Hooray for Hollywood

Hey everyone, and welcome to another week of Muting and The Mouse. I hope you enjoyed the journey into Epcot last week. If we head out of the back of Epcot and to the International Gateway entrance, we find the Skyliner. I highly recommend this transportation system. Here you can take the Skyliner system above the Disney World resort, through a couple of the hotels they have to offer, and find yourself at Hollywood Studios. We will talk more about the Skyliner at a later date so you have a better understanding of the system. Today we will be entering into all the fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! There has been a lot of ongoing changes, but all of them are helping rebrand what we all know as Hollywood Studios. New signs and new attractions fill the theme park, but it is a refreshing change of pace. The park now features some of the old feel of Hollywood, while adding Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. These two lands are the big draw to the park, so make sure you see these beautifully themed lands.  Now let me begin with saying, this is a park where you can achieve everything in the park during the day. So my short answer is, do everything in the park. There is plenty of time on a normal operating day to allow you to achieve all you want at the park. With that being said, have a plan. Utilize the Fastpasses, wait in line for some of the popular attractions, and most importantly, see the shows. Food choices here at first might not be overwhelming, but there are a couple options that are a must have in my opinion. So now that we have a quick tidbit about Hollywood Studios, lets move into the park.  Hollywood Studios is broken down simply into sections, so it is easy to map out your day and have a flow. Now, like I said, do everything, but in this post, I will just be choosing one ride from each section. So without further ado, let’s get into the park, and get our photo op with the park icon so we can dive into Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 

Hollywood Boulevard

As we enter the park, we are first greeted by Hollywood Boulevard. One of my favorite themed streets in all of Disney, the music makes you feel like you are not in Central Florida.  It is here we have another photo op with the Chinese Theater. After your photo, there is plenty to do on the main drag. Walk through the shops, stop at the Starbucks, and enjoy the entrance of the park. The ride here is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Now, I have not been on this ride, but being the only ride here on Hollywood Boulevard, it is a must do. A great restaurant here that I can recommend is the Hollywood Brown Derby.  This is a nice sit down reservation restaurant with the original Brown Derby atmosphere.  Make sure you get the Cobb Salad here as it is what they are known for. Sometimes you can see different performances on the boulevard throughout the day, so keep your eyes open for that! Moving further into the park, head down Sunset Boulevard and you will see another icon to take a picture with.

Sunset Boulevard

As you walk down the street, you turn and are faced with the Hollywood Tower Hotel. You can hear the screams from the thrill ride inside, but once again, I urge you to take in the shops and food court here on the boulevard. First suggestion here is to stop and get a look at all the food options in the marketplace. Here they have some foot long hot dogs, ice cream, nuggets, burgers, and even a fried green tomato sandwich. There is something for everyone in very close proximity to all the seating. If looking for a variety, this is the stop for food options on the go. As you continue down the street, you see a sign for Fantasmic! I suggest you take the time at night to head back and get a seat for the show. The show features all your favorite characters, water tricks, movie projections, and fireworks all in the same show. It is one of my favorite “fireworks” shows to watch, as it has you on the edge of your seats with a lot of “OOOOOOs” and “ahhhhhhs” along the way. Back out on Sunset Boulevard, you finally come to the Hollywood Tower of Terror. This sudden drop ride has some of the best themed rooms in all of Disney. Of course that is my opinion, but this ride queue is filled with artifacts and theming from 1939 Hollywood. You walk into the lobby and hear the old time, spooky music. You see cobwebs everywhere. You see room keys untouched, just how it would have been left. Once you get into the library the theming does not end, as the pre show video enters you into the story. As you enter the boiler room to your service elevator, you make your way up the tower and the doors open, giving you one of the coolest views of the resort. You overlook all of Hollywood Studios before the elevator drops and gives you the thrill of the Twilight Zone. Once back on the ground, we make our way back to the center of Hollywood Boulevard and make way towards Toy Story Land. 

Toy Story Land

Following the paths through the Animation Courtyard (which is great to do with little ones for the Disney Junior section) we find ourselves coming up to Toy Story Land. You walk into Andy’s backyard and are greeted by a giant Sheriff Woody who talks to you as you enter the land. The best thing about this land is the fact that everything is so much bigger than you are. It makes you feel like you are actually in Andy’s backyard. Three big ticket attractions are in the land but for now, my must do is Slinky Dog Dash. Comparable to the Mine Train in the Magic Kingdom, this roller coaster is good for kids who meet the height requirement and for adults as well. You enter through a queue of old board games and card games that have you reminiscing about playing those games as a kid. Once up to the ride loading area, you finally see Slinky Dog. Once at the end, there is a photo op on the ride that captures your final dip and turn before the big finale of “You Got A Friend In Me”. Once off the ride, you come up to a restaurant called “Woody’s Lunchbox”. This has some great food served all throughout the day and is my must try food wise in the park. The breakfast has some sweet options as well as savory; so they have a good variety of breakfast foods. If you are there for breakfast, I suggest the much fresher and improved version of the PopTart. These pastries are called the Lunch Box Tarts and they typically have a couple of different flavors. If you are there for lunch or dinner, I suggest the brisket grilled cheese. This was a great combination of cheese and brisket for a grown-up version of the classic cheese sandwich. Now, that you have felt like a toy, head back towards the main area of Hollywood Boulevard, and let’s go through the other side of the park. Now, you can get to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge from the back of Toy Story Land, but for this post, we will be taking the long way.

