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The Best Disney Fast Passes for 2020

If you’re trying to figure out the best Disney Fast Passes for 2020 Disney vacation without waiting in long lines, then pull up a chair and start taking notes!

I truly love helping people plan their ideal Disney vacation. I’ve brainstormed with friends who are 2 years away from booking a trip, and I’ve jumped in to help friends who are leaving in a week and haven’t booked a thing.

The mistake I see again and again that makes me die a little inside is people not using Fast Pass! (Cue horror movie sound effects.)

Almost as bad- when people book Fast Passes, but they chose rides that really don’t warrant it or weren’t the best use of their selections.

Since you’re here, I know you won’t make any of those mistakes!

 

best Disney fast passes for 2020

Disney Fast Pass FAQs

Let’s start with some of the questions I hear over and over again about booking Fast Passes.

Do you have to pay extra for Fast Pass?

No, no, and NO! Unlike Universal, Disney includes 3 Fast Passes per day for EVERY ticket. You don’t need to be staying on site and you don’t need to pay extra. And after you use those 3 (or let them expire), you can book more one at a time.

Is it really necessary to book Fast Pass ahead of time?

It not a requirement to schedule ahead of time, and most attractions will have Fast Passes available on the day of. However, if you want the best chance at those extremely popular attractions, you absolutely should book your Fast Passes as soon as you possibly can.

There are a limited number of Fast Passes for each attraction, and the most popular rides do run out of Fast Passes well in advance.

When can I book my Fast Passes?

If you are staying onsite at a Disney resort, you can book your Fast Passes 60 days before the start of your trip (and you can book your entire trip, up to 10 days long, on that day). If you are staying offsite, you can book 30 days in advance. You will need to book each day of your trip one by one, abiding by the 30 day window.

The booking window opens at 7am EST, so sit down at your computer at 6:50am on the day your booking window opens and log on to MyDisneyExperience to book!

What’s the best time of day to schedule my Fast Passes for?

When you schedule your Fast Passes, you are given an hour return window to use them in. When you book them, they can not overlap. So if the park opens at 9:00, the first three Fast Passes you could possibly get would be 9-10am, 10-11am, and 11-12 am. But is this the best way to schedule Fast Passes?

There are two schools of thought on this, and it depends on your touring strategy.

Personally I’m in the rope drop crowd (arriving before the park opens to take advantage of the early morning low crowds). With this strategy, I recommend booking Fast Passes starting at 11am. You can take advantage of the low crowds prior to that time while still having them scheduled early enough in the day to then use a 4th, 5th and 6th Fast Pass after your initial 3.

Other people like to book them for as early as possible, with the strategy that they can move on to their 4th, 5th and 6th as early as possible while there will still be a good number of selections available. This strategy works best at Magic Kingdom, where there are the most Fast Pass enabled attractions to choose from.

family in matching Disney shirts meeting Mickey at magic kingdom

How can I get extra Fast Passes?

Once all three of your pre-booked Fast Passes have been used (or expire), you can book another using the MDX app or at Kiosks located throughout the parks. You may only book one at a time with this method. Once you use your fourth Fast Pass, you can book a 5th.

For 4th Fast Passes and beyond, you can repeat one of the attractions that you already FastPassed and you can choose a different attraction from the Tier One category. Just remember these are subject to availability so it’s not incredibly likely that those will be available. People do change plans and cancel Fast Passes last minute however, so it’s worth checking.

Will there be good Fast Passes available for additional bookings on the day of?

That depends. It’s worth checking, because you can get lucky. Sometimes people change their plans and you’ll find a miraculous Avatar: Flight of Passage FP available. Definitely don’t count on it though! Typically you will only be able to get the less popular attractions for your same-day selections.

Here are the attractions that are highly unlikely to be available on the day of:

  • Avatar: Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom)
  • Slinky Dog Dash (Hollywood Studios)
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom)
  • Frozen Ever After (Epcot)

In fact, many of these won’t even be available 60 days in advance when you go to book them initially.

There are many more that may or may not be available on the day of, but it depends on the crowds and the time of day so it’s impossible to say for sure. Examples of this include Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Soarin’, Test Track, Toy Story Mania, and Rock n’ Roller Coaster.

In short, count any Fast Passes beyond the initial three as BONUS and not something you can count on.

What’s this I hear about “tiers”?

At Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, Fast Passes are selected within a tiered model.

This means you may only select ONE of the two or three most popular attractions in that park. You can then select two of the Tier 2 attractions. My recommendation is to choose your most desired Tier 1 attraction and use Fast Pass for that. You can then prioritize the other Tier 1 attraction to be your first ride of the morning if you arrive at rope drop, or your last ride of the night if you take the late shift (both good times to ride a popular ride without a Fast Pass).

