Hollywood Studios for first-timers (including 1 skeptical DH)

[OhanaMomma]

Hi all! We are planning our November ADR's for our trip 11/12-19th. This is our FOURTH trip to DW and we have not yet been to HS. We have 2 princess obsessed daughters who are now 7 and 9 and are starting to get past their Elsa infatuation, so we are ready to branch out to new experiences. I would like to try HS this trip, at least for 1 day. My husband thinks it's going to be BORING with everything under construction.

Can I get some assistance with what to do with a skeptical DH and 2 young daughters? They both loved The Force Awakens and Rogue One, so they are already familiar with the characters and I know there's a chance for amazement there! Places to eat? Is the Fantasmic dining package a must-do? Should I do a half day (morning) at Epcot and then head over to HS? We are AP holders, so we wouldn't be wasting a ticket.

Thanks for any input. I'm really not familiar with HS and don't even know where to start...

 

[ErinsMommy]

Yes there's construction but still so much to do. Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Rock N Rollercoaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Wars stormtroopers march; the list goes on.

 

[SG131]

Well for you guys, the frozen song-a-long show would be a great choice. Toy story mania is a great family ride. Think buzz but better. If they are into rides the tower of terror is great. Obviously the Star Wars shows and Star tours would be good. At the character meet and greet you can trade objects with the Jawas and they are known to be pretty funny.

As far as fantasmic, I wouldn't say the dining package is necessary as the seating area is huge. It may save you a little time waiting in line. The dining options aren't as good as some of the other parks and get very mixed reviews. I love 50's primetime. Sci Fi is neat for kids and I hear Hollywood and vine is decent though I'm only trying it for the first time in August.

 

[yulilin3]

everything under construction.

this is just something a few people have said and it has caught on.
Everything is NOT under construction
Actually the only attractions that closed due to the current construction were Backlot Tour and Lights Motor Action
Plenty still to do. For princesses lovers there's Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Frozen Sing Along
Star Wars fans: plenty to do, 3 meet and greets, 2 outdoor shows, Star Tours, Jedi Training and the Galactic Spectacular to end your day
Toy Story Midway Mania and Muppets are fun
Meet and greets: Woody, Buzz, Olaf, Mickey and Minnie, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, Pluto and Jake
You can fill a day easily and that's without mentioning the big thrill rides

 

[pitpat]

Yulilin nails it. Just went for the first time with our daughter and she loved Frozen Sing Along, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Muppets and especially Fantasmic!

We also lucked into Characterpalooza which is kind of like Fight Club, but if you can make that happen, they will be thrilled.

 

[AngiTN]

How can someone with Frozen obsessed kids have not gone to HS so far? Frozen Sing A long is probably the best thing on property Frozen related. Better than FEA by far.
Otherwise, PP has it all right. Very little of the actual used parts of the park are closed/gone. I never have understood all the arguments that the park is half closed. Maybe by acreage but not by activities.

 

[Disney2017]

Everything Yulinin said!!

We went for the first time in February and my girls (7&5) had a great time! They loved breakfast with Jake and Sofia, toy story and the frozen show is excellent!

"Everything under construction" didn't mean anything to me since I had no frame of reference as it was our first visit. We didn't do any of the thrill rides and still spent most of the day there.

 

[Lightsoutx12]

There is a lot of construction going on but you can still make a day out of it (unless you make good fastpasses!). You can take your time through Star Wars launch bay which shows a lot of movie props and character meetings, they even have a short video to show some behind the scenes from the movies. There are all the attractions as the above posters mentioned. Me being 23 I still love Toy Story mania and I am sure your family will have a great time on that ride. Sometimes I book a FP for it and go on the standby line then get right back on with my FP for double the fun. Overall it is a nice park to stroll around and if you stick it out you can catch the fireworks show which IMO is the best show that WDW offers. (A little biased on that show since I am a HUGE Star Wars fan)

 

[AngiTN]

And it can't be stressed enough, since you've never done it, the Frozen Sing A Long is as much for adults as it is for children. Do not let the fact that it's Frozen scare you away. It is one of the most entertaining shows Disney does. The actors in the show are very talented and ad lib in many areas and may well have you crying from laughter. It is must do for us, even when DGD isn't with us. It can't reach the level of entertainment that was found at the with The Genie in the Aladdin Show in DCA but it's close.

 

[mindeola]

Disney hasn't announced which dates yet. There are several military FB pages that usually post it as soon as the info is available.

this is just something a few people have said and it has caught on.
Everything is NOT under construction

THIS! There is still so much to-do. The Frozen sing along is one of the best experiences on property and my kids are in college. It is so funny and so well done. We just got back from an anniversary trip where my husband had to see it again. he claims it is because the theatre is cold, but he always laughs and sing along.

