Hollywood Studios – One Day –Late Morning Arrival

Hollywood Studios – One Day –Late Morning Arrival
Theatre Seating
Backlot Tour
Lights, Motors,
Action!
Backlot Tour
Backlot
Tour
Studio
Catering
Mama
Melrose’s
Streets of America
Muppet
Vision
3D
TOY STORY
MANIA
Honey
I Shrunk
the Kids
Toy Story Pizza Planet
Sci-Fi
Drive-In
STAR TOURS 3D
Jedi Training
Academy
Sounds
Dangerous
Great Movie
Ride
ABC
Commissary
One Man’s
Dream
LITTLE
MERMAID
American
Idol
Stage Show
Backlot
Express
1. Toy Story Mania - Obtain FASTPASS
2. Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Indiana
Jones
3. Indiana Jones Spectacular - 11:30am
4. Lunch
5. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Obtain FASTPASS
6. Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show - 1:20pm
7. Muppet Vision 3D
8. Star Tours - Obtain FASTPASS
9. Parade 3pm
10. Backlot Tour
11. Star Tours - With FASTPASS
12. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - Obtain FASTPASS
13. Great Movie Ride
14. Toy Story Mania - With FASTPASS If Ready
15. Rock 'N' Roller Coaster - With FASTPASS
16. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - With FASTPASS
17. Dinner
18. Fantasmic
19. Exit
20. Open
21. Open
22. Open
23. Open
24. Open
25. Open
Journey
Into Narnia
Min &
Bill’s
Dockside
Diner
Brown
Derby
Disney Jr.
on Stage
Magic of
Disney
Animation
Starring
Rolls
Toluca
Legs
Rosie’s All American
Catalina
Eddie’s
50’s
Prime H’wood
Time & Vine
ROCK ‘N’
ROLLER
COASTER
Fairfax
Fare
Beauty &
the Beast
TOWER
OF
TERROR
Resort
Bus Stops
Boat Launch to
Epcot Resorts
Fantasmic!
Walkway to
Epcot Resorts
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Toy Story Mania - 12 Minutes - Obtain FASTPASS
2. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Voyage of the Little Mermaid - 17 minutes (15 +/- 10)
3. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Indiana Jones Spectacular - 30 minutes (11:30am, 12:45pm, 2:00, 4:15, 5:30, (6:45))
Lunch
4. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - 19 Minutes - Obtain FASTPASS
5. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show - 33 minutes ((11:00am), 1:20pm & 4:30pm)
6. ___________________________________________________________________________________
7. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Muppet Vision 3D - 17 minutes (10 +/- 5)
8. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Star Tours - 19 Minutes - Obtain FASTPASS
9. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Parade - 6 Minutes - (3pm)
10. __________________________________________________________________________________
Backlot Tour - 35 minutes (10 +/- 10)
11. __________________________________________________________________________________
Star Tours - 5 Minutes (30 +/- 10)
12. __________________________________________________________________________________
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - 17 Minutes - Obtain FASTPASS
13. __________________________________________________________________________________
Great Movie Ride - 22 minutes (15 +/- 10)
14. __________________________________________________________________________________
Toy Story Mania - 5 minutes (75 +/- 20)
15. __________________________________________________________________________________
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster - 90 Seconds (50 +/- 20)
16. __________________________________________________________________________________
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - 5 minutes (45 +/- 15)
17. __________________________________________________________________________________
Dinner
18. __________________________________________________________________________________
Fantasmic - 25 Minutes (Variable, Between 6:30pm - 10:30pm When Available)
19. __________________________________________________________________________________
Exit
20. __________________________________________________________________________________
Open
21. __________________________________________________________________________________
Open
22. __________________________________________________________________________________
Open
23. __________________________________________________________________________________
Open
24. __________________________________________________________________________________
Open
Open
25. __________________________________________________________________________________
26. __________________________________________________________________________________
Open
Hollywood Studios – One Day –Late Morning Arrival
Who It’s For
Almost all of the advice you’ll see about Disney World on this site recommends arriving prior to
Park opening to take advantage of low crowds and short waits in the first hour or two. This is
particularly important at Hollywood Studios because of Toy Story Mania. However, an early
arrival isn’t always possible. This easyPlan is ideal for those who are unable to make it to the
Studios before 9am and plan to arrive around 10:30am – 11am. It visits all of the headlining
attractions (perhaps with the exception of Toy Story Mania, see section below) with FASTPASS,
all of the Studios’ major attractions, and a couple of the major stage shows. The key is collecting
FASTPASSes for Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours (in
that order) because wait times will already be long by the time you arrive. This may require a bit
of backtracking or extra walking (hopefully for just the FASTPASS runner, explained below),
but it’s much better than arriving at 11am and getting in a 75 minute line for Toy Story Mania.