Want to know how I afford to go to Disney every year without going broke? Don’t miss this post that dishes all my secrets on how to save big on Disney World!

Best Disney Fast Passes For 2020 In Each Park

Magic Kingdom (no tiers)

Seven dwarfs Mine Train is the top pick for fastpass at Disney Magic Kingdom
Seven dwarfs mine train: the best Fast pass choice for Magic Kingdom

Top 3 Picks

  1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (highest priority Fast Pass for Magic Kingdom!)
  2. Space Mountain
  3. Splash Mountain

Other Solid Choices

  1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  2. Peter Pan’s Flight (personally I think it’s overhyped, but the lines get VERY long so if you choose to ride, do it with Fast Pass or at rope drop)
  3. Winne the Pooh (slow load times = long lines)
  4. Enchanted Tales with Belle
  5. Meet Mickey and Minnie at Town Square Theater (sadly this Mickey no longer talks)
  6. Pirates of the Caribbean
  7. Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin
  8. Princess Fairytale Hall (either side, whichever your princess-lover prefers)

Epcot

Spaceship earth at Disney's EPCOT is a fun ride you may want to use tier 2 fast passes on
Inside that giant ball is Spaceship Earth, one of my favorite rides

Tier 1 (choose ONE of these)

  • Frozen Ever After
  • Soarin’ Around the World
  • Test Track
  • Epcot Forever reserved seating

If you have a Frozen fan on your hands, go with Frozen Ever After as your top Tier 1 pick. The lines build quickly and move slowly.

If you prefer thrills over princesses, I’d recommend you choose Test Track. Don’t miss Soarin’, it’s a fantastic ride for the whole family. You can ride it first thing when you arrive at Epcot or last at night, or grab it as a 4th Fast Pass if it’s available. Even without Fast Pass, the lines for Soarin’ are not as long as they once were now that they’ve doubled the capacity by adding an additional theater.

Epcot Forever reserved seating in World Showcase is also a Tier 1 choice, but should not be your highest priority. There are plenty of spots all around the lake with great views of the show.

Tier 2 Solid Choices

The other tier 2 attractions rarely get long lines so Fast pass will not change your wait time much.

Animal Kingdom

Everest at Disney's animal kingdom is a good use of fastpass
If you’re brave enough for Everest, you’ll want to ride it with a FP!

Tier One (must choose one)

  • Avatar Flight of Passage- The most sought after Fastpass in WDW. Get one of it you can!
  • Na’vi River Journey (only pick this if you can’t ride Flight of Passage due to height or other restriction!)

Tier Two Solid Choices

If you like thrill rides, Everest is a good choice- but if you have small children or non-roller coaster fans, the Safari should not be missed. Kali River Rapids is a fun one, as long as you don’t mind getting wet! Or do what my kids do and wear a poncho on it.

Hollywood Studios

Child and mother in front of tower of terror- tier 1 fast pass choice for Hollywood studios
Tower of Terror: Is it worth your Tier 1 Fast Pass spot??

The addition of Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge have completely rearranged the touring strategy for this park. For now, the Fast Pass tiers look like this:

Tier One (must choose one)

  • Slinky Dog Dash (another very hard one to get!)
  • Alien Swirling Saucers
  • Toy Story Mania
  • Rock n’ Roller Coaster
  • Tower of Terror

Touring this park has gotten really complicated with all the Tier Ones. Your best bet is to get a Fast pass for Slinky Dog if you can and try to ride the others standby or with a 4th Fast pass or higher.

The wait times for Alien Swirling Saucers have died down in late 2019 and into 2020 so should be pretty reasonable to wait in standby. Also, the queue for Toy Story Mania is a fun one, which helps if you choose to ride it without Fast Pass.

Tier Two Solid Choices

  • Star Tours
  • Frozen Sing Along
  • Beauty and the Beast live on stage

Check out this post for a closer look at the best rides at Hollywood Studios!

What about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?

The two new Star Wars attractions, Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, are not currently Fast Pass attractions. Disney chose to launch Galaxy’s Edge without the use of Fast Pass to potentially better control crowds. If and when they change this, both will likely be Tier 1 selections and the entire structure of Fast Pass at Hollywood Studios will change. This post will be updated when that happens!

Do you still have questions about choosing the best Disney Fast Passes for 2020? Leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.

If you are planning the ultimate family Disney vacation, don’t miss my picks for kids’ favorite Disney resorts and kids’ favorite Disney restaurants!

