Hollywood Studios

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Tips for Staying Cool on a Hot Day in Hollywood Studios

Florida Weather

As a Florida Native, I sometimes don’t realize how hot Florida weather temperatures are for some. Yes, us Floridians are hot (don’t misread that) but we’ve had a lot of practice keeping cool in the heat. Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite spots to cool off during a visit to Hollywood Studios.

In my experience, the coolest months to visit Walt Disney World will be from late-October until about mid-April. If you are visiting any other time of the year, you will want to check out some of my favorite spots – so keep reading.☺

Plan Your Day

When going to Hollywood Studios when the weather is particularly warm you will want to have a plan. The warmest part of the day will be from about 1-4 p.m. This is the perfect time to check out some shows or even book a dining reservation. When we visited HWS in August, we spent the morning inside the new Toy Story Land and then for the afternoon we had a leisurely lunch in the nice cool air conditioning, did some indoor attractions and character experiences before heading back to Toy Story Land in the evening.

Be sure to catch the Vlogs to see all the fun we had!

Avoid the warm weather with these shows

The following is a list of indoor shows available!

Muppet Vision 3D

Do not skip this! This show is a little bit hidden towards the back of the park, just before the entrance to Star Wars Land (opening in 2019).  The entire show is about 15-20 minutes and will have you giggling the whole way through. We also love this section of the park because there are several little areas to just sit quietly and avoid some of the crowds.

Frozen Sing-Along

This 30-minute show is absolutely hysterical. It combines your (kids) favorite songs from frozen with just enough humor to get even the non-frozen loving guest to laugh. This show is perfect for less-than-perfect weather days inside Hollywood Studios.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid, one of the most adored princesses of all. Follow the story with this semi-live-action show and be out of the weather elements for about 20 minutes. If you have an Ariel Fan, be sure to check out this post. 

Indoor Rides

Rockin’ Roller Coaster

Arguably my favorite ride on Disney Property, Rockin’ Roller Coaster is completely indoor. The line cue begins outdoors but is mostly inside, as is the coaster. Be sure to check height requirements (48 inches) or take advantage of rider switch.

Tower of Terror

The line cue for Tower of Terror begins outdoors with several fans to keep you cool. There is a height requirement of 40 inches for this ride, so be sure to make arrangements for rider switch if traveling with smaller Mouseketeers.

Midway Mania

Located inside Toy Story Land, Midway Mania is the perfect family friendly ride to do while avoiding the warm weather.

Star Tours

Star Tours is such a classic. It was the first of the Star Wars attractions to open inside Hollywood Studios, and with each refurbishment, it’s gotten better and better. The height requirement for Star Tours is 40 inches.

Educational Experiences

I guess it’s my background in education that is really shining through, but there are some really cool educational experiences inside Hollywood Studios. One of them will even get your name written in the Walt Disney World Archives! Are you intrigued? I’ll start with that one them.

Walt Disney Presents

If you want to see some of the most unique Disney artifacts on the property, and see sneak peeks of upcoming attractions you will want to walk through the Walt Disney Presents. If you want to have your name in the Walt Disney World Archives, ask the cast member at the entrance for the trivia game.

When we visited HWS in August I wanted to try my hand at the trivia. It was so much fun to do and only took about 10 minutes for me to complete. This experience is a must-do for all my Disney Nerds out there!

The Launch Bay

Inside the Star Wars Launch Bay, you will have opportunities to see props from the movies and meet several of the characters. There is so much to do inside, you will be able to avoid a few hours of the warm weather and have learned so many cool things about Star Wars.

Top Places to Eat

If I had to pick my favorite place to eat inside Hollywood Studios, I’d say The Brown Derby that’s only because I got engaged there in March of 2008. The food is a little pricey, and if you are on the Disney Dining Plan it’s 2-table service credits.  So, keep that in mind when booking the Brown Derby.

Other great options are Mama Melrose or 50’s Primetime.

My favorite quick service inside Hollywood Studios is Pizza Rizzo. I love it because it’s towards the back of the park and typically not as crowded as other quick service locations. Also, there is plenty of indoor seating. It’s the perfect way to avoid the harsh weather.

Looking for more great weather tips? Check out my friend Keri’s post on what to do when it rains during your Disney vacation! 

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Should I take my Preschooler to Hollywood Studios?

Hollywood Studios is currently going through some major changes and with the new Toy Story section scheduled to open in the summer of 2018 and the new Star Wars land opening in 2019 you might question if you should even take your young family to Hollywood Studios at all.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your trip to Walt Disney World.

  1. Does someone in my party love all things Star Wars?
  2. Do my children like to meet the characters? 
  3. Do we enjoy watching live-action shows? 
  4. Any thrill-seeking adults in the party? 

If you answered yes to most of the questions, you probably want to consider adding a day HWS and here is why.

Star Wars

  • The Star Wars Launch Bay is a unique place in Hollywood Studios to see movie replica’s, meet star wars specific characters, and interact with Storm Troopers. 
  • Captain Phasma leads the March of the First Order through Hollywood Studios on the hour for most of the day
  • Star Wars Specific shows on the main stage, and ending the night with the Galaxy in the Stars fireworks show
  • Star Tours Ride, height requirement of 40 inches
  • Jedi Training Academy
    • Ages 4-12
    • Must register for this activity, registration is limited (information here
Unique Characters
At Hollywood Studios, there are lots of characters at Hollywood Studios both in secret, not published locations, and proper meet and greet locations. 
In Hollywood Studios, you can expect to see in a proper meet in greet:
  • Disney Junior Characters
    • Sophia the First
    • Jake the Neverland Pirate
    • Doc McStuffins
  • Fab-Five
    • Sorcerer Mickey 
    • Red Carpet Minnie
    • Pluto
  • Star Wars 
    • Chewbacca
    • Kylo Ren
    • BB-8
  • Olaf 
  • Pixar
    • Buzz and Woody
    • Cruz Remirez
In pop-up locations I’ve  seen the following characters:
  • Chip & Dale
  • Goofy
Live-Action Shows

The shows at Hollywood Studios are a lot of fun, some of our family favorites include:
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Disney Junior
  • Indiana Jones 
Thrill Rides
If there are thrill-seekers in your party, you won’t want to skip Hollywood Studios. HWS is home of my favorite roller coaster, (Rock’n Roller Coaster) and the fabulous Hollywood Tour Hotel’s Tower of Terror. 
Be sure to ask a cast member about rider swap for the thrill rides. 
Perhaps it is because Hollywood Studios is where my husband asked me to be his wife 10 years ago, but I love the theme park so much and feel it is worth considering when planning your trip to Disney.

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