Hollywood Studios FastPass : The Ultimate Guide
You can be a star at Hollywood Studios, especially if you have the best Hollywood Studios fastpass! Hollywood Studios boasts some of the most diverse fastpasses, from amazing stage shows that bring you into the movies to thrilling rides like the only roller coaster that goes upside down at Walt Disney World. It’s also a park that is undergoing tremendous amounts of change, with new rides coming online almost every year. Understanding the fastpass+ selections at Hollywood Studios can help you make the most out of your Disney World planning.
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Hollywood Studios Fastpass Rides
Hollywood Studios fast passes come in similar categories to the other Walt Disney World parks, including thrill rides, experiences, and interactive rides. It’s a common misconception that Hollywood Studios is only a 1/2 day park. It actually has some of the most exciting rides throughout Walt Disney World and well-timed fastpasses ensure you experience them all:
- Fast Rides / Motion Rides
- Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millenium Falcon : Smugglers Run
- Rise of the Resistance (Not Eligible for FastPass)
- Experiences / Non-Rides
- Muppet Vision 3D
- Fantasmic!
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Disney Junior Dance Party!
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones(TM) Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Small Drops
- Star Tours – The Adventure Continues
- Spinning Rides
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Interactive
- Toy Story Mania!
Galaxy’s Edge FastPass Rides
Only one ride, Millenium Falcon : Smugglers Run, is eligible for a fastpass while Rise of the Resistance utilizes boarding passes. If you are looking for a short wait time, the best option is to “rope drop” meaning you are at Hollywood Studios before opening time.
Hollywood Studios FastPass Tiers
Hollywood Studios has seen a lot of change in their FastPass tiers with Galaxy’s Edge, the new Star Wars land opening in 2019. Similar to the fastpass tiers at other Disney parks, there are two tiers at Hollywood Studios. Tier 1 includes the two most popular rides at Hollywood Studios, Sinky Dog Dash and Millenium Falcon : Smugglers Run. Tier 2 contains all of the stage shows and the other thrill rides.
You can only schedule one of the rides in Tier 1. You can then schedule two selections from Tier 2. If you decide you don’t want to schedule any of the Tier 1 rides, you are also free to choose 3 rides from Tier 2.
- Tier 1 Hollywood Studios FastPasses (Choose 1)
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millenium Falcon : Smugglers Run
- Tier 2 Hollywood Studios FastPasses (Choose 2)
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Toy Story Mania!
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Fantasmic!
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Disney Junior Dance Party!
- For the First time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- Muppet Visions 3D
- Start Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Voyage of The Little Mermaid
Outside of the Galaxy’s Edge rides, Slinky Dog Dash is by far the most popular ride Hollywood Studios. If you meet the height requirements, this is definitely the ride you should pick from the top tier. You can easily get a short wait for Toy Story Mania if you head there early in the day, and we have ridden the Alien Swirling Saucers with no more than a 15 minute late in the evening. Don’t forget to check out the best Hollywood Studios restaurants while you are in-between fast passes too! You can also show your love for your favorite Hollywood Studios Fastpass with some fun merchandise.
Best Fast Passes for Hollywood Studios
The perfect Hollywood Studios fastpass strategy is waiting for you! Whether it’s your first time visiting, you want the best thrill seeker rides, or just want to enjoy the shows, there are three fastpasses ready to help you skip the line.
| First Time Visit | Thrill Seekers | Under 38″ Tall | Love the Shows | Adults Only Trip |
| Millenium Falcon – Smugglers Run | Slinky Dog Dash | Alien Swirling Saucers | Fantasmic! | Millenium Falcon – Smugglers Run |
| Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster | Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster | Disney Junior Dance Party! | Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! | Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster |
| Fantasmic! | Twilight Zone Tower of Terror | Fantasmic! | Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage | Toy Story Mania! |
First Time Visit FastPasses to Hollywood Studios
Millenium Falcon : Smugglers Run combines a thrill ride with interactive features, actually letting you pilot the Millenium Falcon. As Hollywood Studios is all about bringing you into the movies, Smugglers Run is the perfect fastpass for helping you get into the spirit of the park.
After a successful coaxium smuggling run, you should continue the thrills with a ride on Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster. As the only roller coaster that goes upside down at Walt Disney World, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster must be on your list for your first-time fastpass.