And don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest:

 

How To Do Disney World With A Princess Lover

Are you planning the ultimate trip to Disney World with a princess-loving little girl? I’ve found myself in this situation while planning a mother-daughter Disney trip with my six year old, Elle. She is a little hesitant with thrill rides, but she wants to experience everything related to princesses! Luckily there is no shortage of experiences involving Ariel, Belle, Elsa, and the rest at Walt Disney World.

And I’ve been enough times to know all the princess-centric highlights in all four Disney World parks. Read on to see them all!

disney world princess young girl meets Belle at Walt Disney World

Best Princess Dining

We love going around the parks to meet characters and get their autographs, but do you know an even BETTER way to meet characters? Hint: no waiting in lines, plus you get to eat while they come to you! 

That’s right, it’s character dining. You don’t need to fill your trip with tons of them, but one or two princess meals is a great way to catch a lot of princesses in a short amount of time. 

Keep in mind that Disney restaurants open for booking 180 days in advance. Mark your calendars so you know what date you can book. And if you don’t get the reservation you’re hoping for, keep checking as your date approaches. People frequently change their plans and something could open up anytime.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

This is the holy grail of Disney princess dining. Dine with Disney royalty inside Cinderella’s castle for an unforgettable experience for any princess lover.

The princesses you’ll meet at Cindy’s can change on any given day, but most often include Aurora, Ariel, Snow White, and Jasmine. Everyone also gets to meet Cinderella upon entrance, where there are photographers present to take your photo with her.

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, it’s important to note that this restaurant uses TWO table service dining credits per person.

Akershaus

Snow White at Akershaus
When baby Snow White (Elle) met big Snow White at Akershaus

If you’ve already done Cinderella’s Royal Table and want to try something different (and more affordable), Akershaus is a great alternative.

Located in the Norway pavilion of Epcot, Akershaus features a mix of typical American food and traditional Scandinavian dishes. It is part buffet, part table service which is nice when you’re with young children and don’t want to keep getting up over and over. The buffet is more cold foods, while the hot dishes are brought to your table on platters served family style.

At Akershaus you will meet many of the same princesses as CRT, but with Belle welcoming you at the door instead of Cinderella. Once you are seated the princesses circling the floor typically include Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, and Snow White, though depending on the day you may see Jasmine or Mulan in place of one of these.

1900 Park Fare

Located in the Grand Floridian, 1900 Park Fare is a buffet restaurant with some unique character experiences. For breakfast, they have Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, and Alice in Wonderland characters. At dinner, you get to meet Cinderella, Prince Charming, her evil stepmother, and wicked stepsisters. It isn’t often character meals include “villains”, so this experience is extra fun!

Meeting the Stepsisters at 1900 Park Fare

The Tremaine family is definitely the reason for going to the 1900 Park Fare dinner. You might hear them insulting Cinderella, or see the stepsisters throwing themselves at the Prince. We dressed our son as a prince for this dinner, and they hilariously asked if they could be his girlfriend. (See my list of kid’s favorite Disney restaurants for this and other kid favorites!)

Bon Voyage Breakfast

At the Trattoria del Forno (located on the Boardwalk), you get the rare opportunity to meet some princes with their leading ladies at the Bon Voyage Breakfast.

Ariel, Eric, Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder greet you at your table while you dine on breakfast foods like “Tangled Eggs” and “Shipwreck al forno”. This meal is high on Elle’s list since it didn’t exist the last time she was in Disney World!

Delight her with a princess makeover

Princess makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique

My two girls experienced princess makeovers at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique while we were on our Disney cruise, and this is the NUMBER ONE thing Elle wants to do on her upcoming trip to Disney World. 

It’s been months and they still can’t stop talking about their time at BBB. I also keep catching them putting on the leftover makeup they let you bring home after it!

In Walt Disney World, there are two locations for Bibbidi Bobbidi: Magic Kingdom (yes, in the castle, could that be more perfect?) or Disney Springs. Due to popular demand, a third location will soon be opening at the Grand Floridian.

The Magic Kingdom location is very magical, but if you don’t want to use up too much of your park day, Disney Springs is a great idea. You could make it part of a fun but more laid-back day off from the parks.

As a way to save money on souvenirs I will buy the costume ahead of time and bring it with us on the day of our BBB appointment. This way I can just book the basic package, called the Crown Package, for $65. The packages that include the costume go for $200 and up. 

Click here for more details on the packages available at BBB.

There is another great makeover option your daughter might love if she is an Ariel fan. Pirates League in Magic Kingdom is known for their pirate makeovers of course, but they also offer mermaid makeovers. The experience is different than BBB as it’s less girly and obviously more pirate-themed than princess, but it’s just as immersive and fun!

