Hollywood Studios

[DisneyFive]

It is probably tied for our favorite park overall for our family. There are some fantastic rides there if you are into more “thrilling” rides. Luckily for us, my two daughters love Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, because so do I. Our whole family loves Toy Story Mania. Those 3 rides alone are probably in the top 5 for our family. Add on top of that the great shows, like Lights Motors Action, Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, Muppets 3D and especially Fantasmic and you have an awesome park. Other things we love to do are the Jedi Training for the kids, the drawing class andthe Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area.

I also love the old Hollywood vibe as a previous poster mentioned.

Our first visit we probably ranked it third behind MK and AK, but on our second visit it jumped right up there with MK. It is absolutely worth a visit. It’s not just about movies and Hollywood, as the name implies. It is SO much more than that.

Dan

 

[wdwislife]

If your family likes thrill rides then ToT and RnRC are must dos! TSM, Star Tours and the various shows are all wonderful as well.

 

[Schmoodle]

Why get talked into it if you feel it's something you won't enjoy? There's tons to do at WDW and no law that you have to hit all four parks. Maybe your family would prefer to do one of the water parks instead.
Epcot and HS are our favorites and my kids would probably be perfectly fine with skipping AK completely.

 

[Boog's Mommy]

The Studios has Tower of Terror, Rock-N-Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Toy Story Midway Mania, Lights Camera Action Show, Indiana Jones Show, Beauty & Beast Show AND some great resaurants like Brown Derby and Mama Melrose's. You could at least do a partial day there and then hit another park later the same day. I think the studios is a lot of fun!!! Me and my husband AND my 4 year old son LOVE IT!!!

 

[linskypens]

We only have two park days this upcoming trip, and the second HAS to be DHS!!
TSM RnR TOT all must do's.
The animation class has be come a favorite of ours, and we usually do this two or three times each trip. Great for kids of all ages.
The new Star Tours is much better with the upgrade. Love the street performers, and the whole vibe of the park.

 

[KigerKat]

We love DHS mostly for the shows - there are so many of them there! Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones Stunt Show, Lights Motor Action, Muppet Vision 3D, American Idol, and Fantasmic!

We also love the Citizens of Hollywood - they have some great street theater!

And, we do love Star Wars, Toy Story Mania and Rockin Roller Coaster. DH loves ToT, but I can't ride that one, too scary for me.

It also has the Animation Academy, which DH and I both love. It's the only time I can actually draw something!

 

[earthfaries]

Maybe this will help. DHS is my least favorite park. BUT it's my children's, esp. my teen's Favorite park .

I find it quite boring and usually spend a lot of time walking around and pin trading and enjoying a quiet snack in the Writer's Stop while the kids are doing their favorite thing with their teen brother.

They LOVE the Star Wars attraction and the play park. Absolutely love it. Now that they are older and their brother is nearing adulthood they can spend all the time they want in the park or riding Star Tours over and over and over and over again ~ while I hang out.

I do like the pin trading in that park, always nice finds . I also LOVE Tower of Terror ~ it's my all time favorite Disney ride. Rock n Roller Coaster is wonderful too.

I definitely suggest giving the park a try. It's a fun and new experience. You may find it a bit on the slow side compared to the Magic Kingdom but I bet your kids will love it .

Have fun!

 

[Moon Child]

Haven't read all the previous posts, but just wanted to add...
We had the best time out of all the parks at HS this past Oct!

We love TOT, Rock N Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, we had a blast!!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Out of the 4- DHS is my 3rd fave park (1-MK, 2-EP, 3- DHS, 4-AK), but we always seem to find a lot to do there, especially with our kids. Sure, they can't ride RnR and ToT would scare the daylights out of them but TSMM, Muppets, Star Tours, BatB, Little Mermaid, and Disney Junior on stage make it a must do for us these days. It's funny, b/c my first trip was in 1991 when it was MGM and I HATED it! In fact, I didn't return to DHS until 2010- yet made MANY trips to Universal. While there are things at DHS today that were there on my first visit that I still dislike and I never devote more than one day here- it's grown on me...especially little things like everyone getting yummy treats at Starring Rolls to seeing the kids play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area or Pizza Planet.

 

[jking6]

I would the kids will love HS. It is our favorite park. I love thrill rides and ToT is my favorite and my grandkids.
I have 5 grandkids ages 6,9,11,12 and 13 and it is their favorite park. They love the ToT, Rockin Roller coaster, Toy story mania and the shows if they like cars they will love it. plus fantasmic is a nice fireworks show not our favorite but worth seeing. The street performers play up to the kids too.
It is the park we visit the most. Epcot is our least favorite.

 

[msmama]

If I had the time I would never skip ANY park. As far as I'm concerned a real WDW vacation includes all 4 parks, lol.

That said, it's my least favorite. I think it's gone downhill since when it first opened, personally. But we still go. (Although now that I think about it, it was way more educational back then - the back lot tour took like half a day, lol).

I find it the worst park to eat at - the food, especially CS, is pretty blah. The TS is just passable.

I think I would have a hard time spending a whole day, rope drop to the end of Fantasmic, there but it's still fun!

 

[Kat in GA]

I concur about it being a great park.

