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To help you ensure you don’t miss out on any of the best rides, attractions, or shows at Hollywood studios, we’ve created this list of Hollywood Studios rides (ranked). You’ll also find a list of other attractions and entertainment you can’t miss when you visit Hollywood Studios.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Rides and Attractions
Hollywood Studios opened in 1989 as Walt Disney World‘s third theme park. Since its opening, the theme park has had some of the most unique rides and attractions of any Disney theme park.
Originally known as Disney MGM Studios, the theme park was originally intended to be an entertainment pavilion at EPCOT. Instead, it was opened as a separate theme park with attractions geared toward the fantasy worlds of some of our favorite films.
Disney Hollywood Studios has enjoyed many unique attractions from 1989 to the present. Of course, it’d be a waste to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios without taking in the park’s most exciting rides and attractions.
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Hollywood Studios Rides (Ranked for 2023)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is home to some of the most unique rides you must experience during your Disney World vacation. This ranking will help you get an idea of the rides you’ll want to prioritize to ensure you don’t pass up any of the best rides at Hollywood Studios.
1. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Location: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40 inches tall to ride.
Duration: 18 minutes
Star Wars: Galaxy Edge has been a popular ride at Hollywood Studios since its opening. It has remained a favorite destination for Star Wars fans and the general public looking for a unique and immersive ride.
It’s safe to say that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the most immersive and complex attraction you’ll find in Disney Parks. It offers a complete experience that includes four rides, live performers, and dozens of incredibly realistic animatronics.
Rise of the Resistance is a trackless dark ride. The Resistance wants you to join them on a secret mission. However, because of conflict from the First Order, the ride is filled with many unexpected twists and turns and even a few small drops.
To make the experience even better, Rey, BB-8, Kylo Ren, and loads of First Order Troopers are all featured in the immersive attraction. The ride vehicle has eight riders in two rows of four and pilots an Astromech droid.
You can expect giant props, animated drops, and many other fantastic Star Wars experiences while waiting in the queue before the actual ride begins.
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Location: Sunset Boulevard
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40 inches tall to ride the Tower of Terror.
Duration: 4 minutes.
Tower of Terror is another of the best rides you’ll find in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With this thrill ride, the experience improves every time you ride.
This dark drop ride begins in the lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. First, you enter the hotel lobby, where Rod Serling will welcome you to your journey within the Twilight Zone.
Then, you’ll enter the elevator, where you’ll be seated in the ride vehicle that will soon carry you to the top of the tower.
Between big drops that are sure to take your breath away, the elevator doors will open to show you scenes that create the illusion that you’re inside the Twilight Zone. You’ll even get a great view of the Hollywood Studios theme park from the top floor of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
However, it’s not for those with little tolerance for small open spaces and large drops. It’s also not a good idea for those who may not be ready for the creepy and eerie experiences you may- or may not- expect from a ride based on the Twilight Zone series.
3. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Location: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Height Requirements: You must be at least 38 inches tall.
Duration: 5 minutes
The first of the 2 Galaxy Edge rides opened up with this newly discovered territory. It puts you in the cockpit of an important spaceship in movie history. It’s an interactive simulator ride you might consider an interactive version of Star Tours.
You’ll be able to pull on the levers in the cabin of the Millennium Falcon to launch an exciting flight through hyperspace.
Throughout the journey, there will be risks everywhere. Space pirates like Hondo Ohna are bringing orders and providing help., but the ultimate decision is up to you.
You and five others will participate in fulfilling missions for Hondo Ohnaka. Each player will be assigned their role- Pilot, Engineer, or Gunner. All roles play a significant part in the mission’s success.
4. Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Location: Sunset Boulevard
Height Requirements: 48 inches
Duration: 90 seconds
The Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster is a fantastic high-speed roller coaster! It opens up, revealing Aerosmith’s music as they finish their recording session. But once the band realizes they’re running late for their performance, they’ll have to get out quickly.
After the lead singer invites you to ride along with them, you’ll load into the ride vehicle. The Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster ride vehicle features a modern audio system with an iconic soundtrack that makes the fast-paced thrill ride even more thrilling.
Your journey to the Aerosmith’s concert will take place inside an extravagant limousine with 125 speakers, 24 sub woofers, and 32kW audio. You’ll speed through Hollywood landmarks, landing in three exciting reversals, including two rollover loops and a corkscrew.
The best part is chatting with Aerosmith on the headphones while zooming into the Los Angeles streets while heading for the concert. Although the ride is rather short, it is the most enjoyable 90 seconds you could ever spend in Disney World.
5. Toy Story Mania
Location: Toy Story Land
Height Restrictions: There are no height restrictions for Toy Story Mania.
Duration: 8 Minutes
Toy Story Mania is located in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. It brings a little friendly competition and is so much fun for guests of all ages. It’s basically a giant video game.
Since there are no height requirements, anyone can ride this ride, making it an excellent choice if you’re looking for rides at Hollywood Studios that are good for young children.
