Planning Tips

Top 5 Must Do Attractions at Hollywood Studios

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios is always changing, but one thing that’s constant is that it offers some of the best thrill rides and shows in all of Walt Disney World.

These are my Top 5 Must Do rides and attractions when we visit the park!

5. March of the First Order

As Star Wars slowly takes over Hollywood Studios (who is else is excited for Galaxy’s Edge?!), this show is by far one of the coolest. Line up on Hollywood Boulevard to watch the First Order come storming through the park. It’s exhilarating to watch, even if you aren’t a huge fan (I wasn’t initially and still loved seeing this). The march takes place every hour in the afternoon, so lots of chances to catch it!

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for all ages and levels of Star Wars fandom!

4. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

Who doesn’t love this tale as old as time?! This Broadway-esque stage show is just a feel-good attraction for the family and one of my favorite shows in WDW. Sit back and relax as you are whisked away into the classic story of Beauty and the Beast. Singing along is always encouraged 🙂

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for all ages!

3. Tower of Terror

This Hollywood Studios icon is a must do, if you’re feeling brave! Step aboard if you dare into the Twilight Zone, where you will experience drops and darkness like never before. For an even more thrilling experience, we love to ride this one at night!

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for the “big” kids and adults

Height requirement: 40 in. or taller

2. Toy Story Mania  

This 4D interactive game is so much fun! It’s a step up from the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom, which we also love. Ride through different games, all featuring your favorite Toy Story characters and scenes. Scores are tallied along the way and a winner is announced at the end. If you’re competitive, you won’t want to miss this one!

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for the whole family!

Height requirement: None

1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

My all-time favorite ride at Hollywood Studios is this famous coaster featuring the one and only Aerosmith band. Everything about this ride is awesome – the theming, the queue and the ride itself. Shoot off in your super-stretch limo from 0 to 60 in about 2 seconds. You have to make it all the way across town for the big show!

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for the “big” kids and adults

Height requirement: 48 in. or taller

Planning Tips

Top 5 Must Do Attractions at Animal Kingdom

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Animal Kingdom is unlike any other of the WDW parks. It’s almost 5x the size of Magic Kingdom and it definitely feels that way when you trekking from one attraction to the next. It can be tough to navigate, especially for someone like me who struggles with their sense of direction (and I’ve been there dozens of times!).

That being said, some of the best attractions at WDW can be found at Animal Kingdom. It’s worth a visit if you can squeeze it in to your vacation.  I’ve pulled together our family’s top 5 must do attractions that we make sure to hit every time…

5. Kilimanjaro Safaris

Hop in a safari jeep as you’re whisked away to the serengeti! This family-friendly ride is so much cooler than seeing animals at the zoo. We were able to ride the safari twice this past August, and both times were unbelievable. We saw SO many animals – they were all out and about, and the giraffes even got close to our jeep! Morning is the better time to ride than the afternoon since the animals are more active, but now Animal Kingdom offers night safaris which we hopefully will be able to do soon!

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for all ages!


4. Festival of the Lion King

Who doesn’t love the Lion King?! This Broadway-esque stage show is one of the best shows in all of WDW. The talent is always unbelievable but unlike a Broadway show, it’s interactive. Sing along to all of your favorite music from the movie while the kids get to join in a parade with the performers. I hadn’t gone to this one in a few years, but when we went this past summer, it was better than I remembered. It’s a good break from the heat, too, if you’re going in the summer.

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for all ages!


3. Dinosaur

The ride Dinosaur is one of WDW’s hidden gems and one of the most “quotable” rides. Without being a coaster, it’s still a thrill rides with lots of sharp turns, drops, and startling moments – and it’s in the dark. Dr. Grant Seeker sends you back to the time of the dinosaurs in a time rover. Your task is to rescue an Iguanadon before the meteor strikes and wipes out all dinosaurs.  I honestly could ride this one over and over again without getting sick of it, and best of all there’s usually a short wait!

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for the “big” kids and adults

Height requirement: 40 in. or taller


2. Expedition Everest

If you like roller coasters, you don’t want to miss this awesome ride. As Disney does best, the theming for this ride is one of my favorites. This coaster takes you on a speeding train through the Himalayan mountains – just watch out for the monster of the Forbidden Mountain. There’s nothing better than screaming “THE YETI” at the top of your lungs as you hurl past the lunging Abominable Snowman.

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for the “big” kids and adults

Height requirement: 44 in. or taller


1. Avatar Flight of Passage

This new thrill ride blew our minds this past August. We’d all seen the movie Avatar (highly recommend watching it before riding this), and the ride truly transports you directly into Pandora. I was lucky enough to ride it several times (see how we did it in the blog post “Ride Review: Flight of Passage”) and am already looking forward to riding it again.

WDW Park Planners Recommendation: for the “big” kids and adults

Height requirement: 44 in. or taller

Check out the other attractions at Animal Kingdom here!