
Knowing some simple-but-key details about the rides at Hollywood Studios is key to understanding our Hollywood Studios ride guide.
In this guide, you’ll find a general understanding of each ride’s storytelling. You’ll also learn what type of guest will enjoy each ride and what type of guest might want to skip it. Next, you’ll learn which rides offer specific access options such as single rider or Lightning Lane service. Finally, you’ll learn each ride’s height requirement in order to understand if you and your group can ride together.
The following Hollywood Studios ride guide has each of these bits of information to make understanding the rides much easier.
Before jumping into each ride, let’s briefly cover a few ride access options you can expect to see.
Single Rider and Rider Switch Options
Walt Disney World has Single Rider lines at only 4 rides – 2 of them are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Single Rider lines are specifically for 1 person who fills up any remaining open spaces on certain attractions. This potentially cuts your wait time down compared to going through the standby queue. However, with the widespread use of Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, single rider lines are few and far between.
Guests also have the option of using Rider Switch, which is popular among families with kiddos who can’t or don’t want to ride a particular ride. Similar to the Rider Switch option utilized at Disneyland Resort, 1 person stays with the non-rider while the other responsible party (age 14 and up) and accompanying guests (up to 2) enjoy the attraction. Once finished, they can switch riders in order to experience the same attraction without having to wait again in the queue.
Rider Switch is a great way to ensure that anyone can ride without worrying about their younger kiddo!
Useful Tools for Reduced Wait Times: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass
More prevalent across the Disney World theme parks is the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass – both paid services that allow you to make attraction “reservations” from the My Disney Experience mobile app.
A complete replacement of the FastPass+ service from years past, Lightning Lane Multi Pass gives guests specific return-times to ride multiple attractions throughout the day. On the other hand, Lightning Lane Single Pass allows you to purchase reservations for the most in-demand rides and attractions.
Both of these tools, when used strategically, can allow you to experience a high number of rides and attractions you otherwise couldn’t do on a busy Disney park day.
Hollywood Studios Ride Guide: Rides by Area
Since opening day, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has gone through several major changes – including a big name change.
Initially, Disney World’s 3rd theme park was developed as both a theme park inspired by show business and a fully operating production studio complete with active film and television production services, an animation facility branch, and a functioning backlot. Over the years, Disney’s Hollywood Studios made the transition to a fully operating theme park celebrating the art of movie making but without the production studio. It’s made up of 9 different themed areas, many of them themed after different eras of Hollywood and some of them themed after some of our favorite movie franchises.
Let’s go over each themed area and their respective rides and attractions in our Hollywood Studios ride guide.
Hollywood Boulevard
The first themed land you step into when entering Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Boulevard gives off the vibes of 1940’s Los Angeles, with the beautiful backdrop of the Grauman Chinese Theater.
It’s inside the Grauman Chinese Theater where you’ll find Hollywood Boulevard’s only ride:
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Did you know that this is Disney’s first-ever ride that features Mickey and Minnie Mouse?
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway allows you to step through the movie screen and join Mickey and the gang on an incredible experience blending the 3D human world with the 2D animated world. Before riding, you’re invited to watch the premiere of a new Mickey Mouse cartoon about Mickey and Minnie preparing for a picnic outing and encountering Goofy driving a train.
With the pre-show setting up the ride perfectly, you then climb aboard a runaway train and go on a whirlwind ride through Mickey’s world. This family-friendly ride is full of dazzling visual effects and surprising twists and turns. Oh, and prepare your ears for the catchy theme song!
This trackless dark ride is fun for the entire family!
Skip If: You don’t do well with 3D shows
Access: Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Height Requirements: Any Height
Tip: There are a lot of Easter eggs and Hidden Mickeys on this ride. See if you can spot the numbers 1901 and 1928 during the ride, which correspond to the birth years of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, respectively. Also look for a poster titled “The Great Moving Ride,” a nod to The Great Movie Ride which used to be housed in the same location!
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard evokes the feel of 1940s Hollywood and is the first right as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard.
There are 2 iconic rides at the end of Hollywood Boulevard:
Rock ‘N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
No day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is complete without visiting Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.
On this ride, you’ll take a ride on the wild side while jamming along to some of Aerosmith’s greatest hits. During the pre-show, you encounter the band Aerosmith themselves as they’re about to make their way across Los Angeles to their next concert – and you’re taking a speeding limo to join them!
On the ride, you’ll loop, corkscrew, and speed up to 60 miles-per-hour – in the dark. Much wilder than Space Mountain or Test Track, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is perfect for the thrill-seekers in your party.
Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is one of my all-time favorite thrill rides at Disney World.
Skip If: You’re prone to motion sickness or intimidated by a roller coaster in the dark
Access: Single Rider, Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 48″ (122cm)
Tip: During the countdown to the ride launch, make sure to keep your head back into the headrest. The last thing you want is to walk away from the ride with neck pain!
