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Hollywood Studios Lightning Lanes Guide | Rides & FAQs

Learning how to use Disney Lightning Lanes is a must when visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Even if you don’t use it you will be affected by the wait times and the ride priorities will change the way you tour the park.

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Guide

In this post, we are going to explain to you everything you need to know about using Disney Lightning Lanes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, and how to skip the lines at your favorite rides when using it.

We’ll tell you which Hollywood Studios attractions use Lightning Lane Multi Pass and we will rank them in order from best to worst.  Getting the ride priority right is important when you are paying all that extra money to use the Lightning Lanes and we’ll help you figure out which order to book them in.

We’re going to give you a couple of Lightning Lane Multi Pass itineraries when visiting Hollywood Studios that you can use as a guide.  Keep in mind, that these are just examples as your experience will likely be very different due to uncontrollable factors such as weather, crowd levels, and closed attractions.

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway

All these factors will determine how many rides you can book at Hollywood Studios on a given day.  Hopefully, you will be able to take our suggestions and tips and turn them into your own ideal Lightning Lane Multi Pass day at Hollywood Studios.

After reading this, you may even decide that LL Multi Pass is not worth the extra money at Hollywood Studios, and that is totally fine.  We’ve spent countless hours touring all the Walt Disney World theme parks using Lightning Lanes to help you decide if it’s even worth it for you, and if so, how best to use it.

Some big changes have come to Lightning Lanes at Hollywood Studios in recent months, and it is potentially more valuable.  The new date-based pricing has made Hollywood Studios a little more affordable for guests rather than the more expensive Magic Kingdom. That may make things a bit more affordable for families.

Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane selections

Either way, any visit to Walt Disney World has just gotten more and more complicated in recent years, so hopefully, this helps make your decision easier to make.

Before we get started, we have other guides to Disney Lightning Lanes you definitely will need to check out if you haven’t already.  They will give you all the basics you need to know about the service:

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest changes to Disney Genie Plus and other Disney vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Lightning Lane Basics

Lightning Lane Rise of the Resistance

Before we can plan your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there are a few basic things you need to know about Lightning Lanes.  The above links will give you more details, but here we are outlining just a few of the most important things to know.

What Are Lightning Lanes?

Lightning Lanes is the new name for the old FastPass+ queues at the attractions in a Disney theme park.  Instead of using the traditional standby queue, the Lightning Lane lets you skip the line so you can ride without spending all that time waiting.

Skipping the lines of course is not free and you have to pay for that service.  That’s where Lightning Lanes comes in…

What is Multi Pass?

Lightning Lane Multi Pass Single Pass

Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a service that allows you to “skip the lines” on your favorite Walt Disney World attractions. It works just like the old FastPass+ at Disney World and FastPass/MaxPass in Disneyland just that you now need to pay to use it.

To use Multi Pass, each guest pays a flat fee per day which then gives you access to the Lightning Lanes.  When you purchase Multi Pass you can make ride reservations at various attractions throughout the day.

If used properly, Multi Pass reduces the time you spend waiting in lines throughout the day, making room for shopping, dining, or riding more attractions than you would otherwise be able to do.  The time savings isn’t as big at the Animal Kingdom but it is still there.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, many of the attractions use the Lightning Lanes but not all of them, so check the full list below to plan out your day correctly.

Lightning Lane Single Pass

In Disney’s Hollywood Studios there is 1 attraction that is not part of the Multi Pass lineup of attractions but instead is available for purchase a la carte via Lightning Lane Single Pass.  This is a pay-per-ride service that lets guests skip the lines at select attractions, one ride at a time.

The difference between Lightning Lane Single Pass and the regular Lightning Lane Multi Pass service is that LL Single Pass lets you ride one attraction at a time instead of giving you access to a group of attractions for one price.

How Much Do Multi Pass and Single Pass Cost?

Cost of Genie Plus at Hollywood Studios

So how much do Multi Pass and Single Pass cost exactly?

Each of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks now has separate Multi Pass pricing with some costing more and some less each day. Prices are date-specific and based on demand, so if you are visiting during a busy time of the year, you will pay more than if you went during a slower time.

Here are the price ranges for Multi Pass in Disney World:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – This costs between $20-$35 per person, per day at Walt Disney World (plus tax).  We expect this to increase as time goes by and the parks get fuller.

These prices are based on what has been available so far since the new pricing change. It’s hard to know at this time the full range of prices until more time goes by and Disney can get a feel for guest demand in each park, especially as we get into the holiday season and beyond.

Lightning Lane Single Pass – The price here is different for each ride.  Prices for Lightning Lane Single Pass selections at Hollywood Studios range from $15 to $25 per ride, per person.  These prices can vary depending on the season and how crowded the parks are.

  • For both Multi Pass and Single Pass Lightning Lanes, check the My Disney Experience app for pricing on the day of your park visit.

Disney World is already one of the most expensive places to visit, so you may want to weigh the value that adding Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass actually gives you before planning your trip.

What Time Can I Buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Hollywood Studios?

Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane selections

You can buy Lightning Lanes Multi Pass for your visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios starting at 7:00 am EST 7 days prior to the start of your Disney World Vacation IF you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort. (For your entire trip up to 14 days)

For instance, that means if your vacation starts on January 10th and ends on January 20th, you can reserve your Lightning Lane Reservations for your entire trip on January 3rd at 7:00 am EST. 

If you’re not staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you can only book your Lightning Lanes 3 days prior to your trip at 7:00 am EST, as long as you have a valid theme park pass.

What Time Can I Purchase Lightning Lanes Single Passes?

Hollywood Studios Genie+ purchase time

Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations now are ultimately the same as making Lightning Lane Multi Pass Reservations and the time you can make reservations at the Hollywood Studios depends on if you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel or not.

Purchases for Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions at the Hollywood Studios start each day at:

  1. 7:00 am 7 days prior to the start of your trip if you are a Walt Disney World Resort hotel guest. (Up to 14-day trip) 
  2. 7:00 am 3 days prior to the day you will be visiting if you are not staying at a Disney World Resort hotel.

