A few weeks ago, I shared my family’s top 3 FastPass+ picks while visiting Magic Kingdom. Today, I continue my tour of Walt Disney World by sharing our choices for FastPass+ at Hollywood Studios in order by preference.
A recent hobby of mine has been reading forums and following Facebook pages for Disney fans who share their thoughts and opinions on just about everything Disney. Much to my surprise, Hollywood Studios seems to be the lowest priority on many guests’ touring plan. It has gone through a lot of changes recently, including the removal of the iconic Sorcerer’s hat and the closure of several attractions, but it has always been and remains one of my favorite parks. Although there are not a huge number of attractions here, don’t overlook the importance of careful planning. Many of the attractions at Hollywood Studios are live performances with specific and limited show times. Fitting the puzzle pieces together to make sure you get the most out of your day can be tricky. My plan at Hollywood Studios is always to squeeze in the continuous rides between the shows.
If your children are tall enough (40”) and brave enough, you’ll definitely want to secure a FastPass+ for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This ride scared me the first time I rode it as a young adult because I did not know what to expect. You will definitely want to prepare willing young children that there will be big drops and periods of darkness. My children love to be scared by movies, characters, costumes, etc. so it will be interesting to see their reactions during and after their first experience with this attraction.
The next can’t-miss, FastPass+ worthy attraction for us at Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Midway Mania! because lines for this ride can get very long and the kids definitely will not want to miss it. It’s an arcade-type shooting game where you point laser guns at targets to rack up a high score. I call it Woody’s version of one of our favorite rides at Magic Kingdom, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Big kids and grown ups might want to snag a FastPass+ for Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith, but since my kids are too small to ride it, I’m going to skip talking about this one today. (One quick note: Because of the tier system at Hollywood Studios, you cannot FastPass+ both Toy Story Midway Mania AND Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster. Your best bet is to arrive at rope drop and head straight to one of these attractions while using a FastPass+ for the other.) For our last FastPass+ pick, I’d choose the exciting 3D motion simulator, Star Tours: The Adventure Continues (another 40” height requirement). Although my kids have never seen any of the Star Wars movies, they are obsessed with the Lego minifigures and are very familiar with many of the characters from the franchise. I remember this queue being particularly boring and not one that I would want to spend more time than necessary waiting through. Beware of that souvenir shop at the end of the ride if you have little Star Wars fans!
So there you have it. Do you agree or disagree?
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Candice was raised in east Tennessee. While in college, her best friend dragged her to a Walt Disney World College Program recruiting session at the University of Tennessee and the rest is Disney history. In the Fall of 1999, Candice became a quick service food hostess for Sunset Ranch Market and Fantasmic at Disney-MGM Studios – or what is now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While soaking up her time as a cast member, she met Ryan, a neighbor and a fellow college programmer who worked as a custodial host at Epcot. Four years later, Candice moved to the Midwest and married that boy from across the hall. They now live in Greenwood, Indiana with their two little boys. The Disney-loving foursome took their first family trip to The Happiest Place on Earth in 2013 and Candice is eagerly planning their return. Candice also works full-time at a community mental health center and enjoys taking photographs and blogging at Mommy in the Midwest.
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