When it comes to our family’s favorite rides/attractions at Hollywood Studios, picking a few is kind of challenging. Not because we don’t really like anything here, but because we definitely each have our own taste in what qualifies as a “must-see” here.
And we don’t especially agree. 🙂
And we keep changing our mind. 🙂
So I am picking 3…our current top 3….to highlight today. One from each of us: my favorite, my husband’s favorite, and our daughter’s.
My Personal Favorite: It’s Artistic and It’s Free
We’ll start with mine because, well, it’s my blog lol!
The one favorite that I have to see, every time, no matter what, is not your “typical” Hollywood Studios attraction. It’s not extremely well known, in fact, many folks don’t even know it is there!
My favorite thing to do is the Magic of Disney Animation. Located in the Animation Courtyard, just to the right of the Chinese Theater, this is a great way to learn how animation works….and the reason I love it…..to try your hand at it.
When you enter this building, you have the chance to take a short tour that gives you a very general idea of how the animation process works. It’s pretty interesting. But my favorite part is at the end of the tour, where you can choose to create your own Disney character art in the Animation Academy.
Here, for the next 15 minutes you will get to watch an animator at work, and follow his/her direction on how to do it yourself. And the best part is, at the end, you get to keep your creation! It’s fun, you don’t really need any particular artistic talent, and you get a personal, free souvenir at the end!
One note: this is great for adults and older kids enjoy it a lot as well. But if you have little ones, I would recommend waiting to do this when they get older. They…and you…will appreciate it more.
Dear Husband and Toy Story Midway Mania
Well this is Hollywood Studio’s newest, latest, and greatest and it is some fun. And if you previously read how much my husband enjoys Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom, then when I tell you that Toy Story Midway Mania is Buzz Lightyear on steroids, well you will understand why this is his favorite.
Think old carnival midway games….only fast, electronic…and in 3-D. Set in a Toy Story theme, the goal here, as with Buzz Lightyear, is to score the highest. Your car spins, goes forward, backwards, and periodically stops for you to try out the next game. It is pretty darn fun, I will say!
In fact, it is so much fun, that this is easily THE most popular ride at Hollywood Studios right now. And if you want to ride it, you must, MUST go there first thing, when the park opens….unless you are willing to wait in line for a very long time, or have a FastPass return that could conceivably be later that night…if there are even any FastPasses left.
Is it worth all that? Yeah, it is. Go first thing, and go straight there. You won’t be sorry.
What’s a College Kid Like? Coasters of Course!
Our daughter has enjoyed a variety of attractions at Hollywood Studios over the years, but her current favorite is probably Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Loud, dark, fast, and with lots of twists and turns, coaster enthusiasts love it. At least that’s what DD tells me. 🙂
Not being a coaster enthusiast, I take her word for it. 🙂
But I do know that tons of folks agree with her as this is a ride that typically has one of the longest lines in the park, and it is easy to see why. Incorporating the music (and theme) of Aerosmith, this ride has the distinction of being the first ride on Disney property to include a high-speed launch that goes from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds.
Located at the end of Sunset Blvd., to the left of Tower of Terror, you can’t miss the giant guitar that marks the ride’s entrance. Since this ride is so popular, use FastPass if possible to make the most of your time. Because if you are a coaster lover….or have one in your group….then you will not want to miss this.
Well, there you have it. Our family’s eclectic must-sees. And if you have been to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I would love to hear about yours!
Have a magical day!