My girls are 14 and 11 - and Hollywood Studios is their favorite park. They love RnR, ToT, TSM, Star Tours - and are big fans of the American Idol Experience (they are very judgmental!). We love the shows. We love taking the art class. And we really love the cupcakes at Starring Rolls.

Give it a try!

 

[I Love Pluto]

I can name lots of reasons why I love HS - and I don't do thrill rides.

HS has its own personality as you walk on the streets. It "feels" good.
Fantasmic - do not miss it
Beauty & the Beast
Indiana Jones
Little Mermaid
Muppets
Toy Story Mania
Lively street things happening
The parade & lively music/dancing
The Great Movie Ride
etc, etc

Sounds like a full day or 2 park to me!!!

 

[SapphireMarie]

Thanks all!! I'm very much a Disney newbie so I really appreciate it. Sounds like I can have have a good time there. For whatever reason I was associating DHS with shows and not much else.

Will def. give it a chance.

 

[fbarker]

Let's see.....Tot, RnR, Fantasmic, the Street Actors, TSM, Muppets, Little Mermaid, Great Movie Ride to name a few. Yes your are right there is nothing worth seeing at HS so don't go please!!! their will be fewer people and the lines won't be so long!!!

HS i a great fun park you are missing a great experience if you don't go.

 

[ronnmel]

When I visited DHS for the first time in 2009 I only spent a few hours there and didn't like it much. For our honeymoon we had planned on two days there. We ended up going a third time because we loved it so much!

Tower of Terror is by far my favorite thrill ride at Disney, and has a huge repeat factor. Since the drop sequence is random, you can do it over and over again and never get the exact same ride.

Rock'N'Roller Coaster is the most thrilling coaster offered by Disney (along with Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom).

Star Tours is lots of fun too and also great repeatability, though it gives me motion sickness. But DH will do it over and over again.

Two of the shows, Lights! Motors! Action and the Indiana Jones show both revolve around stunts. And though it's totally a musical theatre presentation, I loved Beauty & the Beast.

I love doing the drawing class. Every half hour you get to learn how to draw a new Disney character. It's great for artistic people.

And last, but not least, Toy Story Mania is a lot of fun for anyone who is into video game/interactive type rides.

 

[Karpkg]

I just convinced my co-worker to go. She was saying she and her 8 yr son had only 2 parks and which 2 should she go? She'd already chosen Magic Kingdom and was trying to decide between Epcot and DHS. She chose DHS after finding out DHS had:

Jedi Training Academy
Star Tours
Phineas & Ferb Meet n Greet
Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen
Jake and the Neverland Pirates in a show
-these were the main reasons for her son
she doesn't understand the rides yet, but I know her son will love TSM

My family loves it for all the characters in a smaller area to get at.
Star Tours
Jedi Training Academy
Animation Class
Lights, Action show
RocknRoller Coaster
of course TSM

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Before I enjoyed high-thrill rides, I wasn't a big fan of DHS. Now that I go on Tower of Terror and Rock'n'Roller Coaster, I think DHS is my favorite park. I think my favorite rides would rank:

1) Runaway Railroad (Only because I could ride that ALL DAY)
2) Tower of terror
3) Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
4) Everest
5) Small World (has to put a classic in).

Two of the five are DHS rides- and I think many ride-lovers would agree that these are top-5 (I have never been on Soarin'). What it comes down to is this:

Magic Kingdom: The Must-see. Magic Kingdom is sort of the classic. It's the Time Square to Disney's New York City. The rides are all classics and you get that special feeling when you go there.

Epcot: Amazing to walk around on a nice day. Amazing food, drinks, and full of culture.

DHS: The real theme park. Two of the best thrill rides in WDW, along with some of the best shows (Fantasmic).

Animal Kingdom: Sort of like Disney's own zoo with a few rides. Really can be done in one day imo, but that's because my fam finds this the least exciting.

I really think you're missing out if you don't do DHS. At least TRY it. Think of it like this: if you get the Park Hopper, you're paying for all the parks - why not use it to its full ability!!

 

[skilesare]

What we're into in the thrill rides, fast paced excitement.

It just seems HS would bore me to tears. I know there are some good rides but is it enough. I would be annoyed at myself to think we wasted a day there when we could have "gone big" elsewhere.

If this is the case, I'm afraid that the REST of WDW will be disappointing for you. DHS has more 'thrill' rides than any other park. Rockn, and Tower are more exciting than any ride at any other park other than Everest. DHS also has Star Tours that is a fairly 'thrilling' ride. Epcot has Soarin' and Test Track but neither is as 'thrilling' as Tower or RnR. Magic Kingdom has Space and Thunder but neither is a big/good a roller coaster as RnR. I guess there is also Splash mountain, but that is just one big drop and I hate water rides at a dry park.

I've never done Toy Story Mania, but some of my friends call it 'the coolest ride at Disney World'.

I'd do DHS but get there at Rope Drop.

 

[Rosebud123]

Used to hate it, now I love it! They have 4 solidly AWESOME rides and a few great shows. I admit that I'm not a huge show fan, but Jedi is awesome (as long as your child is a participant) as is Beauty and Indy. Also, can't forget Fantasmic! This is my must do list and my kids are 7 and 9.
TSM
Tower of Terror
Rock 'n Roll
Star Tours
Jedi Training
Beauty and the Beast
Indiana Jones
Fantasmic