On-site visitors have a big booking advantage by having early access each morning, and this is one reason why it could be beneficial for you to stay at a Disney World Resort hotel.

For a full step-by-step guide, read our post on How to Purchase Lightning Lane Attractions.

Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Multi Pass Attractions List

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Alien Swirling Saucers

Before we get a strategy for Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you need to know which attractions are included in the service, which ones are excluded, and which ones are Lightning Lane Single Pass selections.

Multi Pass Attractions

Right now, there are 13 attractions and experiences using Disney Multi Pass at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  At Hollywood Studios they are broken up into two different tiers. Tier 1 and Tier 2. Each guest purchasing Multi Pass can select (1) attractions from the Tier 1 list and (2) attractions from the Tier 2 list. 

Here is the updated list:

Tier 1:

  1. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  2. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  4. Slinky Dog Dash

Tier 2: 

  1. Alien Swirling Saucers
  2. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  3. Disney Junior Play & Dance!
  4. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  5. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  6. Muppet*Vision 3D
  7. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  8. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
  9. Toy Story Mania!

All the above-listed attractions are part of the Multi Pass package and are available for $20-$35 (plus tax) per person, per day at Hollywood Studios.  You are not guaranteed to be able to book every one of these rides, but they are the ones available to choose from.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway Daisy scene Hollywood Studios Genie+

Some of these rides included in Multi Pass used to be LL Single Pass selections such as Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway which moved over to the Multi Pass lineup of attractions.

At this point it looks like the current lineup is pretty stable and we don’t anticipate and changes in the near future, not at least until Hollywood Studios gets a new ride.

What Rides are Excluded from Multi Pass?

Lightning McQueen sign Hollywood Studios Genie+

Not all attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are included in the Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass service.  Yes, there are 13 attractions that participate, but there are also some attractions, shows, and character meets that do not participate.

Some of them are included as Lightning Lane Single Pass selections (more on that in a minute), and others do not have any way of skipping the queue.

Here is a list of the Hollywood Studios attractions excluded from Lightning Lane Multi Pass:

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
  • Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie
  • Disney Movie Magic
  • Fantasmic!
  • Wonderful World of Animation
  • The majority of Character Meets

Lightning Lane Single Attractions

Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane selections

There is 1 Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway used to also be a Lightning Lane Single Pass selection, but it has now moved over to the Multi Pass lineup of attractions.

Remember, any Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions are not included in the Multi Pass package and are a separate pay-per-ride service.  Instead of paying for access to a group of rides, you are paying for each one individually.

Guests are not required to purchase Multi Pass in order to use the Lightning Lane Single Pass, or vice versa.  Both services are independent of each other and you can use either one or even both if you like.

Entrance to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Cost: $15$25

Is It Worth It?: Most of the time we would tell you not to spend the extra money on Lightning Lane Single Pass selections, they just aren’t worth it.  However, Rise of the Resistance is the exception and if ever you were going to buy a la carte Lightning Lane, this would be it.

The reason it can be worth buying a Lightning Lane on Rise of the Resistance is that it is the most popular ride at Walt Disney World and it has the longest wait times currently.  There is a standby queue available and the line can be 2 hours long on a regular basis.

If there is a way we can get back 2 hours of our visit to Hollywood Studios, that’s worth an extra $20 each to us. It may even be worth the max $25 price during the busy holiday season.

If you don’t want to spend the extra money, we recommend using a rope drop strategy with Early Theme Park Entry, and showing up 90 minutes before the official park opening (60 minutes before Early Entry starts).  Any later than that and your wait time will still be at 60-90 minutes even if you show up before park opening.

The other alternative is to wait until 5 minutes before Hollywood Studios closes for the night and get in line right at that time.  The posted wait time is always exaggerated beyond the actual wait time and it may only be 30 minutes or so.

The only other Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction we’d recommend purchasing at this time is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT.  That is the newest and most popular attraction in EPCOT and it can also be worth it.

Best Multi Pass Attractions

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run table Hollywood Studios Genie+

Since Multi Pass is not cheap, it’s important to know which attractions at Hollywood Studios are the best choices when making reservations. Keep in mind that you can now reserve (3) different Multi Pass attractions in advance, so it’s important which rides to book first. 

Remember that most attractions sell out at some point during the day, and reservations are limited to first come, first served.  To make the best choices of attractions, and in the right order, careful planning is required.  There may be some rides that while not your favorite, are advantageous to book first because it will save you more time in the long run.

Below we’ve ranked all the Multi Pass attractions at Hollywood Studios in order of priority and given a brief explanation to why you need to make these rides the priority throughout the day.

At least we have one extra Multi Pass attraction at the moment (Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway) since it is still part of Multi Pass at least for now.

Remember, this is not our list of the Best Hollywood Studios Rides and Attractions, that is a completely different list, while this one is only our rankings of these attractions when taking into consideration Multi Pass reservations.

Slinky Dog Dash

Slinky Dog Dash Hollywood Studios

Slinky Dog Dash is without a doubt the most in-demand Multi Pass attraction at Hollywood Studios and it should be your priority when making reservations.

On average it has the longest wait times in the park and they range from 80-120 minutes on a regular basis.  Since going through the Lightning Lane will likely take you a maximum of 10 minutes, that means huge savings in time if you can get a Multi Pass selection for it.

This is also the first ride to sell out each day.  Even if it’s not your favorite attraction you will get the biggest time savings here over any other ride if you use Multi Pass.  It also frees you up at rope drop to go another direction and aim either for Rise of the Resistance or the Sunset Blvd attractions (Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster).

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run table Hollywood Studios Genie+

After Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is at the top of the next tier of attractions and a perfect second choice of the day.  Yes, it’s only the second-most popular attraction in Galaxy’s Edge behind Rise of the Resistance but it draws wait times between 60-90 minutes on average.