The standard mermaid package will cost you around $40.

Princess themed rides and attractions

There are plenty of princess-themed attractions at the parks that don’t involve dining or meeting characters. Many rides and shows incorporate some of the most-loved princesses both old and new. 

At Magic Kingdom

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid : This ride takes you through all your favorite scenes from the Little Mermaid while you sit in a moving clamshell. There is no height restriction, so babies and toddlers can see animatronic Ariel and her friends.

Enchanted Tales with Belle: Any Beauty and the Beast fan will delight in this magical experience. First you get to visit Belle’s cottage and look around at all her and her inventor father’s things. Then you get called into a room where the magical talking wardrobe explains that you will be traveling in time to the day the Beast met Belle. Children and adults are assigned roles in the show, which makes for a great interactive experience. At the end, all those who took part get to meet Belle and take a photo with her.

Enchanted Tales with Belle
The sweetest possible Belle greeting guests at Enchanted Tales with Belle

7 Dwarfs Mine Train: While not exactly a princess attraction, this super fun family-friendly coaster does stop and give you a peak into the 7 dwarfs cottage, where you can spot Snow White dancing with her favorite little men. (If you plan to ride this, you’ll want to make sure to include it your fastpass strategy as lines are some of the longest at WDW.)

At Epcot

Frozen Ever After: If this log flume ride through a wintery Anna and Elsa wonderland feels familiar, you might be remembering Maelstrom, the ride that existed there before the Frozen craze. It is a pleasant boat ride with one small drop. Either use Fastpass or get there first thing at park opening to beat the crowds.

At Hollywood Studios

Though this park is best known for Star Wars, Toy Story, and a couple headliner thrill rides, that doesn’t mean princesses are completely forgotten. There are several stage shows that will delight your princess fan.

Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage: Hollywood-style stage show performing a simplified version of Beauty and the Beast. Takes place in an open air theater, so despite the canopy for shade and protection from rain, it can still be hot. The show is well done and worth your time, just make a point to get there early in the day or after dark on particularly hot days.

Frozen sing-along: Technically called “For the First Time in Forever”, most people just refer to it as the Frozen sing along. If your kids haven’t grown tired of the Frozen soundtrack yet, they will enjoy this 25 minute show that covers ALL the songs. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff are there as well as a pair of entertaining hosts.

Voyage of the little mermaid: Musical stage show featuring the characters and songs from the Little Mermaid. This one is inside in the cool air conditioning.

Princess meet and greets

Princess fairytale hall

Magic Kingdom

This is the park to be if you want to meet tons of characters, especially when it comes to princesses. Some of these, such as the Fairytale Hall and Town Square meet and greets, offer Fastpass to expedite your wait times.

If characters are an important part of your trip and you want to be in the know, check out Kenny the Pirate. His character locator app will keep you at the front of the lines by giving exact places and times where you can find all the characters, including their break schedules.

Princess Fairytale Hall

Two separate lines exist for two separate meet and greets inside Princess Fairytale Hall. The character lineup frequently gets rearranged, but currently one side is Cinderella and Elena of Avalor. The other is Rapunzel and Princess Tiana.

Ariel’s Grotto

meeting Ariel in her grotto

Right next to the Under the Sea ride in Fantasyland, you can meet Ariel (with her fin!) in her grotto.

Merida

It can be a little tricky to find, but if you go right at the castle and up around towards the carousel, you will see the spot to meet Merida. While you wait in line, you get to try to your hand at shooting a bow and arrow.

Jasmine

Over in Adventureland near the Magic Carpet ride, you can meet Jasmine and Aladdin.

Tinkerbelle

She may not be a princess but she’s close enough for me! You can find Tinkerbelle in her own fairy location at Town Square Hall.

Tinkerbelle at Town Hall

Epcot

Anna and Elsa: You can meet your favorite Frozen sisters in their Royal Summerhus in Epcot’s Norway pavilion near the Frozen Ever After ride. 

In a less formal setting, you can find several princesses around Epcot’s World Showcase near their respective countries. For example, Aurora and Belle are often found greeting guests in France, Jasmine in Morocco, Mulan in China, and Snow White in Germany.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is definitely more about wildlife than royalty, but there is one special princess you can find here (and only here!)

meeting Pocahontas at Animal Kingdom

Pocahontas meets guests on the Discovery Island Trails- check the Animal Kingdom Times Guide for the exact schedule. Her location is pretty tucked away, so if you manage to find her the lines will be quite short. 

What princesses can you see in the parade?

Festival of fantasy parade

Another GREAT way to see a lot of princesses at once without much waiting is to catch the Festival of Fantasy parade at Magic Kingdom.