Toy Story Mania
FASTPASSes at Toy Story Mania are routinely gone before 11am and return times are often
around 5pm by 10am in the morning. In addition, standby wait times are almost always 60+
minutes from 10:30am through close. The easyPlan has you head straight to Toy Story Mania to
check on FASTPASS availability upon your arrival. If they’re gone, the only way you’ll be able
to ride is by waiting in the standby line. The best time to ride Toy Story Mania in the standby
line is by getting in line right before the Studios is scheduled to close. Because Disney allows
everyone in line to ride an attraction, even if it’s after the stated close, you won’t be spending
precious time that could be spent elsewhere if you get in late at the end of the night. For
example, if the Studios closes at 8pm, you could get in line at 7:55pm and ride, even if the posted
wait time is 40 minutes and it’s clear that you won’t get off until well after close. Disney has a
tendency to inflate wait times at the end of the night to dissuade people from entering the queue.
For Toy Story Mania, most of the queue is in one main building. If the line isn’t stretching out
the door, the wait should be less than 40 minutes, particularly with the lack of FASTPASS users
at the end of the night. Note that Disney runs buses for at least 90 minutes after the stated
closing time and they’ll get you back to your resort, even if you don’t get to the bus stop until an
hour after close. Keep in mind that you may be planning to see Fantasmic at the end of the night
instead. For example, it’s common for Fantasmic to begin at 9pm when the stated operating
hours are 9am – 9pm. If this is the case, you’ll need to decide whether you want to see
Fantasmic, ride Toy Story Mania at the end of the night instead, or get in line for it sometime
during the day. To guarantee a Toy Story Mania FASTPASS, arrive by 10am.
Deviation from the Plan
The trick to a late morning, afternoon, or evening arrival is collecting FASTPASSes for the
major attractions as efficiently as possible, timing the stage shows, and biding your time at other
attractions in between. Substituting other green attractions for what’s listed is relatively easy.
You may also elect to skip a headlining attraction and ride a different one twice. For example,
your group may have no interest in riding Star Tours. If this is the case, you may be able to ride
Tower of Terror twice. Keep in mind that Toy Story Mania FASTPASSes are usually gone by
11am and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster FASTPASSes also may run out in the early afternoon.
FASTPASSes for Tower of Terror and Star Tours are more plentiful. With limited time in the
Studios, it’s impossible to do everything, so you will need to make some sacrifices depending on
what you want to accomplish.
Variable Fantasmic Start Times and No Fantasmic
As written, this easyPlan concludes around 7pm, which is just about perfect for a Fantasmic that
begins between 8pm and 9pm. For an earlier Fantasmic, you’ll need to cut out some attractions
or put off dinner for after Fantasmic. For a Fantasmic that begins later, you’ll have an
opportunity to add additional attractions in the afternoon or evening or enjoy a lengthier table
service dinner.