Not only does it have long wait times, but it sells out quickly each day.  On most days you won’t be able to get a Lightning Lane after 2:00 pm, usually making it the second attraction to sell out, just behind Slinky Dog Dash.

As a ride, we don’t like Smugglers Run as much as Tower of Terror for example, but its long lines make it worth using a Lightning Lane selection here.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™

Tower of Terror pre show Hollywood Studios Genie+

For most of 2022, the Tower of Terror was the #2 priority when making Multi Pass reservations.  The reason for this was that it was operating at a reduced capacity with half of the elevators shut down for maintenance.

This refurbishment caused wait times to effectively double and what would have normally been a 60-minute wait turned into 120 minutes instead.  Lightning Lanes would be inexistent after 12:00 pm which made this a no-brainer ride to book with an early Multi Pass reservation.

The refurbishment to the Tower of Terror is now finished, however, and wait times have been dramatically reduced bumping it down slightly in importance to Multi Pass priority.  

On most days wait times are around 60 minutes and you can still find Lightning Lane reservations after 2:00 pm.  So while the wait times for Tower of Terror have eased up in recent months, it’s still a high priority and should be your 2nd or 3rd choice.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Guitar

The next three Multi Pass choices are all very close and it’s really splitting hairs over which one to book first.  For our #4 choice, we are going with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.  Ever since it first opened, this ride has been a guest favorite and has traditionally had some of the longest lines in the park.  

That has been reduced since some of the new rides like Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash have opened, but it still remains extremely popular.  Wait times are often between 60-80 minutes which makes it a good use of a Lightning Lane.

The reason we have it higher on our list over Toy Story Mania! and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is that those attractions have more capacity and Lightning Lane reservations run out more quickly at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster with reservations gone before 3:00 pm on most days.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Runaway Railway opening scene

This ride started out as a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction when the Multi Pass system first launched, but it has been switched over to the regular lineup of Multi Pass attractions at least for the time being.

Since it is the newest attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an appeal to all ages, you can imagine that wait times are pretty long. In fact, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has been one of the most popular rides in Hollywood Studios since opening in 2020, and it’s a good use of a Multi Pass selection.

On most days, wait times are between 60-80 minutes, but it can be around 30 minutes if you go early in the morning at rope drop or later in the evening. Reservations tend to sell out in the late afternoon to early evening, again another reason why you should book it earlier.

If you are going to be rope-dropping either of the Galaxy’s Edge rides or Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway should be high up on your Multi Pass priority list.

Toy Story Mania!

Mr. Potato Head Toy Story Mania Hollywood Studios Genie+

Similar to Runaway Railway, Toy Story Mania! is a family-friendly attraction with a high hourly capacity which is able to soak up Multi Pass ride reservations.  

It has similar wait times to the previous two attractions at around 60 minutes, but Multi Pass availability usually lasts longer into the day, sometimes even until 7:00 pm.

It’s still a good use of a Lightning Lane and remains our #6 priority in Hollywood Studios.

Alien Swirling Saucers

Alien Swirling Saucers Hollywood Studios Genie+

Even though a lot of guests will skip this simple spinning ride, high wait times make it an ok use for a late Multi Pass reservation.

Wait times usually hover around 30-40 minutes, but in busy times they can even shoot up to 60 minutes.  We suggest waiting until late in the day when most other Multi Pass reservations are sold out before booking it.  If it’s available and you are interested in riding it, great.  If not, just skip it.

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Star Tours droid

While we love Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, there isn’t much benefit to booking a Multi Pass reservation here.  Wait times are usually between 20-30 minutes, but Lightning Lanes usually last all the way until park closing.

You could make it your last Multi Pass of the day if nothing else is available, but it probably won’t save you any time over just riding it via the standby queue at the end of the day anyway.

Worst Multi Pass Attractions

Genie+ Lightning Lane MuppetVision 3D

Below is a list of the remaining Multi Pass attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  While you may want to ride them during your visit, they should be low on your priority list when it comes to making Multi Pass reservations.  

99% of the time they are not worth using a Multi Pass reservation on and they will not have long waits when compared to the previously mentioned attractions.  Doing them in the standby queue is typically not an issue.

The time you should make Multi Pass reservations here is when all the other attractions are already sold out for the day and you don’t have any other choices.

Using Multi Pass on the character meets could save you a few minutes, and are for the most part a better choice than the stage shows.  Stage shows give you priority seating, but it isn’t a big enough difference in views to make it worth a Multi Pass selection.  Priority should be given to the popular attractions we recommended in the previous section instead.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Even if you see this listed as a 20 or 30-minute wait, you can likely show up 5 minutes before the show starts and still find a seat.  Yeah, it won’t be quite as good of a seat if you lined up earlier, but it’s not worth spending a valuable Multi Pass reservation here for a minimal upgrade.

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

Similar to Indiana Jones, you get priority seating if you use a Multi Pass selection here, but it just isn’t worth it imo.  95% of the time it’s easy to find a seat 5 minutes before the show starts and it’s not worth giving up one of your prime Lightning Lane selections when you could be using it on something else that will save you more time.

Muppet*Vision 3D

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Muppet*Vision 3D

While Muppet*Vision 3D is perhaps our all-time favorite show at Disney World, it’s not a good use of a Multi Pass reservation.  Wait times here are rarely more than 15 minutes and the theater is hardly ever full which means the listed wait time is only the time it takes for the next show to start.

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

If you are huge Frozen fans then there might be some value in having a better view of Anna and Elsa, otherwise, pass on using a Lightning Lane here.

Disney Junior Play & Dance!

Like the other shows, not much value in using a Multi Pass reservation here either.

Multi Pass Rides in Order of Priority

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Slinky Dog Dash

Below we’ve ranked all the Hollywood Studios attractions in a list in order of priority for Multi Pass selections.  Hollywood Studios can be a little bit of personal preference over necessary what the ‘smartest choice’ is. 