You can get into Andy’s room and play in a toy chest filled with classic games before jumping into a carnival-inspired tram and using a spring shot to shoot various stationary targets.
The game brings together all the Toy Story characters to create an experience better than your usual plate-bursting, balloon-soaring, or ring-tossing party show experience.
While on the ride, you’ll aim to hit targets and will receive points according to the shots you make. If you make challenging or secret targets, you’ll get even more points to help you get a higher score. After all, the object of the game is to get a higher score than your opponents.
6. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Location: Grand Avenue
Height Restriction: 40 inches or taller
Duration: 5 minutes
This simulation allows you to fly unpredictably around the Star Wars galaxy after your Starspeeder 1000 is intercepted by the First Order. It’s an original Star Wars simulator ride that outshines Smugglers Run in many respects.
The guests are placed inside the 3D motion simulation and transported to two random Star Wars locations on missions. These locations now include planets seen in “Skywalker Rise the Jedi” and “ForceAwakens.“
It puts you right at the center of the Star Wars universe and wows you with all of its effects and 3D technology. You don’t have to be a big Star Wars fan to appreciate the experience this ride offers.
While it’s not exactly a thrill ride, it’s so much fun, and it does have a few small drops. Plus, if you have the Play Disney Parks app, you can get digital achievements at this Hollywood Studios attraction.
7. Slinky Dog Dash
Location: Toy Story Land
Height Restrictions: You must be at least 38 inches tall.
Duration: 2 minutes
Slinky Dog Dash is a fairly new roller coaster in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. The Toy Story Land attractions are all excellent, but Slinky Dog Dash is one of the best family-friendly coasters you’ll get the opportunity to ride at Disney World.
The theming is also adorable. Andy created the Slinky Dog Dash coaster with his Dash and Dodge Mega Coasters toy kit. When you ride Slinky Dog Dash, you’ll soar through Andy’s backyard. It is an extremely smooth and pleasant ride with fantastic views of Toy Story Land.
Despite what you may think at first glance, the ride can be a thrill ride for those who prefer to avoid an extreme adrenaline rush. Children love the coaster, and many teens and adults have found that it does have a slight thrill factor.
8. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Location: Hollywood Boulevard
Height Restriction: Guests of any height are allowed to ride.
Duration: 5 minutes
Mickey & Minnies Runaway Railway is an exciting trip into a colorful and animated world. It is the first and only Disney World theme park attraction with a Mickey Mouse theme.
This new ride replaced The Grand Movie Ride, which was located in the Chinese Theater.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened in 2020, just before the park was forced to shut down due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, because of the timing, many have yet to experience this fun ride with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway begins as Mickey and Minnie travel leisurely to a picnic in their sports car. Engineer Goofy follows close behind and invites you to ride along with him. But, thanks to a few mishaps, it turns into an insane and adventurous ride on a runaway train.
The ride is also equipped with the same trackless ride system as Remy’s Ratatouille ride in Epcot, making the ride much more exciting than you would expect, as it makes it a bit more unpredictable.
This is another ride that’s great for the entire family. It also has some of the most amazing animatronics in all of Disney World.
9. Alien Swirling Saucers
Alien Swirling Saucers are relatively new at Hollywood Studios. The attraction opened in 2018 as part of the Toy Story Land expansion. It’s a typical spin-wheel ride using a similar system as the tea cups.
If you visit the Disney California Adventure Park, you’ll be able to see similarities between Alien Swirling Saucers and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.
It’s designed mainly for children, but adults are welcome to ride. This one is not an absolute must for visitors without families, but if you visit Walt Disney World with children, it makes for a great stop.
Other Must-Experience Attractions at Hollywood Studios
While the rides at Hollywood Studios are one of the best parts, there are many other things the theme park has to offer. The following Hollywood Studios attractions offer experiences you can’t miss while at Hollywood Studios.
Star Wars: Launch Bay
Star Wars: Launch Bay is a must-experience attraction at Hollywood Studios for Star Wars fans. This is the main Star Wars exhibition, and it’s filled with many props from the film and other rare Star Wars items.
It also contains a gift shop. They have a variety of items, from the Jedi Lightsaber to speeders to the Storm Troopers helmet.
Another fun thing about the launch area is the Star Wars Characters Meets, where you can take a photo with Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and several other Star Wars characters.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is a highly innovative racing simulator experience. You’ll learn about becoming an outstanding racer from none other than the famous Lightning McQueen.
When the race doesn’t go as Lightning had planned, it takes quick thinking to get him back out on the track.
The simulator’s wraparound screen makes the experience feel very realistic and engaging.
Can’t-Miss Entertainment at Hollywood Studios
Disney Studios offer numerous shows that are seasonal and even feature special events. To get accurate times and an updated list of the things that will be available on the day of your visit, you can check your My Disney Experience app.
Muppet Vision 3D
Muppets Vision 3D has become an underrated attraction in Walt Disney World, but you really can’t beat this muppet comedy classic. This night show at Hollywood Studios is based on the original television series, The Muppet Show.