If Fantasmic isn’t scheduled and there’s nothing else special going on in the evening, crowds
usually begin to dissipate after the 3pm Parade. Wait times at the major attractions will only go
down from 5pm through close. You may very well find most attractions are “walk-ons” in the
final hour of operation if the overall crowd level is low and Hollywood Studios is a
recommended Park. If this is the case, plan to revisit the major attractions an hour before close
and save Toy Story Mania for the very end of the night. If Fantasmic is scheduled, crowds stay
heavy throughout the evening due to the number of people staying for the show.
The Attractions in Order:
Arrival: This easyPlan assumes you arrive by 10:30am. If you arrive later, you’ll need to skip
Voyage of the Little Mermaid or Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular because there won’t be
enough time to do both. Indiana Jones begins at 11:30am. For an earlier arrival, you may have
time to visit characters or do other attractions before the Plan begins around 10:30am.
1. Head straight to Toy Story Mania to check on FASTPASS availability, keeping in mind
that return times will likely be well into the evening and FASTPASSes may not be available. If
you’re happy skipping Toy Story Mania or FASTPASSes are gone, collect FASTPASSes for
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster instead. Toy Story Mania is located in Pixar Place. Head straight up
Hollywood Boulevard toward Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. Take a right at the Hat and continue
walking down the stairs that take you behind the Great Movie Ride. Continue walking up this
path that goes past Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Walt Disney One Man’s Dream to your
right. Toy Story Mania FASTPASS machines are located on your right before the entrance to
the attraction. There will be a single line for FASTPASSes with cast members in front of each
machine to put your tickets through. They may only be operating one or two FASTPASS
machines by this time.
2. If it’s 10:45am or earlier, see Voyage of the Little Mermaid. The Theater is located back the
way you came in Animation Courtyard, which will now be on the left-hand side. We want to be
on our way to Indiana Jones or Beauty and the Beast no later than 11:15am.
3. See the 11:30am Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular or the 11:30am Beauty and the
Beast Stage Show - whichever you prefer. Indiana Jones is located across the way from
American Idol Experience. Head back toward Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat and down the path in
front of American Idol Experience. Indiana Jones is located on the left hand side right across
from American Idol. Beauty and the Beast is located on Sunset Boulevard, on the right just
before the walkway up to the entrance to Tower of Terror. You’ll find Sunset Boulevard by
walking toward the exit from the Hat and taking a left after Hollywood Brown Derby and
Starring Rolls Café, which are on the left side of Hollywood Boulevard. It’s a major intersection
and there will be a ton of people walking up and down it, but it can still be sort of tricky to find if
you don’t know what you’re looking for.
4. Have lunch. You’re welcome to visit any of the Studios’ quick service eateries. I enjoy the
sandwiches and desserts at Starring Rolls Café, but all of the Studios’ quick services are pretty
mediocre. Our next timed engagement is at 1:20pm at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt
Show, which is a good 15 or 20 minutes away from Sunset Boulevard. Be done with lunch and
Step 5 no later than 1:00pm or plan to skip the show.
5. Send the FASTPASS runner with everyone’s tickets to collect FASTPASSes for Rock ‘n’
Roller Coaster. The FASTPASS machines are located right next to the Coaster’s entrance.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is located at the end of Sunset Boulevard, past Tower of Terror. We
want to collect FASTPASSes for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster next because they run out the second
fastest.
6. Attend the 1:20pm Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. The Theater is located in
the back of Hollywood Studios in the Streets of America. The Theater is huge and you’ll have
no problem getting seats, but it’s also outside and can get extremely hot. This is one show you
may want to consider skipping unless it sounds particularly appealing because it’s a significant
hassle to get to and enjoy. However, a lot of people do enjoy it.
7. Watch Muppet Vision 3D. It’s located in the Streets of America, right across the way from
Toy Story Pizza Planet. You may have passed it on your way to Lights, Motors.
