What We Love Most About Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This week Disney’s Hollywood Studios of Walt Disney World officially reopens to guests. We’re using this great occasion to talk about what we love most about all our favorite sections of the park, Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Sunset Boulevard, Mickey Avenue, Grand Avenue, Toy Story Land & especially Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge We share our favorite attractions, restaurants, entertainment and so much more.
You can find our podcast here on Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, MyTuner, and ListenNotes. If you’re not familiar with Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, please check out our overview.
Grateful for Rick and Sherri Williams for sharing their love of Disney’s Hollywood Studio with me on the podcast.
Hollywood Boulevard
We begin entering the park at sunset. For annual pass holders like us, we typically come for a few hours in the evening.
I referenced how my mother stopped in front of the Celebrity 5 & 10, remembering its architecture to some kind of memory in her childhood.
The Citizens of Hollywood give a “lived in” feel to the park. They are worthy of your attention when passing by.
We all love the Brown Derby–definitely the best restaurant in the park–and perhaps the best in Walt Disney World.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is open and is popular. The video below showcases this new attraction.
Late night offerings are held in front of the Chinese Theater at night. A scene from Disney Movie Magic.
Echo Lake
Gertie the dinosaur welcome us to Echo Lake.
Ask me about the boat. There’s a whole story behind Dockside Diner.
One of the most creative restaurants in Walt Disney World–50’s Prime Time Cafe.
Talented performers can be found at Frozen Sing-a-long.
The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular has been the benchmark by which all stunt shows have been compared to. This is a big favorite of Sherri–well maybe all of us!
Sunset Boulevard
Again, the architecture on Sunset Boulevard is beautiful–made even better during the holidays.
Beauty & the Beast: Live on Stage has been around for decades. The theater is almost always full.
A top ten favorite–one of the great attractions in Disney’s parks globally. There is nothing like it. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at The Hollywood Tower Hotel.
Yes…this is representative of Los Angeles as well. Very different to the rest of the experience on Sunset Boulevard.
Honorary mention to this newer attraction, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy.
While we’re in this corner of the park, we should mention Fantasmic!
Mickey Avenue
Walt Disney Presents is a great way to learn about the life of Walt Disney. Don’t miss this attraction when you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Toy Story Land
Toy Story land is a colorful world I respectfully refer to as “Honey, I Blew Up the Toy Closet.”
The queue for Slinky Dog Dash is full of crazy toys and trinkets.
Familiar toys can be found everywhere.
Rick loves Toy Story Mania. Mr. Potato Head loves Rick.
Grand Avenue
Muppet-vision 3D is truly a celebration of all things Jim Henson.
Be sure to check out Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. The steak is incredible!
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
When guests arrive at the Millennium Falcon, it can be as emotional an experience as seeing Cinderella Castle for the first time. Rick mentioned early morning in Batuu.
Rise of the Resistance is a tremendous experience. It is my #2 favorite attraction in all Disney attractions world-wide.
We forgot to mention Rex. Thank goodness we still have Rex!
Nighttime in Galaxy’s Edge is surreal. It is beautiful and is one of the rare moments you feel truly lost in another world.
That’s a Wrap–But There’s More!
We have loved sharing this “What We Love” series as we’ve visited all of the parks and more world-wide. Be sure to check out the others if you haven’t yet. This has been a labor of love to share all of these as we have gone through this pandemic where Disney parks world wide were shut down.
I announced my the upcoming release of the 2nd edition of Disney’s Hollywood Studios: From Show Biz to Your Biz. Stay tuned, as we will be re-releasing this updated book in the weeks to follow.
Meanwhile, we mentioned our free Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge guide. It is the most comprehensive insight into this amazing land. Whether you’re visiting Disneyland or Walt Disney World, you want to check this out before heading to this wonderful place. It’s full of interactive maps, videos, images, stories and more. You can find out more here!
Meanwhile, is it time to book your next trip to Disney? The best person to answer that question is David Zanolla, owner and agent of of Out The Door Travel, LLC. There’s no cost–but it could save you a lot of time–and even money–especially when you put it in the hands of someone who really knows Disney and travel. Call today at 309-863-5469 or reach out to him via zanolla@otdtravel.com