It takes place at 3 pm every day and you can watch it from any spot along Main Street or over the bridge from Frontierland. Depending on the time of year, it can be HOT, so a good plan is to scour the area 45 or 30 minutes ahead of time for a shady spot. Send one adult on a popsicle run and let the kids enjoy a cold treat while they wait for the parade.

Festival of Fantasy is chock full of princesses! It features Belle, Cinderella, Tiana, Anna and Elsa, Rapunzel, Ariel, Merida, and Snow White.

It is especially cool to see the detail on the different floats incorporating lots of little details from the movies!

Anna and Elsa in the festival of fantasy parade

What is YOUR favorite Disney World princess experience?

Share with us in the comments!

And be sure to check back here in the fall to see the full report on Elle’s princess-themed trip!

2019 Disney Movie Release Dates

If your family is anything like mine, they are incredulous about how many exciting Disney movies are coming out this year! The kids are actually going through and putting them on the calendar so we can keep track of all of them. With this handy cheat sheet, you can do the same! Here are all the 2019 Disney movie release dates.

2019 Disney movie release dates

 

Spring 2019 Disney Movies

These have already been released, but some are still in theaters. If you missed them be on the lookout for DVD releases!

Captain Marvel– March 8, 2019

Kimpossible– March 2019 on Disney Channel

Dumbo– March 27, 2019

Disneynature’s Penguins– April 19, 2019

Avengers: Endgame– April 24, 2019

Aladdin– May 22, 2019

This live action remake delighted me as much as it did my children. Visually stunning, it sticks close to the original story (music included) but still feels fresh and new. Will Smith nailed it as Genie.

Summer 2019 Disney releases

Toy Story 4– June 19, 2019

Nine long years after the last installment, and a whopping 24 years after the original, this sequel has been a long time coming. And I’m very interested to see how Keanu Reeves fits in with the original stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.

The Lion King– July 17, 2019

This is another live action remake, and given that the cast is all animals I can’t wait to see how they pull off 100% CGI characters!

Descendants 3– August 2, 2019 on Disney Channel

The Art of Racing In The Rain: August 9, 2019

A family dog reflects on the life lessons learned from its owner who happens to be a race car driver. Sounds interesting!

Fall-Winter 2019 Disney movie releases

Frozen 2– November 21, 2019

While little is known about the plot, you can bet this movie is going to be an enormous hit. The original four cast members will be returning, and Sterling K. Brown and Evan Rachel Woods join in for the sequel.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker– December 18, 2019

We didn’t expect Disney to build two new Star Wars lands and then stop making movies, did we? The Skywalker saga will come to its conclusion as the remaining Resistance face the First Order once more.

Spies in Disguise– December 25, 2019

An original animated movie starring Will Smith as a spy who gets turned into a pigeon.

What to lookout for in 2020

Artemis Fowl- The best-selling young adult novel is finally hitting the big screen May 29, 2020.

Cruella- It’s already been given a release date of December 23, 2020. This will be a prequel to 101 Dalmatians focusing on the young life of Cruella de Vil, to be played by Emma Stone.

Mulan- The live action remakes aren’t stopping anytime soon.

Onward- A new Disney-Pixar film about two elf brothers seeking to find if true magic is still found on earth.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil- Angelina Jolie is back to pick up where she left off with the story of how Maleficent turned evil on sweet Princess Aurora. 

Guardian of the Galaxy 3

Jungle Cruise- A movie based on a Walt Disney World attraction?! I’m intrigued. Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock) will star.

Disney Streaming Service

If you are looking forward to the remakes of Lady and the Tramp and The Sword In the Stone, you will need to view them on Disney’s new streaming service.

Called Disney Plus, it will be ad-free and will allow downloading so you can watch movies and shows offline. The cost will undercut Netflix at $6.99/month or $69.99/year.

According to CBS News, “the service’s entire lineup will cover five categories: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.” Disney Plus will launch November 12, 2019.

Which of the 2019 Disney movie new releases are you most looking forward to?

 

The Best Rides At Hollywood Studios Not To Be Missed

If you’re planning your Disney family vacation, you may be confused about what to plan for your day at Hollywood Studios. There are lots of conflicting opinions about who the park is for and how much time should be spent there. I will attempt to rank the top 5 best rides at Hollywood Studios, as well as highlight who will enjoy them the most.

best rides at Hollywood studios images include toy story land and Star Wars land

Debuting in 1989 as MGM Studios, the park was rebranded as Hollywood Studios in 2009 but retained its cinematic theme. It often gets mistaken for Universal Studios, but Hollywood Studios is one of the four Florida-based Disney parks. 

