Hollywood Studios Overview
Let’s go to Hollywood! Hollywood Studios hopes to take you to the movies, and bring you inside some of your favorites. It is one of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World. Hollywood Studios has lots of charm, great attractions, and some really fantastic themed areas. One of the biggest and most themed area is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge which is located in Hollywood Studios. In addition to the rides, there are also quite a few shows you can catch in Hollywood Studios, plus lots of character meet and greets! There are a couple of main areas in Hollywood Studios so let’s dive right in.
Hollywood Boulevard
This is the area you will enter when you first walk into the park. You can get a lot of your shopping done on this street and pick up your Starbucks at The Trolley Car Cafe. The main store of Hollywood Studios are located on this street and to the right on Sunset Boulevard. If you are looking for a particular piece of merchandise, this area will be a great spot for you. As you continue your way down Hollywood Boulevard, you will be able to see the Chinese Theatre straight ahead and Sunset Boulevard will be to your right. Straight ahead inside of the Chinese Theatre is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. You will also be able to see the nighttime shows Disney Movie Magic and Wonderful World of Animation in front of the Chinese Theatre.
Sunset Boulevard
If you take a right off of Hollywood Boulevard, you will start heading down Sunset Boulevard. You will find some more shops as you first enter and multiple dining options including Catalina Eddie’s, Rosie’s All-American Cafe, Fairfax Fare, and Hollywood Scoops. Sunset Boulevard is also home to some pretty well-known attractions. You can experience The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (currently closed for refurbishment). Additionally, you will find Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, and the entrance for Fantasmic!, one of the nighttime shows at Hollywood Studios.
Animation Courtyard
If you head back towards Hollywood Boulevard, and keep heading towards the Chinese Theatre, you will enter into the Animation Courtyard as you are passing under another Disney’s Hollywood Studios sign. This area will feature the Disney Junior Dance Party and character meet and greets. As well, you will find Star Wars Launch Bay which is where you can meet various Star Wars characters and explore some Star Wars memorabilia and images. This will also be where the live action The Little Mermaid show will be once it reopens. You can also stop in to Walt Disney Presents for a fantastic museum, some air conditioning, a show, and the opportunity to meet Ariel from the live action The Little Mermaid.
Echo Lake
Hollywood Studios isn’t set-up quite as nicely as some of the other parks. So to get to the next area, we are going to head back out towards the Chinese Theatre and go the opposite direction of Animation Courtyard. This will take us into the Echo Lake area where you can find experiences like Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, and Star Tours. You will also find an Olaf meet and greet in this area. Additionally you will find dining options such as Hollywood & Vine, 50’s Prime Time Cafe, and Backlot Express.
Commissary Lane
If you take the street in between Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, you will be entering into Commissary Lane. This area has a couple of dining options including ABC Commissary and Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant. You can also meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse here. This is a pretty small area and it is pretty easy to miss.
Grand Avenue
Now if you continue past the Star Tours ride, you will be entering the Grand Avenue area which is the perfect area for Muppets fans! In this area you will be able to experience the MuppetVision 3D show, eat at PizzeRizzo and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. You will also find the opportunity to meet Max and Goofy in this area.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
We are about to enter one of the most popular area in Hollywood Studios. Are you ready? Here we go! Next up is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This is the newest land in Hollywood Studios and is a highly themed, immersive area that puts you right into all of the Star Wars action. The land is a remote outpost called Batuu. On Batuu you can shop for lots of Star Wars merchandise and enjoy themed food and drinks at Docking Bay 7, Oga’s Cantina, Kat Saka’s Kettle, Ronto Roasters, and the Milk Stand. Additionally, you can experience two different attractions: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Rise of the Resistance is a super popular ride and it has some amazing elements. If you are a Star Wars fan (or just a fan of really cool rides), Rise of the Resistance is definitely a ride you will want to check out.
Toy Story Land
After you have finished checking out Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you can head into Toy Story Land. This area is such a fun area and also has really great theming! There is lots to see and you can also experience Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucer, and Slinky Dog Dash. Plus you can dine at Woody’s Lunch Box and Roundup Rodeo BBQ. There are also meet and greets, and you may even catch some green army men marching about.
Pixar Plaza
We are headed to the final area of Hollywood Studios: Pixar Plaza. This area is right as you are heading out of Toy Story Land and you can find a variety of character meet and greets like Frozone, Edna Mode, Sully, and more. There are also some snack carts as well as a Joffrey’s stand in this area. If you keep walking past this area, you will be back into the Animation Courtyard area and headed towards the Chinese Theatre.
We made our way around Hollywood Studios! This park has a lot to explore and you get to experience a lot of your favorite Disney and Pixar movies like never before. You can find additional information about Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the Disney World website right here.