The list will change slightly depending on which attractions you plan on riding and ENJOY riding, but it will give you a good baseline to go by when making your own reservations.

  1. Slinky Dog Dash
  2. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  4. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
  6. Toy Story Mania!
  7. Alien Swirling Saucers
  8. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  9. Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
  10. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  11. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  12. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  13. Disney Junior Play & Dance!
  14. Muppet*Vision 3D

Tips & Strategy

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Toy Story Mania! entrance

Here are a few of the most important strategies when using Disney Multi Pass at Hollywood Studios.  If you use them, it will give you an advantage over other guests you are competing against for ride reservations.

Book Lightning Lane in Advance

A big change with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass is that you can purchase the services for your trip 7 days in advance of your arrival for resort guests and 3 days in advance for non-resort guests. At that 7 or 3-day window, you also can book LL for all days of your vacation up to 14 days, instead of having to book them early each morning of your trip.

Being ready to make reservations at the 7 or 3-day window will give you a big advantage over other guests, and you need to be in the My Disney Experience app and ready to go at 7:00 am on that day. Remember, that’s 7 days before the start of your vacation if you’re staying at a WDW Resort at 7:00 am and 3 days before if you’re NOT staying at a WDW Resort. 

Thousands of other guests will be competing with you for those limited Multi Pass reservations, and since there are fewer attractions here than in other parks, it can get competitive.

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Hondo Smugglers Run pre show

If you wait too long past 7:00 am, all the best rides at Hollywood Studios like Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and the Tower of Terror will all start filling up for the day.  That means a late return time, or worse, you could miss out on a Lightning Lane reservation and be forced to use the standby queue.  

Since some of these attractions have wait times of 2 hours or more, you can see why you would want to avoid that.

If you plan on purchasing a Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we recommend you do that right after making your Multi Pass reservations.  If you’d rather wait until AFTER attempting to get into the Virtual Queue at 7:00 on the day of your visit, there may or may not be any Lightning Lane Single Pass Reservations available at desirable times then. 

Also, make sure to purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass well before 7:00 am on that day.  If you wait until 7:00 am other people will already be booking rides while you are trying to buy the service.

Refresh Often

One of the best tricks when booking Multi Pass reservations is to use the “Refresh Strategy.”  This is effective when you think reservations are sold out for the day for a specific attraction.  In reality, there may still be some reservations left.

Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane selections

We use this all the time and end up with attractions that at one point during the day seemed sold out.  This happens because as guests are booking Multi Pass attractions, at times they change their minds and let go of reservations they previously had.  When that happens they go back into the common pool for other guests to choose from.

To use this strategy, keep refreshing the app on the Tip Board page every minute or so when you are trying to land one of the more popular rides.  To refresh, drag your finger down the screen and it will show you all available Multi Pass attractions.

As you do this, attractions that looked like they were previously sold out can all of a sudden have available reservations once again.

Make Lightning Lane Multi Pass Reservations As Soon As Possible

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus rope drop

Multi Pass rewards guests who act quickly and who make new reservations as soon as they become available.

For example, once you get in the queue for your first Multi Pass reservation you can start booking your next reservation.  Don’t wait to ride the attraction to do this, book your next reservation while you are still waiting in line.

Try to get in the line for your 1st LL Multi Pass attraction immediately when you’re able to because that means you’ll be able to book you’re next LL Multi Pass attraction, allowing you to always keep 3 Lightning Lane reservations.

Best Times for Lightning Lane Reservations

How many Genie+ rides per day at Disney World

Since you can’t choose your own return times for attractions with Lighting Lanes, this one isn’t too hard to understand.

Whenever possible, we go for early return times on attractions.  This is helpful since you can make your next reservation once you tap into the queue of your current attraction.

Doing this helps you make more overall reservations throughout the day, especially for the most sought-after rides.  Even though this is our strategy, you have no control over the return times and you should just concentrate on booking the best overall rides in the park instead of worrying about what return times they are giving you.

Use Early Theme Park Entry

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Early Theme Park Entry

Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel have a big advantage over guests staying off-site due to the Early Theme Park Entry perk.  This lets you get into Hollywood Studios 30 minutes earlier than other guests which is a big help when trying to do the popular rides.

Getting there for park opening is called rope dropping, and we always recommend doing this if you are serious about doing all the rides and saving time.  That 30 minutes may not seem like much, but it will make a huge difference if done the right way.

For example, if Hollywood Studios opens at 9:00 am, Early Theme Park Entry starts at 8:30 am that day.  However, guests can start entering Hollywood Studios earlier than that, even as early as 7:45 am.

When using Early Theme Park Entry, we recommend showing up 90 minutes before the official park opening time, which is really 60 minutes before Early Entry starts.

When the gates open guests will line up on Hollywood Blvd for rope dropping Galaxy’s Edge or Slinky Dog Dash.

Read our guide to Early Theme Park Entry for more details on how it works and why you should use it.

Try Stacking Reservations

Lightning Lane at Tower of Terror Disney World

If you can’t get early Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations, another strategy you can try is called stacking.  This is when you book reservations with return times later in the day and then can do 2-3 rides all later in the day.  This isn’t always the best strategy, and sometimes just getting early reservations lets you do more than stacking later in the day.

Having multiple LL Multi Pass reservations lined up in the afternoon means you will be able to skip the lines for those attractions right when wait times are the longest. And this can be very helpful if you do not rope drop the Animal Kingdom and/or show up later in the day.

To do this, I’d suggest making your three Multi Pass selections during the peak hours of the day, anytime between 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Pick your rides based on popularity. I’d suggest Slinky Dog Dash from Tier 1 and Tower or Terror and Toy Story Mania from Tier 2. Then as soon as you get in the ride queue for you’re first Multi Pass selection, begin booking your next attraction.

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Star Tours

For Hollywood Studios, I’d recommend booking whichever Tier 1 attraction is available for your first floating reservation of the day. For instance, if you book Slinky Dog Dash as one of your three initial Multi Pass attractions, then book Smugglers Run, Rock ‘n’ ’Roller Coaster, or Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway as your next reservation once you get in line for your first attraction of the day. 

