7 Best Rides at Hollywood Studios 2024

Now that you’ve gotten your Disney tickets on the cheap with the handy guide, it’s time to explore the parks. Let’s talk about the best rides at Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios: where Disney and Hollywood come together to make magic. Classic Hollywood is the park’s inspiration and the rides and decor are nods to iconic television shows, music, and movies.

Only at Hollywood Studios will you travel back in time to the Twilight Zone, go to an Aerosmith concert, be a kid again with Andy’s toys in Toy Story Land, explore a new galaxy, and watch a comedy show featuring the Muppets without ever leaving the park!

It is truly a sight to behold and an unforgettable experience, but like any of the Disney theme parks, Hollywood Studios can be overwhelming. Let’s take a look at some of the best rides that Hollywood Studios has to offer. You won’t want to miss these!

List of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’s Rides

Animation Courtyard

Disney Junior Dance Party!
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure (coming Fall 2024)
Walt Disney Presents

Commissary Lane

Mickey & Minnie – Red Carpet Dreams

Echo Lake

A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Mickey Shorts Theater
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Grand Avenue

Muppet*Vision 3D

Hollywood Boulevard

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Sunset Boulevard

Beauty and The Beast – Live on Stage
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Toy Story Land

Alien Swirling Saucers
Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Mania!

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

I recently went to Disney World and had the opportunity to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Let me tell you, it was an amazing ride! The attention to detail was incredible, from the moment you step into the queue to the final moments of the ride.

The ride itself was a unique combination of a trackless ride system and a simulator, which made for an incredibly immersive experience. It truly felt like I was a part of the Star Wars universe.

Without giving too much away, the storyline of the ride is set during the sequel trilogy and involves the Resistance trying to escape from the First Order. There were several surprises along the way, including appearances from some of the most beloved characters in the franchise.

Overall, I consider Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance the best ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s a must-see attraction that truly captures the magic of Star Wars.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

I have had the pleasure of experiencing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This ride is based on the Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts and offers a unique and immersive experience for guests of all ages.

One of the highlights of the ride is the new Mickey & Minnie – Red Carpet Dreams scene. As soon as you enter this scene, you feel like you are walking down a red carpet, surrounded by paparazzi and flashing cameras. You get to see Mickey and Minnie dressed to the nines and ready to attend a movie premiere.

As the ride progresses, you find yourself in the middle of a chaotic cartoon world, where anything can happen. The ride uses state-of-the-art technology to create a seamless transition from scene to scene, and the attention to detail is truly remarkable.

What I loved most about this ride is that it is suitable for all ages. It’s not too scary for young children, but it’s still exciting enough for adults to enjoy. The ride also has a catchy theme song that will be stuck in your head for days.

Overall, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a fantastic addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Red Carpet Dreams scene is just one of the many highlights of this ride, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the park. Whether you are a fan of Mickey Mouse or just looking for a fun and immersive experience, this ride is not to be missed.

Twilight Zone’s Tower of Terror

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the most exciting and mysterious ride in Hollywood Studios: Twilight Zone’s Tower of Terror. It’s worth it to visit Hollywood Studios for this ride alone.

The entrance of the ride’s line begins outdoors and gives you the feeling that you are waiting to check into a hotel (wait, didn’t we already do this when our trip began?), albeit a creepy and abandoned one. The feeling doesn’t go away when you enter the hotel either.

Exquisite attention to detail replicates the hotel experience, though it’s clear that they fired the cleaning staff (or they died?) years ago. But as you descend into the hotel’s boiler room, a place where no guest of a REAL hotel belongs, you will realize that you are heading for the ride of your life. You will be ushered into the hotel’s service elevator to begin the ride. Once you are seated and you cannot turn back, you will learn the tragic story of a family who met their demise riding in that very elevator during a freak thunderstorm. Soon enough, it’s your turn. Sit back, relax, and try to survive!

The Tower of Terror is suitable for riders ages 6 through adult, although some elements may be too scary for young riders, including darkness, scary scenes, loud noises, and sudden drops. It is important to note that if a rider in your party is prone to motion sickness they may want to sit this one out.

. Due to the popularity of the Tower of Terror, it is recommended to visit within the first hour of the park’s opening or use fast pass to reduce wait times. The Tower of Terror can be found in the Sunset Boulevard section of the park.

Rock ‘n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith

Disney really prides itself on the attention to detail and authenticity of the ride experience. The Rock ‘n Roller Coaster is no exception. As you enter the ride’s line, you go on a tour of Aerosmith’s recording studio. You will get to see videos of the stars ‘interacting’ with you as you take in some pretty amazing decor.

Before you approach the loading dock, the stars of Aerosmith invite you to a concert but the catch is you must leave right away to make it on time.  Your mode of transportation is the rollercoaster, decked out to look like a luxurious stretch limo. Once you are loaded in, it’s time for takeoff! You’ll speed through the streets of Hollywood, jamming out to amazing and incredibly loud Aerosmith hits before finally arriving at the concert, signaling the ride’s end.

This indoor rollercoaster is suitable for ages 6 through adult but this ride also has elements that might be too scary for young riders. The rollercoaster is entirely in the dark and contains upside down loops. Additionally, very loud music is playing. If members of your party are not able to ride, the rider swap service is available.