Originally focusing on classic movies, Hollywood Studios has since expanded its theme to include movies, television, and music. Two huge new recent expansions have kicked this park up several notches: Toy Story Land in 2018 and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge set to open in August 2019.

Arguably home to the most thrilling rides of Walt Disney World, Hollywood Studios also has attractions that will please the youngest guests. Favorites include the Disney Junior dance party, Frozen sing along, stage shows of Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid, and the uber popular Toy Story attractions.

Toy Story Mania

Toy story mania ride at Disney's Hollywood studios

  • Who Will Love It? EVERYONE!
  • Height Requirement: none
  • Fear Factor: No scary elements

Toy Story Midway Mania is the epitome of good, clean fun! Even the queue is fun with it’s life-size toys that make you feel like you’ve shrunk down to Woody’s size.

When boarding the ride, you put on 3D glasses that make the screen images jump out at you. You spin around from screen to screen, each one with a different midway-style shooting game. You shoot with your blaster and rack up points, trying to beat your seat mate. Whether you care about the score or not, it’s a blast.

Slinky Dog Dash

Slinky dog dash ride at Disney's Hollywood studios

  • Who Will Love It? The whole family, especially children 5-10
  • Height Requirement: 38 inches
  • Fear Factor: Only scary if you fear roller coasters (but it’s a pretty tame one)

This family coaster lets you zoom around inside Slinky Dog! Built on “Andy’s yard”, you’ll see green army men, Rex, Jessie, and more beloved characters as you ride.

Just about anyone will enjoy the ride, as it’s very smooth as far as roller coasters go. The intensity is on par with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, so maybe a bit intense if it’s your child’s first roller coaster. I’d recommend starting with Barnstormer (a short but fun kid coaster on my list of favorite underrated Disney attractions) if you are unsure if your young child will like roller coasters.

Slinky Dog also has typically has the longest wait time of all the rides at Hollywood Studios, so you will want to make good use of Fastpass or arrive before rope drop and go straight there.

Star Tours

  • Who Will Love It? Kids and Star Wars fans of any age
  • Height Requirement: 40 inches
  • Fear Factor: The scariest part is how queasy you will feel

I need to include this one because of the mass amount of Star Wars fans visiting Hollywood Studios, even though I personally won’t ride it anymore (motion simulators make me incredibly sick).

With C-3PO piloting, you board a space craft motion simulator and go on a journey through space with tons of twists, turns and dips. In reality your seats only move slightly, but the 3D glasses and large screen have you believing otherwise.

Star Tours is another ride that has many different variations, and when the waits are short I’ve seen kids exit the ride and run around to get back on and experience a different storyline over and over again.

Hopefully this fall one of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge rides will replace this pick as one of the best Hollywood Studios rides, but as of now this is it for Star Wars fans!

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Twilight zone tower of terror ride at Disney's Hollywood studios

  • Who Will Love It? Thrill seekers, especially teens and young adults
  • Height Requirement: 40 inches
  • Fear Factor: The word “terror” is in its name. Psychologically and physically scary!

If you love the feeling of your stomach dropping down to year heels, this is the ride for you!

First you are shown a scary video from the Twilight Zone to get you in the mood. Then you take an elevator up (and scare you some more). Lastly, they just drop you straight down… and back up, and down again. The pattern actually varies so it’s not the exact same ride every time.

This ride is a thrill, and great fun, but make sure you ride with caution. The height requirement is 40 inches, which is the height of an average 4 year old. That does NOT mean that your 4 year old will like it! In fact, of my four kids I think the only one who would enjoy it is my oldest (10 years old). 

The others would be spooked by the creepiness of it, and absolutely lose their minds at the drop.

I first rode Tower of Terror as a teen and have loved it ever since.

Rock n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith 

  • Who Will Love It? Thrill seekers of all ages
  • Height Requirement: 48 inches tall
  • Fear Factor: Ride is extremely fast and has inversions, but the theme is lighthearted and not intending to terrify

This high speed, thrilling coaster has the highest height restriction in all of Walt Disney World. 48 inches means most kids under age 7 or 8 will not be able to ride.

And that’s for the best, because this one is intense.

I feel the need to warn everyone before they go on this ride to keep your head back as soon as you get to the launch area (with the stoplight and countdown). When it takes off, it explodes out of the gate and you could get some major whiplash if your head isn’t already being supported by the headrest.

Even though it’s really fast, goes upside down and is super intense, the ride is still really enjoyable because it’s not at all jerky. You don’t bounce around and feel beat up afterward (I’m looking at you, Big Thunder). Other than the start and stop, it’s very smooth. And you feel so exhilarated after!