Walt's One Man's Dream is always fantastic to walk through. They currently have a Pirate's ten minute trailer. They rotate those films out. TS Midway Mania is easily one of our favorite rides at WDW. They have two thrill rides ( more than the other parks). You must have a Carrot Cake cookie from Sweet Spells. They have good TS dining. Their nighttime shows are our favorite on property- besides MK fireworks. It has such a fun feel. Great street performers. The Muppets Show is a must for us. Star Tours is such a great ride and meeting Chewy is pretty fantastic!

 

[mindeola]

And it can't be stressed enough, since you've never done it, the Frozen Sing A Long is as much for adults as it is for children. Do not let the fact that it's Frozen scare you away. It is one of the most entertaining shows Disney does. The actors in the show are very talented and ad lib in many areas and may well have you crying from laughter. It is must do for us, even when DGD isn't with us. It can't reach the level of entertainment that was found at the with The Genie in the Aladdin Show in DCA but it's close.

YES, yes, yes! I am not even really a fan of Frozen and I love this show so much.

 

[Lightsoutx12]

I did the Frozen Sing A Long for the first time and it was hilarious, even if you don't like Frozen as much it is hilarious and a good time all around

 

[Epcot82Guy]

With APs, I second everyone's sentiments here. You will enjoy it. For people with single park tickets, it can feel a bit empty compared with the other parks. But, there is PLENTY to do.

If you use FPs, it's also a great park to pair with a late lunch/early dinner at a resort. You could easily arrive at opening, knock out Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower right away, have FPs for Midway Mania and Star Tours from 9:15-10:15/10:15-11:15 (or something like that) followed by Muppets 3D, Frozen Sing Along (standby) and Great Movie Ride. (You could FP GMR or get a second Tower FP for Noon-1:00pm or near that.) You then would have plenty of time to exit to the park to do a fun late lunch at a Resort. Or, if you stayed at Studios, you could check out 50s Prime Time Cafe - a very fun restaurant for families.

You also, at any time, could hop out and take the Friendships to the Boardwalk to grab ice cream at Ample Hills or Beach Club to grab a sundae at the Beaches & Cream to go window.

Then, travel back to Studios to see Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones, One Man's Dream, Fantasmic and/or Star Wars. And, you also have plenty of character interaction possibilities too - if that's something your family enjoys.

 

[Tomservo]

Yulilin nails it. Just went for the first time with our daughter and she loved Frozen Sing Along, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Muppets and especially Fantasmic!

We also lucked into Characterpalooza which is kind of like Fight Club, but if you can make that happen, they will be thrilled.

You forgot the first rule of Characterpalooza. You do not talk about Characterpalooza.

 

[OhanaMomma]

You forgot the first rule of Characterpalooza. You do not talk about Characterpalooza.

Ummm...what's Characterpalooza??

Thank you all for the amazing responses! I really had no idea there was so much to do!

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

Frozen sing along is great for parents and kids. We went in January and the youngest in our party was 22 I love the Star Wars offerings. TOT is the best ride in all of WDW. RnRC is a great thrill ride. B+tB is another good show. Muppets is fun. We hit Star tours at least 4-6 times every trip. Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular is a must do for me now.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

Ummm...what's Characterpalooza??

Thank you all for the amazing responses! I really had no idea there was so much to do!

It is an unofficial meet and greet. It usually occurs on nights of Fantasmic some time between 4pm-7pm. You don't know exactly when, what characters will be there or where they will be. We have seen them near TOT but I am not sure if they are still there.

 

[AngiTN]

Ummm...what's Characterpalooza??

Thank you all for the amazing responses! I really had no idea there was so much to do!

Actually, not talking about Characterpalooza really wasn't a joke. If it's discussed and if people start to look for it in the parks they will not have it. It's a bonus pop up thing that happens "organically" at HS

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

I have not been in many years, but from my extensive research, I have heard that with an effective itinerary and strategic FPP planning, you can knock out this park in a half day or so. Not because of the construction, per se, but because it is a smaller park than the others by nature. BUT I think that you absolutely must stay until evening so you have the opportunity to see Fantasmic, no matter when you finish with the rest of the park. DHS was by no means my favorite park last time I went, but Fantasmic is my all-time favorite show. Last time my family was there, we park-hopped back to DHS one evening specifically to watch it again.

 

[OhanaMomma]

Actually, not talking about Characterpalooza really wasn't a joke. If it's discussed and if people start to look for it in the parks they will not have it. It's a bonus pop up thing that happens "organically" at HS

I'll keep it on the d/l!