This allows us to do some other less popular rides and shows via standby queue while reserving Lightning Lanes for the more popular ones later on. 

Since you can’t really choose your own attraction return time, the most popular rides in the Animal Kingdom tend to fill up early, leaving you with more availability later in the day.  Stacking may become your default strategy and you won’t even have a choice.

Ride Rise of the Resistance Last

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Rise of the Resistance

If you don’t want to pay for a Lightning Lane pass on Rise of the Resistance, you have two choices that will get you the lowest wait time possible: Go early in the morning, or late in the evening.

We already told you how important it is to arrive at the parks early in the morning, but if for some reason you can’t get to Hollywood Studios at rope drop, going late in the evening might be an even better option.

Rope dropping can lead to short wait times, but only if you are really one of the first few hundred people in line.  If you aren’t, you will still be stuck waiting 1-2 hours.

We’ve often found the shortest wait times when we make Rise of the Resistance our last ride of the day.  Often the posted wait times are exaggerated at the end of the day to discourage guests from getting in line.  

For example, if the posted wait times outside the attraction are usually still 120 minutes or more right before the park’s closing when you actually get in line, it’s much less than that.

If Hollywood Studios closes at 9:00 pm on the day of your visit, try waiting until 8:55 pm to get in line.  If you do you will likely be rewarded, sometimes with even a walk-on.

Our Guide to Riding Rise of the Resistance with the Standby Queue will give you the latest tips to help you save time when riding.

Hollywood Studios Touring Examples with Multi Pass

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus at Rope Drop

Ok now that we’ve shared a detailed explanation of all the attractions at Hollywood Studios and what Multi Pass priority you should give them, let’s take a look at some actual Hollywood Studios touring plans using Multi Pass and Lightning Lanes.

Remember, these are only examples of how your day might play out when you visit Hollywood Studios.  Your own experience will vary due to factors such as crowds, weather, and ride maintenance.

From our experience, you will probably be able to book somewhere between 3-6 attractions in a day at Hollywood Studios.  While not quite as many as the Magic Kingdom, for example, that can still make a sizeable impact.

We are going to give you 2 sample 1-Day Hollywood Studios Multi Pass Itineraries.  The first one is only using Multi Pass, and the second is if we include Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions into the mix.  These plans can of course be modified according to your personal preference.

With Only Multi Pass

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Entrance

In this touring plan, we are assuming Hollywood Studios is opening at 9:00 am (8:30 am for Early Entry). Remember with Multi Pass, you can reserve you’re 3 rides in advance of your visit. While Hollywood Studios doesn’t have as many attractions as Magic Kingdom, booking your rides intelligently here is smart. 

Remember, you can book one Tier 1 attraction and two Tier 2 attractions. 

Prior to Your Visit – Purchase the Disney Multi Pass service ($20-$35 + tax) and select ride and experience preferences in Tip Board on My Disney Experience.

Book a Multi Pass for Slinky Dog Dash with a Lightning Lane return window as early as possible.  Even if you can’t get an early return time, take whatever you can get. With your two Tier 2 attractions, I’d suggest booking Toy Story Mania! And Tower of Terror. Book them as early in the day as possible. 

Soon As You Arrive – Get in line outside Hollywood Studios for Rope Drop.  Our strategy is going to be a straight run for Rise of the Resistance once the park opens.  Since we are doing Early Entry, this should give us a decided advantage over most of the public.  Another option is to do the Sunset Blvd attractions instead and save Rise of the Resistance for your last ride of the night.

After you ride Rise of the Resistance at Rope Drop, it should be time to use your first Multi Pass. Whether that’s Slinky Dog, Toy Story Mania, or Tower of Terror. Immediately when you get in line for that attraction, you can make your next Lightning Lane Reservation. 

If it’s not quite time yet, go grab some breakfast first. Head to grab a Ronto Wrap in Galaxy’s Edge or a coffee at Starbucks while you’re waiting patiently.

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Alien Swirling Saucers

While in Line for Your 1st Multi Pass Ride – As soon as your party gets in line, book your next attraction. Prioritize the Tier 1 Attractions, as you can book any of them now. In order of priority after Slinky Dog, I’d suggest booking:

  1. Smugglers Run
  2. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
  3. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

As those are generally the longest waits and the Lightning Lane slots sell out the soonest! If any in your party don’t want to ride some of those rides, then perhaps you can adjust your attractions to meet the needs of your group. 

Rest of Day – For the rest of the day, continue to monitor your Lightning Lane Reservations, checking the times you currently have booked. Make sure you don’t miss any reservations, while also being conscious of the next available time slot you can join the attraction queue. 

For instance, if you have to enter Smugglers Run sometime between 10:00 am and 11:00 am, make sure you get in the line immediately at 10:00 am so that you can book your next Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection! You are constantly in competition with other guests to battle for time slots, as reservations can fill up quickly for the more desirable Tier 1 attractions. 

In order of preference, as I mentioned above, I’d continue stacking your Lightning Lane Reservations based on this:

  1. Slinky Dog Dash
  2. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  4. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
  6. Toy Story Mania!
  7. Alien Swirling Saucers
  8. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  9. Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
  10. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  11. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  12. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  13. Disney Junior Play & Dance!
  14. Muppet*Vision 3D

In between Lightning Lane reservations, fill the rest of your day with snacks, shows, and shopping. Lightning Lanes aren’t needed for fun experiences such as exploring the Star Wars Launch Bay, enjoying the wonderful Walt Disney Present exhibit, or watching the Mickey and Minnie Vacation Fun short.

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Millennium Falcon

Once you’re done or bored feel free to hop on the Disney Skyliner and either head back to your resort or head over to EPCOT during Extended Evening Hours and enjoy some of the attractions there!

In this sample day, we didn’t do the character meets or nighttime shows.  If any of those are important to you, then you can easily substitute them for some of our other plans.