Finally, the night time jewel of Hollywood Studios is the Fantasmic! show. It takes you through years of your favorite Disney Movies and just about every character you would want to see. It’s one of the best shows at Disney World.
Hollywood Studios Thrilling FastPasses
Hollywood Studios has undergone lots of change in the past few years, but there are a few classics that remain as must-dos for your first trip. It’s unique experience as an electromagnetic rollercoaster gives it an amazing take-off experience rocketing you from 0- to 57 mph in only 2.8 seconds. You can experience up to 5 Gs during the three inversions as you race to Aerosmith’s concert.
Although Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster tops the thrilling experiences list at Hollywood Studios, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a close second. One of the best things about this ride is that it is different every time. The ride has a series of randomized drops so that you can get a different experience if you choose to ride more than once. It is the second tallest attraction at Disney World, second to Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. Hollywood Tower of Terror is such an epic ride that it inspires tons of fan-art, including custom Tower of Terror t-shirts!
The final addition to your thrilling fastpass adventure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios should be Slinky Dog Dash. You will find it’s a tamed-down version of Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster, but still a fun time through Toy Story Land!
Fastpasses for Toddlers at Hollywood Studios
If you party doesn’t meet the 38″ height requirement, you still have a lot of options for fun fastpasses at Hollywood Studios. You will skip the Hollywood Studios tier 1 rides to opt for three tier 2 rides. For your Toy Story Land pick, the Alien Swirling Saucers are definitely the way to go with toddlers. This fun ride may remind you of the teacups at Magic Kingdom, but it has an extra swing added to the spinning action. You hop in the back of a saucer and swing around the track with the aliens driving the way.
You can also enjoy the Disney Junior Dance Party! A fastpass might not be necessary to get into this party, but it will score preferred seating for your little one. They can dance the morning/afternoon/evening away with their favorite Disney Junior characters. With toddlers, the character experiences are often the most magical and this gives you a chance to hang out with even more!
Finally, Fanstasmic! is a great way to round out your day at Hollywood Studios. The light show and characters are sure to make your toddler’s evening. It’s even a little magical for us adults!
Adults Only at Hollywood Studios
An adult’s only trip is not complete without a ride on Millenium Falcon : Smugglers Run. The competitive nature of the ride will let you compare scores and see who comes out on top of the coaxium run.
For a second fastpass pick, Toy Story Mania! will keep up the competition. The adults in your group will love vying for the top score across the different games.
Finally, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster rounds out your adults-only picks as the most thrilling ride at Disney World.
Get the Best Seat in the House at Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios lives up to its name with some amazing shows! The perk for a fastpass+ to a show is that you get guaranteed seating with a great view. You can usually snag a good seat without a fastpass as well if you arrive early. The best shows at Hollywood Studios, deserving of a FastPass+ are:
- Live-action Beauty and the Beast
- Inidana Jones(TM) Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Fantasmic!
Beauty and the Beast brings all of your favorite moments and songs to life on stage, and a fastpass gets you the best center view. The Indiana Jones show has adventure and comedy, sure to delight everyone!
Wasted FastPasses in Hollywood Studios
All of the true rides at Hollywood Studios end up with a little bit of a wait throughout the day as there are fewer rides in this park than others. There are still quite a few non-rides at Hollywood Studios that rarely require a fastpass and can actually be a great way to spend time in between your fast passes:
- Muppet Vision 3D
- Fantasmic!
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Disney Junior Dance Party!
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones(TM) Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
How to Schedule Your Hollywood Studios FastPass
Now that you know what you want, you need to actually schedule it! You can schedule your FastPass from either the MyDisneyExperience App or vía the Walt Disney World website. There are some tips to pick the best dates/times:
Check Your Park Hours
Make sure you double check park hours. If you are staying on-property, you might have access to Extra Magic Hours. This means you could get in early or stay late in a park after regular guests leave. These are excellent times to try to snag another popular ride. For example, you can only shedule Smugglers Run or Slinky Dog Dash, Extra Magic Hours are a great way to try to ride both in the same day.
Note : Unfortunately, Rise of the Resistance is not available during Extra Magic hours.
