Disney’s Hollywood Studios Guide- What to Know About the Park

With immersive themed lands Disney’s Hollywood Studio is an amazing park to visit during your Disney vacation. This Hollywood Studios guide will give you all the details about the park to plan an great trip.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios once started as a behind the scenes of the movies type of park but in its 30 years it has grown into more of a celebration of the Disney movies we love.

With 2 fully immersive lands and another on the way Hollywood Studios has so much to see and do for guests visiting the park. In this guide to Hollywood Studios I am sharing everything you need to know to start making a must-do list for your Disney trip.

After you read this check out my 1-Day Hollywood Studios itinerary to see how we put it all together.

Hollywood STudios Guide- The Basics

Before you arrive at Hollywood Studios you want to be familiar with a few things about the park like hours, cost, and how to get there during your vacation.

Cost of Hollywood Studios

A one day ticket to Hollywood Studios starts at $150.00+ a day. The daily cost is dependent on time of visit and fluctuates. Standard parking starts at $35.00 a day.

When I look for tickets for Hollywood Studios I always compare prices. I start with the Walt Disney World website to see what special offers are available. Then I compare to other Disney ticket deals and Undercover Tourist deals. If you want someone to do the planning for you reach out to our friend Nikki at Royal Treatment Travel for great deals.

Hollywood Studios Hours

Hollywood Studios hours are typically 9:00am to 9:00pm. Hours can change and I highly recommend confirming your travel dates on the website.

Guests staying at a Disney World resort can take advantage of extra hour perks. Guests staying at a all Disney resorts enter the park 30 minutes before park opening by taking advantage of Early Entry.

Guests staying at a Deluxe resort can take advantage of Extended Evening Hours on select days that are usually the 2 hours after official park closing time.

If you are planning on arriving at park open be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before the park opens.

How to Get to Hollywood Studios

Guests to Hollywood Studios will either drive themselves or take complimentary Disney transportation. This includes Bus, Disney Skyliner, Friendship boat (Epcot hotel guests) and walking paths for guests staying at select Disney Resorts visiting Hollywood Studios.

Hollywood Studios Layout

Hollywood Studios does not have the easiest layout. It is broken up into different lands but you will probably find yourself back-tracking your steps a bit.

Look at the park map get an understanding of the layout and locations of the attractions. It is not a difficult park to navigate but it will be necessary to do some back tracking during your day. The best place to look at the map is on the My Disney Experience App.

Lightning Lane at Hollywood Studios

Lighting Lane is the ride reservations system at Hollywood Studios. It is an additional cost to your daily admission ticket.

Guests that purchase can reserve times to ride each attraction 7 days before check-in date if staying on-site or 3 days before park visit. Both are available at 7:00am on the My Disney Experience App.

There are three types of Lightning Lane Experiences available for purchase:

• Lightning Lane Multi-Pass: Allows guests to book 3 rides before you arrive. After you use 1 you can then book another. 1 reservation per ride per day and cost $29.00-$37.00 a day/per person.
• Lightning Lane Single Pass: A one time purchase for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance cost $22.00 a day/person. Prices fluctuate depending on day of visit.
• Lightning Lane Premier Pass: Entry to each attraction one time without having to make reservations. Cost is $159.00 a day/per person.

Lighting Lane Attractions at Hollywood Studios

Lightning Lane Multi Pass Attractions Include:

Choose 1 from Group 1:

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash

Choose 2 from Group 2:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play & Dance!
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
• Toy Story Mania!

I highly recommend purchasing Lightning Lane Multi-Pass for your Hollywood Studios day. It will save you time and maximize the amount of attractions you can do at the park.

What to Expect at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has 6 different themed lands starting with the entrance to park. Guests will enter Hollywood Boulevard and have the option to go a few ways.

The lands are Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Grand Avenue, Sunset Boulevard, Animation Courtyard, Toy Story Land, Commissary Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. New areas are coming soon and I will go into details later in this post.

There are many characters and shows at Hollywood Studios. If you plan to meet or see them check the My Disney Experience app before your visit to take note of times they are available. Some meet and greets end earlier than park hours and popular shows and parades get crowded fast.

A few unique characters at Hollywood Studios are Ariel (from Live Action), Chewbacca, Edna Mode, Sulley, Joy, and Mrs. Incredible. To search them all go to the My Disney Experience app, click the pin point (next to home) and filter by Disney’s Hollywood Studios-characters.

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard is the street you walk down to enter the park. It has shops and you can see the Chinese Theater at the end of the street. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Echo Lake

Echo Lake is the area surrounding the small lake at the park. This area is a bit mismatched with attractions but the ones that are there are good options. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Commissary Lane

This are is a small walk through with mostly dining. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Grand Avenue

Grand Avenue has 2 dining options and nothing else. It is on the way to Galaxy’s Edge and used to be near the Muppets Courtyard entrance was. Ice Cold Hydraulics and BaseLine Tap House are located here.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a huge land in the park that is also very popular. I will have an entire post on this land soon but below is an overview. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Toy Story Land

Toy Story Land is so bright and fun. It is also a busy area. If you are entering from Galaxy’s Edge you will be welcome by a giant size Buzz Lightyear. If you are entering from Pixar Plaza Woody is there. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Pixar Plaza

Pixar Plaza is a meet and greet area with photo-ops. Guests can meet Edna Mode at the Edna Mode Experience. We have also met Frozone, Sulley, and Mrs. Incredible in this area.

Animation Courtyard

Animation Courtyard is seeing some updates that I will share more in the below coming soon section but here you can find indoor areas to explore and shows. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard is at the entrance to the park and has attractions, shopping, and quick service dining. (Table service/Reservations Recommended = TS)

Coming Soon to Hollywood Studios

These are the new experiences announced for Hollywood Studios.

• The Magic of Disney Animation- Opening in 2026 and replacing Star Wars Launch Bay, this area will celebrate Disney Animation. Guests will enter an interactive animators office, play in the Drawn to Wonderland play area, as well as character greetings.
• Monsters Inc, Land- Guests will be able to step into Montopolis in this new land that will include a “door” roller coast. This are is replacing Muppet Courtyard and will include dining and shops as well. Monsters Inc, Land will most likely open in 2028 or later.
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster- The Muppets are taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster with an all new theme. This is expected to open in summer of 2026.

My Final Thoughts

Hollywood Studios has some of the best themed lands in all of Walt Disney World and with new attractions coming it is only getting better.

The park is great for older kids but also has enough entertainment for the young ones. We always like to include Hollywood Studios in our Disney World trips.

If you are overwhelmed with planning or just want someone to make all the reservations for you consider using a travel agent. Our friend Nikki at Royal Treatment Travel is amazing and has helped us plan and book many of our trips. She finds the best deals and her service is complimentary for most theme park vacations! It is a win-win. Learn more here.

Want to hear more from me and get all the latest posts? Subscribe to my Substack where I share the latest posts from the blogs, plus destination and theme park news I am excited about. It is like a coffee chat delivered to your inbox.

Thank you for reading my post! This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Although we try to provide the most up-to-date prices, we do not guarantee prices listed on our site. At times we are compensated or hosted by destination and brands. All opinions are honest and my own. If you would like to learn about how I work with affiliate partners you can read more here.