You also could use Multi Pass better than we did and for more popular rides if you wanted to ride some of them twice.  For example, even though we booked Multi Pass reservations for rides like Tower of Terror, Smugglers Run, and Runaway Railway, you could have done some of those twice by also waiting in the standby line and skipping some of the shows.

  • TIP: If for some reason you didn’t get a chance to ride any of the Big 4 attractions  (Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, or Tower of Terror) during the day due to long wait times, or if you want to ride them a second time, you can get in line for them at 8:55 pm or 5 minutes before park closing.  You should get a walk-on for any of them or at least no more than a 20-minute wait.

Now, let’s look at another Multi Pass touring plan for Hollywood Studios, this time also using the Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions pass…

With Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass

For the First Time in Forever Frozen Sing Along Celebration Hollywood Studios Genie+

Like in the previous itinerary, in this touring plan, we are assuming that Hollywood Studios is opening at 9:00 am (8:30 am for Early Entry) and that there is still no fireworks show or that you are not interested in seeing it.  Obviously, this can be worked into the itinerary should those plans change.

On top of Multi Pass, we also are purchasing an Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Prior to the Trip – Purchase the Disney Multi Pass service ($20-$35 + tax) and select ride and experience preferences in Tip Board on My Disney Experience. 

Book a Multi Pass for Slinky Dog Dash with a Lightning Lane return window as early as possible in the morning. We still are going to book Slinky Dog Dash as our #1 priority. Continue to book the same Tier 2 attractions as we suggested above, Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania. 

After booking your first three initial Multi Pass attractions then immediately book your Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction for Rise of the Resistance. Earlier is usually better since maintenance problems can come up later in the day and who knows how long it will be down.

Hollywood Blvd at Hollywood Studios Genie+

After Booking Your Lightning Lane Selections – From here you have a choice. You can rope drop if you really want to maximize every possible ride offering in the park, OR you can decide to sleep a little bit more in the morning and come in casually to the parks. 

We will assume you want to rope drop to maximize the Early Entry and get on a few more attractions with minimal waits. The nice nice about this situation is that you don’t need to be worried about rope dropping Rise of the Resistance, which is the attraction the vast majority of people rope dropping run to. 

Instead, you will focus your attention elsewhere. 

Once Arriving in the Park – I’d suggest getting to the park between 7:45 am and 8:00 am. Get in line outside Hollywood Studios for Rope Drop.  Our strategy this time is going to be to knock out the Sunset Blvd attractions (Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster) once the park opens.  Since we are doing Early Entry, this should give us a decided advantage over most of the public.

You should be able to get on both Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror with minimal wait times if you arrive that early. This will free you up later for Multi Pass selections too. Hopefully, by the time you go on both of these two attractions, you’re first Lightning Lane selection will be ready. Whether that’s Rise of the Resistance or any of the additional three Multi Pass selections you made.

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Star Tours R2-D2

Rest of the Day – As we mentioned in the sample day mentioned above, continue to monitor your Lightning Lane Reservations, checking the times you currently have booked. Make sure you don’t miss any reservations, while also being conscious of the next available time slot you can join the attraction queue. 

For instance, if you have to enter Smugglers Run sometime between 10:00 am and 11:00 am, make sure you get in the line immediately at 10:00 am so that you can book your next Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection! You are constantly in competition with other guests to battle for time slots, as reservations can fill up quickly for the more desirable Tier 1 attractions. 

In order of preference, as I mentioned above, I’d continue stacking your Lightning Lane Reservations based on this. Obviously, if you already have a reservation for one of these attractions, go to the next attraction on the list. 

  1. Slinky Dog Dash
  2. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  4. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
  6. Toy Story Mania!
  7. Alien Swirling Saucers
  8. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  9. Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
  10. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  11. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  12. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  13. Disney Junior Play & Dance!
  14. Muppet*Vision 3D

Not having to worry about rope dropping Rise of the Resistance will save you TONS of time. You’ll likely now be able to ride additional rides throughout the day.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular show Hollywood Studios Genie+

In between Lightning Lane reservations, use the rest of your day with snacks, shows, and shopping. Lightning Lanes aren’t needed for fun experiences such as exploring the Star Wars Launch Bay, enjoying the wonderful Walt Disney Present exhibit, or watching the Mickey and Minnie Vacation Fun short. 

Though not offering a huge savings in time, the security of having a Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance is very comforting given how much the ride goes down throughout the day.  If you use the standby queue for it, you risk waiting in line for an hour or more only to have it break down and then wasting all that time plus the additional time you will spend later if you want to ride it.

Again, both of these itineraries are just samples, and the wait times for the attractions we did via standby queue could vary during your visit, as well as the availability of the Multi Pass attractions or return times.  They should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect, however, and work as nice baseline touring plans with Multi Pass.

FAQs

Row of Stormtroopers Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Here are some of the most common FAQs for using Lightning Lanes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

Is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Included in Multi Pass Atractions? 

No, it is not.  Rise of the Resistance is not included in the Multi Pass lineup of attractions and is instead a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction which is an additional cost over the price of Multi Pass.  These are reserved for the 1-2 most popular rides in each park, and that is Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios.

If you decide to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance, we recommend purchasing it right at 7:00 am since it tends to sell out quickly each day.

Which Multi Pass Should I Book First at Hollywood Studios?

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Slinky Dog Dash

As of this writing, your number one priority Multi Pass attraction at Hollywood Studios is Slinky Dog Dash.  There are certain situations where you can go with something else first, but 99% it should be this.  

Slinky Dog Dash is the most in-demand attraction in the park and has lines that are consistently 90-120 minutes long.  This is the first ride each day to sell out of Multi Pass reservations.  Even though it’s not our favorite ride at Hollywood Studios, using Multi Pass here will save you the most time.

Our second and third choices at Hollywood Studios are Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Tower of Terror.  If you can’t get Slinky Dog Dash for some reason, these are 2 other good choices.  Definitely, these three are the top priorities at Hollywood Studios.

