DHS with a Toddler

[momofmaz]

I have never been to Disney Hollywood Studies, neither have my parents. My son will be almost 3.5 by our next trip. I'm curious if it is even worth half a day. He does not like the muppets and currently "shows" don't really interest him. He does enjoy Jake and Little Einsteins but I don't know if one character breakfast justifies a trip and we already have 3 planned that are musts for us. Also, after reviewing dining choices nothing stood out to anyone in our party.

I would love to do ToT and the roller coaster but obviously my son won't be riding either. I'm so torn....persuade me either way.

 

[Disney Fool]

Well there's the Jedi Training academy, which is quite impressive, the Disney Jr dance party featuring the characters from Jake and Nederland Pirates, Sofia, Hindi Manny, And the Feb Five. There's a live DJ. This event IS for toddlers and very young kids. Its held usually on nights that DHS has Extra Magic Hours. There are lots of characters there throughout the day, and in Art of Animation nldg, there's a Disney Jr live show during the day, also the Lights, motors, Action live stunt show involving race cars

 

[JediBonas]

My toddlers (24 months) LOVED the Disney Jr Live show. It was, by far, their favorite ride/show of our trip. They also enjoyed TSMM, which surprised me. I had my son and he was actual playing the game, I think my daughter was just watching everything. With yours being older he might enjoy/understand TSMM more then mine.

 

[JediBonas]

I forgot, Starring Rolls for lunch (QS) was very good. We're actually talking about hitting it twice next trip.

 

[pixiemama91]

The Disney Jr Live show is really great for you kids. Everyone sits on the floor and the you can get up and dance. It is a very interactive show and our DD has loved it in the past.

 

[WDW0906]

My five year old daughter and two year old son both loved the Disney Junior Live on Stage show. They updated it to include the newer shows and even though they don't watch all of them they loved the show. It's a great break for parents too - they're encouraged to dance, jump, yell, etc. and parents can sit and watch.

My son wasn't tall enough for Star Wars but he loved the gift shop and just walking around outside. They also both enjoyed the Toy Story ride and we got lucky and found some characters near the NY/San Francisco buildings.

I think a half day is fine for toddlers. I do wish they had more kid-friendly stuff there.

 

[momofmaz]

Sounds like it would be a good idea to split one of our days between AK and DHS.

For those who suggested Star Wars and Jedi stuff, had your toddlers ever watched Star Wars? Or did they just think it was cool?

 

[WantToGoNow]

By 3.5 your preschooler should like most of what DHS has to offer and depending on height may even be able to do ToT. There are also several characters that you will only see at DHS.

 

[twinboysmom]

For us, DHS is no more than a half day park. We have been to wdw with our just turned 4 year old boys 8 times and it's their least favorite park by far. They like the Disney jr show but that's about it. Despite meeting the height requirements, they aren't ready for ToT, Star Wars (and they don't watch any Star Wars shows). They prefer the buzz ride in MK over toy story mania (buzz is easier for a 3 year old). Just our experiences.

 

[momofmaz]

For us, DHS is no more than a half day park. We have been to wdw with our just turned 4 year old boys 8 times and it's their least favorite park by far. They like the Disney jr show but that's about it. Despite meeting the height requirements, they aren't ready for ToT, Star Wars (and they don't watch any Star Wars shows). They prefer the buzz ride in MK over toy story mania (buzz is easier for a 3 year old). Just our experiences.

These are my my initial thought exactly! I was wondering if I was alone.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

In addition to the Toy Story ride, he'll probably be able to see the Green Army men walking around, meet Lightning McQueen and Mater. There's also the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground which is a lot of fun for little ones. These, along with other stuff already mentioned, could easily be at least a half day park for you. He might also enjoy Pizza Planet with the video games and bright theming.

 

[MommaBarb]

My kids like DHS more than I did! We've done lunch and breakfast at Hollywood & Vine (different trips), they love the Disney Jr show, and TSMM. They also liked meeting Buzz & Woody, Mike Wazowski and Sully, and they could've spent hours in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. There are a lot of characters there and they even liked eating at Pizza Planet because we let them play a few games. They've never seen the muppets but they like the movie. We usually have that not be a half day per se, but it's a more relaxing day and we usually wind up spending more time at our resort in the evening on our DHS day. We've never actually made it to the Disney Jr dance party.