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
If you’re at the end of Sunset Boulevard to ride Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, you have to ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in its purest sense is an accelerated drop tower dark ride. Based on the classic Rod Serling television series, this ride takes you to the 5th dimension. So the story goes, on a gloomy Halloween night in 1939, several patrons at the Hollywood Tower Hotel were riding the elevator when a violent storm struck the building and were never seen again.
After learning this story during the ride pre-show, you enter the seemingly normal-but-rickety looking elevator-style lift. Quickly realizing how far from ordinary your elevator lift is, you quickly enter the 5th dimension and then are propelled up and down the abandoned elevator shaft.
“Will you make it back to the real world… or will you become a permanent resident of the Twilight Zone?”
Skip If: You’re prone to motion sickness or intimidated drop-tower style rides
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm)
Tip: When the queue splits and you find yourself entering the pre-show room on the left side, try to find the Mickey Mouse Easter Egg in the bookshelf. It’s a piece of sheet music entitled “What! No Mickey Mouse?” There are also a few Hidden Mickeys throughout the queue!
Toy Story Land
Toy Story Land is literally my childhood in a theme park and features some of the most popular rides in our Hollywood Studios ride guide.
Based on the classic Pixar animated film, Toy Story Land shrinks you to the size of a toy as you explore Andy’s backyard!
Toy Story Land features 3 fun (and busy) rides:
Toy Story Mania
This ride is perfect for those who love to compete.
Reminiscent of boardwalk midway games, Toy Story Mania combines fun elements of Toy Story with friendly competition, making it a perfect ride for families. The standby queue for Toy Story Mania gives you an incredible tour of Andy’s toy chest full of classic games. Even if you’re not a big Toy Story fan, you might just recognize some classic games like Candy Land, Lincoln Logs, and Chutes and Ladders.
After boarding the carnival-inspired tram with our 3D glasses, you get to test your skills using a spring-action shooter to take down an array of moving targets. With 5 fast-paced games, you’re sure to have a great time.
If this ride is high on your priority list, make sure to get in line early, as it often gets high wait times during the day.
Skip If: You’re prone to motion sickness, especially with 4D games
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Height Requirements: Any Height
Tip: If you’re looking for maximum points, there’s a few strategies you can implement at each of the 5 games. Patterns are key!
- Hamm and Eggs: Hit the fox to unlock the chickens, which are higher point targets. Rinse and repeat.
- Dino Darts: Hit the lava flow balloons to unlock the balloons, which are higher point targets. Also look for comets in the background, which are higher point targets.
- Shoot Camp: Hit the high point plates being tossed around in the background, which unlock a tank that shoots out more high point plates. This game works best with two working together.
- Flying Tossers: Ring all the aliens across the board before they regenerate to unlock a monster alien, which are higher point targets. This one also works better with two working together.
- Shootin’ Gallery: Hit the higher point bulls-eyes and higher point mine carts. Also hit the bat hanging overhead that regenerates for higher points.
Slinky Dog Dash
Slinky Dog Dash is one of the most popular rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
With its elevated coaster track exposed to look much taller, Slinky Dog Dash looks like it’s going to be an intense experience. Don’t worry though – it’s a gentle roller coaster ride that the entire family can enjoy. With mild turns, dips, and hills, this ride gives you a sense of adventure and excitement without feeling too intense.
While in the standby queue, you learn about the backstory behind this ride: Andy put his Dash and Dive playset coaster and cars inside Slinky. Because of this, Slinky Dog’s spring coils stretch to the limit as you zoom around curves and up and down hills! If you’re up for a little extra thrill, make sure to sit at the back for some wonderful views of Toy Story Land.
Slink Dog Dash is even more special at night with all its bright lights!
Skip If: You’re not a big fan of roller coasters
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 38″ (97cm)
Tip: Try to find the Hidden Mickey in the loading area of the ride, on one of Andy’s drawings taped to the cardboard box. The picture shows Slinky Dog Dash as well as a hidden Mickey! Also look out for plenty of Pixar Easter eggs in the ride queue, including a UPC barcode with the founding date for Pixar Animation Studios and the opening date for Magic Kingdom as well as Buster’s dog tag as the “wait time” sign!
Alien Swirling Saucers
Who doesn’t love the little green aliens from Toy Story?
Featuring the cutest extraterrestrials in the galaxy, this ride has the little green aliens taking you on an interstellar romp through space. On the ride queue, you’re walking among the weeds and grass of Andy’s backyard as you approach the Aliens playset that Andy won at Pizza Planet.
When loading into the ride vehicle, you choose the saucer you want to ride in. Similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure, Alien Swirling Saucers is a fun spinning ride with futuristic tunes to set the mood. This is a great slower-paced ride that everyone can enjoy.