Echo Lake/Commissary Lane/Grand Ave.

Once over in Echo Lake, there is a dining option that has you back in the 1950’s. It is my next must try if given the time. 50’s Prime Time Diner is the food option for me in these two smaller areas of the park. You enter into life at grandma’s or mom and dad’s where elbows on the table are not allowed. You even get a little bit of a talking to if you are caught with those elbows on the table. Hearty meals from Pot Roast to Meatloaf are featured in this one of a kind flashback into dinner before phones were a thing. After a nice meal, head back into Echo Lake and stop in and say hello to Mickey and Minnie. This meet and greet if open, has Minnie in her Hollywood clothes and Mickey in his Sorcerer attire, which is a great photo op for families. This is always fun because you get to see Sorcerer Mickey (which is my favorite). From there head back further and you are walking right into Star Tours. This is my must do ride in this area of the park but is not for everyone. Those who are prone to motion sickness, may want to bypass this 3D journey through the galaxy. Each ride is different, as all of the different scenes throughout are randomized for the ultimate experience. It is a bit jerky so once again, if you get motion sick or are disoriented easily, maybe sit this ride out. Once back from saving the Galaxy, head to Grand Avenue for an adult drink and snack. Baseline is where you should go for that. If you are of age, they have a great drink selection and a nice snack menu. If you are into a new, trendy bar feel, Baseline has the atmosphere for you. The snack item to get here is the Charcuterie Board. Loaded with meats, cheeses, fruits and a variety of nuts, it has all you could want to snack on while drinking a cold adult beverage. Now, on to see Kermit and the gang. Here, you have to see the always funny and enjoyable Muppet Vision 3D. In this show, Kermit and the gang take you through the Muppet Studios with tricks and fun in a classic 3D movie. Well, now that you met the Muppets, it is time to enter towards the huge tunnel. But what lies next?

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

As you walk into the tunnel and into the newly opened land, you enter into a galaxy far, far away. As a huge Star Wars fan, I will say, do everything you can here. But I do have to pick my favorites so I will let you know which ones to absolutely do. If given the chance to get a boarding pass for our first must do, do it. We will talk more about that boarding pass in a later post, but please try to make it to the park early enough, because you do not want to miss out on this ride: Rise of the Resistance. Once you get in line, you are taken through a couple of rooms and finally get to a loading area. This is where you see the pre-show which has a couple of holograms that explain your mission. Once out of the pre-show, you enter into the first part of the ride. This is exhilarating because you are caught by the First Order. Exiting the first craft, you find yourself in the hanger and on to the rest of the ride. Trying to escape Kylo Ren, it takes you through the First Order ship and on back to the resistance base. But, what lies in your way? Will you make it? This is some of the most advanced work Disney has done on a ride, and it will not disappoint. From here, if you can make it into the land deep enough, make sure you take a look around the corner and see the stunning sight, that is the Millennium Falcon. Take a picture with it, take a moment to admire it, heck cry if you want. It is a great piece of work to theme the land just right. You can ride a ride inside the Falcon, which is every Star Wars fan’s dream. From there, I suggest if you are of age or not to go into Oga’s Cantina. This is a Star Wars themed bar that has alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. From the music and the fun themed drinks, you enter a galaxy bar and it could not be more fun. After that, take in Galaxy’s Edge. The land is so well themed, if you like Star Wars, you would have felt like you already had been there. After you explore Batuu (which is the Star Wars Land), that is a fun filled day at Disney Hollywood Studios.

As we walk out of the park, you cannot help but think of entering into the stories of Hollywood Studios. From Star Wars, to Toy Story, to living in 1939 on a haunted elevator; you were fully immersed into the action. Hollywood Studios is going through changes, but they are changes that add value to the park in my opinion. Now, the park can get crowded fairly quickly. This is because of the new lands Disney has added. Make sure you get there early, take advantage of what Disney offers in Fastpasses and Extra Magic Hours. One of my favorite days at Hollywood Studios was during Extra Magic Hours at the park. We arrived as soon as we could and knocked out all the rides we wanted to by 10 AM. It can be achieved and I would make sure to add in the shows as well. Ending the day at Hollywood Studios, you are presented with seeing Fantasmic! I highly recommend it and would say, get there early and find a good seat right in the middle of the action. These have been my must do’s for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I cannot wait until I can get back and try some of the newer things it has to offer. One thing I am just itching to get on is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. I am sure it will be somewhat soon and I cannot wait. This is what gets me excited about the parks; the thrill of new attractions, shows, food, and atmosphere always gets my hyped. The journey into the theming of Hollywood Studios is always exciting. Join us next week, as we continue our journey from the movies and into the animal world. That is right, next we dive into our must do’s at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Until, then Hooray for Hollywood!