8. Collect FASTPASSes for Star Tours. As you exit Muppet Vision 3D, take a left and
continue up toward Tatooine Traders, which will be on your right as you proceed. Star Tours is
located right next door to Tatooine Traders and the FASTPASS machines are located to the right
of the attraction entrance. Star Tours FASTPASSes usually have return times that are about 60
minutes in the future by this time.
9. We’ll want to grab a snack, take a bathroom break, and get in position for the 3pm
Parade now. We would be cutting it close trying to visit another attraction before the start of the
Parade, since it should be about 2:45pm. If you don’t care about seeing the Parade, skip to Step
10 now. For Parade viewing, I recommend the path between Star Tours and American Idol
Experience, on the Sounds Dangerous/American Idol Experience side. This area is much less
crowded than Hollywood Boulevard and there is a bit of shade in spots in front of American Idol
Experience. It will also be easier to get up to Backlot Tour afterward.
10. Next on the list is Backlot Tour. Backlot Tour is located back in the Streets of America
section of the Park. Walk back toward the entrance to Lights, Motors, only take a right when
you get to the large opening past Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure and Studio
Catering Company Quick Service. Continue walking up to Backlot Tour, which is located on the
left across from Studio Catering Company. Backlot Tour isn’t an amazing attraction and it takes
about 45 minutes to complete, so you may want to replace it with something that sounds more
appealing (Magic of Disney Animation, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream). However, most
people will appreciate experiencing Backlot Tour for themselves because it seems like it should
be a lot of fun, even though it might not live up to that billing.
11. Ride Star Tours with FASTPASSes collected earlier in the day. You’ll exit Backlot Tour
through a short museum exhibit and then through a gift shop back near the entrance to Lights,
Motors. Walk straight through Streets of America and take a right at the end, continuing back up
past Tatooine Traders.
12. Walk back toward Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. Have one person collect everyone’s tickets and
have them collect FASTPASSes for Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It’s located on Sunset
Boulevard, which we have passed several times. The FASTPASS machines are located to the
left in a nook as you approach the walkway up to the standby entrance.
13. Meet back at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat and ride the Great Movie Ride. The entrance is right
behind the Hat.
14. Now is a convenient time to ride Toy Story Mania if your FASTPASSes are ready for
use. If they’re not, skip ahead to Steps 15 and 16 and return when the FASTPASSes are ready
for use. It may be time for dinner, but we do have the Studios’ two most intense attractions
coming up. Keep that in mind when you decide whether it’s time to eat something. It takes
about 20 minutes to complete Step 15 and another 20 minutes to complete Step 16, even with
FASTPASS. If you do need a snack, consider a piece of fruit or other item from Anaheim
Produce, which is located on Sunset Boulevard before you come to Sunset Ranch Market.
15. Ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster with the FASTPASSes collected earlier in the day. It’s
located at the end of Sunset Boulevard, past Tower of Terror.
16. Ride Tower of Terror with the FASTPASSes collected earlier in the day.
17. Have dinner. We’re right next to Sunset Ranch Market, which offers a wide variety of food
at several independent locations with a centralized seating area. Check your Times Guide to see
which other quick services are still operating. Toy Story Pizza Planet serves Disney pizza and
Studio Catering Company has somewhat interesting sandwiches. It makes more sense to leave
Sunset Boulevard if you haven’t ridden Toy Story Mania yet or have some time to kill before
Fantasmic. If Fantasmic isn’t scheduled, use this time to return to the major attractions rather
than having dinner.