On Tiana’s one on one trip, she made me ride Rock n’ Roller coaster 3 times in a row, which about did me in… but she was still thirsty for more!

This is probably your best choice for Fastpass (Tier 2) along with Tower of Terror (also Tier 2) and Slinky Dog as your Tier 1. You’ll beat the crowds the most with that strategy.

Other Hollywood Studios attractions and shows not to be missed

Fantasmic nighttime spectacular

Hollywood Studios is centered around Hollywood of course, so some of the best attractions at the park are shows, not rides.

Muppet Vision 3D

A cute and funny 3D show (at the attraction they strike out 3D and call it 4D because of the additional elements like bubbles and water), this is aimed at children but adults will enjoy it too. If you like Mickey’s Philharmagic at Magic Kingdom, this is the same idea except Muppets instead of Mickey and the gang.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

I saw this as a very young kid, and the last time I saw it (2018) I was amazed at how unchanged it is! Still an exciting stunt show with classic scenes from Indiana Jones. You don’t need to have seen the movies to be into the show, it’s still cool to see without the context. 

The show does involve very loud noises, explosions, fire, etc. Last time we saw it, my 8 year old boy was in awe!

Fantasmic!

No visit to Hollywood Studios is complete without seeing this epic nighttime show. Follow Mickey into his dream channeling music and themes from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in Fantasia. The show involves light and water effects and is larger-than-life. 

The show follows on a journey with music and characters from many of the famous Disney movies and turns dark when some villains get involved. But like all things Disney, it wraps up nicely with a happy ending.

What do YOU think are the best rides at Hollywood Studios?

Agree with me or not, I want to hear your favorites!

 

The Worst Disney Advice You Should Never Follow

You know what they say about people and opinions? Somehow that’s even more true when it comes to planning a trip to Disney World. There is no shortage of Disney World advice out there, the problem is that so much of it is very, very wrong.

Here is some of the WORST Disney advice I’ve ever heard, that you should never, ever follow!

Worst Disney Advice

Disney World is just for kids

People! Just no.

I’ll tell you who Disney World is for: people who like Disney World!

That includes a lot of children (but not all) and a lot of adults (but not all).

Disney World advice

Some of my fondest Disney memories are trips I did with only adults. One was a trip my siblings, father, and uncle and I took after my mother passed away. We figured a visit to the happiest place on earth was in store to distract us from our grief, and it actually did.

Another was the trip my husband and I took for our 5 year wedding anniversary. We already had 3 kids by that point, but decided to go just the two of us. It was a very different kind of trip than when we’ve brought the kids, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

That was the only trip that we were able to make it all the way around World Showcase, including stopping to watch all the country movies and enjoy a Gray Goose slush in France.

Disney World advice

There are lots of unique Disney experiences geared specifically at adults, including fine dining locations such as:

  • California Grill (Disney’s Contemporary Resort)
  • Le Cellier (Canada Pavilion at Epcot)
  • Narcoosee’s (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort)
  • Jiko (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge)
  • Victoria and Albert’s (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort)

Just to name a few!

There are also VIP tours that are for adults only, including the popular Keys to the Kingdom Tour.

Yes, Disney is fantastic at catering to kids. But if you are jonesing for an adults-only trip, by all means GO FOR IT!

Animal Kingdom is just a zoo

Here is another one that grinds my gears.

Animal Kingdom is a theme park that mainly revolves around animals, but it is not at all comparable to your local zoo.

One of the most mind-blowing, technologically advanced rides anywhere in the world is found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is called Flight of Passage and you can find it in the Pandora section, an elaborately themed land from the movie Avatar. (Note: there are no animals found in that entire land. Because Animal Kingdom is not a zoo!)

The animal experiences at Animal Kingdom (Kilimanjaro Safaris, Maharajah Jungle Trek) are very well done and worth doing. You feel like you’re on a real African safari and get to view animals in a natural habitat, not in cages. They are better than what you’d find at a zoo, and they are only a small part of the park.

The rest of Animal Kingdom is like all of WDW: immersive, full of details evoking all the senses, unique dining experiences, characters, rides, etc. There are also some spectacular shows, our favorite being the Festival of the Lion King which is interactive with the audience and tells a story with amazing acrobatics.

Be spontaneous with your dinners

This could be decent advice if you are only looking to do quick service dining. But if you want to enjoy some more relaxing sit down dinners, it is truly some BAD Disney advice.

Dining is a huge part of the Disney experience, whether you’re talking about character meals or adults-only signature restaurants. Many restaurants book COMPLETELY as soon as the 180 day booking window opens! You want to plan your reservations as soon as possible or risk not getting any (or not getting what you want). 