If you book Rise of the Resistance with a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction, you can choose to rope drop Slinky Dog Dash and use a Multi Pass selection on one of the other two rides previously mentioned.

Ideally, you will either rope drop Rise of the Resistance or have a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction for it and a Multi Pass for Slinky Dog Dash.  At that point, we would probably rope drop the Sunset Blvd attractions (Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster) and secure a Smugglers Run Lightning Lane for our second selection of the day.

Whichever of the top three attractions you book with Multi Pass, you should plan a rope drop strategy around the other attractions we mentioned.  This will save you lots of time and let you get the most done possible.

Park Hopping with Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

Goofy at Tower of Terror Hollywood Studios Genie Plus

Park hopping is definitely a good idea while using Lightning Lanes and it can give you a big advantage over other guests while skipping the lines if done right. Thankfully, with the recent changes, Disney removed the additional cost of the Lightning Lanes with park hopping enabled. Instead, it’s just 1 cost. The only caveat is that you have to make your first three selections at the first park you will be visiting. 

Once you make using you’re floating reservations, you can use them for other parks. For instance, if you’re visiting Hollywood Studios in the morning you’ll need to make your first three selections at Hollywood Studios. Once you arrive to Hollywood Studios and get in line for the earliest Lightning Lane reservation, you can then make your first ‘floating Lightning Lane.’ 

This new reservation does NOT need to be at Hollywood Studios. Instead, you can choose to make it at any park of your choice. That is of course assuming you have eligible park tickets to be able to hop. 

If you plan on doing this, I’d suggest making your first three Multi Pass selections as early as possible at your first park. This will enable you can begin making other Lightning Lane selections quickly. Remember, desirable attractions at all the parks go VERY quickly.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway entrance Hollywood Studios Genie Plus

If you get to all of your first three Lightning Lane attractions within the first few hours of the morning, you can begin stacking your Lightning Lane selections at your next park. Ideally, you can have 3 Lightning Lane reservations ready for you prior to even getting to the second park you’re visiting. 

Then once you get into your first Lightning Lane attraction queue, you can start making additional Lightning Lane selections. This will ensure you get to do a TON of rides in two different parks. 

For example, if you are going to Magic Kingdom as your second park, you can have Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, and Thunder Mountain already reserved with your Multi Pass before you even step foot in the park! 

Read our Guide to Park Hopping in Disney World for more info.

What About Hollywood Studios Special Events?

The Multi Pass service does not work with special events at Hollywood Studios, it’s only available during normal park hours.  That means Multi Pass is not available during early morning events such as Early Theme Park Entry or After Hours Events like Extended Evening Hours.

This isn’t nearly as big of a deal at Hollywood Studios as it is at another park like the Magic Kingdom where there are many more special events going on.

Do Ride Reservations Run Out at Hollywood Studios?

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run cockpit

Yes, they do.  Multi Pass selections are “first come, first served,” and almost all attractions at Hollywood Studios end up selling out every day.  The most popular ones can sell out only an hour or two after park opening, and sometimes even before it opens.

At Hollywood Studios the attractions that sell out first each day are Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run can also sell out early at times.

When an attraction has sold out of Lightning Lane reservations for the day, they are gone and no extra inventory is released later on.  You will see “Not Currently Offered” displayed on the Tip Board for attractions that have sold out that day.

However, just because at first glance it looks like one of the attractions is sold out, that doesn’t mean that it really is.  By using the “Refresh Strategy” we outlined earlier, it lets you still score Multi Pass reservations you thought were otherwise sold out.

In any case, we highly recommend prioritizing which attractions are most important to you at Hollywood Studios and make reservations for those first.  If you have a list, then if one of your choices is sold out, you can quickly go to the next most important one on your list.

Is Multi Pass Worth It at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Donald Duck in Runaway Railway

While using Multi Pass at Disney’s Magic Kingdom is a no-brainer, it’s a little more difficult to understand if it’s worth spending the extra money for Multi Pass at Hollywood Studios.

From our experience, using Multi Pass at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is generally worth it and you can get a decent value for your money on most days.  It definitely offers more time savings than at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom.

There are more attractions to choose from at Hollywood Studios than at EPCOT or Animal Kingdom, and there are more E-ticket attractions that have long wait times.  Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Runaway Railway, and Toy Story Mania! all have wait times that are regularly over 60 minutes.

While you won’t be able to book all of them, you should be able to book at least 4 of them, which will save you at least 3 hours or more.  Paying $8-$10 an hour or less for that time savings is worth it in my book.

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus

It is possible to do Hollywood Studios without purchasing Multi Pass, but it’s going to be a much more stressful experience on most days and you will need to really run if you are planning on doing all the attractions and shows in one day. 

The fact that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was added to the lineup of Multi Pass gives the service extra value, but it is unknown how long it will stick around or if it will return as a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction.

It’s especially worth it if you are park hopping when visiting Hollywood Studios as it will help you maximize your time spent here during that half day.

So, is Disney Multi Pass worth it at Hollywood Studios?  Yes, in most circumstances it is.  And it’s especially worth it on busy days when crowds are at their peaks like during the holiday season.

Is It Worth It to Purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass AND Lightning Lane Single Pass Selections at Hollywood Studios?

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Rise of the Resistance

As we explained earlier, Lightning Lane Single and Multi Pass selections are completely separate and you don’t need to purchase one to use the other.  The cost can add up quickly when paying $35 or more per person for Multi Pass and then more money on top of that for a Lightning Lane Single Pass selection.

So is there some scenario when it’s worth it to buy BOTH Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions at Hollywood Studios?  Yes, of all the parks, Hollywood Studios is the one where it may make the most sense to do so.

Right now the only attraction using a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction at Hollywood Studios is Rise of the Resistance.  This is the most popular ride at Disney World and even at a price tag of $25 or more, it makes sense to pay the extra money since it regularly has 2-3 hour wait times.