It is recommended to ride this ride within the first hour or use fast pass. Rock ‘n Roller Coaster is also located in Sunset Boulevard.

Star Tours-The Adventures Continue

Who doesn’t love Star Wars? The answer is no one, making this another one of the park’s most popular attractions. If you head on over to Echo Lake, you will be able to experience Star Tours-The Adventures Continue.

This ride is a motion simulator, meaning that a combination of video and movement will make it feel as though you are right there with the Star Wars characters on an amazing space adventure. Because there are so many variations of the ride’s script, each ride’s story is different.

This ride is suitable for ages 6 through adult. Because of the nature of the ride, those with motion sickness may struggle. If anyone if your party is prone to mild motion sickness, they are advised to sit in the middle or choose not to ride if their motion sickness is more severe.

Rider swap is available if there are members of your party who cannot ride. The capacity of the ride’s vehicle is fairly large so the wait times remain pretty low, but it is still recommended to visit the ride within the first two hours of the park’s opening or wait until the last two hours before the park’s closing.

It is also advised not to ride immediately after the Indiana Jones show ends as it is located close to Star Tours and makes a logical next ride for the large audience to visit next, making the wait longer.

Toy Story Mania

Combination arcade game and ride, this is one experience you will not want to miss! You will load into one of the cars, each of which holds four people-two in the front and two in the back. The cars are equipped with a “gun” for each person that will be used to interact with the attraction.

Once loaded into the car, you will travel along the track, stopping periodically to play a carnival-style game featuring the Toy Story characters. The ride keeps track of each rider’s score, adding a bit of competition to the atmosphere of the ride.

Don’t forget to stop and say hi to Mr. Potato Head. He likes to hang out in the queue and interact with guests as they are walking by.

Toy Story Mania has been part of Hollywood Studios since before Toy Story Land was built and it has always had a reputation as one of the busiest rides in the park with the longest wait time. You will definitely want to use a fast pass for this ride or visit within the first hour of park opening. There is nothing scary about this ride to be concerned about and it is suitable for guests aged 3 through senior.

Slinky Dog Dash

You remember the loyal and loveable Slinky Dog from the Toy Story franchise. Well, now he has been reimagined as the vehicle for his namesake family-friendly rollercoaster. This runaway train-style rollercoaster features twists, turns, and tilts but no steep drops or upside down loops. At one point along the track, the car will pause and give the impression of slinky stretching out before shooting off again along the track-a fun nod to the nature of the iconic slinky toy and Slinky Dog’s helpful ability in the movies!

Slinky Dog Dash is suitable for riders aged 6 through senior. It is recommended to ride within the first hour of the park’s opening or use fast pass because although this is a milder ride, it is still very popular among guests!

Before leaving Toy Story Land, don’t forget to check out the Alien Swirling Saucers. Perfect for the youngest members of your party, this magic teacup style ride is exciting but gentle, featuring those adorable Pizza Planet aliens.

Best Disney’s Hollywood Studios Rides for Families

If you’re looking for the best Disney’s Hollywood Studios rides for the whole family, there are quite a few options to choose from. Here are some of the top picks:

1. Toy Story Mania!: This interactive ride lets you compete against your family members in a series of carnival-style games.
2. Slinky Dog Dash: This roller coaster is a great choice for families with kids who are a bit older. It’s fast and thrilling, but not too scary.
3. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: This classic ride is a bit more intense, but still suitable for most families. It takes you on a thrilling drop experience through the haunted Hollywood Tower Hotel.
4. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue: Join the Rebel Alliance and experience a thrilling space adventure as you battle the forces of the Empire.
5. Alien Swirling Saucers: This ride is perfect for families with younger kids. It’s a gentle spinning ride that’s based on the Toy Story movies.

These are just a few of the many great rides you can experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. No matter what your family’s interests or thrill level, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Best Rides at Hollywood Studios

While noteworthy rides and exciting new worlds can make for a day’s worth of adventures all on their own, Hollywood Studios does not skimp on awe-inspiring shows featuring characters and storylines from your favorite Disney movies and shows.

Make sure you add these favorites to your itinerary! Younger kids will enjoy the Disney Jr. show, featuring Sophia, Doc, and Jake from Sophia the First,

A Frozen sing along, Little Mermaid show, and Beauty and the Beast show will thrill the princesses in your party while action lovers will not want to miss the Indiana Jones and Stars Wars shows or the Jedi training.

Finally, guests can take a step into the past and re-visit those funny and loveable muppets. Muppet Vision 3D is a combination show and ride that puts you right in the middle of muppets hi-jinks.

With so many shows and rides featuring everyone’s very favorite characters, Hollywood Studios is the ultimate experience. Set aside a day for this park and take a look at this plan by Undercover Tourist to help you make sure you experience everything this park has to offer.

Please note that Undercover Tourist’s daily plan may not have been updated to account for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge by the time you are ready to visit so make sure you consider the activities offered there when planning your day!

If you can’t wait to get your hands on the park souvenirs and legendary Disney food, don’t forget to get your copy of Disney on a Budget to help you take advantage of the park’s eateries and shops without breaking the bank!