Plan your morning around Rise of the Resistance. Let everything else fall into place after.

If you only have one day

A smart friend who knows Hollywood Studios would tell you this:

  1. Rise of the Resistance — the whole morning is built around getting on this ride
  2. Slinky Dog Dash — rope drop or Tier 1 Lightning Lane
  3. Tower of Terror — afternoon Lightning Lane slot
  4. Galaxy's Edge — spend real time here, not just a pass-through
  5. Fantasmic! — stay for it if it's running

That's the day. Everything else is a bonus.

What's new at Hollywood Studios in 2026

Hollywood Studios received several significant updates in 2026 that change how you plan your day.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets (open May 26, 2026) replaces the Aerosmith version that closed in March 2026. The high-speed launch coaster (0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, with three inversions) now features Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band on a wild road trip to their biggest concert. The queue has been completely reimagined with celebrity cameo video screens featuring notable Muppets fans, Easter eggs throughout, and a new pre-show. The ride mechanics are unchanged — the Muppets are doing what Aerosmith couldn't: making the experience worth caring about beyond the ride itself. Expect this to operate as a Tier 1 Lightning Lane attraction with waits in the 60 to 90 minute range. It's worth your advance Lightning Lane selection.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (updated May 22, 2026) now features The Mandalorian and Grogu in place of the original Hondo Ohnaka storyline. Guests choose one of three destinations — Tatooine, Cloud City, or Coruscant — and the ride now offers more guest-controlled narrative choices. The single-rider line remains one of the best values in the park on busy days.

MuppetVision 3D closed permanently in June 2025 to make way for Monstropolis — a future Monsters, Inc.-themed land with a suspended roller coaster. Construction is underway; no opening date has been announced. The Muppets Courtyard area is currently walled off.

The Walt Disney Studios area (formerly the Animation Courtyard) opened in summer 2026 with Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! and The Magic of Disney Animation, an interactive pavilion-style experience. Lower-intensity but solid for families with young children.

The rides — what to prioritize and why

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction — it requires a separate purchase on top of Multi Pass. At $20 to $25 per person, it's worth every dollar on a busy day. Standby waits regularly exceed 90 minutes by mid-morning. If you're staying at a Disney Resort hotel and can purchase your Single Pass seven days in advance, do it the moment your booking window opens. Available return windows disappear fast.

If you don't purchase Single Pass, your best option is rope dropping Rise of the Resistance at official park opening — it runs during Early Entry and guests with resort hotel access should target it in the first 30 minutes of Early Entry. Off-site guests without a Single Pass should head there at official opening and accept that it's their first commitment of the morning.

Slinky Dog Dash (38-inch height requirement) is a Tier 1 Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection and one of the most family-friendly coasters at Walt Disney World. Its relatively low capacity means lines grow fast. Book it as your first Multi Pass advance selection if you can.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets (48-inch height requirement) is also a Tier 1 selection. The 2026 Muppets retheme has elevated this from a ride guests felt neutral about to one that rewards the queue and pre-show experience as much as the ride itself. Advance Lightning Lane booking is strongly advised.

Tower of Terror (40-inch height requirement) is a Tier 2 Multi Pass selection. Its drop tower format means high turnover and the lines don't build as catastrophically as the coasters — it's often manageable in standby mid-afternoon. Still worth a Multi Pass slot on busy days.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (no height requirement) is the best attraction at Hollywood Studios for families with young children. A fully immersive dark ride experience with no height minimum. Book it as a Multi Pass selection or tackle it at rope drop as a secondary priority after Rise.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38-inch height requirement) has a single-rider line that functions well on busy days. The posted standby wait often overstates actual waits for single riders. Unless you specifically need to ride together as a group, single rider is the efficient choice here.

Toy Story Mania! (no height requirement) is a perennial family favorite — a carnival-style shooting game with multiple scenes based on the Toy Story films. The ride itself is brief but endlessly replayable. Good for younger kids who can't do the height-restricted coasters.

Star Tours — The Adventures Continue (40-inch height requirement) is a simulator ride with randomized sequences from across the Star Wars timeline — there are dozens of possible combinations, making it genuinely different on repeat visits. Standby waits are often shorter than at other Galaxy's Edge attractions.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge — how to approach it

Galaxy's Edge is the most immersive themed land in all of Walt Disney World. The 14-acre recreation of Batuu is so complete in its detail that spending time just walking through it — examining the ship in the middle of the land, listening to the ambient noise, watching the cast members in character — is worth doing even if you'd already ridden both attractions.

The two rides here are on opposite ends of the spectrum: Smugglers Run is an interactive group experience where your performance affects the mission; Rise of the Resistance is a passive, story-driven spectacle that requires nothing from you except to let it unfold. Both are worth experiencing.

Oga's Cantina is the bar inside Galaxy's Edge — a standing-room cocktail and non-alcoholic drinks experience that requires a reservation through My Disney Experience. It's worth booking once for the atmosphere and the Blue Milk (plant-based, citrus and tropical) or Black Spire Brew (coffee-based). Don't expect to linger; the time limit is strict at peak hours.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo is the quick-service option in Galaxy's Edge and one of the better quick-service meals at Hollywood Studios — the Ronto Wrap and the Meiloorun Juice are the standout items. Mobile order in advance.

Morning strategy

Hollywood Studios is the park where morning matters most. The combination of Rise of the Resistance demand, Slinky Dog Dash capacity limitations, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster crowds means the first 90 minutes after opening is genuinely high-stakes.

If you have Early Entry (Disney Resort hotel guests): Head directly to Rise of the Resistance. It runs during Early Entry. Ride it first, then transition to Toy Story Land for Slinky Dog Dash before off-site guests enter.

If you don't have Early Entry and have purchased a Single Pass for Rise: Head to Slinky Dog Dash at official opening (it doesn't run during Early Entry and the wait is shortest at rope drop). Your Rise Single Pass handles the afternoon.

If you don't have Early Entry and didn't buy Single Pass: Go directly to Rise of the Resistance standby at official opening. Accept that this is your first 45 to 60 minutes and plan the rest of your morning from there.

Use your Lightning Lane Multi Pass advance selections strategically. At Hollywood Studios, Slinky Dog Dash and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster are both Tier 1 — you can only pre-book one of them. Pick whichever you're not handling via rope drop, then add Tower of Terror or Toy Story Mania! as your Tier 2 selections. Book these before you leave your hotel in the morning.

> The Co-Pilot Take: Hollywood Studios is the one Disney World park where arriving late has the most dramatic consequences. The difference between a 9 AM arrival and a 10:30 AM arrival is often a two-hour difference in your Rise of the Resistance wait. One decision — when to arrive — shapes the entire day more than any other choice you'll make.

What to skip or save for the end of the day

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is an impressive live stunt show that runs multiple times daily. It's genuinely fun, especially for kids who love action sequences, but it's long (25 minutes) and uses some of the best morning touring time. Save it for the afternoon or evening when ride lines are longest.

Fantasmic! is the park's nighttime water, fire, and projection spectacular on the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. One of Disney's most ambitious live productions and absolutely worth staying for. Seating fills up 30 to 45 minutes before showtime for the best spots. A Fantasmic! Dining Package from a Hollywood Studios restaurant gives you reserved viewing seats — worth considering if you're planning a sit-down meal anyway.