Do not wait to book your Disney dining reservations

Yes, it’s a drag to have to plan your meals 6 months in advance and it would be more fun if it could be spontaneous. You can certainly check the app on the day of just to see if anything opens up, because of course people’s plans change. Just do not count on that method if you really want to book certain meals. Play it safe and book 180 days out.

Don’t use Fastpass for lines that are fun

This advice is well-meaning and usually comes from Disney fans. But I’m as much of a fan as they come, and I have to say this is some bad Disney advice.

Disney is brilliant and they have done as much as possible to make waiting in long lines less miserable. (See my post about beating Disney crowds if you hate lines as much as I do!) So they have added some entertaining elements to the longest queues to help people get through them. Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Winnie the Pooh all have some fun things to do and see while you wait.

Does this mean it’s worth it to wait an hour or more in line? That answer is simple: NOPE.

Long lines are never fun, even with a few pieces of entertainment thrown in. Even with the PLAY app to pass the time, I’d still rather be elsewhere in WDW doing more instead of being stuck in a line. 

The best ways to bypass those long lines? Take your trip when it’s a slow time of year, go to the parks when it’s a slow time of day, and make the most of your Fastpass selections!

The ONLY exception to this (in my opinion) would be Dumbo. I never Fastpass Dumbo, because the wait is not a line. Instead they give you a pager like one you’d get while waiting for dinner in a restaurant. You then sit in the air conditioning and rest your feet while the kids play in a Dumbo-themed play area. It is a total win all-around and not at all like waiting in a typical line.

Dumbo queue play area

You need to do as much as possible to get your money’s worth

This is a great way to ruin a good vacation.

First of all, wrong mindset. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen a grown adult have a tantrum in response to a tired or scared child saying “Do you know how much I paid for this vacation?” or something similar. If you can’t afford a trip, don’t take the trip. It’s a horrible idea to pay too much for a trip and then try to force your money’s worth out of it.

Secondly, trying to do it all is what ends up making the trip a bad experience. No one will enjoy a trip when you are sleep deprived and forced to stay in the parks from open to close! That doesn’t make it more fun or more “valuable”, that just makes it miserable.

Some of the most fun Disney days are when you cut your park time short and go hang by the pool. Or when you decide to rest in the room and you all end up in bed watching Disney movies together. It doesn’t have to be go go go all the time to be a fun vacation, it just needs to be time spent together with room for magic to happen.

Kids don’t like Epcot

While Epcot is probably the most adult-friendly of all the parks, that doesn’t mean it isn’t for kids.

In fact on one of my trips with kids, my then-5 year old declared Epcot his favorite park. Test Track was his favorite ride in all of WDW and he had a blast playing the Phinneas and Ferb hunt through World Showcase (Agent P). He would also pay the price of admission just to spend an hour mixing sodas at Club Cool.

happy kid at Epcot
Here is one happy kid who NEVER wants to skip Epcot

Future World is full of fun rides and experiences for kids, and World Showcase is so different from the rest of WDW that it makes for a great change of pace for the kids too. Sure, they probably won’t appreciate Impression de France or watching their parents drink around the world, but if you make it about the kids there is tons for them to enjoy. Kidcot stops, exploring the pavilions, trying new foods from different countries, and meeting characters are some of the things kids love at Epcot.

If you go at a slow time of year, you don’t need Fastpass

This is not just bad advice, it also makes no sense. Fastpass is free and included with your ticket, why in the world would you NOT make use of it?

While I highly recommend traveling at slow times of year (January, February, September), it’s important to know that there is no time of year when there aren’t lines at WDW. Low crowds make it easier to fit more attractions in as lines are overall shorter, but the most popular attractions have long lines 365 days a year. Fastpass is your friend ALWAYS.

Don’t bother bringing a baby or toddler to Disney, they won’t remember it

Maybe they won’t, but YOU will! Taking little ones to Disney is peak magic.

Toddler at Disney

There is nothing like seeing a two year old’s face light up when she meets her favorite character! And when they get older they will love seeing the photos. You can keep memories alive by telling stories and showing photos too.

The only time I agree with this advice is if you KNOW this will be your child’s one and only trip to Disney World. If that’s the case, I think there are better times to go (ages 5-9 would probably be my favorite). Old enough to have some stamina, but young enough to still be a true believer.

But if you have an opportunity to take a trip when your child is a toddler, and you’re up for the challenge, it can be very well worth your effort. Here are some tips for doing Disney with a toddler and the best Disney attractions to do with preschoolers.

What is the worst Disney advice you’ve heard?

I know there is more bad advice out there! Share in the comments and let’s see if we agree.