If you AREN’T staying on property, you should also pay attention to Extra Magic Hours. While everyone on property might stay late at a park to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours, you can snag much shorter lines the next day since most on-property guests won’t revisit the same park two days in a row.
Pick the Best Times and Schedule More Fastpasses
Use every FastPass secret in our guide to snag the best times. You’ll want to have times during peak hours for your first 3 fastpasses (10a-4p in most parks) and use them as quickly as possible so you can begin scheduling additional FP+ selections one at a time. At Hollywood Studios, you have a good chance at getting the following same-day reservations:
- Probably a Sure Thing
- Muppet Vision 3D
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Disney Junior Dance Party!
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones(TM) Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- During non-Peak Days:
- Star Tours
Walt Disney World FastPass+ Pro-tip :
Don’t let your phone die! The MyDisneyExperience app is a renowned batter-draining app, so we always recommend taking an external battery pack with you. The best one we have found is the Anker Power Core 1300. It has 2 USB charger ports and can charge an iPhone up to 4 times on a single charge of itself.
Fun without a FastPass at Hollywood Studios
One of the best things about Hollywood Studios are the roaming characters! You will find Storm Troopers, Rey, Chewbacca, aspiring “Actors” and all other kinds of character experiences throughout the park.
March of the First Order and Star Wars : A Galaxy Far, Far Away
We absolutely love this experience. If you are a Star Wars fan, nothing beats watching Captain Phasma leading storm troopers right down Hollywood Boulevard. The march runs every hour from 10am-5pm and ends in the Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away show at the center of Hollywood Studios. The show includes your favorite Star Wars characters recreating many of your favorite moments from the films.
Jedi Training
This may be the best free activity at Walt Disney World! Jedi Training at Walt Disney World allows your little one to sign up and be trained with other Jedis. The lean to fight with a lightsaber and their training ends with a battle with one of the Star Wars villains. The experience also comes with tons of pictures from the Disney photo pass photographers, so it’s sure to make memories for years to come.
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- Darth Vader better get ready!
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- Swinging for the fences with Darth Vader.
Spots for this experience go extremely quickly, so you will want to sign up for a time as soon as the park opens. The sign-up station is located next to the Indiana Jones experience.
The Green Army Men of Toy Story Land
One of the best character interactions in Toy Story Land are with the Green Army men! They room around the land, taking pictures and offering high-fives. They even have a band that marches through Toy Story land. Finally, they have a set of games they stop to play with fellow “toys”. You’ll love watching the fun interaction they have with guests as well as the banter between them.
Citizens of Hollywood
The Citizens of Hollywood are an improv group that travels around Hollywood Studios bringing tons of laughs! You may happen along their group throughout the park and make sure to stop and enjoy their brand of comedy.
Special Character Experiences
There are several Character experiences at Hollywood Studios that you can’t get anywhere else! Star Wars Launch Bay has BB-8, Chewbacca, and Kylo Wren ready to take a picture with you.
Toy Story Land has Jessie, Buzz, Bo Peep and Woody on stand-by for an autograph and photo. One of the best interactions is with the Green Army Patrol. Thier drum core passes through Toy Story Land. If you catch one of their shows, they also let you come up for pictures at the end.
Finally, you can find Mickey in his Sorcerer’s Apprentice robe and hat. Minnie is also available for autographs and pictures in her fancy Hollywood attire.
Fast Passes at Hollywood Studios
The most important things to take away from your Hollywood Studios FastPass bookings are:
- The first tier includes Slinky Dog Dash and Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. You can only book one in advance each day.
- Millenium Falcon: Smugglers RUn is the most popular ride at Hollywood Studios right now, so it should take your Tier 1 booking if you meet the height requirement.
- If you are of height, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a must-do. It’s the fastest rollercoaster at Walt Disney World and the only one that goes upside down.
- Fanstasmic! is one of the best shows at Walt Disney World. Usually fast passes for shows aren’t that valuable, but this one is worth it.
- Use your fast passes up as quickly as possible so you can start booking more!
- If you are a Star Wars fan, there is a lot to do without a fastpass. Catch the March of the First Order, Star Wars : A Galaxy Far, Far Away, or Jedi training. Jedi training is probably the best free “extra” experience at Walt Disney World.
- Rise of the Resistance is not eligible for a fastpass.
If you need help with other parks, make sure to check out our other posts: