Bay Lake · RedAwning

Disney's Hollywood StudiosWalt Disney World's 1989 movies-and-shows park — Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the 199-foot Tower of Terror, Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, and Fantasmic! nightly

The third Walt Disney World theme park — opened May 1, 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios on a 135-acre lot off World Drive, renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. Seven themed lands center on movies, TV, music, and theatre: Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Grand Avenue, Animation Courtyard, Sunset Boulevard, Toy Story Land (2018), and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (2019). Headline rides are Rise of the Resistance, Tower of Terror, Slinky Dog Dash, and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, with Fantasmic! firework-and-water spectacular closing the night.

Hours today8:30 AM – 9:00 PMMonday hours
TicketsFrom $1341-Day, 1-Park — Value (lowest)
LocationBay Lake, Florida351 South Studio Drive
Official sitedisneyworld.disney.go.comPlan your visit

1989Opened
135Acres
7Themed lands
~10MAnnual visitors

Disney's Hollywood Studios opened on May 1, 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios — Disney's third Walt Disney World gate, conceived as a working film and TV production lot that doubled as a theme park. Live production wound down through the 2000s; the park was renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios on January 7, 2008 and pivoted entirely to themed-land entertainment. The 135-acre footprint now hosts seven distinct lands radiating from Hollywood Boulevard, with Sunset Boulevard, Echo Lake, Grand Avenue, Animation Courtyard, Toy Story Land (2018), and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (2019) circling the central Chinese Theatre replica.

The headline lineup: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (December 2019, an 18-minute, four-room trackless dark ride universally cited as Disney's most ambitious attraction), Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (the only ride that lets you fly the Falcon — six-person crew with three job stations), the 199-foot Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (random-drop sequence inside the haunted Hollywood Tower Hotel), Slinky Dog Dash (2018, a 40-mph family coaster in Toy Story Land), Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (2020, a 4D-projected dark ride in the former Great Movie Ride space inside the Chinese Theatre), Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (1999, a 0–57 mph launch coaster), and Toy Story Mania (a 4D arcade-shooter with score boards). Live shows include Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Disney Junior Play & Dance, and the 28-minute For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along.