18. It should be about 7:00-7:30pm, which sets us up perfectly for a Fantasmic that begins
between 8:30pm and 9:00pm or so. If Fantasmic begins earlier, you’ll need to cut out some
attractions in the afternoon, take dinner with you to the Fantasmic theater, or make other dinner
arrangements. If Fantasmic begins after 9pm, you may have additional time to return to an
attraction you particularly enjoyed or visit attractions that were previously skipped. I
recommend the Magic of Disney Animation and Walt Disney One Man’s Dream. For
Fantasmic, you’ll want to arrive at least 60 minutes early for the first Fantasmic and 45 minutes
early for the second show. When crowds are heavy or if you want a prime spot, you’ll want to
arrive 90 or more minutes early for the first show and 60 or more minutes early for the second
show. Because of this, the second show is recommended (when available) because it will be less
crowded and requires a shorter wait. Note that Disney does not usually add the second
Fantasmic until about two weeks before a month begins. Only one show is usually announced
when Disney releases the original operating schedule. The best seats are located in the middle
sections about half way up from the bottom of the Theater. Any closer and you’ll get wet and
may have difficulty seeing what’s going on in the water in front of the stage. Because the stage
is so large, there really aren’t any bad seats. See the Fantasmic overview for additional tips.
Skipped Attractions and How to Fit Them In
American Idol Experience: With shows beginning at 12:30pm, you may be able to fit one in
during the day or plan to catch the 7pm show if Fantasmic doesn’t begin until 8:30pm or later.
The 7:00pm Finale show is the best and it should be relatively easy to fit into your Plan if
Fantasmic is scheduled after 8:30pm.
Beauty and the Beast Stage Show or Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular: We plan to see
one of these shows in the late morning. To see the other, you’ll need to visit an afternoon show
or replace Lights, Motors with it in Step 6.
Disney Jr. Live on Stage: This is a stage show that is fun for young kids, but doesn’t have a lot
to offer adults. There are no seats and participants are expected to sit on the floor until the
singing and dancing starts. I don’t recommend it for anyone over the age of seven or eight, but
there are multiple shows scheduled throughout the day and you should have no trouble
substituting it for an attraction that doesn’t appeal to your group.
Disney Channel Rocks: This stage show is scheduled throughout the day near Mickey’s
Sorcerer’s Hat. It’s geared towards entertaining kids and we don’t necessarily want to go out of
our way to see it. Since we’ll be passing Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat throughout the day, chances
are good a show will be going on at some point and you can catch a few minutes of it.
Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure: This is a playground area for kids. It doesn’t
offer anything for anyone over the age of eight or nine. The Movie Set Adventure is often
confused for the Honey I Shrunk the Audience 3D show (formerly) at Epcot.
Jedi Training Academy: This show’s stage is located outside of Star Tours and you may be able
to nonchalantly catch a few minutes while you’re in the vicinity. There are multiple shows
scheduled throughout the day and you should be able to fit it in if you really want to see it. It’s a
lot of fun for kids and parents of kids that are participating, but it’s little more than “very cute”
for teens and adults. If you enjoy Star Wars and cute stage shows then you may want to fit this
one in. Otherwise, you’re safe skipping it.
Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian: This attraction is right next door to Walt Disney: One
Man’s Dream. There is rarely a line longer than 10 minutes and you’re welcome to replace
another attraction with it if you’re particularly interested in the Chronicles of Narnia. Keep in
mind that this is little more than an advertisement for Prince Caspian on Blu-ray and Disney lost
the rights to distribute subsequent Narnia movies.
Magic of Disney Animation Tour: This is a great tour if you have additional time. Consider
replacing it with another attraction if it sounds more appealing or attach it at the end of your
Plan.
Mulch, Sweat, and Shears Bandscaping: This is a fun band to watch, but not necessarily worth
going out of your way to see. They play along the Streets of America or at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s
Hat and you may see them as you’re walking to a nearby attraction. If you do and you have
some time, stay and watch for a few minutes.
Sounds Dangerous: This oft-closed attraction is rarely open because it isn’t very good or very
popular. It’s a nice respite from the heat when it is open, but 99% of the population will want to
skip it unless you have extra time or need a break.
Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream: This self-guided tour takes about 30 minutes to appreciate
and is an excellent introduction into the life of Walt Disney. Consider adding it in the afternoon
or replace it with a stage show or other lengthy attraction. It’s rarely crowded and you won’t
find a wait.