Make sure to ride early though, since it gets busy quickly!
Skip If: You dislike spinning rides or are prone to motion sickness
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 32″ (81cm)
Tip: It’s important to know that the queue is entirely outside, which can get very hot on warmer Florida days.
Grand Avenue
Home to your favorite Muppets characters, Grand Avenue has one iconic attraction:
Muppet*Vision 3D
Muppet*Vision 3D is full of nostalgia, corny jokes, and plenty of Miss Piggy making it one of our favorites on this Hollywood Studios ride guide.
This hilarious mix of film and live-action is housed in a perfect replica of the Muppet Theater from the classic television series, The Muppet Show. Before entering the theater, you’ll watch a pre-show hosted by Scooter, full of mishaps, corny jokes, and laughs.
Then comes the main show with Statler and Waldorf occasionally interrupting with their cranky comments. With your 3D glasses on, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the Muppets gang take you on a zany tour of their lab showing off their new movie-making invention: Muppet*Vision 3D. Full of musical numbers, in-theater special effects, and classic Jim Henson humor, this show is guaranteed to bring down the house.
Muppet*Vision 3D is a definitely must-see!
Skip If: You don’t do well with 3D shows
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Height Requirements: Any Height
Tip: You generally don’t have to worry about long wait times for this attraction. It runs every 15 minutes or so and there’s almost always plenty of seats available.
Echo Lake
Paying homage to its real-life 1950’s-era counterpart in California, Echo Lake is Hollywood Studios’ small oval lagoon.
Around Echo Lake is one ride that’s a Star Wars fan favorite:
Star Tours – The Adventure Continues
The original Star Wars themed ride at Disney World, Star Tours – The Adventure Continues brings you on a thrilling 3D space flight to legendary Star Wars destinations.
The ride queue closely resembles an airport, but with destinations that are out of this galaxy. Full of security scans, luggage screenings, and planetary weather forecasts, there are a lot of cool details to take note of.
Using flight simulator technology, guests board a Starspeeder 1000 for a tour of the galaxy. However, after a series of mishaps, protocol droid C-3PO takes the controls. This ride features several different Star Wars destinations, so you never know what kind of trip you’ll experience.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to look up at the towering AT-ATs and the Ewok village before entering the show building!
Skip If: You’re prone to motion sickness or don’t do well with 3D shows
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm)
Tip: With several different possible Star Wars destinations, there are over 50 possible combinations of ride experiences, making the re-rideability factor off the charts! Don’t worry though – generally, wait times for Star Tours – The Adventure Continues tend to be under 30 minutes.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is 14 acres of breathtaking land that fully immerses you in the Star Wars universe and is one of the newest areas in this Hollywood Studios ride guide,
This land, which is at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park, consists of several restaurants, stores, and 2 incredible rides:
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is arguably the most expensive video game you’ll ever see at Walt Disney World!
The queue for this ride is filled to the brim with Star Wars details. With first-hand looks at the backside of the Millennium Falcon, a mechanic shop, and an engine room, you could spend endless amounts of time looking for the details on this ride.
The pre-show has you meeting Hondo Ohnaka, the pirate behind your job. Your mission: steal and deliver precious cargo from First Order TIE fighters. This interactive ride puts you and 5 other guests in the cockpit of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. How successful your mission goes is completely up to your team of pilots, gunners, and engineers!
Whatever you do, make sure to take a photo in front of a life-sized version of Han Solo’s classic ship!
Skip If: You’re prone to motion sickness or don’t do well with virtual reality games
Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch, Single Rider
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 38″ (97cm)
Tip: If you can, make sure to spend time exploring the pre-loading area, which is a recreation of the chess room in the Millennium Falcon!
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is Disney’s most technologically advanced ride to date and one of the most popular items on our Hollywood Studios ride guide.
After a long queue that enters the trenches of a Resistance base, you enter the first pre-show, where you’re briefed on a mission by Rey, BB-8, and Poe Dameron. You then enter your transport ship that’s supposed to take you to General Organa’s secret base on Pacara.
However, the First Order has other plans as they take your entire ship captive onto their Star Destroyer.
Just as you’re getting interrogated by Kylo Ren, Resistance fighters break you out, but the ride has only just begun! On this ride, you get to experience an unforgettable battle against the First Order.
Make sure to ride this attraction early or purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass, as wait times rise quickly!
Skip If: You’re prone to motion sickness or don’t do well with drop rides
Access: Lightning Lane Single Pass
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm)
Tip: This ride is notorious for long waits and breaking down in the middle of the day. If this ride is highest on your priority list, we suggest riding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance first thing in the morning or with a Lightning Lane Single Pass.
Now, which ride or attraction are you most excited for on your next visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Need help planning your next Hollywood Studios day? Make sure to check out our guide on how to plan your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!