Plan a full day. DHS opens 30 minutes earlier than EPCOT or Animal Kingdom most days because the Galaxy's Edge ride lineup has the longest wait times at any Disney park — Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash routinely hit 90–120 minute standby by mid-morning. Buy date-based tickets through the My Disney Experience app to lock the lowest tier (Jan 7–Feb 4 and Aug 25–Sept 18 are reliably cheapest). Lightning Lane Multi-Pass reservations open at 7:00 AM the day-of; book Slinky Dog Dash and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway first as those go quickest. Arrive by 8:00 AM on park-open days; the Skyliner from the four Skyliner-served resorts loads from 7:30 AM. Fantasmic! amphitheater seating opens 90 minutes before showtime — claim a seat by 7:30 PM for the 9:00 PM show.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Opened August 29, 2019 — a fully-themed 14-acre land set on the Outer Rim planet Batuu in the village of Black Spire Outpost. Two ride attractions: Rise of the Resistance (an 18-minute, four-scene trackless dark ride that includes a walk-through Star Destroyer hangar and a final escape pod drop) and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (a six-person interactive cockpit simulator with pilot, gunner, and engineer roles). Side experiences include the Savi's Workshop lightsaber-build at $254.99 and Oga's Cantina (reservation-required bar with blue milk and Yub Nub cocktails).
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
The 199-foot Pueblo Revival-style Hollywood Tower Hotel on Sunset Boulevard — a 1939-themed elevator drop ride that opened July 22, 1994 and remains the centerpiece of DHS's skyline. The 6-minute ride sequence ends with a randomized 13-story drop pattern from a panic-attack-inducing top floor; no two rides drop the same. The pre-show is a Rod Serling-narrated Twilight Zone teleplay using digitally edited footage from the original 1959–1964 series.
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Opened March 4, 2020 inside the Chinese Theatre replica — the first ride starring Mickey Mouse in a dark-ride medium. A 4-minute, 50-second trackless dark ride with seamless 2D-to-3D projected effects across six show scenes (a wedding cake stage, a thunderstorm prairie, a stampeding herd of cows, a Daisy Duck dance class, and a final fireworks tunnel). The line snakes through the Vacation Fun pre-show theater and a re-creation of the cartoon's Goofy's Mountain Tour interior.
Slinky Dog Dash
The 2018 Toy Story Land family coaster, themed as Andy's homemade backyard track for his Slinky Dog toy — green-and-orange steel, 40-mph top speed, two launches, and a 92-second ride time. Standby reliably hits 75–110 minutes within an hour of park open and only thins after 8:00 PM; book it as your second Lightning Lane Multi-Pass reservation at 7:00 AM. The land also holds Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers for younger guests.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
A 1999 indoor steel launch coaster on Sunset Boulevard, accelerating 0 to 57 mph in 2.8 seconds with a soundtrack of Aerosmith hits (the band recorded five custom mixes for the queue). Three inversions (a sea serpent, a corkscrew, and a vertical loop) inside a pitch-black warehouse studded with neon Hollywood landmarks. Single Rider line averages 30 minutes shorter than standby. Closure is rumored periodically but the ride remains operational as of 2025.
Toy Story Land
Opened June 30, 2018 — an 11-acre land themed as Andy's backyard with Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania (a 4D arcade-shooter with score-tracked carnival games), and Alien Swirling Saucers (a teacup-style spinner). The land's signature photo: the giant Woody and Buzz Lightyear figures at the entrance, plus a 70-foot-tall Slinky Dog wraparound coaster spanning the southern skyline. Roundup Rodeo BBQ table-service restaurant opened 2023 inside Andy's playset shed.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
A 30-minute live stunt show in a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater that has run continuously since the park's 1989 opening — the longest-running show at Walt Disney World. Three sets re-create the opening idol scene, the Cairo marketplace fight, and the German flying-wing finale from Raiders of the Lost Ark, all with full pyrotechnics and live stunt performers. Five showings daily on most operating days.
Fantasmic!
A 28-minute fireworks-water-laser-and-projection nighttime show in the 6,500-seat Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, originally opened 1998 and refreshed in 2022 with new Moana, Aladdin, Frozen, and Pocahontas sequences. Mickey Mouse battles villains projected onto three water-wall screens above an island stage — the climactic fight uses 50,000 gallons of water per show. Seating opens 90 minutes ahead; the Fantasmic Dining Package guarantees seating with reservation at Hollywood Brown Derby, Mama Melrose's, or Sci-Fi Dine-In.

Open hours

Hours expand sharply during peak windows — Christmas week and spring break commonly open at 7:30 AM with 11:00 PM closes. The park reliably opens earlier than EPCOT and Animal Kingdom because of Galaxy's Edge demand. Fantasmic! runs Tuesday–Saturday at 9:00 PM (8:00 PM in winter), with a second 10:30 PM showing on busiest weekends. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (the 2-night Halcyon hotel experience) closed permanently September 30, 2023.

MondayToday8:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM – 9:30 PM
Saturday8:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday8:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Note · Theme park reservations are not currently required for most date-based tickets. Last entry to ride queues is at posted park close. Fantasmic! amphitheater seating opens 90 minutes before showtime; arrive 60+ minutes ahead on weekends.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

1-Day, 1-Park — Value (lowest)$134DHS is the most expensive WDW park to enter due to high demand
1-Day, 1-Park — Peak$209Christmas week, spring break, July 4th
1-Day Park Hopper add-on$65Hop after 2:00 PM among the four WDW parks
Child (3–9) — Value$129Children 2 and under enter free
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass$39Per ticket per day — pre-book 3 rides at a time, DHS commands top WDW pricing
Lightning Lane Single Pass — Rise of the Resistance$25À-la-carte skip-the-line for the headline Star Wars ride

Walt Disney World uses date-based tiered pricing — DHS is consistently the priciest park to enter because of Galaxy's Edge demand. Buy in advance through the official site or My Disney Experience app to lock in the lowest tier. Parking is $30/day; resort guests park free. Skyliner gondolas connect DHS to EPCOT's International Gateway and four Disney Resort hotels (Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, Art of Animation) — a 13-minute ride to EPCOT versus 25 minutes by bus. Rise of the Resistance virtual queue dropped permanently in 2022; Lightning Lane Single Pass and standby are the only access methods.

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