 

[Jfsag123]

My son was almost 3 when we went and he really enjoyed DHS. However, he is a toy story fanatic, so keep that in mind. He loved TSMM and the Disney Jr. show. He was too young to participate in JTA (they have to be 4, I think), but he liked watching his sister do it. He also liked the Muppets movie, despite not having seen them before. And of course, lunch at Pizza Planet was a delight for him. However, despite having a good time, we did not feel the need to spend an entire day there.

 

[momofmaz]

Thanks everyone for the great advice? Is Pizza Planet actually okay pizza?

 

[mesaboy2]

Thanks everyone for the great advice? Is Pizza Planet actually okay pizza?

It's very standard theme-park pizza. Passable, but completely forgettable.

 

[Manders77]

For us we plan a whole day at DHS. We start having early pre opening breakfast at H & V. The Disney Jr characters are my kids favorite. Kids love TSM and we usually have to ride at least 2x. DIsney Jr show is a must sometimes 2x as well. DD loved the parade and the Dancing (disney Rocks, High school Musical, whatever it was) we usually watched it 3-4 times throughout the day. They love the shows dancing stuff. Everyone has different likes and every child reacts to different things. At 4 my daughter was only 38 inches so she couldn't ride alot of rides. Now she is almost 6, and DS is 3 and he's 36 inches. Next time we go, our touring plan will change alittle but they watch all those shows/parades on youtube so I doubt it will be much different. The last time we were at WDW we did 2 days MK, 1 day AK, 2 days HS, and 1 day at Epcot. We did mornings at the parks, left for afternoon naps and went back in the evening.

 

[OatsZoo]

My son was 4 his first time of ToT, he loved it. What about lunch at Sci Fi Drive In? The food is ok but he may love the atmosphere. My kids love Pizza Planet, a most for our upcoming trip. Lights, Motors! Action may keep his attention and Fantasmic should as well. I would book a day there for sure. Plus you can meet Mater and Lightning McQueen there also.

 

[sb682]

My son is 4 and loves DHS, even though DH and I could take it or leave it. He begged us to go on our most recent trip, but we only had 2 days and didn't bother. I would spend at least 1/2 a day there if you have time. His favorite parts are Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, the Disney Junior show and the Animation building for the character meets and interactive kiosks. There are many characters that appeal to little boys (Mike & Sulley, Wreck-It Ralph, Jake, Phineas & Ferb, Mater & Lightning McQueen, Buzz & Woody) that appear at DHS as well. He wasn't old enough for Jedi Training Academy (must be 4) but he loved watching the older kids fight Darth Vader. The two times we've taken him to DHS this year, we've done our must-sees before lunch and eat elsewhere since the menus don't really impress us and we don't do the dining plan. Hollywood & Vine has OK food, but unless you have the dining plan I don't think it's worth the money for a whole family. DH skipped it while DS and I went. He was so happy to dance and sing with Jake and Oso, but it wouldn't have been a big loss if we didn't go. Writer's Stop is a great place for a mid-morning snack and coffee.

 

[Jfsag123]

Thanks everyone for the great advice? Is Pizza Planet actually okay pizza?

It's very standard theme-park pizza. Passable, but completely forgettable.

Agreed. It was better than I was expecting, though.

 

[Woodmnky]

My son was just under 3 and did not like Disney Junior Live on Stage because it was too crowded and too loud. He loves to watch the video on Youtube, but the actual experience was overwhelming for him. I knew that Muppets was a no go because it would also be very loud. We did not do any of the other shows either.

DS was OK with Toy Story Midway Mania, but would have been fine without it. However, he LOVED the characters at DHS. We met Sorcerer Mickey, Minnie, Wreck it Ralph & Vanellope, Buzz & Woody, the green Army men, and we saw Lightning McQueen & Mater. DH & I went on RnRC, but we skipped the other rides.

We went to DHS one evening so that we could see Osborne Lights and then one morning for about 3 hours. I am not upset that we went and the excitement my son had at meeting Buzz Lightyear was well worth it for me, but if we went again and couldn't fit DHS into our schedule I wouldn't be upset. I will say that the meet & greet with Minnie was the best we experienced all week. She is in a private room and really takes time to do more than just take a picture.