You can join Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all the crew to perfect their latest idea: “Muppet Vision 3D.” First, they’ll walk you through a tour of their lab to show you their latest movie-making invention. Then, a series of mishaps begins, which is where things get funny.
This 3D film is a fun and entertaining movie that will make sure you laugh at every single joke and gag it offers. You’re guaranteed to laugh through the entire show, regardless of how many times you’ve seen it.
You can catch the show at 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM each night at Hollywood Studios. It’s a great way to end a busy day in the theme park and unwind before returning to your room.
Walt Disney Presents
This walk-through museum will guide you through Walt Disney’s life and work and tell you his story of creating Disney theme parks.
There are props, artwork, and models from theme parks like Spaceship Earth, the Sleeping Beauty castles, and the original MLA audio-animatronic. Additionally, there is a short film titled One Man’s Dream that describes the life of Walt Disney and his visions.
All Disney fans can appreciate getting a glimpse into the history of Walt Disney World and the man whose brilliant imagination made it all possible.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
You also wouldn’t regret making time for Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! You’ll watch him dodge deadly traps, fight bad guys leaping from high buildings, and escape from the Raiders.
The best part of the show is at the end when they reveal their secrets. They let you see how they pull off many of the incredible stunts performed during the show.
Vacation Fun: An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie
Recently Mickey Mouse has gotten popular in animated films, but now the Mickey Short Theater has created a new animation short called Vacation Fun. It’s a straight movie in theaters.
These animated shorts follow Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad style and show Mickey and Minnie’s favorite travel stories. Although it is not special, this attraction is quite entertaining and very enjoyable. The show is great entertainment for the whole family.
Wonderful World of Animation
Wonderful World of Animation is a night show at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood Studios. This exciting projection show takes you through a fantastic 90-year Disney/Pixar animation journey. You’ll see a combination of new, rarely seen, and classic animated films.
These spectacular scenes celebrate love, adventure, and romance. All are intended to play a tribute to Disney and Pixar’s animation journey over the years.
Naturally, since everything began with a mouse, the series fittingly begins and ends with one-and-only Mickey.
The show begins at 8:30 PM and lasts for 12 minutes.
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Two fun and unassuming Royal Historians from Arendelle are brought into Echo Lake and retell their frost-filled tales of their enchanted kingdom.
You can watch as thrilling scenes from the movie are displayed on the screen. These shows usually take place at 11:00 AM and 12:30. They last for about 30 minutes each and provide a fun and enchanting experience for guests of all ages.
The show ends when Elsa appears performing ” Let it Go!”
Voyage of the Little Mermaid Musical
Voyage for Little Mermaid is a musical that guests of all ages can enjoy.
It’s sweet but not saccharine. The show is engaging, the visuals are impressive, and the performances of all characters and actors are timeless talent.
Each show lasts for 17 to 20 minutes.
Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage
Beauty and Beast live on stage is an incredible show with colorful outfits, beautiful scenery, and iconic songs everyone knows and loves.
This Broadway-quality musical offers your reliving of Belle and her Beast.
The shows usually begin at 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM and last for around 20 minutes.
Citizens of Hollywood
This street performer has fun and provides an improvised show every day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You may see this performance on Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, or at the entrance of Echo Lake.
Each performance is unique, so you never know what to expect. The shows can sometimes consist of magic tricks, bad puns, or could be something similar to a game show. These shows usually only last about 15 minutes, so their enjoyable performances are convenient to see as you explore the area.
What is the most intense ride at Hollywood Studios?
The most intense of all Hollywood Studios rides is the Rock ‘n” Roller Coaster. Guests will ride in an ultra-long limousine to Hollywood with Aerosmith playing at high speeds. It’s also the only Disney coaster that features inversions that flip you upside down during the ride.
However, The Hollywood Tower of Terror runs a close race for being the most intense ride at Hollywood Studios. It has many unique features, like its eerie setting, that only intensify the already fierce drop as you’re dropped from the top floor of the tallest ride at Disney World.
What ride should I go on first at Hollywood Studios?
Our favorite choice would probably be Rock N Roller Coaster. When entering the park on Hollywood Boulevard, you will make the first right down Sunset Boulevard to get to the coaster. It’s a great way to start your day if you want to begin with an adrenaline rush.
On the other hand, if you prefer to start with a milder ride and work your way up, you can ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway or Slinky Dog Dash first. Either of these rides will allow a slower but fun way to start your day at Hollywood Studios.
Keep in mind that more popular Hollywood Studios rides get more crowded as the day goes on. So, ultimately, it’s best to start with the most popular rides early in the morning, as the queues will move much quicker during this time.
How many rides are there at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
There are a total of 14 attractions at Hollywood Studios, but only 9 of these are actual rides. Luckily, Hollywood Studios has some of the most fun, engaging, and immersive attractions in the Disney Parks. So even though there aren’t as many rides, you can still enjoy an entire day with fun and excitement at Hollywood Studios.
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