Plan our day - Hollywood Studios touring plan HELP!!

[pumpkinjl]

We are a family of 5 (children ages 6 and 9) staying on property. Going Thanksgiving week (I know very crowded). We have the dining plan.

I am trying to decide how best to spend our time at HS. I just can’t see us staying at HS for a full day. PLEASE help me with a touring plan.

We want to do Jedi training (I know that’s a first thing in the morning signup) and the nighttime shows, but we really don’t want to waste a whole day. Would you split the day? Suggestions? We are open to doing more, but we MUST do the following:

Star Tours
Jedi Training
Build a Lightsabre
Maybe meet Star Wars characters
Frozen Sing Along
TSMM
TOT
Fantasmic!
The Galactic Spectacular show and fireworks

Thank you for your time!

 

[nimbuscat]

Here is my plan for DHS, which covers most of your must-dos!

- 8:15 pre-park ADR at Hollywood & Vine. Another perk to this ADR is that they are letting you sign up for Jedi training before breakfast. We are hoping for the 12:40 show.

- After breakfast, head to Star Wars Launch Bay. Meet all the SW characters.

- Do Voyage of the Little Mermaid 10:25 show as a walk-on. (Next door to launch bay)

- FP+ for TSMM 11:00-12:00. Go on latter end of this window. On earlier end, do star tours as walk on (if lines not too long) and/or meet Olaf. Do TSMM.

- Report to Jedi training at 12:10 for 12:40 show.

- Lunch ADR at 50s Prime Time for 1:20.

- shopping, build-a-lightsaber etc.

- FP+ for Frozen Sing a Long at 3:05 for 3:30 show.

- Great Movie Ride as walk on.

- FP+ for Tower of Terror from 4:00-5:00

- try to make 4th FP for Disney Jr show at 5:40. As soon as we use that FP, try to make another for Fantasmic. I'm not sure what time the galactic fireworks are relative to fantasmic, but you can hopefully work in both, as well as fit in a QS dinner.

 

[DWeav]

That sounds like a full day at Hollywood Studios to me...especially during Thanksgiving week. Don't want to go in the morning, I'm guessing?

 

[matthewhavens]

We are a family of 5 (children ages 6 and 9) staying on property. Going Thanksgiving week (I know very crowded). We have the dining plan.

I am trying to decide how best to spend our time at HS. I just can’t see us staying at HS for a full day. PLEASE help me with a touring plan.

We want to do Jedi training (I know that’s a first thing in the morning signup) and the nighttime shows, but we really don’t want to waste a whole day. Would you split the day? Suggestions? We are open to doing more, but we MUST do the following:

Star Tours
Jedi Training
Build a Lightsabre
Maybe meet Star Wars characters
Frozen Sing Along
TSMM
TOT
Fantasmic!
The Galactic Spectacular show and fireworks

Thank you for your time!

Yes - definitely a full day if you want JTA and fireworks in the same day. I started a thread asking about JTA sign-ups and a H&V ADR. Since you have the dining plan, I think the plan I am building out right now may work for you. My kids will be 8 and 6 at the time of the trip. Here's what I've got so far:

H&V Breakfast - 8am (sign up for JTA on the way to breakfast)
Star Tours - 9am
Great Movie Ride - 9:30am
Toy Story - 10am (FP+)
Jedi Training - 11:10am (10:40 drop-off)
Lunch - 11:30am
Frozen Sing-Along - 12:30pm show
Tower of Terror - 1:30pm (FP+)
Star Wars Stage Show - 2:30pm

We eat lunch early, but you can swap lunch and Frozen. You can meet the Star Wars characters before or after the stage show. The only "issue" I have with the advice above is that Great Movie Ride isn't a walk on at 4pm during Thanksgiving week (more like 30+ minutes).

 

[matthewhavens]

Edit to above: Frozen Sing-Along is the third FP+

 

[cassie58]

I would get there early for RD, and hopefully sign up for Jedi training before opening - I would pick a time around 11:00-11:30 to get some things done beforehand while it's slower. Then head to TSMM to ride 1st thing, so you can ride twice with your FP for later, if you like to do it again like we do! Go to Launch Bay for SW autographs, the head over to Star Tours to ride, then build lightsaber on the way out. Depending on your Jedi time, you may have to do lightsaber later(right after show may be very crowded). Not sure if you are planning a meal, we like to do Sci-Fi, which you could plan for 12:30, or plan an early dinner for 4:30-5:00. You can make your FP accordingly, early/late afternoon, then try for 4th FP for Fantasmic! when done. I would FP TSMM, ToT, and Frozen. You can work in Star Wars stage show according to the schedule for the day, and fill in any extra time with Muppets, Little Mermaid, and IJ/B&B show. At the end of the evening you will have Fantasmic! and Star Wars Fireworks. I think you will have a pretty full day!

 

[nimbuscat]

We eat lunch early, but you can swap lunch and Frozen. You can meet the Star Wars characters before or after the stage show. The only "issue" I have with the advice above is that Great Movie Ride isn't a walk on at 4pm during Thanksgiving week (more like 30+ minutes).

Agreed. I'm the person with that advice, but my trip is during a lower crowd time. You could swap little mermaid from my plan with great movie ride, if you are interested.

 

[canadiandisneynut]

So am I right to understand that if you have and ADR pre open they will let you sign up for Jedi training before you go and eat? How early can you do this?

 

[matthewhavens]

So am I right to understand that if you have and ADR pre open they will let you sign up for Jedi training before you go and eat? How early can you do this?

As of right now the answer is yes.

I started a thread this morning called "Jedi Training Academy Sign-Ups" and asked that same question. Best_Vacation_EVER confirmed they were at HS last week and had an 8:25 ADR at H&V. On the way to breakfast they stopped at the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost and signed up for JTA. The sign-up took about 2 minutes.