Normally we wouldn’t suggest buying both of them, but when you add up the big time savings for both services, it makes sense here.

Rise of the Resistance locker Hollywood Studios Genie Plus

Since reservations for both services go online at the same time, you have to prioritize which one you are going to book first.  The ideal situation would be to have two people, one booking Rise of the Resistance and the other securing a Multi Pass for Slinky Dog Dash.  If you are alone, book an early Slinky Dog return time first, then rush over and make your Rise reservation.

If your budget only allows you to pay for one of them, we recommend choosing Multi Pass and not paying extra for Rise of the Resistance.  They are both the same price but Multi Pass will give you access to more attractions and better time savings for the money.

If this is the case, we recommend rope dropping Rise of the Resistance or saving it for your last ride of the day just before the park closing.

If You Don’t Purchase Multi Pass at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Tunnel into Galaxy's Edge

While it does help, using the Disney Multi Pass service is not 100% necessary to have a good time in Hollywood Studios.

So what do you do if it’s not in your budget or you just don’t want to purchase it?  Here are some alternatives that will help you tour Hollywood Studios as efficiently as possible without Multi Pass.

Rope Drop and Use Early Theme Park Entrance

Rope dropping the Disney World parks and taking advantage of Early Theme Park Entry always give you a big advantage over other guests not using them, but even more so if you decide not to use Multi Pass.

Being there in the morning before Hollywood Studios opens will help you do an extra attraction or two before the majority of guests even arrive.  The first 2 hours of the day are when you will experience the shortest wait times so make sure you are there and ready to roll.

Plan 2 Days

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Crossroads

While you can do Hollywood Studios in one day, there is so much to explore that you may want to consider going there for 2 days during your trip, especially if you don’t use Multi Pass while you are there.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is one of the best lands Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created, and it deserves to be explored thoroughly.  There are plenty of shops, experiences, and great food to eat as well as easter eggs to find for the biggest of Star Wars fans.  Our Food Guide to Galaxy’s Edge outlines the must-get food and drinks when visiting.

Building your own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop or buying one of the dozens of legacy lightsabers at Dok Ondar’s are both experiences you won’t want to miss.  Plus building a droid at the Droid Depot makes a great gift for a loved one.

If you want to do everything in Galaxy’s Edge including meals, experiences, and attractions, you could easily spend 6-7 hours in this one land alone.  When you add in all the other attractions across the park, you can see why it could be useful to have some extra time here.

If you do this, you absolutely don’t need to spend the extra money for Multi Pass.  You can get all the major rides done one day, and then re-hit your favorites on the second day while also visiting Galaxy’s Edge.

Hollywood Studios Gets Quieter Late in the Day

Galaxy's Edge Hollywood Studios Genie Plus

If waking up early isn’t your thing, another option is a late arrival strategy.  This can be done by arriving between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm and then concentrating on the more popular rides.

The idea here is that many people start leaving the park in the late afternoon/early evening which makes wait times drop off in the last few hours of the day.  Staying for the last 5-6 hours allows you to do a lot of the more popular rides in the park with lower wait times.

Some attractions like Toy Story Mania! or the Tower of Terror will have their wait times cut in half in the last couple of hours of operation each day putting them around 30-40 minutes at times.

This can even work for Rise of the Resistance as you can make it the last ride of the day.  Often the wait times will be less than 45 minutes by then, much better than 2+ hours you get during the day.

While you can’t expect to do ALL of the attractions, overall, it’s a much less stressful park experience. It gives you lower wait times, lower temperatures at the end of the day, and fewer crowded situations that we find it’s definitely worth considering.

Future of Lightning Lanes at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway

There have been some changes to the Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane attraction lineup in the past, but we can’t envision that happening again anytime soon. 

For example, when Multi Pass first launched, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction.  Since then, it has become a Multi Pass ride, while Rise of the Resistance remains the only Lighting Lane Single Pass attraction in the park for the time being.

These changes are in place at least for now.  Disney hasn’t commented on how the Multi Pass lineup will be changing in the future.

One possibility is that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway could return to being a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction.  Even though it would be better if it stayed where it is since Hollywood Studios needs the Multi Pass capacity, Disney could always try for the extra revenue boost by making it an à la carte selection once again.

Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Toy Story Mania!

A lot depends on the Multi Pass demand and how much capacity it needs at the other attractions.

While we are SUPER excited for new attractions coming to Walt Disney World, especially the Monsters Inc. Doors Roller Roaster coming to Hollywood Studios, these things are likely going to be a few years down the road unfortunately. 

If more rides are built, it will likely be the Multi Pass lineup of attractions that expands which would be good news and bring more value to the service.  We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear of any more changes.

Ready to Start Planning Your Disney Vacation?

Mickey Mouse partners statue Magic Kingdom

If you feel overwhelmed planning a Disney vacation, use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner such as Show You the World Travel. They are experts on every Disney location and can tell you where to stay, what to do, how to save money, and give you personalized service for your most magical vacation ever!

That wraps up this step-by-step on how to buy Multi Pass and use it at Hollywood Studios.  We hope that it gives you some good strategies to use and that our itineraries make it easier when planning your next trip here.  Feel free to ask any unanswered questions below and we will add them to the article.

If you are thinking about using Lightning Lane at any of the other Walt Disney World theme parks check out our other guides:

If you are thinking about going to Walt Disney World in the coming future, here are some other popular articles where you will find all the info and tips you need to plan your trip.

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about buying and using Lightning Lanes at Hollywood Studios…

  • Do you think it’s worth it?
  • What are your favorite attractions to use a Lightning Lane selection on?

Let us know in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media.  I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂

Jerald Elmore

Saturday 19th of August 2023

I wish genie+ and lighting lane could be made two weeks before planning to visit. Thats the old way and I liked it. No reservations required like it used to be would be nice with prier tickets purchased. Jerald Elmore jeraldelmore@yahoo.com